All things pumping

businessmama · June 2016

I think I'm the odd one out in this group because I use the Spectra (closed system) and the up and up bags from target. Haven't thawed any to use, but so far so good. hopefully someone on here can validate!

tgortney · June 2016

Guys! I'm not sure if this is a fluke or if the breastfeeding/pumping stars and planets have aligned but I just went 5 hours without pumping or nursing and didn't get any painful plugged ducts! I was engorged but not hot and heavy like usual. I pumped and got around 5oz per breast (10oz total) and now my boobs are soft and normal again. No pain from plugged ducts

I pumped for 15 minutes on low-med and it drained both breasts pretty evenly!

missnc77 · June 2016

If your baby has a long stretch of sleep, do you ladies who wake up engorged pump or wake the baby up? LO just slept for 5 hours, so I woke her up rather than pumping. my left is super engorged, and my right is semi. I'm going to manual pump the right when she's done for some relief to get me through to the next feed.

LadySamLady · June 2016

missnc77 said:

If your baby has a long stretch of sleep, do you ladies who wake up engorged pump or wake the baby up? LO just slept for 5 hours, so I woke her up rather than pumping. my left is super engorged, and my right is semi. I'm going to manual pump the right when she's done for some relief to get me through to the next feed.

I wake her up...after 15 minutes of deliberating where
I try to convince myself I can wait a little longer but then realizing I definitely can't. I don't like to pump first thing because I like her to have first pass at the morning milk. My LO slept for almost 7 hours last night! I think my supply is starting to regulate because I got full but I wasn't in pain by the time she woke up.

Charla1224 · June 2016

LadySamLady said:

missnc77 said:

If your baby has a long stretch of sleep, do you ladies who wake up engorged pump or wake the baby up? LO just slept for 5 hours, so I woke her up rather than pumping. my left is super engorged, and my right is semi. I'm going to manual pump the right when she's done for some relief to get me through to the next feed.

I wake her up...after 15 minutes of deliberating where
I try to convince myself I can wait a little longer but then realizing I definitely can't. I don't like to pump first thing because I like her to have first pass at the morning milk. My LO slept for almost 7 hours last night! I think my supply is starting to regulate because I got full but I wasn't in pain by the time she woke up.

I may need to switch my routine because what @ladysamlady is saying makes sense. I had been pumping first because LO can draw the milk out even when my pump can't. So while I'm full and its there I double pump for 5 oz each breast then offer them to her because although they're never empty the pump can't always draw my milk out.

My question is about storage. At first I was breaking things down to 2-3 oz. bags but now that DH feeds her one bottle a day I know she drinks 4 oz. a sitting. Should I store in 4? This is just a lot of bags, measuring and pouring.

Just an FYI: My routine is morning pump when DH goes to work while LO sleeps. If I get 10oz total great! But I never have. Instead I get about 8 so I make one 5 oz. bottle for the fridge so DH can do a feeding in the evening and store my pump parts and the other 3 in the fridge for later. When DH feeds her after work I pump again and get about 7 oz. store it in the fridge and put my pump parts in the dishwasher. Before bed I take all the milk in the fridge and pour it in freezer bags. Either 5 oz. or 2.5 oz depending on what I have.

Edited because I posted too soon and words.

kbrands7 · June 2016

@Charla1224 when I pumped for DS, I stored it in the amount he normally drank in a sitting, and I'd freeze some smaller bags too for days when he was a little hungrier than usual. The caution against freezing too large of bags is that once frozen milk is defrosted, you only have 24hrs to use it. Depending on your schedule, for some it's no big deal, but for others it can result in wasted milk.

missnc77 · June 2016

I've read to store in either 2 or 4 ounces. I try to stick to that, but I have a couple of 3 ounce bags. I'm going to start doing one ounce ice cubes once I introduce a bottle to have extra I can defrost without tapping into a larger bag. Apparently ziplock bags are BPA free. They also sell different ways to freeze 1 ounce on Amazon.

Question - I have been putting a dab of polysporin on the milk blister I opened after feeding. I put some on at 11pm, slept in a sleep bra and bamboobies, and then manually pumped 1 ounce at 4:30am. I want to mix it with what I pump out of my other breast this morning to freeze. Is this a bad idea since I'm using the polysporin?

Edit: I just called the ped's office on the polysporin question. I feel like I'm the May 2016 milk blister first. Hopefully all of my struggle can help someone else if they get one.

I'm also curious - how much does everyone have in their stash at this point? I have about 38 ounces. I'd like to have 100 ounces which seemed doable before getting the milk blister and worrying about pumping causing engorgement. I know I can replace what I feed by pumping during the feeding, but I want some of the stash for date nights that involve alcohol, so those feeds can't be replaced. The rest is for going back to work or an overnight trip.

Bellodomani · June 2016

@missnc77 You don't necessarily have to dump you milk out if you've been drinking- if you pump once the alcohol has left your system you're fine. Most of what I've read says that a good rule of thumb is if you feel drunk/ tipsy, there is alcohol still in your bloodstream so it can go into your milk, but if you aren't feeling the effects of alcohol your milk is fine.

missnc77 · June 2016

@bellodomani I've experimented with a glass of wine between feedings and the alcohol test strips, and I'm always good to go by the next feeding. But sometimes I really want to pour a big old second glass, and by that point, there's not enough time before her next feeding to have my body work the alcohol out. I'd love to be able to occasionally say screw it, pour that second (or third) glass, and know I have enough milk in the stash to cover a feeding if the test strip comes back positive. I have a bottle of really nice champagne that's been looking me down in the fridge, but no way I'm going to pop that bottle until I can really do some damage to it.

Edit: Oh - I see what you're getting at! I can wait for the alcohol to clear later and then pump to replace. That could definitely work if engorgment doesn't come along!

I loved this BMB while pregnant to get me through the work day, but I honestly don't know what I'd do without all the advice and insights post birth on all the various things. I feel like this board is more valuable after giving birth!

saltedcaramel518 · June 2016

AliciaD39 said:

I think I'm the odd one out in this group because I use the Spectra (closed system) and the up and up bags from target. Haven't thawed any to use, but so far so good. hopefully someone on here can validate!

I'm using the Up & Up bags to store as well, but I can't offer much insight as I haven't thawed any either.. I haven't had any problems with them in the freezer, though.

Kennedy0830 · June 2016

I realized when pumping I only get about 2-2.5 oz out of each breast. LO is a very slow eater (sometimes going from 30-60 minutes on one side) because I think she is also soothing herself with me, could this be a factor in my supply? I've started having her go 15 min on each side and making sure she's awake/eating and then I'll stick a paci in her mouth when she's done and she's content (how I know she isn't hungry still..). Any advice/input??

Jparke2 · June 2016

Alright, help me out here! Since my husband went back to work a couple weeks ago, I haven't been able to pump nearly as much because my baby is VERY needy and fussy and I really can't hold her and pump at the same time. The few times I have pumped, I've hardly gotten any milk. I'm talking about maybe 2 oz from each breast if I'm SUPER engorged from missing a feeding and less than 1 oz any other time. Milk just stops coming out after just several minutes, but then when I try to hand express I can still get some. Also, my baby has been nursing for 30+ minutes these past few days (growth spurt? or just cranky?) and I'm definitely still producing milk by the end of a feeding, so I must have milk in there! How come I can't pump it out? I have suspected that the flange might be to big, so I've ordered smaller ones, could that be it?

kbrands7 · June 2016

@Jparke2 I have two ideas that I hope may help. Does your pump have a letdown button? If so, press it once you stop getting milk. If your suction and speed controls are separate, switch it to lower suction and high speed until milk starts pouring again. Also, stress is a nasty little b*tch. If I'm tense, it's like my boobs just lock up. Try to relax as much as possible while pumping. Put on music, have a warm or cool drink, look at pictures of LO, set up LO with an activity mat-- whatever helps you.

Jparke2 · June 2016

@kbrands It does have a letdown button, so you are saying that when the milk stops flowing to turn the suction down to a lower setting but have the speed at the more rapid pace? I'll have to try that. In terms of the stress, yeah... dunno what I can do about that haha. Is it possible that this is also related to the extremely restrictive diet I've been on for the past week? I'm on a dairy/soy/gluten free diet right now to rule out possible allergy for the baby and I'm mainly eating roast turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, apples, and coconut milk. Not super balanced, I know, but hopefully will only be for another 5 days...

kbrands7 · June 2016

@Jparke2 if it has a button, just press it and don't worry about the other controls. I know in the medela pis it's the yellow button. Many people have a letdown about every 10 minutes, but it takes more rapid suction to stimulate it. It could be the diet change if you're not getting enough calories, but the restrictions shouldn't have that much of an impact. The stress is definitely the hardest to control!

Jparke2 · June 2016

@kbrands7 thanks for the tips! I've been making up for calories by eating sunflower seed butter right out of the jar with a spoon, so I don't think thats it. However, the diet HAS caused a lot of stress, and a common (and unhealthy) stress-reliever for me is to indulge in delicious and often unhealthy food, and I haven't been able to do that! Darn stress.

JoMunson · June 2016

Jparke2 said:

@kbrands7 thanks for the tips! I've been making up for calories by eating sunflower seed butter right out of the jar with a spoon, so I don't think thats it. However, the diet HAS caused a lot of stress, and a common (and unhealthy) stress-reliever for me is to indulge in delicious and often unhealthy food, and I haven't been able to do that! Darn stress.

Stress is definitely a milk stopper. I can usually pump 3-4 ounces out of my high producer boob but when I was mad at DH and pumping so I could leave the house I got two ounces!

That1didntcount · June 2016

@kbrands7 I have 2 questions for you because you're the pumping guru!

1. This always gets me: I pumped yesterday morning and put it straight in fridge bc I'm running a bunch of errands today. I thought it would be easier to thaw. If baby doesn't use it, can I freeze? The fridge to freezer confuses me.

2. I was so engorged on the side I was going to nurse the baby from this morning at 6 I pumped for 2 minutes for comfort and so she wouldn't get pissed. I turned my lactina on high and it started spitting out and I wondered before I went down to the average setting if it would be a problem to keep it on high?? Does that make sense? I thought it would get some of the milk out faster?

lalala2004 · June 2016

Huh... When I pump I usually only get 2 to 3 oz at the most. I didn't know that was a small amount? Should I be expecting more? He generally eats just 2 oz per feeding, so I thought that made sense....

kbrands7 · June 2016

@That1didntcount sure!
1. Fridge to freezer is fine! I found that milk had the best texture if it was frozen within 3 days of pumping. Once it has been frozen and defrosted to where the ice crystals are gone, that's when you need to use it or lose it within 24hrs.
2. Using the high setting all of the time can irritate some women and cause blisters/other nipple trauma. If it doesn't hurt you, it should be okay.

KidShrink · June 2016

@lalala2004: I think it depends on how much your baby is eating, and how often you're pumping. I'm doing a mix of pumping and breastfeeding (mostly pumping, bf about twice/day with nipple shield). Nowadays, I end up pumping about 3 times a day, each of those times getting 4oz per breast on average. I just always need to time when I'm pumping with when I plan to bf the little guy (who is now 6.5 weeks, and normally takes in about 3-4oz per feed).

jenl1681 · June 2016

lalala2004 said:

Huh... When I pump I usually only get 2 to 3 oz at the most. I didn't know that was a small amount? Should I be expecting more? He generally eats just 2 oz per feeding, so I thought that made sense....

I am the same way. I only pump once a day when LO goes down for his big nap mid morning and do it right in the middle. I get about 2.5oz and it's for my freezer stash. I used the calculator on kellymom to estimate. 25oz per day and if you are only doing 10 feeding (I usually hit more than that) it would be 2.5oz a feeding. My other breastfeeding mom friends that work usually leave 2.5-3oz per bottle for there LO's. I didn't question it until I saw others here getting 5+ oz, but I wouldn't worry, especially if you are EBF. I'm not trying to increase that because I don't want to have to worry about clogged ducts/over supply.

proudparent2b · June 2016

It's amazing how different our experiences are!

I pump 8-10 times per day (LO rejected breast when dr. had me start pumping and giving him the bottle after breast feedings when he wasn't gaining early on). I get anywhere from 3-7 1/2 oz per pumping session total. LO gets on demand feedings, so I simply feed out of the newest bottle until it's either empty or 2-3 hours have gone by during the day or up to 4 at night.

Eta- any milk not used by the time I pump again gets stored in fridge. DH nightly freezes all but the three newest bottles so I have extra easily available in a pinch, like when LO finishes newly pumped bottle sooner than I'm ready to start thinking about pumping again. Typically bottles are transferred from fridge to freezer in 1-2 days.

jenl1681 · June 2016

@lalala2004 I wanted to add that with DD I EP'd and would get around 6oz per pumping session, but I was a slave to that dang pump! DS is gaining weight now so I know he is getting enough from BF'ing. It just varies person to person!

missnc77 · June 2016

@JoMunson You've posted about pumping a bottle before getting out of the house. This sounds like a great thing. I was wondering your routine? Do you typically feed from 1 or both breasts? And when you pump for a bottle, how long are you waiting after the last feeding? Do you pump one or both? I'd love to get a little freedom on the weekend to get a hair cut or something, and pre pumping so I don't have to worry about doing it when I get home sounds awesome. Thanks!

JoMunson · June 2016

missnc77 said:

@JoMunson You've posted about pumping a bottle before getting out of the house. This sounds like a great thing. I was wondering your routine? Do you typically feed from 1 or both breasts? And when you pump for a bottle, how long are you waiting after the last feeding? Do you pump one or both? I'd love to get a little freedom on the weekend to get a hair cut or something, and pre pumping so I don't have to worry about doing it when I get home sounds awesome. Thanks!

Oh man such good questions! Having a bottle in the fridge is such a life saver when you need that freedom! Because I'm nursing on demand it's hard to get a good schedule for pumping and I don't always have a bottle but the best times for me are during Ezra's morning nap or when he goes down at night. He usually eats before then so I know I'm not "taking" a feeding from him. I know some EPers on here talk about pumping at a certain time during a nap/time of day but I've found the most success if I wait until I feel my letdown and pump then, especially if he's asleep. Once I fed him and pumped right away and got a very small amount. If Ez is gunna get a bottle he wants to finish the bottle, so I try to get 3-4 ounces.
I typically try to feed from both breasts but my left side is much smaller than my right, so I usually start him on the smaller one and when he pops off I move him to my larger one. When I pump I do both sides at first and then do the last 5 or so minutes just on my slower breast so it gets a little extra stimulation.
also if your mostly EBFing like me I've found its best to not be around when your partner is bottle feeding the baby. Once I was watching him and he seemed a little confused. I wanna make sure he associates me with breast, not bottle.
Like I said I don't ALWAYS get a bottle in, but my "rule" is if Ezra's asleep and I feel my let down I pump. If you don't feel your let down when your baby is asleep feel your boobs, if they feel full give it a shot!

NinnyJean · June 2016

I'm doing a mixture of breast feeding and pumping due to LO falling asleep or getting frustrated easily while nursing. So I try and pump after each feed and then a couple times in the day while she's napping. My pump has a letdown button and I usually get about an ounce fairly quickly but then after like four minutes it seems I barely get any milk. I've tried pressing the button to go back to the stimulation phase and then pressing it again after a letdown but it doesn't help too much. Any ideas on how to keep milk expressing for longer?

baby-2-due · June 2016

I find it hard to get much milk stored with the way LO eats. She is eating 4-6oz at a time but only eats every 4-5 hours (except at night she nurses for an hour or more and then nurses at 12:30/3/6:30) should I make her eat more frequently and pump more? I pump first thing in the morning before she wakes up and then twice in the afternoon, but she has been feeding for so long at night it's hard to want to pump again.

Jparke2 · June 2016

What is this "feeling" a let down stuff? I don't feel anything! The only thing I feel is when I'm uncomfortably full! What does it feel like?

Edit: ok I just googled this and I definitely do not experience any feeling for this. However, I saw somebody mention that they feel thirsty when they let down. I have consistently has a moment right when I start breastfeeding where I'm always like "DAMN I'm way thirstier than I thought!" Maybe thats it?

Jenly17 · June 2016

Jparke2 said:

What is this "feeling" a let down stuff? I don't feel anything! The only thing I feel is when I'm uncomfortably full! What does it feel like?

Edit: ok I just googled this and I definitely do not experience any feeling for this. However, I saw somebody mention that they feel thirsty when they let down. I have consistently has a moment right when I start breastfeeding where I'm always like "DAMN I'm way thirstier than I thought!" Maybe thats it?

For the first three weeks, I didn't feel a thing other than extreme thirst the moment DS latched on. Then I started to feel my breasts letting down: the tingling sensation, boob leaking thing. Some women feel nothing, some women have a strong sensation of letting down. It's really just comes down to how your body is made.

Edit: words

JoMunson · June 2016

Jenly17 said:

Jparke2 said:

What is this "feeling" a let down stuff? I don't feel anything! The only thing I feel is when I'm uncomfortably full! What does it feel like?

Edit: ok I just googled this and I definitely do not experience any feeling for this. However, I saw somebody mention that they feel thirsty when they let down. I have consistently has a moment right when I start breastfeeding where I'm always like "DAMN I'm way thirstier than I thought!" Maybe thats it?

For the first three weeks, I didn't feel a thing other than extreme thirst the moment DS latched on. Then I started to feel my breasts letting down: the tingling sensation, boob leaking thing. Some women feel nothing, some women have a strong sensation of letting down. It's really just comes down to how you're body is made.

This! I had no idea I was feeling my let down for the first three weeks until I realized it was happening right before I was leaking, then I was worried it was thrush until I talked to my mom and she said she had the exact same feeling right before her let down.

missnc77 · June 2016

@Maybaby0519 I wake up my baby to feed during the day from naps every 2-3 hours. I go longer in the mornings when your milk is supposed to be fattier and more fulfilling, then shorten to 2.5 after lunch, then she's been wanting to eat every hour until bed starting around 7. Then she passes out for bed around 10pm and will sleep until 4am then feed then another 3-4 hours of sleep. That usually gets me 8-9 feedings and has helped her eat more during the day and sleep more at night. It's my understanding they should still be eating 8-12 times a day.

@Jparke2 Samsies as the other two. Didn't feel anything for 3 weeks. Now I feel a tingly feeling, and sure enough, if baby isn't on the boob I leak. If she is on, she starts the long slow gulps.

Bellodomani · June 2016

@Jparke2 I didn't feel my letdown for the first few weeks with my first kid, but with this one I've felt it ever since my milk came in on day 3. I have a fast letdown and a pretty robust supply, and for me letdown feels horrible, like an alien is trying to burst out from under the skin on my breasts. I really hate the feeling and have to sort of grit my teeth and get through it each time we nurse.

Jparke2 · June 2016

@Bellodomani yikes, that sounds awful! I know I have a fast letdown because often I'll try to relatch just a few seconds in to the feed and LO gets shot in the face with my milk...I never knew that people had feeling associated with that!

Charla1224 · June 2016

I'm beginning to realize that I have a crazy fast let down and massive supply. I've had to make a habit of hand expressing before feeding LO, especially in the morning, because she coughs and chokes. This week I started a routine where I pump in the morning when Elle goes down for a nap and then again once she goes to bed at night. Each time I'm getting 5 oz/ boob. I make one bottle for DH to feed her before bed every night and I freeze the other 15 oz. I already have 75oz in the freezer. My goal was to get 100oz frozen as back up and I'll have that before the weekends over. So what do I do now? Stop pumping? Pump once a day so DH can continue with his one bottle/ day?
Today I was away from Elle for 2.5-3 hours (job interview) and so she stayed with DH. I fed her before I left and right before I came home he had given her a bottle and she was back asleep. I waited an hour but she was sound asleep so I decided to pump for relief. I overfilled the bottles. I spilled milk on my lap. I was able to get over 8 oz./ breast and still feed Elle when she woke up an hour and a half later.

@Bellodomani you mentioned having oversupply and a strong let down. Does it get better? Will this continue or eventually regulate?

missnc77 · June 2016

@charla1224 It could be all that pumping you're doing created an oversupply problem.

Charla1224 · June 2016

missnc77 said:

@charla1224 It could be all that pumping you're doing created an oversupply problem.

Is twice a day, 15 min each time a lot of pumping? I was told to start pumping in the morning and trying for an evening pump if I could.

balamama · June 2016

Charla1224 said:

missnc77 said:

@charla1224 It could be all that pumping you're doing created an oversupply problem.

Is twice a day, 15 min each time a lot of pumping? I was told to start pumping in the morning and trying for an evening pump if I could.

I was told once a day after my supply regulates to avoid oversupply and when I pump it's usually only for about 8-10 min. I'm certainly not an expert but I think twice a day for 15 min each time could be contributing to oversupply.

Charla1224 · June 2016

Thanks @babyfmama and @missnc77 . I'll switch to 10 min at night because that's easier then my morning pump session. I'm just afraid I'm going to be super engorged tomorrow because my body expects a pump.
I love EBF and wish I could avoid all bottles... I hate pumping and feel totally lost doing it.

missnc77 · June 2016

@Charla1224 I'm no expert, that's for sure. I get so engorged at night and had a mastitis scare, plus I think my LO is going through a growth spurt, so I backed off pumping this week and am holding off until next week. I am 6 weeks pp tomorrow, so I want my boobs to regulate so I won't be as engorged at night. I'm totally jealous of your stash! I wonder if you could ease off your morning pump instead of quitting cold turkey? If you're engorged tomorrow morning, maybe pump for 5-10 for the next couple of days and eventually go to 0 minutes.

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