@lyse01 same re: using what was pumped that day and freezing the extra. Ugh. And the terror of sloshing some out of a bag while pumping. Sends chills down my spine, ha.
While working I pumped into the bottles and then poured 4-5 oz in each bag. I had a small lunchbox. I would do a quick wipe to my pump parts put them in a gallon ziplock and put everything in my lunch box (pump parts, bagged milk, bottles) and store everything in the fridge. There is some debate on it but you can reuse you pump parts without washing as long as you store it in a fridge.
When I got home I would put the pumped milk bags into the freezer and freeze them flat. Once they were frozen I stuck 20 or so of them in a gallon zip bag (called a brick). To ensure my milk wasn't going to go bad I would freeze anything and pumped that day and thawed whatever milk I needed for the next day to rotate through the stock.
I pretty much did this for a year
Me: 32 DH: 31
TTC #2 since January 2018
Baby #1 DD Born 8/25/2016 BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
@kosmo86 I also kept all my stuff together in a lunch box in the fridge (we had one in the pump room). And I definitely just kept parts in the fridge and used the same set all day.
@MRDCle - Yea I have seen some people argue about sanitation but I really didn't have many options and it worked fine for me for over a year and will for sure do it again!
Me: 32 DH: 31
TTC #2 since January 2018
Baby #1 DD Born 8/25/2016 BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
I read the article and literally had no idea that the Medela was an open system. Definitely going to get a S2 this time around. I'm determined to pump a lot longer.
Do I really need breastmilk bags? I want to breastfeed as long as I can (at least the first 6 months to a year). Will plastic bottles not freeze well (just desperate here)? Is there any alternative to buying disposable bags? I'm thinking about how much money I will go through. I will be a SAHM but we're at church 3.5 hours every Sunday, so I know I need to pump and store. Once baby is 6 weeks s/he will be in the nursery and getting that extra milk during the week to save for the weekend is a bit daunting to me.
@mighty_montgomery plastic bottles freeze well, they just take up an obnoxious amount of space in your freezer, especially if they aren’t filled. at one point my freezer was all bottles and a bag of peas and some bacon.
Someone with more experience pumping and BFing at the same time can probably answer better about how to time your extra sessions so that you don’t have to freeze as much!
@rennie1108, you mentioned something i would be remiss if i didn’t address.
a nurse friend who had her first baby before i had mine said she was told by a delivery nurse to introduce a bottle to baby between 2-4 weeks. the explanation given was, before 2wks is too early (nipple confusion- but i’m skeptical if that’s even a thing) and 4wks is too late, that baby won’t take anything but the boob after that. 🤷🏻♀️
i didnt want to test this theory w/ my first, so we stuck to the advice and introduced a bottle just after 2 weeks. something i will add to this that i didn’t know at the time is, some people believe baby can sense when mama is around & will refuse the bottle until he/she gets the real deal, so some people advise that mom straight up leaves the room, or even the house when attempting to give baby their first bottle.
my SIL never gave my nephew a bottle, and when she left him w/ anyone, he just screamed & screamed from hunger until she came home b/c he never took a bottle from anyone.
I think I read every post and I don’t remember seeing this. Have any of you STMs used the haakaa? I didn’t last time but I registered for it. I’m interested in seeing if it helps me build my stash and supply a bit.
@battymomma- yesss I know tons of moms from my first group that had issues with bottle feeding after breastfeeding exclusively.
@mighty_montgomery - I would get some bags. They are about $8 for 50 at target. depending on how long you plan to freeze it not only takes up freezer space but also then you don't have bottle to use or pump with
Something else to mention. Be prepared to pump earlier. I had all my stuff but didn't plan to pump at first. It was taking a while for my milk to come in so I had to start supplementing to keep the baby feed.
Me: 32 DH: 31
TTC #2 since January 2018
Baby #1 DD Born 8/25/2016 BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
Yeah a big box of bags should last a while if you're not pumping tons @mighty_montgomery. Also, some insurance plans cover bags/supplies, which is worth looking into. I also think that a bottle would take longer to thaw in a pinch. The layer of milk in a bag is thing enough that it can thaw real quick in a bowl of hot water. A bottle would take longer I imagine.
I had great success with Milkies Milk Trays (cylindrical ice cube trays) which freeze the milk in 1 oz increments. Once the tray was full I would store in gallon freezer bags. Less waste, but you have to be a little more careful using older stock first since the cubes were less protected than individually bagged milk would be.
@avidlyuks36 I got mine sometime third tri last time after my MW wrote me the Rx. It was at my house insanely quick so no big deal on delivery time afternoon ordering. I guess just whenever I got my Rx.
@avidlyuks36 I called my insurance soon after finding out I was pregnant. I was given several websites to pick a pump from. I ordered it off the website at 19 weeks and it came at 20 weeks. They didn't seem to care when I ordered it. I also bought a manual pump from Babies R Us before they closed so I have a cheap back-up to use while traveling or without electricity.
@batmama31 Thanks for your input. After doing some research, I totally agree. I hadn't even thought of that! Now DH gets to help with night time feedings, that's a win in my book!
I used the Medela pump in style. It was what my insurance covered. That being said, I had a lot of trouble pumping enough milk. If this happens again I will probably buy a spectra since other moms say it helps them pump more milk.
I also used the Medela Symphony, which is hospital grade when my boy was in the NICU. The lactation consultant told me that the motor is the same for home grade and hospital grade – the difference is that hospital grade is sanitary for multiple users.
My pump developed some problem ( I can't remember what) after pumping at work for maybe five months. I called Medela and they sent me a new pump promptly. I was really satisfied with their customer service.
Make sure that you have an extra set of pump parts at work, including the membranes. It is inevitable that you will forget something at home one day. I stored my milk in Lanisoh bags, frozen flat. I had problems with the target brand leaking as they are thawed. There is nothing more infuriating than losing precious milk!
I pumped in a single bathroom next to my office which I called my pumping palace. The designated nursing room was two buildings and a 12 minute walk away, and I just didn't have time for a 24 minute walk three times during my workday. Plus sometimes the room would be in use and I would have to wait. I stored my milk in a little insulated bag in the fridge that the hospital gave me. I also stored my pump parts in a Ziploc in the fridge so that I didn't have to wash them between pumpings. At night I would take them home and wash them thoroughly. You do have to take the membrane off to get them clean.
I want to say that in my experience pumping at work really stinks but you can make it work. I spent a lot of time pumping and crying in that single bathroom. Anyone who pumps at all is a rockstar in my mind, and so is anyone who decides that formula is best for baby and/or mom.
For those of you who have the Spectra, did you pump directly into the bottles or did you pump into bags? When I was exclusively pumping with my Medela I just pumped directly into the bottles and those were used next day. I didn't have much of freezer stash. The bottles that worked for my DD aren't compatible with the Spectra so I'm trying to figure out my options before I order my breast pump.
@gollygeeitsamy I would usually just pump into bottles - I hated pumping into bags. It seemed messier and the measurements seemed less accurate. Since I was using both the Medela at work and the Spectra at home, I usually just dumped into Medela bottles to measure before bagging for consistency's sake.
I used the bottles they provided and I would also sometimes pump into my Avent Naturals (that's what DS used) but IIRC they were smaller (only up to 5oz) and I think the Spectra bottles were bigger? So usually just the Spectra bottles. Since I was only using it for one pump a day or so it was fine to just wash those after the one pumping.
I had a medela pump in style, which was fine for work, but didn't get everything so my supply when down the longer I pumped. I managed to pump a bit extra on the nights DD skipped a feeding so I had a small freezer stash I kept in medela bags.
Re: Product Spotlight: Pumps
When I got home I would put the pumped milk bags into the freezer and freeze them flat. Once they were frozen I stuck 20 or so of them in a gallon zip bag (called a brick). To ensure my milk wasn't going to go bad I would freeze anything and pumped that day and thawed whatever milk I needed for the next day to rotate through the stock.
I pretty much did this for a year
BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
I'm thinking about how much money I will go through. I will be a SAHM but we're at church 3.5 hours every Sunday, so I know I need to pump and store. Once baby is 6 weeks s/he will be in the nursery and getting that extra milk during the week to save for the weekend is a bit daunting to me.
Someone with more experience pumping and BFing at the same time can probably answer better about how to time your extra sessions so that you don’t have to freeze as much!
a nurse friend who had her first baby before i had mine said she was told by a delivery nurse to introduce a bottle to baby between 2-4 weeks. the explanation given was, before 2wks is too early (nipple confusion- but i’m skeptical if that’s even a thing) and 4wks is too late, that baby won’t take anything but the boob after that. 🤷🏻♀️
i didnt want to test this theory w/ my first, so we stuck to the advice and introduced a bottle just after 2 weeks. something i will add to this that i didn’t know at the time is, some people believe baby can sense when mama is around & will refuse the bottle until he/she gets the real deal, so some people advise that mom straight up leaves the room, or even the house when attempting to give baby their first bottle.
my SIL never gave my nephew a bottle, and when she left him w/ anyone, he just screamed & screamed from hunger until she came home b/c he never took a bottle from anyone.
@mighty_montgomery - I would get some bags. They are about $8 for 50 at target. depending on how long you plan to freeze it not only takes up freezer space but also then you don't have bottle to use or pump with
Something else to mention. Be prepared to pump earlier. I had all my stuff but didn't plan to pump at first. It was taking a while for my milk to come in so I had to start supplementing to keep the baby feed.
BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
I also bought a manual pump from Babies R Us before they closed so I have a cheap back-up to use while traveling or without electricity.
I also used the Medela Symphony, which is hospital grade when my boy was in the NICU. The lactation consultant told me that the motor is the same for home grade and hospital grade – the difference is that hospital grade is sanitary for multiple users.
My pump developed some problem ( I can't remember what) after pumping at work for maybe five months. I called Medela and they sent me a new pump promptly. I was really satisfied with their customer service.
Make sure that you have an extra set of pump parts at work, including the membranes. It is inevitable that you will forget something at home one day. I stored my milk in Lanisoh bags, frozen flat. I had problems with the target brand leaking as they are thawed. There is nothing more infuriating than losing precious milk!
I pumped in a single bathroom next to my office which I called my pumping palace. The designated nursing room was two buildings and a 12 minute walk away, and I just didn't have time for a 24 minute walk three times during my workday. Plus sometimes the room would be in use and I would have to wait. I stored my milk in a little insulated bag in the fridge that the hospital gave me. I also stored my pump parts in a Ziploc in the fridge so that I didn't have to wash them between pumpings. At night I would take them home and wash them thoroughly. You do have to take the membrane off to get them clean.
I want to say that in my experience pumping at work really stinks but you can make it work. I spent a lot of time pumping and crying in that single bathroom. Anyone who pumps at all is a rockstar in my mind, and so is anyone who decides that formula is best for baby and/or mom.
Here is a guide to which bottles work with the Spectra - some do need the adapter though.
https://www.theglassbabybottle.com/spectra-breast-pump-baby-bottle.shtml