[abigailvr]

I have two pumping issues. The first is that I will be going out this Thursday evening without my 15 month old DS. He might have to go to sleep for DH before I get home. I don't have any frozen milk left in the freezer (it was old, I dumped it), and I seem to be incapable of producing for the pump. He doesn't drink cow's milk, and has been having bad eczema recently, so I have been eliminating lots of suspect foods from his diet. I don't want to give him cow's milk in the middle of this.

He is so-so on the solids, but really eats when he is hungry. I know that if he is alone with DH he'll eat solids, so I know he won't be hungry, I'm mostly concerned about the bedtime nursing. Am I worrying too much?

Also, I signed up for the breastmilk study that someone posted here. She sent me two 50ml vials, but I don't have any idea how I am going to fill them! I have plenty of milk, I just don't get any warm fuzzy feelings for my Aven ISIS pump. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[SagMom]

Have you tried pumping from one side while the baby nurses from the other?

Or, see if you can pump when ds is done?

 

[abigailvr]

If I pump from one side while DS nurses, he stops nursing. I tried pumping right after he was done yesterday, but nothing came out. I suspect that there might be something wrong with my pump. I don't want to invest in a new one, though.

 

[UlrikeDG]

Have you tried hand expressing? It's not as efficient as a pump *IF* you can get some good let downs with the pump, but if you can't, hand expression will usually get more. When I was trying to pump so I could make breastmilk yogurt, I was pumping a small amount at a time every day for several days and combining it. I couldn't get 4 oz at a time, but I could get 4 oz over the course of 3 days.

(I used to be able to get over 8 oz from a single breast in 20 min when I was working & pumping!)

 

[abigailvr]

Hand expressing isn't working for me either. I might have to back out of the study, if I can't accumulate milk.

 

[onegr8mom03]

When do you feel the most full? I know they always say feed the baby first but that Never works for me. If you child doesn't wake for a night feeding then by morning you are probably full and I know all I have to do is think of my ds and the milk will flow if i'm really full. So at least you'd be able to get a small amount this way. That way you are pumping when it's the easiest to get out then your child will nurse the rest that he wants out. It may work for a little while anyway.

 

[BowenTherapist]

you could try pumping while watching his baby videos. i watched dd birth the other day a got a big time let down.

the bed time nursing is probably much more about mama and closeness than it is about nutrition, so if you will be home after he;s asleep for a bit he may wake to nurse then and you won;t have to worry about the milk'
just a thought

 

[abigailvr]

onegr8mom03, when he skips a night nursing, I wake up having leaked everywhere. I tried to pump one day when he skipped a feeding and it just didn't work, even though my breast was painfully full. I really am starting to think my pump is bad.

Lisa, I wish I had baby videos! Our videos start at 10 months or so. That might help though. I'll try that tomorrow. I think you're right about the nighttime nursing. He doesn't fall asleep nursing, so that's at least one less thing to worry about. DH can put him to sleep most nights, but I usually nurse him first.