Exclusive Pumpers Tribe - Page 10

[jarynsmom06]

Thank you mama-a-llama...I will be going to the health food store tomorrow to get all that good stuff. I tell you MT is a smart lady. Thanks again...and cross your fingers for me...

[kathteach]

Just thought I would add this link, it's an interesting blog and motivates me to keep pumping. http://www.pumpingrules.blogspot.com/

[mama-a-llama]

What bottle brush do you all use? We've been using one that has sponge on the end. I like how well it seems to clean, but am nervous about bacteria and it wears out quickly. We have a Gerber one now, that is just bristles. I'm hoping it will last longer and clean well, but I don't know how to tell.

[GooeyRN]

I use playtex drop in's so I don't wash bottles. (baby got hooked on those nipples, and wont accept any others) I use the brush that came with Avent bottles to wash my pump parts. It works well. I boil it daily and it still didn't fall apart.

[timneh_mom]

I just wanted to pop in here, I haven't EP'd but I have a friend who did for at least 18 months... just wanted to say, for doing this for your babies!! My friend was so determined that her son would get her milk, she kept going... and avoided tons of foods because he had TONS of food allergies. I haven't talked to her in over a year, we kind of lost touch, but I believe he had grown out of some of them. He was allergic to hypoallergenic formula! This mama, she started eating meat again after being vegetarian for many, many years... because she didn't feel she could get enough protein with her limited diet. So hats off to all of you!! You deserve it.

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by timneh_mom

I just wanted to pop in here, I haven't EP'd but I have a friend who did for at least 18 months... just wanted to say, for doing this for your babies!! My friend was so determined that her son would get her milk, she kept going... and avoided tons of foods because he had TONS of food allergies. I haven't talked to her in over a year, we kind of lost touch, but I believe he had grown out of some of them. He was allergic to hypoallergenic formula! This mama, she started eating meat again after being vegetarian for many, many years... because she didn't feel she could get enough protein with her limited diet. So hats off to all of you!! You deserve it.

: Thank you. :

[amybw]

I am not EP but i follow your news! You all are AWESOME!!!

sorry if i missed this, but what do you store your BM in? I want to start freezing some if i can.
thanks!

Amy

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by amybw

I am not EP but i follow your news! You all are AWESOME!!!

sorry if i missed this, but what do you store your BM in? I want to start freezing some if i can.
thanks!

Amy

I use breast milk storage bags. I like the Lansinoh brand the best. They do not leak like the gerber and medela bags. They are also easier to seal. They take up much less room than bottles in the freezer. I have a harder time finding them, though.

[mamanurse]

Lansinoh bags rock. Gerber are next best followed by The First Years. Medela, strangely enough, makes the worst storage bags around.

[usolyfan]

[QUOTE=mama-a-llama;6125310] We've been using one that has sponge on the end. I like how well it seems to clean, but am nervous about bacteria and it wears out quickly.QUOTE]

We send ours through the dishwasher.

[margaretta]

I just finished reading this thread and found some great information here. It made me feel so much better to read other people's stories. I'm not quite an EPer, but I'm pumping a lot and at babe's insistince, not mine, so hopefully it's close enough to join in. If not I'll just read and not post ^_^

My name is Margaret and I've been almost exclusively pumping for DS for almost 5 months now. I also have a daughter (3) who just weaned. We were tandem nursing for a while which was a great experience. DS nursed without any problems for the first 2 months of life but he stopped and now will only nurse at night (really when he's asleep and going to go back to sleep - so occasional daytime nursing). One day he just refused to nurse (turns out he had an ear infection so it was probably painful). After it had been a loooong time and I was worried about him I gave him bottles of EBM (which I had done before without a problem) and he just wouldn't nurse after that. I kept offering the breast, but he kept refusing so I would give him a bottle. He doesn't get upset when I offer the breast but he won't nurse if he's awake. He usually nurses once or twice at night and I pump 5-6x during the day. It was really strange to me that he wouldn't nursle. I had an overactive let-down so the typical nipple confusion advice didn't apply. He would reject a normal breast and he would reject it if it was spraying him in the face. So now I'm pumping almost full time.

My supply seems to have plateaued at about 28-32 oz, but between nursing a bit at night and solids (which he loves) it seems to be enough without supplementing. I am trying to increase my supply but I'm not sure it's working. DS is a big big guy so I'm a bit worried that this isn't enough, but he has lots of chub so I think he's okay.

One of the most difficult things now is getting out. Everything takes so long with both kids that I don't seem to be able to do do much of anything before it's time to come home and get DS down for a nap and then pump again. If I do manage it, I end up really tired. Hopefully this will get easier as he gets older.

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by margaretta

I just finished reading this thread and found some great information here. It made me feel so much better to read other people's stories. I'm not quite an EPer, but I'm pumping a lot and at babe's insistince, not mine, so hopefully it's close enough to join in. If not I'll just read and not post ^_^

My name is Margaret and I've been almost exclusively pumping for DS for almost 5 months now. I also have a daughter (3) who just weaned. We were tandem nursing for a while which was a great experience. DS nursed without any problems for the first 2 months of life but he stopped and now will only nurse at night (really when he's asleep and going to go back to sleep - so occasional daytime nursing). One day he just refused to nurse (turns out he had an ear infection so it was probably painful). After it had been a loooong time and I was worried about him I gave him bottles of EBM (which I had done before without a problem) and he just wouldn't nurse after that. I kept offering the breast, but he kept refusing so I would give him a bottle. He doesn't get upset when I offer the breast but he won't nurse if he's awake. He usually nurses once or twice at night and I pump 5-6x during the day. It was really strange to me that he wouldn't nursle. I had an overactive let-down so the typical nipple confusion advice didn't apply. He would reject a normal breast and he would reject it if it was spraying him in the face. So now I'm pumping almost full time.

My supply seems to have plateaued at about 28-32 oz, but between nursing a bit at night and solids (which he loves) it seems to be enough without supplementing. I am trying to increase my supply but I'm not sure it's working. DS is a big big guy so I'm a bit worried that this isn't enough, but he has lots of chub so I think he's okay.

One of the most difficult things now is getting out. Everything takes so long with both kids that I don't seem to be able to do do much of anything before it's time to come home and get DS down for a nap and then pump again. If I do manage it, I end up really tired. Hopefully this will get easier as he gets older.

Hi Margaretta!

Im sorry to hear that you are having troubles with nursing. Pumping sure isn't fun, but atleast our babies get our milk. Im glad he will still nurse at night so you don't have to get up to pump to maintain your supply. I have been mostly EPing for 11 months now. DD was never a good nurser (I still had to pump after every feeding), and completely refused to even try after 3 months. It sounds like you are responding to the pump well. How long do you plan on bfing/pumping for?

[mamanurse]

Welcome Margaretta! Of course you can join your thread, but I must admit that I'm jealous your ds will nurse at all. I've been EP'ing for 10 months now and know it's no picnic.

Hi Gooey:

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by mamanurse

Hi Gooey:

Hi mamanurse! Its nice to see you again!

[amybw]

Originally Posted by margaretta

IOne of the most difficult things now is getting out. Everything takes so long with both kids that I don't seem to be able to do do much of anything before it's time to come home and get DS down for a nap and then pump again. If I do manage it, I end up really tired. Hopefully this will get easier as he gets older.

Not an EPer but i SO understand that!


Hope it gets better!

[countrypopo]

Hi guys! I'm amother of 4 and having been pumping for 2 months. My baby is a 34weeker and in NICU she had stuggles and took the bottle first. It has been hard cause I have health problems myself and feel like my supply is dropping. I am taking Reglan and Feengreek also. So glad to see I'm not alone!

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by countrypopo

Hi guys! I'm amother of 4 and having been pumping for 2 months. My baby is a 34weeker and in NICU she had stuggles and took the bottle first. It has been hard cause I have health problems myself and feel like my supply is dropping. I am taking Reglan and Feengreek also. So glad to see I'm not alone!

Hi Countrypopo! You are awesome that you are keeping up with the pumping with 4 kids! Welcome to our tribe!

[Sandstress]

Hi fellow pumpers.
I'm the EPing mom of a former preemie, and I just returned to work so I've got a whole other set of pumping issues now. I'm glad to see there other other EPers on this site. I have been pumping for 9 1/2 months now, and want to do it until at least the end of this cold/flu/RSV season. Kudos to all those moms out there who are managing to pump for YEARS!!!! That's awesome.

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by Sandstress

Hi fellow pumpers.
I'm the EPing mom of a former preemie, and I just returned to work so I've got a whole other set of pumping issues now. I'm glad to see there other other EPers on this site. I have been pumping for 9 1/2 months now, and want to do it until at least the end of this cold/flu/RSV season. Kudos to all those moms out there who are managing to pump for YEARS!!!! That's awesome.

Hi Sandstress! Welcome to the tribe! Congrats on pumping so long. I am at 11.5 months now, and also plan on continuing atleast until the end of the cold/flu/rsv season. What will you be doing at work? Do you get regular breaks that you will be able to pump during? Do they provide you an area to pump, or are you on your own trying to find somewhere to pump?

[Sandstress]

Originally Posted by GooeyRN

Hi Sandstress! Welcome to the tribe! Congrats on pumping so long. I am at 11.5 months now, and also plan on continuing atleast until the end of the cold/flu/rsv season. What will you be doing at work? Do you get regular breaks that you will be able to pump during? Do they provide you an area to pump, or are you on your own trying to find somewhere to pump?

I work in a hospital, so I can go to the milk bank where they have 6 curtained areas with hospital grade pumps. It sometimes takes too long to go all the way there and back, so my department has an empty office that they said I can use (lock on the door, which I don't have.) I haven't used it yet, but can see where it will come in handy. I don't get regularly scheduled breaks, but can usually take half an hour to pump 1-2 a day, and I pump on the commute in and home, so that's at least 3 pumps for the day.