Exclusive Pumpers Tribe - Page 89

[anj_rn]

I have now been EPing for 13 months. My daughter is fed through a g-tube, and we do a blenderized diet with real food, but the base is breastmilk. I just went down to pumping 3 times a day (with an avg of 8 oz each pumping) so we are keeping up but not saving. I plan to wean off bm after cold & flu season (she will be 2 then). My supply is always low the week before my menstral cycle starts, but then will pick up again bout day 3 of my cycle. I try to save some when I have extra to use during that week. I use the PISA exclusively.

[Natanya]

Originally Posted by anj_rn

I have now been EPing for 13 months. My daughter is fed through a g-tube, and we do a blenderized diet with real food, but the base is breastmilk. I just went down to pumping 3 times a day (with an avg of 8 oz each pumping) so we are keeping up but not saving. I plan to wean off bm after cold & flu season (she will be 2 then). My supply is always low the week before my menstral cycle starts, but then will pick up again bout day 3 of my cycle. I try to save some when I have extra to use during that week. I use the PISA exclusively.

13 months...your my new hero. I am excited to know you've pumped that long. Questions for you?

When did you start to pump more than 3oz? My son is just starting to take more than I make in a pumping and I'm doing all the right things but its not increasing...I'm only one bottle ahead of him at all times. Kinda stressful.

Great info about menstration and supply...wouldnt have thought that. Did you get your cycles back sooner because you were pumping and not BFing? Thanks. Feeling clueless about the whole pumping thing lately. Although it has now been 11 weeks!!

[April Dawn]

Natanya, have you taken any herbs to boost your supply?

Edited by April Dawn - 7/5/11 at 7:19pm

[Natanya]

Thanks April Dawn, I really appreciate your comments. I have been doing herbs (more milk plus), and breast compression (its DOES hurt...but its the only way to get even an oz out of my right boob), and I pump every 2-3 hours during the day and 4-5 at night. Thanks for the advice about cluster pumping, I will try today, since I am home working today.
have been considering Domperidone, that's the only thing I'm not doing at the moment. Interested to know if thats the thing that will help.
So Thanks again...now off the pump the day away

[CorasMama]

I am hopefully getting an appointment with a local doc who specializes in breastfeeding. Our issues are so complex right now, the lactation consultants are just saying, yeah, go talk to this lady, you've got too much going on for us to deal with. I also got an email consultation from Jack Newman. I'm hoping this doc can help with even just one of our issues. Especially either Fiona's budding oral aversion or the horrible pain in my left breast. When I called to make an appointment with this doc, her receptionist said that she is going on vacation for a few weeks starting this weekend, but that she would probably make an extra appointment time for us this week, since we've got so much going on. So here's hoping we get in!

[Natanya]

Good luck to you, Corasmama!!

[anj_rn]

Originally Posted by Natanya

13 months...your my new hero. I am excited to know you've pumped that long. Questions for you?

When did you start to pump more than 3oz? My son is just starting to take more than I make in a pumping and I'm doing all the right things but its not increasing...I'm only one bottle ahead of him at all times. Kinda stressful.

Great info about menstration and supply...wouldnt have thought that. Did you get your cycles back sooner because you were pumping and not BFing? Thanks. Feeling clueless about the whole pumping thing lately. Although it has now been 11 weeks!!

I have always had a great supply (with both kids), so I was pumping that early. I also drink 90-100 oz of fluids a day, so that helps.

I got my cycles back 4 weeks after postpartum bleeding with both kids. With my son I only breastfed for the 1st 3 months, then did pumping & BF until he weaned at 15 mos. (I did pump during the 1st 3 months to freeze the extra milk, but he never had a bottle.)

My DD was only BF for the 1st 2 months. We introduced bottles since I was going back to work (I also supplemental pumped to have extra). She had a near-SIDS event (stopped breathing) at 4 months, resulting in a profound anoxic brain injury. After that, she received all her feeding through a g-tube. She got exclusively breastmilk until she was 8 months old, and then we started adding pureed food into her feeds.

You can do this.

[PurpleMonkey]

hang in there everyone! I want you to know I am praying and rooting for you, and I HEAR you.

I pumped exclusively for my twins for 14 months and it was soo hard, but worth it. I believe now at almost 3 years of age they have great immune systems because of all the work I did. It was not only physically hard, but emotionally traumatic and I blamed myself, resulting in PPD

The main message I want to relay is please don't blame yourself. I didn't know any better until I had my 3rd child, who latched on IMMEDIATELY where I basically didn't have to do anything, and then I KNEW it was not my fault with the twins. I just about killed myself with lack of sleep trying to pump for them AND get them to nurse for as long as I did. Weird it was when I "accepted failure" around 2 months of them being born when I ONLY focused on pumping and decided nursing from the breast wasn't going to happen that my quality of life started to improve because then at least I had SOME extra time to rest more, but still as we all know pumping alone is a MAJOR investment, and I will be the first to say from experience way harder than breastfeeding from the tap ever has been!

I just want to shout out to you all that it is all worth it. Be careful not to blame yourself. Your kids want YOU to be happy

[CorasMama]

We saw the OT/PT folks at Children's Hospital on Thursday. We are officially battling oral aversion now. But at least we have a battle plan! We're working on bottle and binky trainer, hoping to eventually get her back on the boob. But even if we never get back to breastfeeding, we'll be happy just getting her off the ng tube and on to oral feeds. It's an uphill battle, as she's had an ng tube her whole life. But I have faith that we can do it.

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

Originally Posted by Natanya

Thanks. I'm pumping every 2 hours on days when I can and every 3 hours when I'm at work. I pump for about 15 on the side that produces alot and about 20 min on the side that doesn't. I have a great pump...the medela symphony and I got bigger horns (im up to 30mm) and that all seems to help. I think it was because I had a few nights where I was too tired to pump in the middle of the night...I was going about 5 hours between. Now I'm back to the ever 3-4 hours at night. It is slowly starting to pick back up, but wondering when I'm going to get the 3-4 oz every pumping instead of just 2.5-2.7 oz. My little guy is not so little anymore and is wanting 3-4 oz at a time. I'm bearly a bottle ahead.

it isn't usually recommended, but i found that if i pump longer i get mroe letdwons. most people don't pump as long as i do. i do it for an hour at a time minimum, and am down to 4x a day still, where i was at 12 in the beginning. i just got finished, it is 0330 almost here. having at least one betweeen 1 am and 4 am helps prolactin levels.

Originally Posted by anj_rn

I have now been EPing for 13 months. My daughter is fed through a g-tube, and we do a blenderized diet with real food, but the base is breastmilk. I just went down to pumping 3 times a day (with an avg of 8 oz each pumping) so we are keeping up but not saving. I plan to wean off bm after cold & flu season (she will be 2 then). My supply is always low the week before my menstral cycle starts, but then will pick up again bout day 3 of my cycle. I try to save some when I have extra to use during that week. I use the PISA exclusively.

i could have wrotten this except i use the regular pis, never have tried the advanced. i do best in highest speed and usually highest suction, but sometimes i have to turn the suction down just a little.

Originally Posted by anj_rn

I have always had a great supply (with both kids), so I was pumping that early. I also drink 90-100 oz of fluids a day, so that helps.

I got my cycles back 4 weeks after postpartum bleeding with both kids. With my son I only breastfed for the 1st 3 months, then did pumping & BF until he weaned at 15 mos. (I did pump during the 1st 3 months to freeze the extra milk, but he never had a bottle.)

My DD was only BF for the 1st 2 months. We introduced bottles since I was going back to work (I also supplemental pumped to have extra). She had a near-SIDS event (stopped breathing) at 4 months, resulting in a profound anoxic brain injury. After that, she received all her feeding through a g-tube. She got exclusively breastmilk until she was 8 months old, and then we started adding pureed food into her feeds.

You can do this.

i agree, you can do it mama! i have nursed 2 other kids, and they child led weaned, including 11 months of tandem nursing, but this little guy is a stubborn one who couldn't/wouldn't latch. i'm determined to get him through at least cold and flu season as well. we're at 14 months thus far.

Originally Posted by PurpleMonkey

hang in there everyone! I want you to know I am praying and rooting for you, and I HEAR you.

I pumped exclusively for my twins for 14 months and it was soo hard, but worth it. I believe now at almost 3 years of age they have great immune systems because of all the work I did. It was not only physically hard, but emotionally traumatic and I blamed myself, resulting in PPD

The main message I want to relay is please don't blame yourself. I didn't know any better until I had my 3rd child, who latched on IMMEDIATELY where I basically didn't have to do anything, and then I KNEW it was not my fault with the twins. I just about killed myself with lack of sleep trying to pump for them AND get them to nurse for as long as I did. Weird it was when I "accepted failure" around 2 months of them being born when I ONLY focused on pumping and decided nursing from the breast wasn't going to happen that my quality of life started to improve because then at least I had SOME extra time to rest more, but still as we all know pumping alone is a MAJOR investment, and I will be the first to say from experience way harder than breastfeeding from the tap ever has been!

I just want to shout out to you all that it is all worth it. Be careful not to blame yourself. Your kids want YOU to be happy

thanks mama.

Originally Posted by CorasMama

We saw the OT/PT folks at Children's Hospital on Thursday. We are officially battling oral aversion now. But at least we have a battle plan! We're working on bottle and binky trainer, hoping to eventually get her back on the boob. But even if we never get back to breastfeeding, we'll be happy just getting her off the ng tube and on to oral feeds. It's an uphill battle, as she's had an ng tube her whole life. But I have faith that we can do it.

rooting for ya!

[Natanya]

mom2tig99Nroo03 "it isn't usually recommended, but i found that if i pump longer i get mroe letdwons. most people don't pump as long as i do. i do it for an hour at a time minimum, and am down to 4x a day still, where i was at 12 in the beginning. i just got finished, it is 0330 almost here. having at least one betweeen 1 am and 4 am helps prolactin levels."

I have been pumping for over 15 mins and I do get another let down. It really does help with the flow. I've tried to pump for every 2 hours for about 20 mins each for over 3 days and no change. And that's with using a lot of herbs 3 x a day. So I just purchased domperidone. We'll see how it works. I am hopeful its just cause I'm busy and a bit stressed about the milk. Thanks for the tips and the vote of confidence.

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

natanya, you can also try "power pumping" pump, wait for 10 minutes to give your nips a break, pump again, wait 10 more, and pump again. helps simulate a growth spurt.

[cjnvicki]

does anyone know how to make the pump suction stronger?

[CorasMama]

Originally Posted by cjnvicki

does anyone know how to make the pump suction stronger?

what pump are you using?

[CorasMama]

you know what sucks? When you're breastfeeding a baby, and you get sick, you can just bring the baby into bed with you (or have your partner deliver baby to you) all day. But you can't bring a pump into bed with you and set it to pump off and on without you having to wake up all the way. Ok, Ok, call the WAAAHmbulance...

[Natanya]

OH, that does suck....I feel for you. I had a migraine the other day and thought the same thing. sending you "feel better" vibes!!

[HappyHappyMommy]

Just wanted to bump up this thread as it was such a support to me when I was EPing. (I EPed for 30 months.) Big cheers to all the EP mamas out there!

[Knittin Mama]

Looking for suggestions.  I'm EPing and donating my milk, I'm 8 weeks postpartum and have begun cycling again.  Around five weeks I tried adding in fenugreek, at that time I was pumping 11oz a day, it halfed my supply and and I was down to 5-6 oz.  About 2 weeks ago I tried the fenugreek again, now I'm down to maybe 3 oz a day.  I pump every 2-3 hours for 20-25min during the day and usually sleep 6 hours straight at night.  What else can I do to up my supply?  I drink plenty of water, I'm eating lots of oatmeal.  I'm just at a loss as to what to do.  I want to keep donating.  Thanks so much :)

[HappyHappyMommy]

I wanted to bump up this thread as it was such a support to me when I was EPing. Lots of support and cheers to all the EP mamas out there!
 

[clairebear3]

Oh my goodness I can't believe you have all managed to pump for so long!  My DD is only 2 months, my goal was to BF to 6 months and i'm already finding it hard.  I think if I had enough milk it wouldn't be so bad but at the moment it seems so demoralizing.

I'm pumping after every feed for 20 mins, which is six times a day but by the sound of it I should be pumping more!  It just seems so difficult because for me to pump more because she has to be content and the little monkey has a habit of just not been happy to lay in her chair or she gets the hiccups.  Plus trying to shower and eat, keep the house clean, go shopping and occasionally putting a decent meal on the table I just don't know how you do it.

I have been taking 12 tablets of motilium for a while but it doesn't seem to make a difference anymore.  I'm drinking about a litre of Mothers Milk tea, two cups of home made fenugreek tea and I just started Goats Rue tincture a week ago.  Yesterday I ordered more milk plus and fenugreek tincture.  I really hope they work because the older she gets the more she wants and the more formula I have to give.  I pump between 600-700ml a day and she drinks 900-1000ml.

Anyone had any success with goats rue?  Not sure how long it takes to work.  Is it OK to combine goats rue, more milk plus and fenugreek tinctures?

I hope this thread stays alive for a long time!