Does anyone have a recommendation for a small cooler to store breastmilk in for when I go back to work?
Ask your pediatrician or OB for formula samples. I got a really awesome cooler when I asked at my 6 week checkup last week--it's from Enfamil with formula, coupons, a cool soft crinkle baby book of shapes (she loves it!) and a nice freezer pack.
I'm trying pumping and feeding at the same time. I'm amazed at how much I'm pumping right now. I guess her stimulating the other boob is enough to make the other go to town!
I'm trying pumping and feeding at the same time. I'm amazed at how much I'm pumping right now. I guess her stimulating the other boob is enough to make the other go to town!
This is the only way I've been able to do it. Mostly because if I don't have a baby with me, I can't handle how terrible it feels to be hooked up to a machine that's pumping me and have barely even tried pumping by myself. Hopefully I get over this before I go back to work and have to pump without her.
I'm trying pumping and feeding at the same time. I'm amazed at how much I'm pumping right now. I guess her stimulating the other boob is enough to make the other go to town!
I'm curious how you do this. I have a Medela hands free bra, so do you just put the pump on one breast and feed your baby through the nipple poking out of the hole in the bra on the other? If no one does it this way and I'm missing some magic trick then I must look REAL stupid...
I just put her in the crook of my arm and use the same arm's hand to hold the pump in place on the other side. I don't have a hands free bra though, that might be easier. Here's a picture of my set up - not the easiest to get started, but leaves me with one free hand.
@Kennedy0830 I googled around and bought a bra on amazon that allows for both, but I don't have it yet, so TBD on that. However, I also read online that some women said they just lodge the shield in their regular nursing bra. I thought back to when I take the shields off after pumping, and they are pretty much stuck to my breast at the end of it. This morning, I thought it couldn't hurt to try wedging it in my sleep bra. I put baby on the left in football hold, and I tucked the shield into my sleep bra. I had to hold it steady at first, but once my nipple started swelling a bit to the pump, it created a seal, and I was able to not hold on to it. I wasn't able to move like I can in my hands free bra, but I was able to move enough without disrupting the seal to nurse and burp LO on my left, and also type that post on my phone.
Long story short, try tucking it into your sleep bra or nursing bra and see what happens. I was surprised at how well it worked out.
For all your MoTN pumpers and doing it in your bedroom - do you wait to clean and sanitize the parts in the morning when you wake up or do you do it immediately after the session?
For all your MoTN pumpers and doing it in your bedroom - do you wait to clean and sanitize the parts in the morning when you wake up or do you do it immediately after the session?
I keep a ziplock in the fridge and I rinse my parts real quick in hot water and keep them in there till the morning... That way if I happen to need them again for whatever reason they aren't all gross, but I don't have to wash them completely till morning.
For all your MoTN pumpers and doing it in your bedroom - do you wait to clean and sanitize the parts in the morning when you wake up or do you do it immediately after the session?
I don't pump at night, but when I used to pump at work I would just keep everything all in a bag in the fridge like @dsmith211 was saying, and just do one big wash at the end of the day. Seems like you could apply the same concept to pumping at home. I didn't sanitize my pump parts every day either, usually I would do them like once on the weekends in those microwave steam bags. It's all about streamlining the process to make life easier.
I got this haakaa breast pump a few days ago and it's fantastic! Completely hands free once it's latched, and even with the LO squirming and bumping into it while nursing from the other boob it doesn't fall off. It's kind of like a passive pump, catching the let down from the other breast. It only cost $25, and my hope is that it will improve the performance of slacker boob and let me nurse exclusively with the boob my son likes. So far so good!
I was able to freeze four ounces today for the first time! This may not seem like much but for me it's a huge accomplishment since I only pump at most two ounces a time and a lot of the time have had to bottle feed her the milk right back. But nursing has gone so well I was able to freeze! So happy right now
Why do you have to bottle feed her right back? You ought to be able to put her on the breast after pumping, you're never truly empty. My LO has impeccable timing and wakes up to nurse almost every time I pump and even though my breasts feel soft and "empty" she gets a full meal in no problem!
This is my No. Issue. It may sound stupid, but I'm scared to pump as what if I drain the breast and then he's hungry? How do you know, @LadySamLady that LO is still getting a full meal? Also, my nervousness is compounded by the fact that I hardly get anything out. Maybe 1/2 oz. After a couple minutes, it just stops. But reading this thread has given me some tips on how to re-start the flow. But in sum, I started pumping this week and suddenly have all kinds of anxiety about my supply as I get so little from pumping that I worry I should "save it" for LO by keeping it in the breast?
@vinerie I had that same fear. It doesn't empty, but if you're not one of those with a large oversupply or fast let down, your LO has to work a little harder to get milk. Mine would get super frustrated. When I started pumping for a stash, I picked the morning when I'm most engorged. I only pump one breast, so if it hasn't caught up by next meal, I let her tap into both breasts. There was about 4 days of her being frustrated at her mid morning feed, but my supply eventually caught up enough to be okay. Same thing happens in a growth spurt. Just start with an ounce if you're worried and slowly add each day, and your supply should catch up.
I've also found pumping one breast while she feeds on the other helpful. I was waiting until after she fed, played, and then was put down for a nap. Not only does her on the other breast help with let down on the pumping boob, but it gives my milk more time to resupply between feeds.
Also - your baby is more efficient than the pump. I have to pump forever to get 3.5 ounces. When I pump while feeding, I get it in under 20 minutes. I don't have to work through cycles to get letdown.
Sorry if if this is choppy. Typing with one hand because I'm BFing. Like I do anything else these days.
Pumped in the car for the first time tonight. The adapter must not be as powerful because I had to crank up the suction and I normally have it on the lowest setting. Also didn't get much of a pull, but I chalk a lot of that up to nervousness and inexperience.
Pumped in the car for the first time tonight. The adapter must not be as powerful because I had to crank up the suction and I normally have it on the lowest setting. Also didn't get much of a pull, but I chalk a lot of that up to nervousness and inexperience.
I think you're right, I remembering pumping in the car once last time and thinking there wasn't much of a pull!
Re: pumping in the car. It's so hard! I did this a few times, most recently on the way to a concert and the suction was terrible. I cranked the suction to the max and pumped for almost double the time to make up for the weak suction. Getting undressed was the hardest part though..quite an ordeal AND I forgot my nursing cover and had to use paper towel to cover my boobs instead. Cute! The things we do for our Babes...
Re: pumping in the car. It's so hard! I did this a few times, most recently on the way to a concert and the suction was terrible. I cranked the suction to the max and pumped for almost double the time to make up for the weak suction. Getting undressed was the hardest part though..quite an ordeal AND I forgot my nursing cover and had to use paper towel to cover my boobs instead. Cute! The things we do for our Babes...
I forgot my hands free pumping bra. And what an ordeal it is to hold the flanges the whole time.
Good to know about pumping in the car issues! DH told me recently that we can go on roadtrips w/ LO due to being able to pump in the car and I was a bit hesitant about it.
All this pumping in the car business is why I am planning on getting a manue pump instead of the car adapter for my PISA. I had the Medela manual with DD and the little handle piece broke so it was garbage after awhile. Looked at Target yesterday and the dang floor model was broken off in the same place maybe I will check Walmart or BRU later today.
I've pumped in the car quite successfully with the PISA (family lives 6hrs away), only using the battery pack and suction was fine for me (although all my pumping is done pretty much on the lowest setting, and I get plenty of milk still). Definitely have a pumping bra and some sort of cover (I stole one of DS muslin blanket).
I have pumped in the car several times on a couple road trips so far and hadn't really had an issue with my yield that I can remember (I used the outlet/plug-in...haven't tried the battery pack yet). I just pumped in my Jeep at work today and I was paranoid by the talk of low suction so I cranked it up and my nips are hurting now.
I just came across an article on Kellymom regarding the Freemie pump system. If this has been talked about before, I'm sorry...I'm always late to the party. Has anyone tried this system yet? I really want to try it! Seems like a really easy way to nurse and pump simultaneously. Just another thing for me to buy and my husband to roll his eyes at!
@clbness I just got the Freemie cups 2 days ago. I plan to use them while I pump at work. Since I've only had them for a couple of days, I don't have much to report, but so far, so good.
I've read that it decreased some people's supply. However, I pumped with them yesterday (after a feeding), and today I pumped with my normal flanges around the same time and got the same amount of milk both times.
One complaint is that the instructions say that they are not dishwasher safe... But I did test the cups and flanges on the top rack of my dishwasher, and they were fine. But I will probably not be putting them in there all the time.
Married: May 2012 DS1: May 2016 DS2: Jan 2019 Baby #3 EDD: 6/18/24
@bshurdy any feedback on the freemies? I want to try them but they have such mixed reviews i'm hesitant to shell out the $60. I typically need to do compressions like crazy to pump and they said people who compress shouldn't/couldn't use the freemies - but on the other hand when I'm distracted and not paying attention to pumping I do better...
I'm in pumping hell this week ladies all of a sudden I can't pump to save my life and my stash is now gone. Last night I pumped for 30 min and got maybe 1.5 oz - and I was due to pump. Then I manually express another ounce. I threw out all my membranes (even though they weren't that old) and put new ones on just in case and have double checked tubes and connectors... Anyone else have a sudden pumping strike? I have the medella PISA. I've been pushing calories and water, and I've been spotting for almost a week but wasn't due for my period again yet, though maybe it's coming today.
Re: All things pumping
Long story short, try tucking it into your sleep bra or nursing bra and see what happens. I was surprised at how well it worked out.
DS: Born 5-17-16
I've also found pumping one breast while she feeds on the other helpful. I was waiting until after she fed, played, and then was put down for a nap. Not only does her on the other breast help with let down on the pumping boob, but it gives my milk more time to resupply between feeds.
Also - your baby is more efficient than the pump. I have to pump forever to get 3.5 ounces. When I pump while feeding, I get it in under 20 minutes. I don't have to work through cycles to get letdown.
Sorry if if this is choppy. Typing with one hand because I'm BFing. Like I do anything else these days.
I've read that it decreased some people's supply. However, I pumped with them yesterday (after a feeding), and today I pumped with my normal flanges around the same time and got the same amount of milk both times.
One complaint is that the instructions say that they are not dishwasher safe... But I did test the cups and flanges on the top rack of my dishwasher, and they were fine. But I will probably not be putting them in there all the time.
DS1: May 2016
DS2: Jan 2019
Baby #3 EDD: 6/18/24
@bshurdy That's good to know about the possibility of a decreased supply. I hope it works well for you!
I'm in pumping hell this week ladies