Pumping Questions!

[treefrognyc]

Since I'm planning to bf and I know that many of us here are and already do, I have a few questions about pumping, if anyone has a few moments.

I'm planning to pump so that DH has the opportunity to bond with the baby (and vice versa) by feeding him. Not to mention that it will give me a break.

So, for those who know or already pump in order to share the feeding times:

1. How much milk do you keep on hand?

2. How do you store it (bottles, bags)?

3. Where do you store it (fridge, freezer)?

4. How often do you pump to have the necessary amount on hand?

5. How does the alternate feeder (DH/grandparent/care taker) prepare the saved milk?

6. What bottles/bags/nipples do you recommend? (I know every baby has different preferences, but is there a good brand to start with?)

7. What is the best way to clean the bottles, etc?

Thank you so much in advance for any feedback!

[MiaMama]

[Dahlea]

To keep your supply up you need
to pump every time your baby has a bottle so you won't get a break. Here are tons of
other, more fun ways for dad to bond with baby. My dh has never fed our son a bottle but he was in charge of baths from day 1 and loves the special time they have together. In short, pumping so dad can bond is not really worth it, at least IMO.

[MammaB21]

I know lots of moms go into BFing with this idea in mind, but be prepared for it to not work. I'm not one to advise against it (except for the regular recommendations about creating a good solid bf relationship first, etc). But definitely be prepared for babe to refuse it. DD would hardly take a bottle at all. She would have NEVER taken a bottle when I was there, even if I wasn't in sight. No way.

With that said, I did pump and she did get some bottles after 3 months of age when I went back to work for a short time. Even after I returned to being a SAHM she had the occasional bottle when I was not there. So I think I can help answer some of your questions.

1) I never had a set amount that I had on hand. I made 4oz bags and usually had a few of those at a time.

2) I stored it in bags. The bags came with lines that measured the amount which was convinient. And you can write the date you pumped on the bag so you know how long to keep it.

3) Stored it in the freezer. Took 1 bag out and put it in the freezer a few hours before use to thaw.

4) I pumped once a day, maybe more when I was working. I had a hard time letting my milk down when I pumped, so my trick was to nurse DD on one side and pump the other breast at the same time. Then when she was done with that side I would switch sides. I would get about 2-4oz out of the one pump.

5) Take out and thaw. Then put the bag in a hot glass of water until warm. Don't microwave it, it can get hot spots and burn babes mouth. It takes a little while to get warm, so it's good to start before babe becomes really upset.

6) We used the drop in bottles. It was the only thing DD would take. The nipples are most similar to the breast, and they can grab the bag which is also comforting. It also eliminates air bubbles and gas for babe.

7) Cleaning is easy with the drop ins. Bag can be tossed (or washed if your concerned about the amount of waist). The milk doesn't even touch the actual bottle, so those can get just a quick wash/rinse in warm soapy water. The nipples should be washed pretty well, but I think they're all dishwasher safe as well.

A couple things to remember:
Make sure babe has a REALLY good latch before introducing ANY bottle or pacifire. Dad's have plenty of jobs and bonding opportunities, so don't feel bad if babe just isn't having it. Cuddle time and skin to skin is just as important and meaningful for dads. Pumping will effect your supply. Make sure you don't replace a feeding with pumping. At least not at first, or your supply could go down. Your breastfeeding relationship with your babe should be the first most important thing. It would be a shame to compromise that for something that is optional. GL with it all, I hope that helped a bit.

[rootzdawta]

Moved from I'm Pregnant to Breastfeeding.

[snoopy5386]

Originally Posted by treefrognyc

Since I'm planning to bf and I know that many of us here are and already do, I have a few questions about pumping, if anyone has a few moments.

I'm planning to pump so that DH has the opportunity to bond with the baby (and vice versa) by feeding him. Not to mention that it will give me a break.

So, for those who know or already pump in order to share the feeding times:

1. How much milk do you keep on hand?
not much, I only pumped for the rare occasion that I would be out of the house. I ended up renting a pump for the 1st month, pumped usually once a day whatever I could and froze that milk. After 6 months I threw out whatever left over frozen milk I had and rented a pump again for another month. Threw that milk out after 6 months too. DD would never really take the pumped milk I left for her.

2. How do you store it (bottles, bags)?
In bags

3. Where do you store it (fridge, freezer)?
In the freezer

4. How often do you pump to have the necessary amount on hand?
see question 1

5. How does the alternate feeder (DH/grandparent/care taker) prepare the saved milk?
I would defrost it in the fridge and then we had a bottle heater to use when it was time to attempt to feed DD.

6. What bottles/bags/nipples do you recommend? (I know every baby has different preferences, but is there a good brand to start with?)
We used Avent

7. What is the best way to clean the bottles, etc?
with soap and water?

Thank you so much in advance for any feedback!

I really found pumping to be such a waste of my time. Setting up the pump, the actual pumping, cleaning the pump parts and the bottles, etc. It was a real pain. Plus if you don't keep up with giving them a bottle pretty frequently - at least a few times a week, they will most likely refuse it. That is what happened with us. We couldn't be bothered to give her a bottle when we were all home together - it seemed silly, I could just feed her and it was so much easier. The other poster is right - if you plan on doing this often (like daily) then you'll need to pump all the time for that missed feeding to keep your supply up.
We ended up only leaving milk if I was going to be gone for more than 2 hours which was pretty rare. She never took it anyways. We didn't start leaving for longer than that until she took solids and then it was only for like maybe 4 hours so she could hold out until then.
I was really on the fence about pumping this time around - I really don't want to, it is such a pain. The ONLY reason I am is because I am sure there will be times when I want to spend some 1 on 1 time with DD1 and leave DD2 with DH. But that is the only reason.

[MaryMarg]

Hope to encourage you regarding pumping! Although bf is much easier and is the norm at home, I HAD to pump for both of my preemies. Once I started, it was hard to stop! If you're not going back to work, you could simply pump when your DH gives baby a bottle and maybe once or twice again each week to have a stock. It will depend on how much the baby drinks in a bottle and how much you get when you pump. Unless you're going to be working, don't go too wild with the pumping so your breasts don't end up with a larger supply than your baby drinks when nursing (so you don't have engorgement etc.). Definitely use freezer bags and lie them flat for easier storage (stacking). I prefer the Lansinoh bags to others. Soap/water are sufficient for cleaning although Medela makes some great steam bags that are nice to use every once and a while for bottles, pump parts, etc. It's been great having milk on hand so my son doesn't have to be supplemented or start cow's milk. And now, at 12 mos, he can drink bm straight from a sippy and also continue to nurse! Hope it goes well for you!

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by Dahlea

To keep your supply up you need
to pump every time your baby has a bottle so you won't get a break. Here are tons of
other, more fun ways for dad to bond with baby. My dh has never fed our son a bottle but he was in charge of baths from day 1 and loves the special time they have together. In short, pumping so dad can bond is not really worth it, at least IMO.

Especially in the middle of the night, Dad taking a feeding netted me less sleep than if I just fed the baby. It would take me a couple of minutes to wake him up, let him get his bearings, and then a few minutes to feed her while I pumped. Then he'd finish the feeding, put the baby back down, and she'd be crying a few minutes later wanting to comfort suck.

Totally not worth it for us.

DH has had no problems bonding with both our kids even without bottle feeding them.

[HappyTomato]

1. How much milk do you keep on hand? I can barely keep up now but in the first few weeks, my babies only ate 2 oz at a time so I pumped way more than they needed.

2. How do you store it (bottles, bags)? Lansinoh bags

3. Where do you store it (fridge, freezer)? Both. I froze alot in the beginning but now it gets eaten so fast I just use the fridge.

4. How often do you pump to have the necessary amount on hand? I'm an EP'er so I pump every time the baby would normally eat at first but now I'm able to pump one session less and still keep up.

5. How does the alternate feeder (DH/grandparent/care taker) prepare the saved milk? We put the bag of milk in warm water and it heats up nicely that way. Its faster than trying to warm up a bottle in hot water.

6. What bottles/bags/nipples do you recommend? (I know every baby has different preferences, but is there a good brand to start with?) Dr. Brown's are awesome if you have a reflux or gassy baby. However there are alot of extra parts to clean. Most recently I've been using Playtex dropin system and the Medela feeding system.

7. What is the best way to clean the bottles, etc? I hand wash with mild dish soap like ivory. Don't use anti-bacterial soap as the residue can kill the good stuff in breastmilk.

I enjoy pumping for the most part so don't be discouraged from trying it. If you have the opportunity to do it and let dad feed the baby then go for it. Like the other mamas said, just make sure you pump so you don't miss a feeding. GL!!!

[HappyTomato]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

Especially in the middle of the night, Dad taking a feeding netted me less sleep than if I just fed the baby. It would take me a couple of minutes to wake him up, let him get his bearings, and then a few minutes to feed her while I pumped. Then he'd finish the feeding, put the baby back down, and she'd be crying a few minutes later wanting to comfort suck.

This made me chuckle because its the same for us in the middle of the night. DH never hears the baby so I have to wake up and wake him. He's so groggy and fumbles around, goes to the bathroom and I'm wide awake by the time he returns with the bottle. The baby is also wide awake by this point as well. Then once everything settles back down and DH returns to bed, he wants to fool around and have some fun. So yeah, I don't wake DH at night unless its an emergency.

[ein328]

Originally Posted by HappyTomato

This made me chuckle because its the same for us in the middle of the night. DH never hears the baby so I have to wake up and wake him. He's so groggy and fumbles around, goes to the bathroom and I'm wide awake by the time he returns with the bottle. The baby is also wide awake by this point as well. Then once everything settles back down and DH returns to bed, he wants to fool around and have some fun. So yeah, I don't wake DH at night unless its an emergency.

Ughh...I have to pump because I work, and it is SUCH a pain! I would love being able to only BF. As the other posters mentioned, my DH stopped waking up to DD's sounds after about a week. Now I can nurse 2-3 times in a night and he doesn't notice. Cosleeping saves a ton more sleep than having DH give a bottle, and you don't have to worry about cleaning bottles/having a pump/nipple confusion/etc. There are tons of other ways for dad to bond, and he should be supporting BF 100%, not making you feel guilty about it.

[mauinokaoi]

I pumped so Dad could give him a bottle and it was a HUGE mistake. It took so much time and effort to get some milk and then I gave myself oversupply which has been pure hell for the entire family. I would give anything to have never pumped. Please be careful.

[groovyem]

I am EPing (6mo now), not by choice, BFing just never seemed to work for us. It it a TOTAL PAIN in the $#&!

1. How much milk do you keep on hand? Varies, today is freezing day so I have about 32oz in my fridge. My girl doesn't like frozen milk so I mix frozen with my fresh, about 1/3 frozen to 2/3 fresh. I'm trying to use my older milk in freezer. It has to be stored in a deep freezer if you want it to last longer that 3 to 4 months.

2. How do you store it (bottles, bags)? Bottles in fridge, bags lansinoh bags in freezer.

3. Where do you store it (fridge, freezer)? Milk is good for up to 7 days in fridge, I freeze every few days or so just to keep the bottle clutter under control in fridge.

4. How often do you pump to have the necessary amount on hand? Pump every time your babe eats, after a number of months you can miss 1 pump a day and still keep supply up.

5. How does the alternate feeder (DH/grandparent/care taker) prepare the saved milk? Mine will drink cold, but I put bottle in hot tap water for 10 min or so to warm. My girl is more patient now that she's older and will wait for the warm bottle.

6. What bottles/bags/nipples do you recommend? (I know every baby has different preferences, but is there a good brand to start with?) We use Dr. Browns, she is gasssy and has reflux, these bottles do have alot of parts to clean though. There are other good bottles out there.

7. What is the best way to clean the bottles, etc? Just hot soapy water, I sterilize my tubing once in awhile since it can't be cleaned, I use a Medela PISA.

My girl has really bonded to my husband as she got older, he has always fed her but now that she enjoys all his silly songs she knows he's the fun one between the 2 of us. There are so many ways to bond, in the beginning the most important thing the both of you can do is hold that baby skin to skin as much as possible.

[akind1]

If you are a SAHM then I agree that it is sort of a waste of time. you don't get a break, because you really need to pump or have baby eat on a regular basis; so you don't really get to "skip" any feedings. That said, about a week after DS was born, I broke out the pump because he couldn't or wouldn't latch because I was so engorged and that is when he had his first bottle (a dr. brown's glass one) he took to it right away, no problem. The whole first month to probably when I went back to work at 7 weeks PP, DS got most of his feedings with fresh, pumped milk. Which I stored in bottles in the fridge for 3 days. whatever wasn't used by that point, I froze in bags. Those 1st 7 weeks I nursed maybe twice a day and was glad he ate bottles the rest of the time because my nipples were so sore -

That said, once I went back to work, we totally switched it up, so I nurse almost exclusively; he gets bottles only when I'm at work, and I only pump when I'm at work. pumping is a PITA, really. I am very fortunate he has had no difficulty going back and forth since we introduced the bottle so early (most people would tell you not to do that until nursing is well established, but he was screaming until he was hoarse for hours on end, and only at night he nursed fine during the day but it worked for us)

as far as how much, we started with an ounce or two the first few days, or week, and then he started taking 3 oz every 3 hours, and now does 4 oz every 4 hours. I think an oz an hour is a good rule of thumb.

I *try* to keep at least 8 - 10 hours/oz worth of milk frozen. I did have more, but it's been used, I need to get a little more stash going! That way if I have to go into work unexpectedly, or after several days WAH, there is enough to get through while I'm gone.

If going from fridgerated milk, we warm the container in a pyrex measuring cup full of hot to scalding water (water has been nuked in the microwave, or from our automatic hot water kettle) for about 2 minutes. We do the same thing for frozen, just put the bag in the cup of hot water until thawed; you may have to change out the water once or twice until completely thawed, once warmed through, swirl the milk to mix it because it will separate. then pour into bottle and serve.

We use mostly glass bottles; Dr. Brown's and Munchkins. Also have tried Breastflow, and this goes ok, but not our favorite, and recently also added the medela nipples to pop onto the breasmilk storage containers - less cleanup! Dr. Brown's is our favorite for him eating, but they are a pain to clean and keep track of all the parts.

All this said, if you don't NEED to pump, as in your latch is great, nursing is going well, and you don't need to WOH, then DON'T. there really is no need and your OH will have plenty of time and ways to bond with baby - diaper changing! playing! bath-time! and so on.

HTH