EP thread - 2.4.17

princesslockness · February 2017

sourlemon said:

Can your flange size change? I'm having pain and bruising on one side with no explanation. I'm trying a different size today but I'm not sure it helps the pain at all.

Yes. It can change between kids, or from start to finish with one kid.

I was a 24/standard with L now I'm a 21 one the left, and 24 of the right. But that changed about 2 weeks ago.

jandd2014 · February 2017

Kate08Young said:

sourlemon said:

Can your flange size change? I'm having pain and bruising on one side with no explanation. I'm trying a different size today but I'm not sure it helps the pain at all.

Yes. It can change between kids, or from start to finish with one kid.

I was a 24/standard with L now I'm a 21 one the left, and 24 of the right. But that changed about 2 weeks ago.

Maybe this is why it seems like the pump is up too high for one boob and not high enough for the other? I may need to try a different size.

Does anyone else feel like as soon as you finish pumping, the time starts and its like playing beat the clock until its time to pump again? There's just too much to do, and I went back to work today. Ugh. And I'm only pumping 4 times per day (plus BF around 3 am).

jennbaylor12 · February 2017

How do you know what size flange you need? I know this is probably a ridiculous question at this point.... :-/

jennbaylor12 · February 2017

Does anyone else feel like as soon as you finish pumping, the time starts and its like playing beat the clock until its time to pump again? There's just too much to do, and I went back to work today. Ugh. And I'm only pumping 4 times per day (plus BF around 3 am).

Yes!!! It's a constant clock/mind game for me

paulpaw · February 2017

I hate planning around pumps. We were having the best day shopping yesterday and had to come home to pump. Boo

princesslockness · February 2017

jennbaylor12 said:

How do you know what size flange you need? I know this is probably a ridiculous question at this point.... :-/

Medala has a sizing chart on their pumps(I think) but you can find YouTube videos and each specific brand has charts online. I just looked at how my nip/areola fit into the tunnel part and thought 'hotdog in a hallway' so tried a smaller size.

sourlemon · February 2017

@jennbaylor12 I Googled flange size and there's pictures for what is right. Sadly no matter what size is use (I've tried them all), it never looks right. So I picked the smallest one that didn't hurt. I also get less milk with too small of ones.

sourlemon · February 2017

What DH says : I support your pumping and I'm here to help.

What DH meant : I support your pumping so long as it doesn't effect me.

Story: 730 on a Friday night. Toddler in bed. Little one on her way down. I asked him to take over so I could take a bath then said "and after that watch a show together" until I needed to pump at 9. Someone throws a fit because he's "too tired to stay up til 9" but "have fun". Asshole. I guess yelling "fine whatever" guilted him to stay up but I ignored him.

Over react? Probably. But...he sttn while I pump at midnight or 1am. He sleeps in on weekends while I pump at 5am. EFF that "I'm tired" bull. I'M TIRED! HE SLEEPS.

end rant

ea301 · February 2017

@sourlemon I hear you! I'm pretty sure my husband has gotten more sleep after becoming a dad than before, and he often complains about being tired.

I try to joke about it but inside I am seething haha

I don't think they realize what an all-encompassing challenge it is for us: physical, mental, spiritual... all aspects of our lives are different when caring for a newborn.

paulpaw · February 2017

Same here ladies, I always ask hubby to stay up through my last pump before bed in case LO throws a fit while I'm pumping. He complains like his sleeping as been affected at all since we had the baby. Nope, who's up now at 4:30? Def not him, or the dog, or even the baby haha. Just me and the pump.

sourlemon · February 2017

Really pissed me off cuz it was 4 hours after he told me that. Sometimes men suck.

He definitely gets more sleep now cuz he finished his masters a week after this kid was born. He used to stay up til midnight every night. Now 730 is late. Boo

jennbaylor12 · February 2017

I'm really struggling with what to do when I go back to work starting Monday. Part of me wants to persist with pumping, take everything that I need to get myself set up to pump in my office and carry on and part of me says I have 500 ounces frozen and that's enough to get her another month which would put her well past three months exclusively breastfed which was my initial goal and that's better than I did with my son and to be happy with that....

sourlemon · February 2017

jennbaylor12 said:

I'm really struggling with what to do when I go back to work starting Monday. Part of me wants to persist with pumping, take everything that I need to get myself set up to pump in my office and carry on and part of me says I have 500 ounces frozen and that's enough to get her another month which would put her well past three months exclusively breastfed which was my initial goal and that's better than I did with my son and to be happy with that....

Same boat here...I'll have 500oz by Sunday. I'm so torn. Selfishly I also want to really start running again and my sore boobs hurt for that and I'm always concerned about my supply dipping...since I pump about 6oz less overall on days after running.

paulpaw · February 2017

I'm fortunate that I do not have to go back to work until end of March but I'm torn also. I feel like I would forget something and be in pain all day unable to pump. So do I wean myself down prior to returning or keep going and hope I remember everything every day? I also selfishly like eating anything I want and not gaining due to the pumping. And the money saved not buying formula.

princesslockness · February 2017

Snag a second hand pump motor off eBay. And a second set of tubes&flanges. Then you can have a set for work and home. Or just get the flanges and you can haul the pump back and forth. Soo much easier if you really want to keep going.

paulpaw · February 2017

I like the second set of tubes/flanges idea

paulpaw · February 2017

Ladies...how do you warm your bottles. I do the run hot water over it in the sink method. This takes forever. I know BM is fussy with heating, is there a BM safe warmer you use? I know warmers are one of those you don't really need items but so is the diaper genie and we use that a ton.

sourlemon · February 2017

@LandJ13 I use a bottle warmer. Munchkin brand I think. It has a digital timer and I do 4 minutes for 4oz.

ea301 · February 2017

@LandJ13 I fill a cup with hot water and float the bottle in it - works well!

princesslockness · February 2017

Emma will eat it unless it's straight from the fridge. So since she eats every 2.5-3 hrs, I pull one out and leave on the counter when she eats one.

ea301 · February 2017

@LandJ13 @Kate08Young - yep, we do the pull-one-from-the-fridge cycle too from time to time.

jennbaylor12 · February 2017

@LandJ13 - my LO will eat it straight from the fridge, like a little baby badass ;-) No warming for me! My DS was the same way..... my kids are cool like that :-D

sourlemon · February 2017

@jennbaylor12 I'm jealous!

paulpaw · February 2017

My mom told me cold milk will give him a bellyache! So your saying she lied to me lol. I think my kid would take it cold, warm, room temp and not care either way.

I usually get it ready and leave it out about an hour before he's due but still warm it.

ETA My milk is kind of separated straight from the fridge, I call the top layer the ice cream cause it's thick. I think it would need at least a tiny bit of heat to combine again.

jennbaylor12 · February 2017

LandJ13 said:

My mom told me cold milk will give him a bellyache! So your saying she lied to me lol. I think my kid would take it cold, warm, room temp and not care either way.

I usually get it ready and leave it out about an hour before he's due but still warm it.

ETA My milk is kind of separated straight from the fridge, I call the top layer the ice cream cause it's thick. I think it would need at least a tiny bit of heat to combine again.

No problems here! Re:separated - mine is the same way. I swirl it vigorously - no shaking!! - for about 30 secs and it mixes back together

princesslockness · February 2017

Everything I have read said shaking was fine, as kind as it wasn't like a paint mixer type shake.

Christinaruth74 · February 2017

Hold up... stupid questions alert....

im a newb to BM this time around and have just been winging it in a lot of ways. I shake my bottles when they look separated and I heat milk in the microwave. Are these not good? Halp.

paulpaw · February 2017

@Christinaruth74 I used to shake and then read not to, so I swirl but also because I think shaking added air to my already gassy baby. I'm so tempted to microwave but don't.

princesslockness · February 2017

@Christinaruth74 Microwaving is definitely not good. I have never found anything against shaking.

ea301 · February 2017

@Christinaruth74 my LC said shaking makes cheesy BM. That image was enough to get me to swirl.

Christinaruth74 · February 2017

@Kate08Young why isn't microwaving good?? Oh man... off to google....

the shaking/air thing makes total sense, though.

princesslockness · February 2017

It has to do with the breaking down of proteins. Like if you microwaved a steak- it makes it not nearly as good to eat.

paulpaw · February 2017

Did anyone move up to 3-6 month nipples yet? I'm phasing out 4oz bottles and my larger ones have the faster flow ones. I tried it with his morning bottle and he seemed to do ok but he definitely finished faster and I didn't know if there was any downside with that.

jennbaylor12 · February 2017

LandJ13 said:

Did anyone move up to 3-6 month nipples yet? I'm phasing out 4oz bottles and my larger ones have the faster flow ones. I tried it with his morning bottle and he seemed to do ok but he definitely finished faster and I didn't know if there was any downside with that.

Are those the #2? That's what we're using

sourlemon · February 2017

I accidentally had a size 2 nipple on a bottle the other day and DD thought I was waterboarding her. That was all I needed to pay more attention to make sure I use the size 1s. Ours are size 1 is 0+ and size 2 is 1mo+. My first kiddo moved up at a month...this one is not ready.

paulpaw · February 2017

Hahaha waterboarding.

i guess each brand is different but the ones I tried are medium flow (playtex venteaire). My dr browns large came with a 1 so that's normal.

ea301 · February 2017

I had no idea we needed to transition off of #1s. Sigh.

sourlemon · February 2017

@ea301 you don't need to! At least not until/unless your kiddo starts collapsing the nipple. You'll know when that happens. We moved dd1 up because she was taking forever to drink and would get so frustrated...after a few days of that the nipples started collapsing so we moved up. None of that has been an issue with this one yet so we haven't tried except for my accidental one.

princesslockness · February 2017

sourlemon said:

@ea301 you don't need to! At least not until/unless your kiddo starts collapsing the nipple. You'll know when that happens. We moved dd1 up because she was taking forever to drink and would get so frustrated...after a few days of that the nipples started collapsing so we moved up. None of that has been an issue with this one yet so we haven't tried except for my accidental one.

Emma collapses whatever nipple she tries. Even up to the 1 size 3 I found. She doesn't let air back into the bottle, so the nipple gets sucked into the bottle.

ea301 · February 2017

Yeesh. She does do that with the Tommee Tippee bottle but we just blamed the bottle design because she drinks from Dr. Browns and Avent with no problems at all. Maybe we need to change to a bigger size on the TTs... hmm! Thanks! @sourlemon

Want a personalized experience?

EP thread - 2.4.17

Re: EP thread - 2.4.17

Choose Another Board

Search Boards