Awesome, thanks Ladies! @ColoradoHiker and @Kudlica27. I am nervous about pumping at work, even though they have a mothers room all set for us moms. your responses really helped!
**TW Loss/pregnancy mentioned** Married: 7/21/12
BFP: 5/30/16 and MC on 7/6/16 BFP: 12/4/16 Due 8/8/17 -- Its a boy! Born 8/14/17 BFP: 5/19/19 and MC on 5/27/19 BFP: 6/24/19, MC on 7/24/19 BFP: 10/24, no heartbeat on 11/27, D&C 12/2 Officially diagnosed with Secondary infertility and recurrent miscarriage IVF started Feb 2020 retrieval and PGT testing: 18 retrieved, 17 mature, 16 fertilized, 9 to blast, 8 PGT normal. Transfer #1: June 14, 2020
Mommy to a super cute havanesse puppy and baby boy!
If you're breastfeeding and pumping, how do you know when to pump and when to BF?! (I'll be a SAHM but want to pump to keep a supply on hand for DH to help with feedings, etc.)
Just thought of a few quick tips..... If you are pumping and planning to freeze, I strongly recommend the target Up&Up brand. They are half the cost of the Medela bags, are better quality, and freeze flat unlike the Medela ones.
Also, +1 for storing parts in the fridge between pumps, it's a huge time saver.
@mrsmatt1212 I'm planning to BF, and pump a few times a day for a freezer stash. I'm new at this (I EPed the first time), but my plan is to give formula in the MOTN so hubby can feed while I pump. I also plan to pump after the morning feeding, and maybe once more throughout the day. You produce the most in the motn and early morning, so I want to take advantage of that lol.
For FTMS, some ideas of food and drink to help bring in your milk and boost supply: oatmeal, lots of milk and water, gatorade. You can Google how to make lactation cookies as well... they are actually kind of yummy haha.
Formula is not the enemy, and don't be afraid to use it or of being mom shamed. Fed is best for baby and mom. With DS, I had it in my head that my son could only get breast milk, and it drove me nuts. He was a big boy and I just couldn't keep up with him, but I refused to give him formula. Looking back on it, I was crazy and wish I had started supplementing from the get go.
If you're breastfeeding and pumping, how do you know when to pump and when to BF?! (I'll be a SAHM but want to pump to keep a supply on hand for DH to help with feedings, etc.)
Any time you would normally BF but can't for whatever reason (choose to have DH bottle feed, LO naps forever and misses a feeding, you're out for girl's night, etc) you'll want to replace that with a pumping session to keep supply up. I remember being so worried I wouldn't have a freezer stash from early on that I added an additional pumping session right after the morning feeding. That one gave me plenty of a stash.
Something else to note that that I found helpful was an app on my phone where I kept track of which side I nursed from last, amount of time for each session, time of day the sessions were, etc. The app I used also kept track of diaper changes, naps and nighttime sleep, medical visits, etc. It's called BabyConnect and DH had it on his phone too. We could also access all the info on desktop as well.
Edit: corrected app name
***TW in Siggy*** Me: 34 / DH: 33 Married: Nov 2011 TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014 TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
@mrsmatt1212 I just finished reading Ina May's Guide to Breast Feeding. My friend gave me The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding which I am going to read next. I also am planning on attending a La Leche meeting in the next few months to just hear what they talk about. It is a breast feeding support group. Then, of course, you can go to a meeting after you have the baby.
The thing I am most worried about it how much time feeding the baby takes. DH has no idea how much extra work there will be to do if I am spending 5-8 hours daily feeding the baby. He is in for a real life wake up call.
@erindippity I didn't get the data all put together tonight. I need to focus on packing tomorrow but if I get some time, I'll work on it more. Then I'll be mostly MIA all of next week while I'm visiting family. But I'll get the data done sometime.
***TW in Siggy*** Me: 34 / DH: 33 Married: Nov 2011 TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014 TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
@kristenk727 ooh, the medela bags don't freeze flat? They're on my registry right now as something that I def want someone else to pay for Why would you say they're lower quality?
@erindippity I didn't get the data all put together tonight. I need to focus on packing tomorrow but if I get some time, I'll work on it more. Then I'll be mostly MIA all of next week while I'm visiting family. But I'll get the data done sometime.
You're the best, thanks for keeping me posted and even offering to get all that. Enjoy your time with your family!
@kristenk727 ooh, the medela bags don't freeze flat? They're on my registry right now as something that I def want someone else to pay for Why would you say they're lower quality?
I agree with @kristen727 that up&up bags are better. Also, just buy one box until you know you need more.
A lot of people recommend only feeding off one side for each feeding, but my LC always said feed off one and offer the other for dessert. I only add this because my left was not producing nearly as much as my right and I was clueless until I visited my LC. If I would have don't this in the beginning, my baby would have probably nursed less because every time he nursed the left he was not getting enough and needed to nurse again. To give you an idea, my left produced about 1 1/2 oz while my right produced 7-8 oz when in started pumping at 3 month. And my breasts looked the exact same in size. (I couldn't visibly tell they were different)
@lyse01, Besides the fact that they don't freeze flat, I found them to rip a lot easier than the target ones. I'd often thaw them and end up with milk all over...
Which reminds me..... always put bags in a bowl or cup when thawing, in case of a leak you can still save the milk.
As far as formula goes, any recommendations on brands? I was going to try similac to start I think. Our daycare uses sams club and said it's very comparable to similac. Should I not buy too much to start with if he doesn't react well to similac?
Also silly question - since I'm not going to breastfeed, how long till the milk in my breasts dries up? Should I get nursing pads in the beginning for leakage?
@Kathryn0903 I used Gerber formula when I transitioned, mostly bc my BFF works for Gerber and got me free samples and discounted canisters.
For this go around, I'd definitely stick with Similac or Enfamil, because they are constantly sending out coupons and rewards dollars... with formula being as expensive as it is, I'm all about saving some $$. Lol.
Not sure how long it takes to dry up, but I've heard that if you put cabbage leaves on your breasts, that helps to speed up the process and relieves ant engorgement pain.
@Kathryn0903 I'm also not experienced in how long it takes to dry up but agree with kristenk727 that cabbage leaves can help. My sister was engorged and would use cabbage leaves. I think this affected her BFing experience as a whole though as she dried up three months in (the longest she nursed any of her four kids) and she had no intention of ending that soon. I've also heard sudafed helps dry up.
***TW in Siggy*** Me: 34 / DH: 33 Married: Nov 2011 TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014 TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
I never had enough supply with DS. Our Douala was a lactation consultant as well so I had a lot of support from day one. For the first 3 months I would nurse, then pump while supplementing. I would only get an ounce or two when pumping and my supply never increased. I felt like my entire life revolved around feeding and pumping that I ended up dropping the pumping and just nursed and then supplemented. While I hope I produce enough this time I am planning on something similar happening. I have 2 question. 1. If you have used 2 different pumps, did you see a difference in what you pumped? I used a medela that is about 7 years old last time. 2. If I am only going to pump for 3 months is it worth getting a new one to see if I get better results? Or is it a waste of time and resources?
@shyviolet I heard you can get a free pump through insurance with each birth. I had a Hygeia last year when my daughter was born and I just filled out the online form for another one for this birth literally 10 minutes ago. If it's free, I'd say it's definitely worth ordering a different one and trying. I remember doing a lot of comparisons and the Hygeia claimed to be better for moms with low milk supply. Don't quote me on that because it was a year ago. I had an oversupply for a while with my first (could have nothing to do with the pump, idk). I only pumped to encourage milk production and build a freezer stash in case I needed it.
@Kathryn0903 I second the brands that send coupons. Although I would still wait and see how your baby does with a certain formula before you buy a bunch. DD had similac in the hospital but it didn't work for us. Also, as far as milk drying up, id say mine took a good 4 weeks after I stopped trying to pump or nurse. Would absolutely get nursing pads because you will still leak and express milk until there's nothing left.
What do the breast pumps thru insurance come with exactly? Tubing, valves, membranes, flanges, bottles? I think I'm leaning towards a medela because amazon seems to have more parts and accesories for medela vs spectra.
I had to pump before a feeding because my let down drowned baby. They I just exclusively pumped after a while.
This time around I'm staying home. But I'll still pump because I work nights and weekends. Pumping before bedtime and in between a couple feedings probably. It all depends on how baby nurses and if I can do it without drowning her.
The Medela bags are horrible because they don't freeze flat. I preferred the lanosish (sp?) Bags. The up and up were fine too
@middy411 Thanks I will look into that brand. I have done a little research and I think getting one with a new motor will be good no matter what. Now it is to decide which one to choose.
@Kaityrj I have no experience with the freestyle, but I had the Pump in Style Advanced, and had a great experience with it. Easy to use, and spare parts were readily available through Amazon Prime. I exclusively pumped for 9 months, and it stayed strong the whole time.
@kristenk727 thanks!! I was tempted by the freestyle because it is so much smaller/portable but I think I will play it safe and get the Pump in Style advanced so I know it will work!
Fun fact: Having your milk dry up doesn't necessarily mean it's totally gone. I stopped pumping last October, and I still had a smidge of milk if I checked for it, up until I was about 6 or 8w pregnant. I asked the midwife about it, and she said it can take up to 6m for the milk to completely stop.
I am pleasantly surprised by how many ep'd. When I had ds no one in my bmb ep'd.
I tried to bf in the hospital after my cs but struggled. A lc brought in a hospital pump the morning I was to be discharged and I was sold. Went 8 months and had built enough of a stash to feed her until 10 months.
I want to try bf again but I know ep is an option and if not there is formula.
@clrgrdfrk that gives me hope! I had a c section as well and didn't start pumping until DS was 3.5 days old per advice from the pediatrician. I was so freaked out about nipple confusion I thought I needed to wait. Not this time, pump is coming with me
@SouthernMama15 That's strange. They had me pumping the day after my c section and I used my finger and a syringe to feed DD the extra milk I pumped. Since they eat so little at first, it wasn't unrealistic.
I love hearing all of you say that you had no problem pumping right away. I really want to be able to so that DH and I can share the feeding responsibilities, plus DH really wants to be able to feed. I asked the OB about pumps, and she very quickly responded with "well we really encourage exclusvie breast feeding at first, but by the time you go back to work you can start pumping" and all I could think about was all of you telling me how you didnt have issues pumping right away!
Long story short, I plan to pump right away, and also breast feed if I can. And I feel so much better about it becuase of what you all have said on here!
**TW Loss/pregnancy mentioned** Married: 7/21/12
BFP: 5/30/16 and MC on 7/6/16 BFP: 12/4/16 Due 8/8/17 -- Its a boy! Born 8/14/17 BFP: 5/19/19 and MC on 5/27/19 BFP: 6/24/19, MC on 7/24/19 BFP: 10/24, no heartbeat on 11/27, D&C 12/2 Officially diagnosed with Secondary infertility and recurrent miscarriage IVF started Feb 2020 retrieval and PGT testing: 18 retrieved, 17 mature, 16 fertilized, 9 to blast, 8 PGT normal. Transfer #1: June 14, 2020
Mommy to a super cute havanesse puppy and baby boy!
I'm surprised at how many people were pumping in the hospital. I was told not to pump for the first 4 weeks. Did the nurses at anyone else's hospital tell them this? I wonder if it's because my milk came in fast, within 24 hours my breasts were gigantic. The nurses were bringing me ice packs to put on my chest.
Re: Breastfeeding / Breast pumps/ FF
Married: 7/21/12
BFP: 12/4/16 Due 8/8/17 -- Its a boy! Born 8/14/17
BFP: 5/19/19 and MC on 5/27/19
BFP: 6/24/19, MC on 7/24/19
BFP: 10/24, no heartbeat on 11/27, D&C 12/2
Officially diagnosed with Secondary infertility and recurrent miscarriage
IVF started Feb 2020
retrieval and PGT testing: 18 retrieved, 17 mature, 16 fertilized, 9 to blast, 8 PGT normal.
Transfer #1: June 14, 2020
If you are pumping and planning to freeze, I strongly recommend the target Up&Up brand. They are half the cost of the Medela bags, are better quality, and freeze flat unlike the Medela ones.
Also, +1 for storing parts in the fridge between pumps, it's a huge time saver.
@mrsmatt1212
I'm planning to BF, and pump a few times a day for a freezer stash. I'm new at this (I EPed the first time), but my plan is to give formula in the MOTN so hubby can feed while I pump. I also plan to pump after the morning feeding, and maybe once more throughout the day. You produce the most in the motn and early morning, so I want to take advantage of that lol.
For FTMS, some ideas of food and drink to help bring in your milk and boost supply: oatmeal, lots of milk and water, gatorade. You can Google how to make lactation cookies as well... they are actually kind of yummy haha.
Formula is not the enemy, and don't be afraid to use it or of being mom shamed. Fed is best for baby and mom. With DS, I had it in my head that my son could only get breast milk, and it drove me nuts. He was a big boy and I just couldn't keep up with him, but I refused to give him formula. Looking back on it, I was crazy and wish I had started supplementing from the get go.
Something else to note that that I found helpful was an app on my phone where I kept track of which side I nursed from last, amount of time for each session, time of day the sessions were, etc. The app I used also kept track of diaper changes, naps and nighttime sleep, medical visits, etc. It's called BabyConnect and DH had it on his phone too. We could also access all the info on desktop as well.
Edit: corrected app name
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
The thing I am most worried about it how much time feeding the baby takes. DH has no idea how much extra work there will be to do if I am spending 5-8 hours daily feeding the baby. He is in for a real life wake up call.
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
Besides the fact that they don't freeze flat, I found them to rip a lot easier than the target ones. I'd often thaw them and end up with milk all over...
Which reminds me..... always put bags in a bowl or cup when thawing, in case of a leak you can still save the milk.
I used Gerber formula when I transitioned, mostly bc my BFF works for Gerber and got me free samples and discounted canisters.
For this go around, I'd definitely stick with Similac or Enfamil, because they are constantly sending out coupons and rewards dollars... with formula being as expensive as it is, I'm all about saving some $$. Lol.
Not sure how long it takes to dry up, but I've heard that if you put cabbage leaves on your breasts, that helps to speed up the process and relieves ant engorgement pain.
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
1. If you have used 2 different pumps, did you see a difference in what you pumped? I used a medela that is about 7 years old last time.
2. If I am only going to pump for 3 months is it worth getting a new one to see if I get better results? Or is it a waste of time and resources?
5.5.16 | 8.14.17 | 1.30.19
So your daycare provides the formula? If so, then your formula containers will last even longer!
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
They I just exclusively pumped after a while.
This time around I'm staying home. But I'll still pump because I work nights and weekends. Pumping before bedtime and in between a couple feedings probably. It all depends on how baby nurses and if I can do it without drowning her.
The Medela bags are horrible because they don't freeze flat. I preferred the lanosish (sp?) Bags. The up and up were fine too
***TW in Siggy***
Me: 34 / DH: 33
Married: Nov 2011
TTC #1: Jan 2013, BFP Sept 2013, DD: June 2014
TTC #2: Aug 2016, BFP Nov 2016, DS: August 2017
Thanks I will look into that brand. I have done a little research and I think getting one with a new motor will be good no matter what. Now it is to decide which one to choose.
I have no experience with the freestyle, but I had the Pump in Style Advanced, and had a great experience with it. Easy to use, and spare parts were readily available through Amazon Prime. I exclusively pumped for 9 months, and it stayed strong the whole time.
DS2: EDD- 09.08.17
I tried to bf in the hospital after my cs but struggled. A lc brought in a hospital pump the morning I was to be discharged and I was sold. Went 8 months and had built enough of a stash to feed her until 10 months.
I want to try bf again but I know ep is an option and if not there is formula.
DD: 10/23/2012
#teamzoey #defeatdipg #pumpkinpatch2012
Long story short, I plan to pump right away, and also breast feed if I can. And I feel so much better about it becuase of what you all have said on here!
Married: 7/21/12
BFP: 12/4/16 Due 8/8/17 -- Its a boy! Born 8/14/17
BFP: 5/19/19 and MC on 5/27/19
BFP: 6/24/19, MC on 7/24/19
BFP: 10/24, no heartbeat on 11/27, D&C 12/2
Officially diagnosed with Secondary infertility and recurrent miscarriage
IVF started Feb 2020
retrieval and PGT testing: 18 retrieved, 17 mature, 16 fertilized, 9 to blast, 8 PGT normal.
Transfer #1: June 14, 2020