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October 2015 Moms
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Help with pumping

jessrljessrl member
in October 2015 Moms
I have been very lucky to have a breastfeeding champ. She has a great latch and has gained lots of weight. It was definitely challenging at first, but I was lucky to have no problems with painful breasts or nipples. Plus I love the bonding BF gives us! Now I'm trying to get one pumping session in everyday to build up a stash for when I go back to work, and I absolutely hate it! It's uncomfortable and messy. I started this weekend when DH could take DD while I pumped, but today I tried while he was at work and felt horrible when DD woke up in the middle of it and I couldn't grab her. She was fine, but it felt like a waste of time because I hardly got anything since she has been cluster feeding last night/this morning. 

Any advice to make pumping more tolerable and more effective? When's the best time to pump in regards to time of day and when you last fed your LO? How do you make it work when no one else is home to watch LO?  TIA!
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Re: Help with pumping

  • Kari MerksKari Merks member
    This is my 4th and I BFed the other three for a year each and pumped a ton while at work. I found that I always got the most in the morning, even if the baby had just eaten. I just kept at it and eventually my breasts produced more milk because the added pumping session increased the demand. Fenugreek and Mother's Milk tea also helped. Downing tons of water a day helps a lot, too. I also rub a bit of lanolin on the inside of the pump flange to reduce the friction.
    Stasa 01.15.09 * Lexi 03.24.11 * Tommy 04.27.13 * Merklet #4 due 10.10.15

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  • mom4liakmom4liak member
    I am exclusively pumping due to my DD having an immature suck reflex and disorganized suck/swallow/breathe. Before I started exclusively pumping, the LC was having me pump right after I BF my LO. It stimulates additional milk production. I would do it for about 10 mins after my DD was finished and sleeping. I would just save the expressed milk until I got 4 ounces and then freeze. (Usually would take 2 pumping sessions.) Within a week I was getting 4 ounces every time I pumped. Also pumping right after she has nursed helped pumping not be painful becausey nipples were already primed and ready. Good luck.
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  • Kari MerksKari Merks member
    I also use the Milkie when I nurse and wind up with an extra 1-2 oz at each feeding just from letdown on the non-nursing side.
    https://www.mymilkies.com/milksaver
    Stasa 01.15.09 * Lexi 03.24.11 * Tommy 04.27.13 * Merklet #4 due 10.10.15

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  • amberrmariee20amberrmariee20 member
    I pump after a really good feeding and still get anywhere from 2-4 oz !
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  • jasminelukejasmineluke member
    I have the same problem with pumping and not having someone to watch LO making it super difficult. Pumping hands free bra is only slightly helpful as I need my extra hands to manually massage the breast to get more milk out.
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  • sgoodselsgoodsel member
    I found the morning the best time to pump extra milk. And to pump about 15-30 minutes after a feeding.

    If baby gets up while your pumping you can put the pump parts and milk right in the fridge and then clean them up and finish taking care of the milk later.

    I found that having baby nearby to look at helps with more milk. Or if baby is somewhere else then I would look at my favorite pictures or videos of baby on my phone. I even had a video of DD nursing from my viewpoint and on difficult pumping days at work I would watch that video and hold the phone by my boob to make it look as much like baby nursing as possible.
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  • mommy_wife_nursemommy_wife_nurse member
    I pump right after every feeding during the day, and after one night feeding. My supply is building! :)
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  • helen76dhelen76d member
    edited October 2015
    I would pump on one side while breastfeeding on the other
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  • nianicho777nianicho777 member
    edited October 2015
    Everyone has covered most of what I was going to say but I also wanted to add that what I do is tuck a burp cloth under my boobs while pumping, that way once I'm done it catches the drops from my boobs and the flanges, and then I pat the flanges down on it before I move them so that milk isn't getting everywhere. Its really helped me keep it near and not so messy.

    Edit: autocorrect changes boobs to blobs lol
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  • yassminemb2015yassminemb2015 member
    Can i pump between feedings to increase supply? If i know he eats every 4 hours, can i pump after two hours of his last feeding session? To increase the supply.
    Do you think running a viral infection and a low grade fever affects the supply? How to overcome that?
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  • lindsaurlindsaur member
    While in the hospital I worked somethings a lactation consultant who had me pump after every feed. Sometimes I got very little, but eventually I started being able to pump more. It's supply and demand. The more you stimulate, the more milk that will be produced. I was also told that the night time pumping was especially important, as it would help set up my supply for the next day.
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