Exclusive Pumpers Tribe - Page 7

[GooeyRN]

I still pump at night, every two hours, just like during the day. I am EPing for 10 months now, so that means I never sleep more than one hour and forty minutes at a time. I did learn to sleep while I pump, though. It made things much better for me. I prop up with pillows, hook up using a sports bra with holes to go hands free, and go back to sleep. I have a cooking timer next to me to ding when 20 minutes are up, so I can disconnect and go back to bed. I also have a mini fridge in my bedroom so that I don't have to go downstairs to drop off the milk. I sleep with the pump in my bed so I don't have to set it up each time. I do not wash the flanges between uses, I just store them in the mini fridge.

Why do I pump at night... I did have an enormous over supply. At 3 months I had 120 oz a day. By 4 months I had 75. At 8 months I got a raging case of mastitis and dropped to 50 oz a day. So I still freeze about 15 oz a day... But if I get mastitis again my supply will drop again. If I drop 25 oz a day again from mastitis... I will not have enough for my dd (averages 35 oz a day, she will not eat much solid food). So I do not want to lower my supply for fear of the "what if's". I do look forward to when she eats some food so I wont worry if I drop in supply.

[mamanurse]

I gradually started spreading out my pumping around 4 months. I was making plenty of milk for my dd (about 50 oz per day) and she had been "sleeping through the night" since ten weeks. I just went from pumping every 3-4 hours around the clock to making 5 hours at night, then 6, and now I can go 9 hours. I make 12 oz in the morning and my breasts are REALLY full when I wake up. I now only pump 5x's per day and am making a little more than my baby needs.

Gooey-OMFG!!! I can't believe you still pump that much. What dedication I'm not sure I would still be pumping if I had to do that. I'm loving my sleep and sanity at this point.

Forgot to add. If you aren't making A LOT of milk, I wouldn't dramatically cut out the night pumping. You've got to make sure you'll still be making enough milk when your babe is older.

[amybw]

subbing

[BakerALM]

I have never set my alarm to pump!

My LC (who is Wondreful) said that a sane mommy is just as importaint as MM. In the beginnining I had a severe problem with a major under supply. I kept upgrading Hospital grade pumps when ever my supply would plateau. Each pump slowly increased my supply until I now surpass her needs and have a nice freeser stash. Yes, in the beginning I had to suplement with formula but those precious few hours at night that I could just sleep when my daughter slept was the trade off.

I am so glad that my LC told my that I should not set an alarm, she said pump when my daugher woke and only if my body woke me due to painful engorgement. I think if I had to wake to an alarm to pump I would have "lost it" in the beginning when we were dealing with all the other stresses and pressures of being a new parent and loosing the BFing relationship. I don't know how you galls do it, waking to an alarm every few hours! WOW

It is amazing how each persons body responds differently to the same stimulus. :


Andrea
EPing for Lola 6.5 mths

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by BakerALM

I have never set my alarm to pump!

My LC (who is Wondreful) said that a sane mommy is just as importaint as MM. In the beginnining I had a severe problem with a major under supply. I kept upgrading Hospital grade pumps when ever my supply would plateau. Each pump slowly increased my supply until I now surpass her needs and have a nice freeser stash. Yes, in the beginning I had to suplement with formula but those precious few hours at night that I could just sleep when my daughter slept was the trade off.

I am so glad that my LC told my that I should not set an alarm, she said pump when my daugher woke and only if my body woke me due to painful engorgement. I think if I had to wake to an alarm to pump I would have "lost it" in the beginning when we were dealing with all the other stresses and pressures of being a new parent and loosing the BFing relationship. I don't know how you galls do it, waking to an alarm every few hours! WOW

It is amazing how each persons body responds differently to the same stimulus. :


Andrea
EPing for Lola 6.5 mths

My LC (who I love!) told me that I would have to pump a MINIMUM of 8 times preferably 12 times a day, with no longer than 3 hours between pumps in order to have a full milk supply. So thats what I went by (and still do). I later learned that everyone is different and responds differently to the pump. I was devastated about the loss of the BFing relationship (and how much easier life could be w/o a breast pump involved) I did kind of loose it mentally for a little while (maybe ppd?) in the beginning months since dd woke every hour and i pumped every 2 hours. DD had colic and we both cried every evening.

I was so upset about screwing up the BFing that I wanted to do something to "make it up" to dd. So I told myself that she will not have a drop of formula if it is within my power. If I did everything possible and didn't make enough milk, of course I would give her formula. But I could not forgive myself if I let my supply diminish due to my needs/wants. I survived working nightshift with extreme insomnia during the day for a few years, surely I can survive getting up every two hours to pump. Some disturbed sleep sure beats very little sleep.

My dh laughs at me, since when I am determined to do something, NOTHING gets in my way. He picked on me b/c I would not allow myself to get even one "b" grade while in college. I guess its just my personality. Im a bit screwy when I am determined. After I am done EPing I wonder what my next goal will be... :

[mamanurse]

Gooey- I think what your LC told you is true especially for the first few months. However, I think you might be unecessarily torturing yourself. (Yes, sleep deprivation is torture) You are an amazing woman and obviously very dedicated to your baby, but you might be able to at least space out your nighttime pumpings.

Ok. I won't pester you about it any more.

[BakerALM]

Originally Posted by GooeyRN

My dh laughs at me, since when I am determined to do something, NOTHING gets in my way. He picked on me b/c I would not allow myself to get even one "b" grade while in college. I guess its just my personality. Im a bit screwy when I am determined. After I am done EPing I wonder what my next goal will be... :

I think anyone who sucessfully EPs has to be a determined woman and have a supportive family by her side!

( I also am a 4.0 college grad and I have the under eye circles to prove it! Electrical & Computer Engineering 2003 )

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by mamanurse

Gooey- I think what your LC told you is true especially for the first few months. However, I think you might be unecessarily torturing yourself. (Yes, sleep deprivation is torture) You are an amazing woman and obviously very dedicated to your baby, but you might be able to at least space out your nighttime pumpings.

Ok. I won't pester you about it any more.

You aren't pestering. I am just paranoid about not making enough. When is it safe to decrease pumping? Do you have to pump for longer at each session when you drop pumps to maintain supply? I think that would bother me more than frequent pumping, since its so hard to entertain dd while I pump. I guess I wouldn't worry about supply so much if dd would eat some food so I didn't have to make so much. She has days where she takes 40 some oz. She is still such a skinny thing. She is 10 months old, and today she ate 3 green beans total for the day. Yipee. Yesterday she had 4 carrot wheels. I planned on hanging up the horns when she was a year old and giving her WCM. I can't do that if she isn't eating. I have a feeling I will be pumping a LONG time...

[mamanurse]

The session that takes me the longest to get my 8 oz yield is this session in the early evening. It takes me about 20 minutes to get 8 oz. All the other sessions take about 10-15 minutes. I also thought you had a plethora of milk in your freezer. So, if you find that you don't make quite enough after spacing out pumping then you could use your stash and go back to what you're currently doing.

[mama-a-llama]

Originally Posted by mamanurse

So, if you find that you don't make quite enough after spacing out pumping then you could use your stash and go back to what you're currently doing.

Yeah, it seems like it's worth a shot. I tried dropping a pump back when I was quite ahead, but found that dropped my supply below intake for the day. So went back to 8x day.

And now I'm not always making enough again--my supply drops after I ovulate, and comes back up somewhat once AF comes, then I make plenty right before ovulating. Extra pumping doesn't seem to help during this supply dip.

But yeah, if you're keeping track, and after a few days to a week of spaced out pumping at night your supply is dropping significantly, then some power pumping should get it back where you want it.

[GooeyRN]

Thanks for the tips! Positive Pumping Vibes to all!

[melbb]

Gooey,I would definitely try to cut out some pumps. I think it is for the first 3 months that it is really important to pump frequently. I personally have never made enough milk for DD, making around 26 oz/day. I was pumping 9x/day, taking all the lactogenic herbs and foods, dom, nothing increased my output. I now pump 5x/day and still pump the same amount. I think for a lot of women, they don't see drastic decreases in supply until they go below 4 pumps a day.

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by melbb

Gooey,I would definitely try to cut out some pumps. I think it is for the first 3 months that it is really important to pump frequently. I personally have never made enough milk for DD, making around 26 oz/day. I was pumping 9x/day, taking all the lactogenic herbs and foods, dom, nothing increased my output. I now pump 5x/day and still pump the same amount. I think for a lot of women, they don't see drastic decreases in supply until they go below 4 pumps a day.

You have the same output pumping 5 times a day as when you pump 9 times a day!? That sounds great. I could probably pump for 2 years if I only had to pump 4-5 times a day. Pumping every 5-6 hours wouldn't be too bad. It would give me a huge window of time to go shopping, to the parks, whatever without dragging the pump with me. I hate pumping in the car and spilling milk and having my car reek of sour milk. Do your breasts ache or get lumpy between pump sessions? The one time I messed up the clock at night and slept 5 hours I woke up with rock hard, lumpy, sore breasts. (my breasts are pretty small) Does your body adjust to storing the milk for longer? Thanks so much for telling me your experience!

[melbb]

Originally Posted by kathteach

Just bumping up the thread and wondering how everyone is doing.
I also have a question: what are all of you doing at night? My DS has started to sleep longer but I am still waking up every 3 to 4 hours to pump. It's starting to really affect me emotionally but I"m nervous about losing my supply. The couple of times I slept in I woke up with hard boobs and blocked ducts.

Any advice would be welcome because honestly I want to throw the pump out the window and buy some formula. I do, but I don't.

I still pump once in the middle of the night. I cannot take the drop in supply that would result as I already have an inadequate supply. It is different for everyone.

[Swirly]

There is no reason a woman with such a great supply should still be pumping 12 times per day. I thought I was obsessive! I know you are doing what you feel is best for your baby, but I think we who have failed BF relationships and who pump can develop a bit of an obsession or even a martyr syndrome. Women who nurse and whose babies sleep through the night don't usually nurse every two hours, so you really don't have to do so either (especially with great supply).

I started out pumping 7-8 times per day, and would get ~24 ounces. She only ate maybe 20 ounces, so that was good. She then nursed with a nipple shield (yay!) for two weeks (then rejected it : ), and the nipple stimulation increased my supply to ~33-35 ounces per day (I still pumped after every nursing session). I now pump for 20-25 minutes, 5-7 times per day (most usually 5 or 6, rarely 7 times), and I get exactly the same amount no matter how often I pump.

My pump schedule is usually: (I try to be flexible during the day)
8:30 am
12:30 pm
4:00 pm
7:00 pm,
10:15 pm
3:45 am

On weekends, I may pump at 10:30 or 11:00 pm, and then stretch it until 4:30 am, and sleep until 9:00 am afterward. I can change the 4:00 pm pump to 5:00 or 6:00 and drop the 7:00 and actually usually get more milk for the day that way. I just can't always do that as I pump in advance of her meals and lately she eats so much I have to pump at 4:00 or so to get her next meal ready.

My boobs rarely get engorged anymore. Her horrible reflux is much better these days, and her appetite is starting to chase my supply. (yesterday, she ate 32 ounces, and I only made 35 & 1/2). I am worried that after this long (six months), I won't be able to increase it. I eat oatmeal almost every day, but hate mother's milk tea. Fenugreek gives me night sweats like mad, but I may try it.

I offer her the breast daily, and she latches occasionally. When she does latch (usually only flat on her back on the bed, with me curling over her), she does it so perfectly. It makes me both elated and sad. Other times she just plays with me or pushes my breast away and cries like I am trying to kill her. I always hope she will make the switch to breast. I also hope her noodling around with my breast will maybe stimulate more milk production.

[mama-a-llama]

Originally Posted by Swirly

but I think we who have failed BF relationships and who pump can develop a bit of an obsession or even a martyr syndrome.

: Yep. I know I do.

[mamanurse]

I think it's a really good idea to post our pumping "schedules." Mine is centered around Livi's sleeping times and when dh gets home from work.

6:30 am
9:30 am
1:30 pm
5:30 pm
9:30 pm

I also only pump five times a day. I found that I get the same yield when I pump five times as I did when I pumped 6-8 times a day.

[orangecanoe]

I cut out the night pump a while back and found that I just started making more at the first pump. I also notice that during the day if I get more at one pump (if I pump longer) I just get less at the next one and the same total by the end of the day. I even find that on the odd day that I skip a pump in the afternoon when I'm out with the kids, that I can just pump for longer when I get back and it evens out. Nursing babies don't always eat at the exact same times for the exact same amount of time so being late with a pumping time doesn't stress me out anymore. I also notice the supply fluctuations with my cycle that Carly noted and since I'm a few days ahead of her in the fridge w/ some extra in the freezer it really is okay if day to day I'm up or down a few ounces.

These days I'm pumping at 8am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm ---I was doing noon, 3, 630 but am trying to shift to better coordinate w/ nap schedules and dinner time.

Dd also has horrible reflux so I think maybe I worry more about her intake/feedings than I do the pumping.

[melbb]

Originally Posted by GooeyRN

You have the same output pumping 5 times a day as when you pump 9 times a day!? That sounds great. I could probably pump for 2 years if I only had to pump 4-5 times a day. Pumping every 5-6 hours wouldn't be too bad. It would give me a huge window of time to go shopping, to the parks, whatever without dragging the pump with me. I hate pumping in the car and spilling milk and having my car reek of sour milk. Do your breasts ache or get lumpy between pump sessions? The one time I messed up the clock at night and slept 5 hours I woke up with rock hard, lumpy, sore breasts. (my breasts are pretty small) Does your body adjust to storing the milk for longer? Thanks so much for telling me your experience!

Yes, I pump the same. I don't know what the deal is. I wouldn't be considered low supply, but I cannot pump enough for DD no matter what. I don't think my problems is storage capacity (although I would say my storage capacity is 4 oz/breast unless I want more plugged ducts and mastitis cases than I have already have), but more production capacity. My breasts cannot seem to produce more than 1.1 oz/hour. I cannot go more than 6-7 hours without getting full to the point where I can have problems with plugged ducts. Sometimes I will oversleep during the night (I don't set an alarm, too much of a rude awakening) and my breasts will wake me up. They don't get rock hard, but kind of feel stingy around the nipple when they are full. I also have small breasts (think they are a B cup now, was an A pre-preggo). I think your breasts can get used to storing milk for longer. The important thing is to spread out your sessions gradually until one drops off then give your body time to get used to the new schedule and watch your output for 2 weeks before deciding to drop another.

[melbb]

Originally Posted by Swirly

I know you are doing what you feel is best for your baby, but I think we who have failed BF relationships and who pump can develop a bit of an obsession or even a martyr syndrome.

This is so true. BFing and trying to get it to work was an obsession with me, and in a sense pumping became an obsession, too. I felt like I would be a failure if I didn't pump, and I have felt like a failure because I cannot pump enough to meet her needs, so I had to try to increase my output. But I couldn't. I feel like since I failed at BFing, it doesn't seem right to "fail" at pumping, too. But, I know I have done my best, so I try not to beat myself up about it anymore.