No need to pump and dump. If you are sober enough to drive, you can BF. Alcohol hits breast milk the same as blood alcohol content. So even if you had too much to drink, the amount of alcohol in your milk would be minimal and you could always dilute it with milk from when you were sober.
Also, if you are actually drunk (i.e. you didn't drive and it was a good bit more than one drink), as long as you wait until you sober up, you're fine to breastfeed or pump and use that milk, even as you get more engorged and produce more. The alcohol that was in the early milk just goes back into your body, even as the milk stays in there and you get more engorged. The only reason to pump and dump is if you are drunk AND engorged.
Just to add to/change this the most recent studies and guidelines actually say you never need to pump and dump, that even if you are drunk, the alcohol that ends up in your milk is the equivalent of you drinking a mouthful of beer, not even enough to worry LO.
Is this true? I remember pumping while drunk-ish and then smelling the milk and I could really smell the alcohol, like you can from a real alcoholic drink. Perhaps I was just paranoid and imagining things....
Ep ladies never pump and dump. We will either wait till we sober a bit or pump or mix with complete sober milk from fridge. That's my only experience no bf ones
@bacorrea I am super sensitive to wool- I don't know if it's an actual allergy, but it's ridiculously itchy and I never wear it. Lanolin never gave me any issues! It's processes some way that I don't understand, but that's why it's labeled "hpa" lanolin, it has something to do with the purification process. If you're concerned, get some before baby is here and put some on your inner wrist (super sensitive spot) and see how your skin does. You definitely don't want to have a reaction on your nipple while trying to start breastfeeding! Yikes! Most of the other things people use have coconut oil in them, and that gives me rashes.
If going back to work at a certain time after birth, I'd recommend starting the once daily morning pump 3-4 weeks before going back to work, not 2-3 weeks PP (unless those are the same timeframe).
Also, try not to freak out during the first few days of pumping (whether that's 1-4 days PP for a baby who won't latch or 6 weeks PP getting ready to go back to work). Your body takes time to ramp up supply (as others have mentioned) so it may take days to get a noticeable increase in pumping output - kellymom has a good discussion about this.
You really only *need* enough milk for your first day back at work (1-1.5 oz per hour you are away) and whatever you pump at work on day 1 you offer on day 2. I won't lie and say I didn't try to build up a freezer stash that was bigger than that but you set yourself up for oversupply issues (namely, risk of mastitis, plugs, etc).
Question: if it takes days to get supply in, what's the thought around supplementing in the first week or two? I don't want baby starving because my milk hasn't come in yet. Thoughts? Experiences?
Your colostrum is more than enough for the first few days. An average newborn is expected to loose up to 7% of their body weight before moms milk comes in, that's why most pediatricians like to see baby back at 1wk for a "weight check"
I have to disagree @mdlorenz about only needing enough for one day and then pumping enough for the next day while at work. I totally thought it would work that way and so I didn't have much saved up when I finally went back to work. However, even though I never had supply issues while nursing I could never pump enough during the work day to match what my baby drank while we were away from each other. I went through my stored milk pretty quickly and ended up waking up at like 4:30 in the morning every morning to pump before DS woke up and pumping again at like 10:30 each night to make up the difference and even then it was barely enough. Some women are able to pump and get as much as they would if they were BFing, but I never was, not even close.
@jayandaplus they aren't starving before your milk comes in. The colostrum they are getting is very rich compared to the regular milk that will come. Also the stimulation from nursing helps get your supply up and running so if you break the cycle by supplementing it could be difficult.
Your colostrum is more than enough for the first few days. An average newborn is expected to loose up to 7% of their body weight before moms milk comes in, that's why most pediatricians like to see baby back at 1wk for a "weight check"
Be careful on this one. This stomach size isn't exactly accurate for each kid and doesn't always translate to caloric need. Generally your colostrum should be enough until your milk comes in. See also:
@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot Right, if your actually supplementing with formula the 5-7ml is not enough. I just like the picture as a general visual of how tiny a newborns stomach actually is and why just your colostrum is enough, rather than the actual amount that they should be getting. That article is a good explanation!
Married 03.09.09 Sweet Baby H 12.21.11 Sassy Baby P 03.26.14 Little Brother Due 05.22.17
Thank you everyone for your wisdom! You have answered so many questions I didn't even know I had.
I'm still wondering though - if I will be staying home for the first year, and plan to EBF for at least the first 3-4 months, should I wait to buy a pump? I'm in Canada, so my insurance doesn't cover it. And a lot of the pumps you ladies have mentioned run around $300 so I'm not wanting to spend it right away unless I absolutely have to. I totally get that things may not necessarily go as planned, so I guess I'm wondering how much of a pain in the ass it will be to buy a pump early on if BF isn't working out? Or what if I buy one and then we EBF longer and I end up with something I paid full price for that never got used? Am I over-thinking things?
Thank you everyone for your wisdom! You have answered so many questions I didn't even know I had.
I'm still wondering though - if I will be staying home for the first year, and plan to EBF for at least the first 3-4 months, should I wait to buy a pump? I'm in Canada, so my insurance doesn't cover it. And a lot of the pumps you ladies have mentioned run around $300 so I'm not wanting to spend it right away unless I absolutely have to. I totally get that things may not necessarily go as planned, so I guess I'm wondering how much of a pain in the ass it will be to buy a pump early on if BF isn't working out? Or what if I buy one and then we EBF longer and I end up with something I paid full price for that never got used? Am I over-thinking things?
So DD would not latch in the beginning so for the first month I exclusively pumped. I didn't have a fancy $300 pump. I had a lower end medela that worked just fine. Once I got DD to latch I pumped maybe 3x until we were done BF. My DH was deployed and I basically never left her besides maybe 3x with my parents. Obviously that was a super unique situation. My point is if you ever want to have a night out with friends/DH or even a weekend away or you have a wedding to go to and you leave your LO you're going to have to leave milk or even pump to relieve yourself.
Basically get a pump. It's up to you if you want a fancy one, but in my case I didn't get a fancy one and it was fine. I have the Medela Swing.
@CherryBananas my SIL is a SAHM and only breastfeeds, but also has a pump. She's used it on a few various occasions (an overnight bachelorette party, wedding she was at and the baby wasn't there, etc). She hates using it but does when she has to. I'd say get one- a cheaper one if you are thinking about the money aspect. Also, if it is on your registry some places have a much longer return policy so if you don't end up using it then you can potentially return it.
I would also recommend getting a pump. I stayed home for the first seven months of DS's life and while I didn't use the pump a lot I did use it. It was really great to have the ability to go out for the evening or the day and leave a bottle or two with whoever was watching DS.
I have to disagree @mdlorenz about only needing enough for one day and then pumping enough for the next day while at work. I totally thought it would work that way and so I didn't have much saved up when I finally went back to work. However, even though I never had supply issues while nursing I could never pump enough during the work day to match what my baby drank while we were away from each other. I went through my stored milk pretty quickly and ended up waking up at like 4:30 in the morning every morning to pump before DS woke up and pumping again at like 10:30 each night to make up the difference and even then it was barely enough. Some women are able to pump and get as much as they would if they were BFing, but I never was, not even close.
Hugely frustrating. I hear you.
Responding to the pump is certainly a different experience than at-breast feeds for most moms. The stress of work and limitations of pump breaks can be big barriers.
One pitfall (not one I make any assumptions about in your case) is when caregivers overfeed babies. Paced bottlefeeding (many good videos on YouTube) is one way to reduce the risk of this. If you pump the 1-1.5 oz per hour and the caregiver paces AND baby still needs more milk (to gain weight!) then mixed feeding / donor milk supplementation until supply increases is the answer. Pumping is so damn hard. I'm sorry you dealt with such a struggle to pump what your baby needed.
@jayandaplus they aren't starving before your milk comes in. The colostrum they are getting is very rich compared to the regular milk that will come. Also the stimulation from nursing helps get your supply up and running so if you break the cycle by supplementing it could be difficult.
The lactation specialist I met with at the hospital with my son always (and repeatedly) referred to colostrum as "liquid gold." I've always remembered that.
When the uber-newborn nursed with me those first few times, I didn't really even feel like anything was happening. (Plus we both were figuring out how exactly to latch, so I was focused on the logistics.) Later, after your milk comes in, you feel the "let down," which is a sensation sort of like when you feel like you have a full bladder and then feel it release (okay, only sort of like that, but whatevs, I'm sure someone else could describe it better). My point being, the liquid gold might only be a teaspoon's worth, and you might not be sure anything is really "coming out" but it's par for the course.
Pumping considerations aside, your body produces milk on a supply and demand system, which others have mentioned. In those first days, your body assumes the newborn doesn't need a ton, and then ramps up production as time goes on, volume-wise.
One last thing: breast milk has two different stages, which I found fascinating to learn about. The first stage (like 10 or 15 minutes, I think?) is thinner and watery, and is designed to quench baby's thirst. Then a thicker, fattier, more substantive milk starts running (not that you can tell a difference at all! so don't be weirded out by "two stages"). The point is, my son would nurse for 10 minutes and fall asleep, so I'd figure he'd be done, and I'd stop. Only when we were told he wasn't putting on "the right amount" of weight (rant for another day) did I remember from the bf class that you really need to allow each nursing session to go for 20, 30, however many minutes, to get the full benefits and nutrition of your milk. (We literally had to periodically put a cool wet washcloth to his foot to keep him awake, and even that didn't always work!). But the different types of milk is interesting, isn't it? The sheer wonder of the female body!
I figured that would be the answer, I just wanted to make sure since I have no experience with any of this. DH has read a few articles that had breast pumps under the "splurge" category instead of the "save" so he's pretty convinced that if I get one, it might as well be an expensive one.
@jayandaplus they aren't starving before your milk comes in. The colostrum they are getting is very rich compared to the regular milk that will come. Also the stimulation from nursing helps get your supply up and running so if you break the cycle by supplementing it could be difficult.
The lactation specialist I met with at the hospital with my son always (and repeatedly) referred to colostrum as "liquid gold." I've always remembered that.
When the uber-newborn nursed with me those first few times, I didn't really even feel like anything was happening. (Plus we both were figuring out how exactly to latch, so I was focused on the logistics.) Later, after your milk comes in, you feel the "let down," which is a sensation sort of like when you feel like you have a full bladder and then feel it release (okay, only sort of like that, but whatevs, I'm sure someone else could describe it better). My point being, the liquid gold might only be a teaspoon's worth, and you might not be sure anything is really "coming out" but it's par for the course.
Pumping considerations aside, your body produces milk on a supply and demand system, which others have mentioned. In those first days, your body assumes the newborn doesn't need a ton, and then ramps up production as time goes on, volume-wise.
One last thing: breast milk has two different stages, which I found fascinating to learn about. The first stage (like 10 or 15 minutes, I think?) is thinner and watery, and is designed to quench baby's thirst. Then a thicker, fattier, more substantive milk starts running (not that you can tell a difference at all! so don't be weirded out by "two stages"). The point is, my son would nurse for 10 minutes and fall asleep, so I'd figure he'd be done, and I'd stop. Only when we were told he wasn't putting on "the right amount" of weight (rant for another day) did I remember from the bf class that you really need to allow each nursing session to go for 20, 30, however many minutes, to get the full benefits and nutrition of your milk. (We literally had to periodically put a cool wet washcloth to his foot to keep him awake, and even that didn't always work!). But the different types of milk is interesting, isn't it? The sheer wonder of the female body!
This reminded me of something!! Some women pump after every time baby nurses, to try to build up their milk supply. (I actually did this with older daughter, but we were then offering her the bottle with formula mixed into the breastmilk after every time she nursed too. Babies who won't gain weight are stressful!) anyway, if you do this every time and are saving the milk instead of feeding it to LO, you can cause a foremilk imbalance- basically you will end up feeding them only the thin thirst quenching milk, and they never end up with the fat that they need to grow! So, if you need to pump to get extra milk built up, pump one side at a time while baby nurses the other side.
@CherryBananas - I also recommend getting a pump for 2 reasons. 1) EBF babies can have a hard time taking a bottle if you don't offer one early enough, which means that you will never be able to be away from baby for more than 2-3 hours at a time. 2) If you run into supply issues at all, having a pump can help increase or restore your supply.
Me: 38 DH: 36 Married 8/27/2011 BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012 BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014 BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017 BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
Question: for the women who took the BF class, what point in your pregnancy did you take it?
My son was a May baby too, and the childbirth/bf/newborn care classes were all at the very end of March and early April... so, about 6 to 8 weeks before EDD?
ETA: Maybe more like in the 4-to-6-weeks-before-EDD range.
Cows Milk Protein Intolerance - my second had this BAD, and I'm so grateful a friend went through it before me so I knew the signs...her dr kept saying babies are fussy, babies cry, babies spit up and by the time MSPI (official name) was diagnosed her supply was shot and there are limited formula options for babies with MSPI. If you think your baby is overly fussy after eating, spits up A LOT or only eats for small amounts of time but frequently I highly recommended cutting dairy and soy for a few days...you will know quickly if that is the issue and it's something you can easily test. I can't tell you how many moms I've talked to who have said they always thought it was more than just a fussy baby....our pediatrician never even took me seriously but it was super obvious that dairy/soy were the issue.
this isn't to scare anyone, just simple knowledge that many babies may have a sensitivity to dairy and soy yet many drs never mention dairy and soy as possible issues so if you mommy gut says something is off, it doesn't hurt to ask around and try eliminating things from your diet.
as for having another child after one with MSPI (sorry, can't remember who asked and I'm mobile)...my first had no issues, second couldn't tolerate even a hint of dairy/soy until about 8 months at which point I could eat really processed dairy like cheddar popcorn and chocolate but it was about 15 months before I could do milk or cheese in my diet and around 18 months she could eat all dairy and soy herself with no issues. My third had a milder form of MSPI...I could eat processed dairy in small doses all along but no milk or cheese until about 6 months and she started dairy directly around 12 months. My 2nd also had a reaction to strawberries until age 3 and then it went away. No other food allergies/intolerances among my kiddos.
Pumping to prepare to go back to work - I agree with previous posters about pumping in the morning bc of increased supply but I would go one step further and if you know about what time you will be pumping at work, I would pump at that same time at home for at least the morning session. For example I pumped at 10:30 and 2:30 at work so at home I pumped at 10:30. I kept that up on weekends once I was back at work as well. As many mentioned, breastmilk production is based on supply and demand as I found that by doing that my morning pump session at work produced a couple ozs more than needed and my afternoon session was just about right on point so I was also able to add a little to my stash each week without extra pumping.
Last thought...once my littles started dropping nighttime feeds (aka went from every 3 hrs to just once or twice a night) I would pump first thing in the morning to capitalize on that "extra" milk and then if something came up at work and I had to skip or shorten a pumping session it wasn't nearly so stressful.
@JenGrl8503 - It was me who asked about it recurring with other children!! Thanks for sharing your experience! I really hope these two don't have it, but if they do at least we know what it is.
Just a heads up...It can take up to two weeks to get out of your system too, so for us a few days dairy free didn't make any difference (just a hint for other moms who may end up experiencing this). The cheapest formula option that worked for us was $40 for 3 days of formula, so cutting it out quickly will be key this time because that was ridiculously expensive.
One last thing: breast milk has two different stages, which I found fascinating to learn about. The first stage (like 10 or 15 minutes, I think?) is thinner and watery, and is designed to quench baby's thirst. Then a thicker, fattier, more substantive milk starts running (not that you can tell a difference at all! so don't be weirded out by "two stages"). The point is, my son would nurse for 10 minutes and fall asleep, so I'd figure he'd be done, and I'd stop. Only when we were told he wasn't putting on "the right amount" of weight (rant for another day) did I remember from the bf class that you really need to allow each nursing session to go for 20, 30, however many minutes, to get the full benefits and nutrition of your milk. (We literally had to periodically put a cool wet washcloth to his foot to keep him awake, and even that didn't always work!). But the different types of milk is interesting, isn't it? The sheer wonder of the female body!
Ugh, yes, this gives me PTSD. My son was a very sleepy/lazy eater so we had the hardest time establishing breastfeeding and getting him to gain weight. My supply was not at all a problem; if anything, I was pumping here and there and potentially causing some foremilk imbalance from oversupply (what he was awake for was the low-fat stuff). But I think mainly it was just that he'd fall asleep. I'd nurse for 90 minutes a lot of the time, with most of the time being me trying to get him to wake up to eat. I'd strip him down, caress/tickle him, splash him with water, and literally poke him with a fork (especially if I was eating a meal at that time). Stripped down and splashed with cold water is notable -- this was the dead of the winter, and one of the coldest ones I've ever experienced having lived in CT, MI, and IL. He was also skinny AF because he was having so much trouble gaining weight. Yet he'd still sleep. Luckily once he did gain some weight he was able to feed better, and then it was a reinforcing cycle. At age 6 he is still a skinny kid but never to an unhealthy level since those first few months.
Anyhow, the point of all of this is to keep getting as much info as possible on breastfeeding and go to those support groups. You could have any huge host of issues with it, and it REALLY helps to find someone who has had the same problem and has overcome it. Boy did that do wonders for my mental health when I found those people.
No need to pump and dump. If you are sober enough to drive, you can BF. Alcohol hits breast milk the same as blood alcohol content. So even if you had too much to drink, the amount of alcohol in your milk would be minimal and you could always dilute it with milk from when you were sober.
Also, if you are actually drunk (i.e. you didn't drive and it was a good bit more than one drink), as long as you wait until you sober up, you're fine to breastfeed or pump and use that milk, even as you get more engorged and produce more. The alcohol that was in the early milk just goes back into your body, even as the milk stays in there and you get more engorged. The only reason to pump and dump is if you are drunk AND engorged.
Just to add to/change this the most recent studies and guidelines actually say you never need to pump and dump, that even if you are drunk, the alcohol that ends up in your milk is the equivalent of you drinking a mouthful of beer, not even enough to worry LO.
Is this true? I remember pumping while drunk-ish and then smelling the milk and I could really smell the alcohol, like you can from a real alcoholic drink. Perhaps I was just paranoid and imagining things....
This article goes on to say that some fruit juices can have a higher alcohol content due the the fermentation of sugars. (0.1% is allowed in fruit juice)
Does anyone have any bottle recommendations for going back and forth between breast and pumped milk in a bottle? I'm getting the medela pump in style through insurance, and have read some good things about the calma system. Any tips? Thanks!!
@CherylE418 I'm a first time mom so I'm not speaking from experience, but the comotomo bottles are almost always rated the best for going back and forth between bottle and breast. There was someone else on here who mentioned having a positive experience using them with her breastfed baby, I can't remember who atm. I also plan on getting the medela pump in style but I've heard the medela storage bags are not the best. I decided to use the kiinde storage bags and you can get an adapter so the bags fit on the medela. Kind of a weird system but I'm hoping it works!
@CherylE418 I'm a first time mom so I'm not speaking from experience, but the comotomo bottles are almost always rated the best for going back and forth between bottle and breast. There was someone else on here who mentioned having a positive experience using them with her breastfed baby, I can't remember who atm. I also plan on getting the medela pump in style but I've heard the medela storage bags are not the best. I decided to use the kiinde storage bags and you can get an adapter so the bags fit on the medela. Kind of a weird system but I'm hoping it works!
I'm also getting the kiinde system, I've heard great things
Does anyone have any bottle recommendations for going back and forth between breast and pumped milk in a bottle? I'm getting the medela pump in style through insurance, and have read some good things about the calma system. Any tips? Thanks!!
I used the Lansinoh Momma bottles, my son went back and forth no problem.
@CherylE418 we used the avent naturals and didn't have a problem. I would agree with other posters that you might want to have a few different kinds in case Baby doesn't like one style. Our DD refused both the Dr Browns and medela bottles.
@CherylE418 If you have regular Medela bottles with your pump, I'd start by trying those out. We only ever used those and we transitioned back and forth just fine. If they don't work, you can always buy single bottles of other styles so you aren't investing in an entire bottle system until you know what works.
@CherylE418 If you have regular Medela bottles with your pump, I'd start by trying those out. We only ever used those and we transitioned back and forth just fine. If they don't work, you can always buy single bottles of other styles so you aren't investing in an entire bottle system until you know what works.
Totally agree with this. I wouldn't waste the money on getting a lot of any one "best" bottle brand until you get a sense of what you're LO prefers. Calma bottles are $$$$.
@CherylE418 If you have regular Medela bottles with your pump, I'd start by trying those out. We only ever used those and we transitioned back and forth just fine. If they don't work, you can always buy single bottles of other styles so you aren't investing in an entire bottle system until you know what works.
Totally agree with this. I wouldn't waste the money on getting a lot of any one "best" bottle brand until you get a sense of what you're LO prefers. Calma bottles are $$$$.
Thank you! Yes I noticed they were super expensive! I've gotten two individual bottles in the registry gift bags, one mam, and one avent, so I'll have those on hand if the medela system doesn't work out. Thanks for your input!
@CherylE418 First time mom here, so not speaking from experience, but what I've read and heard from others is "wide mouth" bottles are better. I've also heard comotomo because the silicone feels more lifelike so if babies touching it the bottle will feel more breastlike in many ways.
@CherylE418 we primarily used Avent Naturals, DD did go through a weird point where she didn't want to use them for a while and we had success with the Calma nipple BUT out of every one I know that's used those nipples I'm the only one that it worked for. I definitely wouldn't run out to buy that nipple before baby needs it for sure.
I have a two part question. Has anyone else went out of town without baby around 12-14 weeks?
1.) So I know I'll have to build up a couple days worth for when I start back to work, but about a week or two after I start back to work we will be flying out on a Friday and won't be back until Sunday night. I'm wondering if there is a way to accomplish this without causing oversupply issues/foremilk imbalance. I kind of figured I will have to try to start pumping/storing milk basically as soon as possible and try to use the whole 12 weeks to build it up.
2.) second part: We are going to NYC and going to be going around site seeing/etc in the middle of July. I plan on pumping while there, if I lug around my pump/bag/cooler. Will an ice pack be able to keep the milk cold enough during the day? I'll then store it in a fridge (freezer would be ideal but I don't know that we will have one available) until we put pack it in a cooler to take home on the plane. Then I was planning on using that supply for the next couple days after since I won't really have an option to freeze it while in NYC.
Sorry for the novel I've been stressing a little about this trip. Fiance was so sweet and surprised me with it for Christmas since I've never been to NYC. He just didn't pick the smoothest timing when it comes to thinking about breastfeeding. In the end I know the trip will be amazing and the worst thing that could happen is we would have to supplement for a couple days with some formula. Def not the end of the world.
Baby swimsuits, I think I have some but they probably won't really get used. If they do it will probably be in the kiddie pool area at the pool and baby will stay in a ring sling well out of the water and in a regular diaper. I'm still not 100% sure I won't end up needing a Csection, and if that's the case we would be almost through the summer when I'd be able to get back in the water and be able to submerge the incision. I also bled forever PP last time so that's a whole other thing to add in the mix.
We normally go on a big family vacation during the summer but I'm thinking that might be a headache this year, but we are thinking a weekend at a semi local beach resort could be fun without being overwhelming.
@kat81 , I'm right there with you on the flashbacks of a lazy feeder. My son would fall asleep EVERY. TIME. I breastfed him. It was so frustrating, especially in the middle of the nights, and sometimes it was just totally impossible to wake him up. Fast forward, my now 2.5 year old is still a pretty slow eater and skinny as can be. Pediatrician says it's fine, but the kid just rarely eats! The days that he's ravenous or finishes a complete meal, I worry that something is wrong with him...haha...
Re: Breastfeeding--Comments, Questions, Thoughts...
If going back to work at a certain time after birth, I'd recommend starting the once daily morning pump 3-4 weeks before going back to work, not 2-3 weeks PP (unless those are the same timeframe).
Also, try not to freak out during the first few days of pumping (whether that's 1-4 days PP for a baby who won't latch or 6 weeks PP getting ready to go back to work). Your body takes time to ramp up supply (as others have mentioned) so it may take days to get a noticeable increase in pumping output - kellymom has a good discussion about this.
You really only *need* enough milk for your first day back at work (1-1.5 oz per hour you are away) and whatever you pump at work on day 1 you offer on day 2. I won't lie and say I didn't try to build up a freezer stash that was bigger than that but you set yourself up for oversupply issues (namely, risk of mastitis, plugs, etc).
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Your colostrum is more than enough for the first few days. An average newborn is expected to loose up to 7% of their body weight before moms milk comes in, that's why most pediatricians like to see baby back at 1wk for a "weight check"
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17
May '17 labor memes
https://themomivist.com/2016/10/10/the-newborn-stomach-size-myth-it-is-not-5-7ml/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23662739
May17 Siggy Challenge
Labor
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17
I'm still wondering though - if I will be staying home for the first year, and plan to EBF for at least the first 3-4 months, should I wait to buy a pump? I'm in Canada, so my insurance doesn't cover it. And a lot of the pumps you ladies have mentioned run around $300 so I'm not wanting to spend it right away unless I absolutely have to. I totally get that things may not necessarily go as planned, so I guess I'm wondering how much of a pain in the ass it will be to buy a pump early on if BF isn't working out? Or what if I buy one and then we EBF longer and I end up with something I paid full price for that never got used? Am I over-thinking things?
Basically get a pump. It's up to you if you want a fancy one, but in my case I didn't get a fancy one and it was fine. I have the Medela Swing.
Responding to the pump is certainly a different experience than at-breast feeds for most moms. The stress of work and limitations of pump breaks can be big barriers.
One pitfall (not one I make any assumptions about in your case) is when caregivers overfeed babies. Paced bottlefeeding (many good videos on YouTube) is one way to reduce the risk of this. If you pump the 1-1.5 oz per hour and the caregiver paces AND baby still needs more milk (to gain weight!) then mixed feeding / donor milk supplementation until supply increases is the answer. Pumping is so damn hard. I'm sorry you dealt with such a struggle to pump what your baby needed.
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When the uber-newborn nursed with me those first few times, I didn't really even feel like anything was happening. (Plus we both were figuring out how exactly to latch, so I was focused on the logistics.) Later, after your milk comes in, you feel the "let down," which is a sensation sort of like when you feel like you have a full bladder and then feel it release (okay, only sort of like that, but whatevs, I'm sure someone else could describe it better). My point being, the liquid gold might only be a teaspoon's worth, and you might not be sure anything is really "coming out" but it's par for the course.
Pumping considerations aside, your body produces milk on a supply and demand system, which others have mentioned. In those first days, your body assumes the newborn doesn't need a ton, and then ramps up production as time goes on, volume-wise.
One last thing: breast milk has two different stages, which I found fascinating to learn about. The first stage (like 10 or 15 minutes, I think?) is thinner and watery, and is designed to quench baby's thirst. Then a thicker, fattier, more substantive milk starts running (not that you can tell a difference at all! so don't be weirded out by "two stages"). The point is, my son would nurse for 10 minutes and fall asleep, so I'd figure he'd be done, and I'd stop. Only when we were told he wasn't putting on "the right amount" of weight (rant for another day) did I remember from the bf class that you really need to allow each nursing session to go for 20, 30, however many minutes, to get the full benefits and nutrition of your milk. (We literally had to periodically put a cool wet washcloth to his foot to keep him awake, and even that didn't always work!). But the different types of milk is interesting, isn't it? The sheer wonder of the female body!
I figured that would be the answer, I just wanted to make sure since I have no experience with any of this. DH has read a few articles that had breast pumps under the "splurge" category instead of the "save" so he's pretty convinced that if I get one, it might as well be an expensive one.
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
ETA: Maybe more like in the 4-to-6-weeks-before-EDD range.
this isn't to scare anyone, just simple knowledge that many babies may have a sensitivity to dairy and soy yet many drs never mention dairy and soy as possible issues so if you mommy gut says something is off, it doesn't hurt to ask around and try eliminating things from your diet.
as for having another child after one with MSPI (sorry, can't remember who asked and I'm mobile)...my first had no issues, second couldn't tolerate even a hint of dairy/soy until about 8 months at which point I could eat really processed dairy like cheddar popcorn and chocolate but it was about 15 months before I could do milk or cheese in my diet and around 18 months she could eat all dairy and soy herself with no issues. My third had a milder form of MSPI...I could eat processed dairy in small doses all along but no milk or cheese until about 6 months and she started dairy directly around 12 months. My 2nd also had a reaction to strawberries until age 3 and then it went away. No other food allergies/intolerances among my kiddos.
Pumping to prepare to go back to work - I agree with previous posters about pumping in the morning bc of increased supply but I would go one step further and if you know about what time you will be pumping at work, I would pump at that same time at home for at least the morning session. For example I pumped at 10:30 and 2:30 at work so at home I pumped at 10:30. I kept that up on weekends once I was back at work as well. As many mentioned, breastmilk production is based on supply and demand as I found that by doing that my morning pump session at work produced a couple ozs more than needed and my afternoon session was just about right on point so I was also able to add a little to my stash each week without extra pumping.
Last thought...once my littles started dropping nighttime feeds (aka went from every 3 hrs to just once or twice a night) I would pump first thing in the morning to capitalize on that "extra" milk and then if something came up at work and I had to skip or shorten a pumping session it wasn't nearly so stressful.
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
Just a heads up...It can take up to two weeks to get out of your system too, so for us a few days dairy free didn't make any difference (just a hint for other moms who may end up experiencing this). The cheapest formula option that worked for us was $40 for 3 days of formula, so cutting it out quickly will be key this time because that was ridiculously expensive.
Anyhow, the point of all of this is to keep getting as much info as possible on breastfeeding and go to those support groups. You could have any huge host of issues with it, and it REALLY helps to find someone who has had the same problem and has overcome it. Boy did that do wonders for my mental health when I found those people.
Sorry for the huge picture too, mobile bumping.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcpt.12149/abstract
DS - January 2014
TTCAL | April 2016
CP | June 2016
CP | July 2016
I also plan on getting the medela pump in style but I've heard the medela storage bags are not the best. I decided to use the kiinde storage bags and you can get an adapter so the bags fit on the medela. Kind of a weird system but I'm hoping it works!
I used the Lansinoh Momma bottles, my son went back and forth no problem.
May17 Siggy Challenge
Labor
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1/7/2015 Twins born @ 34 weeks
1.) So I know I'll have to build up a couple days worth for when I start back to work, but about a week or two after I start back to work we will be flying out on a Friday and won't be back until Sunday night. I'm wondering if there is a way to accomplish this without causing oversupply issues/foremilk imbalance. I kind of figured I will have to try to start pumping/storing milk basically as soon as possible and try to use the whole 12 weeks to build it up.
2.) second part: We are going to NYC and going to be going around site seeing/etc in the middle of July. I plan on pumping while there, if I lug around my pump/bag/cooler. Will an ice pack be able to keep the milk cold enough during the day? I'll then store it in a fridge (freezer would be ideal but I don't know that we will have one available) until we put pack it in a cooler to take home on the plane. Then I was planning on using that supply for the next couple days after since I won't really have an option to freeze it while in NYC.
Sorry for the novel I've been stressing a little about this trip. Fiance was so sweet and surprised me with it for Christmas since I've never been to NYC. He just didn't pick the smoothest timing when it comes to thinking about breastfeeding. In the end I know the trip will be amazing and the worst thing that could happen is we would have to supplement for a couple days with some formula. Def not the end of the world.
We normally go on a big family vacation during the summer but I'm thinking that might be a headache this year, but we are thinking a weekend at a semi local beach resort could be fun without being overwhelming.
1/7/2015 Twins born @ 34 weeks