Questions about pumping

Firsttimer16 · February 2016

hi guys
looking for tips on pumping! I've not started yet as we were having issues feeding as a result of tongue tie.
now that's sorted I want to start pumping so that i can get out now and again and have someone able to feed her.
Im totally clueless though and don't know where or how to start?!
any tips??

BabyBoyH2016 · February 2016

15 minutes on each side every 3/4 hours

. Definitely invest in a double breast pump! The hospital recommended Ameda purely yours and it's working great for me

. Good luck!

failuretofly · February 2016

BabyBoyH2016 said:

15 minutes on each side every 3/4 hours . Definitely invest in a double breast pump! The hospital recommended Ameda purely yours and it's working great for me . Good luck!

This seems excessive if you're still planning on primarily breastfeeding. I have been pumping once per day, 10 minutes per side, every 1-2 days and have 34 oz stored (about a day an half worth). It does depend somewhat on how your supply is, but pumping more frequently or taking some fenugreek will help with that as well.

Moore2love2014 · February 2016

Defiantly don't have to pump every 3-4 hours of your constantly breastfeeding! I only pump once a day for about 10-15 min on each side.

nackie · February 2016

My LO nurses for an hour every two hours, I try to pump when I can, but usually only manage once a day at most. I hoping to be able to increase that when he settles into a more reasonable schedule and I have a bit more energy.
The double pump with a pumping bra is great. I usually do 10-15 minutes when I do it and get about an ounce/side

Achae · February 2016

I pump once in the morning to build a stash and relieve engorgement. I've read to pump until your milk no longer flows or 15-20 minutes. I usually have 2-3 let downs per session and just stop after 20 minutes since it never really stops for me.

Firsttimer16 · February 2016

Thanks for all the help guys!
She is just gone 6 weeks today. How much would you be giving her in a bottle??
ang tips on how to start her on the bottle too?!

teachmegs817 · February 2016

I was pumping 3-4 times a day, when I was making the transition from breastfeeding to formula. Almost like a breakfast, lunch, and dinner, kind of schedule. It helped me with engorgement and to slowly ween LO off of breastmilk. DS always took to a bottle, because he spent time in the NICU. I'd first say, find a bottle that you like and then try it out with LO. Not all babies take to every type or brand of bottle. Many women start by using the bottles that are branded with whatever pump they are using. LO drank from the Medela bottles for a little while, as some of them came with the Medela pump I have. I eventually switched to the Dr. Browns bottles and DS took to them right away, so we didn't have to experiment with any other brands.

I don't have any tips on the frequency that you should be giving her the bottle, but maybe try her out on one during the day a couple of times, before introducing it to her at night time. I'd think if she doesn't take to the bottle easily, it may be easier for you to handle it during the daytime (having to breastfeed her, switch to another bottle if you have multiple kinds on hand), rather than in the middle of the night during a feeding.

clabgust · February 2016

This topic is almost exactly what I was going to post about.
little one had just turned a month old. He nurses 15-20 mins every 2-3 hrs. I have had great supply and he has been very easy and doing well breastfeeding (now please know he is my 4th and I have never had this great an experience)
but I just started pumping once a day in early morning after baby eats. I've been stocking up 3oz bags.
I plan to breastfeed as much as possible just wanting to give him an occasional bottle for getting out once or twice a week for a couple hrs.
How should I decide how many ounces to feed him? Plan on asking my pediatrician this week but wondered if y'all had tips?

Firsttimer16 · February 2016

clabgust said:

This topic is almost exactly what I was going to post about.
little one had just turned a month old. He nurses 15-20 mins every 2-3 hrs. I have had great supply and he has been very easy and doing well breastfeeding (now please know he is my 4th and I have never had this great an experience)
but I just started pumping once a day in early morning after baby eats. I've been stocking up 3oz bags.
I plan to breastfeed as much as possible just wanting to give him an occasional bottle for getting out once or twice a week for a couple hrs.
How should I decide how many ounces to feed him? Plan on asking my pediatrician this week but wondered if y'all had tips?

No help to you but curious to hear from others!

SuperherosMom · February 2016

I EBF and pump once or twice during the day after feeding and at least once in the middle of the night after nursing. I've EBF my 2 other kids for 1 year but always had supply issues and always stressed about it. With this baby I try to pump as much as I can to establish a good supply up front so I hopefully won't have issues when I go back to work. Make sure the flanges are the right size and a LC can also help make sure you're using the pump correctly and right size too. Good luck! On and I always did 3-4 Oz bottles when kids started daycare at 12 weeks.

Achae · February 2016

@clabgust you can try a weighted feed with a LC to see how much LO is taking in. You can also start with a 3 oz bottle and so paced feeding (bottle takes as long as baby would if they were at the breast) and if they still show signs of hunger, try another oz. BF babies rarely take more than 4 oz at a time (per kellymom).

ainverso · February 2016

I pump first thing in the morning after babies first feeding. I pump until I have at least 4 ounces, usually 10 minutes and store in freezer. I also freeze one ounce cubes in an ice cube tray and then put in a baggy in case baby seems to need more than 4 oz over time:

I offer baby 4 oz bottles and she usually takes 3.5-4. In the beginning of starting bottle, I always had my husband give bottle and I pumped at same time. Now that baby is good at eating from a bottle she will take it from me easily too. As I get closer to going back to work, usually the week leading up, I offer Breast anytime I would be home in a typical work week. I offer bottle other times that I would be at work so she gets used to it. Worked great for my son so I am hoping it works for my little girl.

MaMinette13 · February 2016

clabgust said:

How should I decide how many ounces to feed him? Plan on asking my pediatrician this week but wondered if y'all had tips?

I asked my pedi this exact question on Friday. My LO is 8 weeks. She said to give 2 oz in the bottle, if she takes that no problem than try another 2 oz. she made me feel a lot better when she told me at this point LO can go 8-9 hours without eating, so if she doesn't take too much while I'm at work she will still be ok.

failuretofly · February 2016

clabgust said:
How should I decide how many ounces to feed him? Plan on asking my pediatrician this week but wondered if y'all had tips?

My LO is 4 weeks and takes 2-3oz at a a time.

ainverso said:

I pump first thing in the morning after babies first feeding. I pump until I have at least 4 ounces, usually 10 minutes and store in freezer. I also freeze one ounce cubes in an ice cube tray and then put in a baggy in case baby seems to need more than 4 oz

Love this idea! Thanks for sharing!

clabgust · February 2016

Yes ice cube tray is genius! I've got 3 oz. bags stored. Going to do some one ounce cubes for when he would like a little more. Thanks ladies.

Cricket99 · February 2016

My LO has started sleeping for a 5-6 hour stretch right after he goes down at night, so by the time it gets to 7 am one of my boobs will be super engorged and uncomfortable. It's a pain in the ass, but I have started pumping the enforced one after feeding him at the middle of the night feeding. It has let me start a solid stash of 3.5-4oz bags for times when DH wants to feed him or we want to go out to dinner. (He only eats from one boob at a time as I have a really good supply, hence the need to pump in the middle of the night.)

Blueyedsky · February 2016

Cricket99 said:

My LO has started sleeping for a 5-6 hour stretch right after he goes down at night, so by the time it gets to 7 am one of my boobs will be super engorged and uncomfortable. It's a pain in the ass, but I have started pumping the enforced one after feeding him at the middle of the night feeding. It has let me start a solid stash of 3.5-4oz bags for times when DH wants to feed him or we want to go out to dinner. (He only eats from one boob at a time as I have a really good supply, hence the need to pump in the middle of the night.)

Same here! I am so glad I have a little but if an oversupply, but now that LO is sleeping longer stretches it means pumping. I'm not sure of I should let it even itself out or keep doing one pump to maintain daytime supply.

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