Exclusive Pumpers Tribe - Page 81

[GISDiva]

Originally Posted by radiowave

Can I be part of this tribe if I am still trying to breastfeed occasionally...basically comfort nursing once a day...and trying to use the lact aid?

Of course! Welcome!

[beewhisperer]

funfunkyfantastic:
My health visitor (I am in the UK) is a lactation consultant as well and she told me there was a "window of opportunity" for getting feeding right at about one month so it might be worth keeping trying just now. I had another round of goes at that stage but could not get anywhere with my girlie and after that I was just too tired. I still wish I could have gotten her to latch. But this is what we're doing and it's ok. No idea how long I will be able to carry on though. good luck to you hon.

[radiowave]

I have been pumping since two days after my daughter was born, 10 weeks ago. Despite fenugreek, domperidone etc. I am only getting about 6 to 8 ounces a day-a quarter or a third of what she eats. For a while I was pumping 10 times a day to try to get my supply up, but it simply overwhelmed and exhausted me, and it didn't really work...so now I am pumping about 6 times a day...I think that I would be more motivated to pump if I produced more. But I am continuing to get baby at least some of my breast milk and in the hopes that I might be able to get her on the breast at some point...I feel that my supply would go up if she was on the breast. At this point I have two main questions for other ep'ers:
How do you keep the pumping from ruling your life and getting in between you and baby? There are so many times that I am late to pump because I want to continue doing something with baby, or get out of the house, or that I don't do something else because I need to pump...also, I have had to give her pacifiers more often than I'd like so that I can pump...I would also like to have more skin to skin time but it can be hard to fit the time in with the pumping and the cleaning of the pump pieces and bottles and everything else that needs to get done-including the work I need to do to try to get her on the breast-comfort sucking, suck exercises etc. How do you do it 8 to 10 times a day?
The second question I have is what do you do to physically bond with baby? I keep feeling like I am missing something in my relationship with baby because I am not breastfeeding...am I, or am I just feeling guilty from all of the constant messages about how important breastfeeding is for bonding? I love it when she comfort sucks which she started to do recently, though this weekend she rejected that in favor of the pacifier, which was devastating and may result in me getting rid of all of the pacifiers in the house...how can I find that feeling with her in other ways?
Thank you!
p.s. I am going to try the lactaid as soon as they send me a missing piece...

[beewhisperer]

radiowave - I don't know that I have any advice for you but I do know that I feel like this too. Today I am late pumping because my girlie has been crying most of the day because she's constipated. At the moment I still have a good supply but I worry all the time that if I don't pump it will go down and I will lose my milk altogether. I haven't figured out the "how not to let it ruin/rule your life" part, definitely not. Somewhere in among it I manage things, but not every day. Sometimes all I do seems to be feed, pump, change nappies, wash up pump parts and run the steriliser. And sometimes I get out of the house. Now that I've come clean with my mama friends about the pumping they are fine if I say "I might need to bring the pump" or "I have to go home and pump now" and it's much easier.
Today has been a bad pump day, but other days are better. I try not to get mad at myself.
Be well.

[GISDiva]

Actually, it kinda does rule your life, unfortunately. The bonding you do in other ways - even though DS is almost 20 pounds, I still let him sleep on me sometimes because it's just so yummy! My DS gave up comfort sucking completely once he went back to day care since they use a paci there (and they don't even do it that much), or at least that was my theory. So instead he gets held a lot, and gets lots of hugs and kisses. And we still co-sleep, so he's curled up right next to me at night too. That has been really important to me that even though we're not nursing, he still gets the closeness of having mom and dad right next to him.

One thing that saves a little time that a lot of us do is put the pump stuff in the refridgerator throughout the day instead of washing it every time. I've not had any problems doing that.

I know that your supply seems so fragile that one late pump will be the end of it all, but it probably won't matter in the end. When I went down to 6 sessions a day I still had the same amount of milk, just more of it each session, which also helped with let-down. In fact, and I have no idea why, I still kept increasing a bit after that. Now that I ditched the overnight pump (ie, 5 sessions a day), I almost get the same amount of milk.

I'm not saying you'll have the same experience, but that's what I've found for myself. I have to make myself sane first. If I had to choose between giving a bit of formula and bonding with my baby, I'd choose the latter - I know that's not popular, but so be it. Even a little bit of breastmilk is really valuable stuff for your baby. You're doing a good thing!

[beewhisperer]

I would just like to applaud the shop manager who let me use their changing rooms to pump on Wednesday while we were on a day out. : I asked if it would be fine to use the nursing lounge to pump (it was) but it was busy with two feeding mamas.

So *YAY* for her being understanding. Awesome.

[JeanineTheOT]

quickly about me:

I ep'ed for my 1st dd for 16 months, mostly because she refused the boob bc I went back to work and we gave her too many bottles.

I just gave birth to dd2 on saturday, and I vowed from the beginning fo the pregnancy that this baby would be different, I wouldnt go back to work, child led weaning,etc. Well, she was born, and now Im home and she is still at the hospital bc of jaundice. Of course, they have to give her formula, sadly, while Im not there, so Im here, pumping in hopes I can bring her some milk in the morning.


So, can you give me your schedule for pumping, in the beginning, when the milk was first coming in. Like, every 3 hours for 30 min, for example.

I used to do every 3 hours for 20 min, and that worked well, but that was after my milk supply was established.

thanks soooo much ladies

[JeanineTheOT]

Originally Posted by ScoobySnacks

Does anyone know if the Freestyle uses only 1 size of breast shields? .

i just went today and bought the 27mm shield and they fit my freestyle. hth

[PurpleMonkey]

just a quick update to let everyone know I'm still hanging in there for my twins. Not a drop of formula their whole first year of life! I am truly blessed I've been able to make it this far, and that my supply has been what it's been. I'm still gonna go for goals of 15 months, then 18, 21, 24, etc. My goals HAVE to be smallish otherwise it's way too overwhelming

do any of you every fantasize about what your life WILL be life without the pump? When I can finally REALLY have all that time again ????????????????????????????????????

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by PurpleMonkey

just a quick update to let everyone know I'm still hanging in there for my twins. Not a drop of formula their whole first year of life! I am truly blessed I've been able to make it this far, and that my supply has been what it's been. I'm still gonna go for goals of 15 months, then 18, 21, 24, etc. My goals HAVE to be smallish otherwise it's way too overwhelming

do any of you every fantasize about what your life WILL be life without the pump? When I can finally REALLY have all that time again ????????????????????????????????????

That is amazing!!!!! A whole year of pumping and no formula, FOR TWINS!!! Congratulations! Your goals sound great to me!!! That is how I started out and well... You all know I am a nut and am still pumping for my dd... It really does help to keep the goals small to keep going, to tell yourself you can stop after making it to X months, and then revise. I still can't believe you are able to give your twins only mama milk! That is so awesome!

[PurpleMonkey]

it's really an accomplishment huh? I NEVER I mean N-E-V-E-R in my wildest dreams would have thought I'd be so lucky, but we all know it's a lot of work, too. I'm still getting up in the middle of the night to pump (just don't know any different) and so the mere thought of how much my life would change withOUT pumping is weird. I figure my life's already changed tremendously having the twins themselves I might as keep chugging along with the pumping, you know? Of course in order to have my supply this way (60+ ounces a day) I take TONS of fenugreek, alfalfa, mother's milk tea, pump frequently, and take in calories to MAKE all this happen.

[GooeyRN]

Yikes, that is a crazy amount of work. Your twins are so lucky!!!

Katheek77, how is weaning from the pump going? Are you all done? How are you doing emotionally? Any mood swings/depression?

[katheek77]

Sorry, I haven't been in here much.

I officially "weaned" for good in the second half of October. OMG. It is soooooooooo freeing.

No mood swings (although, tbh, I wasn't getting that much before then, so, I don't think there was some huge hormonal change by dropping the last pumps), unless you count being soooo much happier about not having to ever hook up to that thing again. We went to Atlantic City this weekend for DH's annual conference, DD went to Grammy's, and I got to sleep in and go to bed when I wanted without worrying about, "I gotta pump". First time in almost 2.5 years I got to do that.

This probably sounds bad, but I can almost see a better relationship with my daughter....I know that's horrible, but, I think I really did irrationally, sub-consciously resent HER for "making" me pump...and now that it's over, it's just sooooo much better. Poor girl. I'd never pump that long again, because I really think it harmed us...the less I pumped, the better it was...I know that's my fault, but, it's very hard to control subconscious feelings.

It was wonderful to be able to do it for my daughter, but, I am sooooo glad it's over. : : :

[srneda78]

I have a question for all you experienced EPers out there.

My 6.5 week old DD won't latch properly, has a high palate, and inefficient sucking. In addition, I have terrible nipple thrush. So, nursing got off to a really bad start. (I have been working closely with a LC also). So, at this point, I am EPing.

I was using a Lansinoh double electric pump (like the Ameda Purely Yours). I was getting 18-20 oz. a day. I started with the Medela Symphony last night and it appears that I am starting off getting about 24 oz. a day or slightly more (in the same amount of time). So that is a good start. DD eats between 22-30 oz. a day usually. I want to stop supplementing her with formula ASAP. The regular formulas disagree with her and the Alimentum that she can actually take is disgusting (and she'll only drink it if she's super hungry).

What are the best ways to increase supply to pump more? I know fenugreek is a big one, but it seemed to give DD gas. I will try it again in a week or so and see if it does again. But the tincture definitely increased my supply within a couple days of starting it. I also eat oats every day (cheerios, oatmeal).

I have read that power pumping once a day is good to increase supply (12 minutes pump, 12 min rest, 12 min pump, 12 min rest, 12 min pump). Is that true? I can definitely do this at night when DH is home.

My baby is really fussy and sometimes I can only pump every 3-4 hours during the day. I'm trying to pump more often, but is it possible to increase supply by only pumping 6-8 times a day?

For those who have increased supply, how much were you able to increase it and how long did it take?

Thank you in advance for answering my questions. I'm going to try to read through as much of this thread as possible.

[GooeyRN]

What helped me to build and maintain a supply was to pump whenever baby napped, whether it was time or not. I pumped as soon as she went down, then again when I thought she would be getting up soon. I would not go 4 hours without pumping in the early weeks if possible. If baby is being fussy and does not want to be put down, try to pump with them on your lap for even 5 minutes, or single pump while you hold baby with the other, just for 5 minutes. It is better than nothing. But I agree, keep the baby happy, first and foremost. I hope you can get your issues worked out so you don't have to EP. Are you putting baby to the breast at all?

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by katheek77

Sorry, I haven't been in here much.

I officially "weaned" for good in the second half of October. OMG. It is soooooooooo freeing.

No mood swings (although, tbh, I wasn't getting that much before then, so, I don't think there was some huge hormonal change by dropping the last pumps), unless you count being soooo much happier about not having to ever hook up to that thing again. We went to Atlantic City this weekend for DH's annual conference, DD went to Grammy's, and I got to sleep in and go to bed when I wanted without worrying about, "I gotta pump". First time in almost 2.5 years I got to do that.

This probably sounds bad, but I can almost see a better relationship with my daughter....I know that's horrible, but, I think I really did irrationally, sub-consciously resent HER for "making" me pump...and now that it's over, it's just sooooo much better. Poor girl. I'd never pump that long again, because I really think it harmed us...the less I pumped, the better it was...I know that's my fault, but, it's very hard to control subconscious feelings.

It was wonderful to be able to do it for my daughter, but, I am sooooo glad it's over. : : :

Thanks for checking in!!! I am glad things are better with you and your dd now that you are not pumping. The few months that I took off from pumping were so freeing it was awful to go back. I did not plan to pump again, it is a long story that I don't feel like typing out (PAKing) but those same feelings you are talking about resurfaced. I wish this kid would eat so I could stop. She wont take formula or cows milk now either, so I really screwed myself. I did reduce my pumping and just started mixing it with water. The baby eats more food than the 3 year old. : Anway... I have to PM BakerALM to see how she is doing. She was having issues nursing her 4 month old. (remember her? she was a long term EPer)

[daisy0306]

Originally Posted by katheek77

Sorry, I haven't been in here much.

I officially "weaned" for good in the second half of October. OMG. It is soooooooooo freeing.

No mood swings (although, tbh, I wasn't getting that much before then, so, I don't think there was some huge hormonal change by dropping the last pumps), unless you count being soooo much happier about not having to ever hook up to that thing again. We went to Atlantic City this weekend for DH's annual conference, DD went to Grammy's, and I got to sleep in and go to bed when I wanted without worrying about, "I gotta pump". First time in almost 2.5 years I got to do that.

This probably sounds bad, but I can almost see a better relationship with my daughter....I know that's horrible, but, I think I really did irrationally, sub-consciously resent HER for "making" me pump...and now that it's over, it's just sooooo much better. Poor girl. I'd never pump that long again, because I really think it harmed us...the less I pumped, the better it was...I know that's my fault, but, it's very hard to control subconscious feelings.

It was wonderful to be able to do it for my daughter, but, I am sooooo glad it's over. : : :

:: That's so awesome, you are amazing! Congrats on your pump free life!

Hi mamas,
I just wanted to pop in and say hi I've been pump-free for almost 3 months now and I'm so happy I can spend so much time with my kids now, and I also no longer have that resentful feeling about missing everything because I am stuck to the pump. 13 months was how long I EP'd. Hopefully never again!!! Looking back I can't believe I did that!!
Hang in there mamas, there is life after EPing and in the end you will know that you did everything you could to make sure your LOs got the precious BM they need.
To the mama pumping for twins

[beewhisperer]

Can someone tell me how to keep going with this?

I've now been EP-ing for just over 5 months. My supply is constant and steady providing I pump regularly and stay hydrated. I am exhausted. I get up at 0630 and pump every 3-5 hours (depending on dd's routine) up to my last pump at 2230 or so. I have P/COS with a strong fatigue element and only got rid of recurrent infections when I stopped pumping in the middle of the night because DD started sleeping through. Sleep clearly is essential and weirdly, my over all amount hasn't suffered. No clue why....

I know WHY I'm doing this, but I'm feeling a LOT of pressure to stop when DD makes 6 months. I don't have a problem but I'm finding it hard to keep explaining things when I go places and have to take the Medela. (I'm going to a Spa with my antenatal group mums in two weeks, none of them are BF-ing at all any more I don't think, although for a variety of reasons).

It does amuse me that they think I'm hardcore tho' *L*

Help. I don't know where else to ask for help. How do I keep going? :yawning:

[GISDiva]

I think everyone will tell you that the six month mark is a hard time for some reason. I had to just start taking it one week at a time. If you would have told me a month ago that I'd still be pumping, I might just have told you you're crazy, but here I still am and next week my LO will be 8 months old. I still haven't decided when to quit (I'm also battling a very low supply, which is demoralizing in itself), but for now I'm still taking it that one week at a time and see what happens.

[PurpleMonkey]

so my twins are almost turning one and my question to those who did it until your kids were 2, how often did you have to do it the 2nd year? Now, at the girls' 1st year mark, I'm having to pump every 4 hours still to maintain enough to meet all their needs. For one baby, did the frequency of pumping decrease for you significantly when you added other "milks"? (for me it's gonna be hemp milk cause we're vegan). I plan to pump until my girls are 2 because they need a cholesterol animal product and that would be me . Please if you will give me a ballpark how much your pumping decreased with how much your kids were taking in. I'm wondering cause I used to pump 60+ ounces a day to meet their needs (sometimes I would make 90 ounces a day!) and now it's down to 45-ish ounces a day at one year.