Any pumping tips?
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What kind of pump are you using?
Are you pumping at home? If so, I always got more if I nursed on one side while pumping on the other. If you're not pumping at home or around the baby, it always helped me a lot go to breastfeeding.com and read all their sweet nursing stories. Plus a lactation consultant gave me the good tip of spritzing a little Bach Rescue Remedy when I nursed and pumped and pretty soon I associated the smell with let down.
Can you tell I had some MAJOR pumping issues?
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Are you pumping at home? If so, I always got more if I nursed on one side while pumping on the other. If you're not pumping at home or around the baby, it always helped me a lot go to breastfeeding.com and read all their sweet nursing stories. Plus a lactation consultant gave me the good tip of spritzing a little Bach Rescue Remedy when I nursed and pumped and pretty soon I associated the smell with let down.
Can you tell I had some MAJOR pumping issues?
I'm so sorry! That's tough. What worked for me was really focusing on my baby and thinking of it nourishing her. A picture or pumping near baby can help too. If you stress over it too much it can lessen your supply so try to remind yourself to relax.
Thanks for the replies. Thank-goodness I don't *need* to pump until October when I go back to school part-time. I am using a medela small electric pump. It's the $80 plug in kind that also takes AA batteries.
I actually managed to get 2ozs earlier! lol. dd reluctantly drank it. Dh gave it to her in a bottle and he said she scoweld the whole time. Poor baby MUCH prefers her boobies
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I'm hoping to get a stash going so that I'm prepared for fall term. I will try your suggestions - feel free to keep them coming
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Cheers,
I actually managed to get 2ozs earlier! lol. dd reluctantly drank it. Dh gave it to her in a bottle and he said she scoweld the whole time. Poor baby MUCH prefers her boobies
I'm hoping to get a stash going so that I'm prepared for fall term. I will try your suggestions - feel free to keep them coming
Cheers,
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I nursed dd on one side only all during one night. (We normally switched off several times during the night.) The next morning, the other side was so full of milk that I was somewhat uncomfortable. Pumping was VERY productive that morning. Well, on that one side, anyway, ha ha.
I also found that pumping on one side while baby nursed the other side helped a whole lot. But my baby didn't like the sound, and sometimes protested. That's when I did the "nurse only one side at night, then pump the other side in morning" thing.
HTH!
Ann-Marita
I also found that pumping on one side while baby nursed the other side helped a whole lot. But my baby didn't like the sound, and sometimes protested. That's when I did the "nurse only one side at night, then pump the other side in morning" thing.
HTH!
Ann-Marita
I have never been able to pump while nursing. Don't know if I'm just not coordinated enough or what, but we both end up covered in milk. What worked for me was to always make sure I had something to drink while pumping, and a pic of the baby. Plus, don't look at the pump while you're pumping. Read or watch tv or something. We were talking about this at the last LLL meeting I went to too. Something like a "watched pot never boils" maybe "a watched boob doesn't let down"? :LOL
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
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You also might want to try an avent Isis pump, I had much better let down with that pump than I had with any electric pump I tried. Plus it was a lot less distracting for ds.
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Here are the little things that have helped us:
The wonder of the camera phone: I took a picture of dd nursing and then recorded her voice giggling and what-not. Looking at that while I pump and listening to her sweet little self helps a lot.
Don't know why this works, but you know that vibrating jaw thing a baby does to try to get a secondary let down? Close your eyes, picture your baby at the breast and try shaking your jaw like that. In general, visualization rocks.
Pumping before baby eats: remember that baby can get a heck of a lot more milk out of you then the pump can, so a quick session before baby nurses can help you increase supply (if needed) and get more of a stash going. This isn't good advice for everyone; don't do this one if it doesn't feel right, ykwim?
Have something to read, watch, do while pumping. I'm always amazed at how much milk I get when I'm not pay attention!
Positive thinking: "I have plenty of milk for my daughter and to build a stash." "I can provide for her and take care of myself" etc.
You'll do great!!
The wonder of the camera phone: I took a picture of dd nursing and then recorded her voice giggling and what-not. Looking at that while I pump and listening to her sweet little self helps a lot.
Don't know why this works, but you know that vibrating jaw thing a baby does to try to get a secondary let down? Close your eyes, picture your baby at the breast and try shaking your jaw like that. In general, visualization rocks.
Pumping before baby eats: remember that baby can get a heck of a lot more milk out of you then the pump can, so a quick session before baby nurses can help you increase supply (if needed) and get more of a stash going. This isn't good advice for everyone; don't do this one if it doesn't feel right, ykwim?
Have something to read, watch, do while pumping. I'm always amazed at how much milk I get when I'm not pay attention!
Positive thinking: "I have plenty of milk for my daughter and to build a stash." "I can provide for her and take care of myself" etc.
You'll do great!!
I'm also looking for pumping tips. DS is 7 weeks old and I'm just in the process of starting to build up my stash in the freezer in preparation for going back to work. I pump one side while nursing on the other first thing in the morning. Since I'm just getting started on pumping, I've only been pumping for about 5-7 minutes at stretch as I work my way up to longer times. I usually get 1-1.5 ounces, but then I pretty much stop producing. I assume that if I continue to pump I should eventually get a secondary letdown and get some more?
Obviously I'd like to get more than that, but I can't find another time during the day to pump. But DS nurses every 1.5-2 hours during the day, and doesn't tend to take long naps, so I just can't figure out when to fit it in. Any advice?
Last question - I'm going out with a friend tomorrow night and leaving DS with DH and a bottle (we've done this twice before, so know that DS will take a bottle). I have no idea how much DS is eating in a feeding. What would be a normal amount for a 7 week old baby?
Thanks!
Obviously I'd like to get more than that, but I can't find another time during the day to pump. But DS nurses every 1.5-2 hours during the day, and doesn't tend to take long naps, so I just can't figure out when to fit it in. Any advice?
Last question - I'm going out with a friend tomorrow night and leaving DS with DH and a bottle (we've done this twice before, so know that DS will take a bottle). I have no idea how much DS is eating in a feeding. What would be a normal amount for a 7 week old baby?
Thanks!
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Many people have good luck pumping one side while nursing on the other.
Also, make sure the shields are not too small for you. Inadequate nipple extension will keep you from pumping effectively.
If you will be returning to work and pumping, realize that it is easier to pump at a missed feeding time than in between feedings, so don't panic just yet.
Also, make sure the shields are not too small for you. Inadequate nipple extension will keep you from pumping effectively.
If you will be returning to work and pumping, realize that it is easier to pump at a missed feeding time than in between feedings, so don't panic just yet.
I have also encountered some difficulty pumping for my 2 mo old. What really helps me is to have a onsie or sleeper that she wore that day so it smells like her and I visualize her nursing. This really helps sometimes. Also, I know it's hard, but the less I focus on how much I'm pumping, the more I get.
As for building a stash to freeze, we've been working on that too. I only nurse from one side at a time, so in the morning I am engorged on both sides (baby sleeps for 8 hours....I'm spoiled I know). I pump one side either before or after she feed. Sometimes I also need to pump from the side she eats from if it's still full. She gets one bottle of breastmilk at night and while Dad is feeding her I pump. Also, I try to pump in her room....I started pumping while she was getting the bottle but I got too emotional seeing her being fed that way....So now I banish myself to the world of baby in her room for inspiration.
As for ammounts....I prepare about 4.5 ounces for her and she usually takes almost all of it. When she finishes a full bottle, I give her more the next night but never force her to finish. She nurses about 6-8 times a day in addition to the bottle. Hope this helps!
As for building a stash to freeze, we've been working on that too. I only nurse from one side at a time, so in the morning I am engorged on both sides (baby sleeps for 8 hours....I'm spoiled I know). I pump one side either before or after she feed. Sometimes I also need to pump from the side she eats from if it's still full. She gets one bottle of breastmilk at night and while Dad is feeding her I pump. Also, I try to pump in her room....I started pumping while she was getting the bottle but I got too emotional seeing her being fed that way....So now I banish myself to the world of baby in her room for inspiration.
As for ammounts....I prepare about 4.5 ounces for her and she usually takes almost all of it. When she finishes a full bottle, I give her more the next night but never force her to finish. She nurses about 6-8 times a day in addition to the bottle. Hope this helps!
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