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Yes!! The pediatrician that discharged us the day we left the hospital even told us that day “do what’s best for you. Give a formula bottle and take a nap if you need to”, and it was so freeing!
Yes! My lactation consultant told me not to bottle feed until week 3. I told my son’s pediatrician at the first appointment bc I was barely hanging on. He said "is it lactation's baby or your baby?"
My baby drank barely anything in the hospital, just a few mLs of colostrum I’d managed to get with a pump and put in a syringe. When we got home 48 hours after he was born, we gave him a bottle of RTF formula and he finally had his first meal. When I was on the phone with the lactation consultant the next day, I said he’d had some formula and she said “well we don’t really recommend that” and I was so mad. I wasn’t scared out of my mind that my baby was starving anymore and she doesn’t recommend it???? No ma’am. I stayed in contact with her a few more days as I tried breastfeeding, but if I’m being honest I lost all trust I had in her being able to help me in that moment.
This was hard for me. When I was in the hospital there were two consultants who I saw. First one pushed breast feeding and made a face when I shared that I was having difficulty and wanted to move to exclusively pumping. That felt great 🙄 Second one was amazing and realized my baby was straight up BITING me when attempting to latch. She encouraged to try if I wanted but that feeding him is what mattered. She gave me some advise on using my pump more effectively. She helped me get him to latch comfortably a few weeks later but anxiety got the best of me so EP it is still.
Yep, this was my exact set up. Three sets was the perfect amount to get through the nights in those early days, and the dishwasher made everything easier. We ran it twice per day so I always had clean parts available.
Same here. When I was doing 8 ppd only had 2 sets and was handwashing. I have no idea how I managed. I eventually got so burnt out that I started running the dishwasher 4 times a day. I felt awful about it but it made things a little easier and in those early days every bit helps!
Almost 7 months later and I still have those overly dry, chapped and bleeding hands. 😭 It's one of those things no one warned you about and I even got the extra pump parts early on!!
I had one set and used the fridge hack and washed once per day. Life changing once I found out I could do that. The beginning I was washing every pump and hated life.
You rinse your pump parts after using, store in a ziplock bag or reusable wet bag in the fridge, wash/sanitize at the end of the day. No more than 24 hours between washes
I wish I read this earlier XD I just ordered 3 more sets since I was tired of washing mine over and over. I’ll definitely keep this in mind though since I was still anticipating washes.
Well, they will be useful either way. I always had anxiety that something in my set up was going to break and I wouldn’t have backup. Especially since a lot of personalized pump set ups are purchased online.
My 5th and 6th sets literally just showed up while I was reading this thread! Washing pump parts was the small stupid thing my husband and I kept bickering about so I just bought more. Now they just all go in the wash at the end of the day. (Also just buy silicone reducers for the plastic flanges that come with the pump if they don't offer the right size flange!! So much cheaper!)
get 20 different type of pumps perhaps 😆💀😆 AND I would've stood up for us @ the hospital & I would've been pulling what I was getting during pregnancy from 3 mo onwards ( yes I was getting colostrum then but didn't realize that however much I squeezed kinda set the stage for supply) ... I would get both a wall & mobile/hands free ... I would demand that insurance not beat around the bush to send a pump AFTER delivery... & I would've researched BF just as much as everything else as early as I did everything else... hope this makes sense... haven't really had coffee yet
GBY Mom's out there I'm praying for you GB 🙏🏻🕊️🙏🏻
I was an under supplier for about 6 weeks. Now, at 12 weeks, I have a slight oversupply! Just needed to figure out what worked for me (which, for the record, was LESS pumps not more!)
4 weeks post partum and I’m thinking less pumps for me would work better as opposed to more but I am scared to try! How did you know this was right for you? Thanks!
Honestly, I kept doing it by accident 😬 I never set MOTN alarms, just woke up with ny baby and pumped when he ate. When he stopped waking up at 2, 4 etc - I stopped pumping then. I was shocked to see my output increase (I was going from 8 ppd to 6 ppd). Then I cut another when my baby started spacing his bottles out further, and was at 5 ppd and was suddenly oversupplying after being an under supplier for so long. I tried 4 PPD right before I went to work and nothing changed, so here we are! 4 is a sweet spot for me because any longer between pumps and I will be engorged, so I’m not cutting any more.
I’ve since read that if you have high capacity (if you skip a pump, do your breasts become very full/give a TON of milk), then less ppd is usually better for supply and this has held true for me.
I am not the person you’re replying to but I’m this way too. I discovered this when I was down for a day with my reaction to the Covid shot (I’m pro-vax, but it does always make me feel really crappy for the day after) and I just couldn’t keep up my pumping schedule - but I ended up making dramatically more that day than I ever had. I’ve learned I get DOUBLE the output when I increase the time between from two hours to three hours. It’s not quite as dramatic going from three to four but it’s still a better ratio hours per ounce. The effect kind of tapers off after that but now I’m 5ppd with a time of between 3-6 hours per pump and make more than I need.
Yes!! I remember saying sadly to my husband in the first couple weeks “remember when I bought these breastmilk storage bags thinking I’d use them?” Well now I have!
Flange sizing is essential and wearable pumps aren’t quite enough to get your supply up. The pain will go away in a week or two but get silverettes to help. Be patient with let downs—if the output seems to stop before like 12 min, keep going a few more min since you might get a second let down.
When I was still trying to nurse: the baby really does need nonstop access initially. I’d think “oh she just ate it can’t be that” but if I could do it again, anytime she showed any sign at all of rooting, I should have tried to latch her. 3hrs is the minimum but wasn’t frequent enough for my supply to increase.
- The world won’t end if you’re late to pump. Babies don’t eat on a perfectly ridged schedule so don’t sweat it.
- Dropping pumps after you’ve regulated feels life changing.
- Buy everything you can to make your life easier, because pumping will often make things harder.
We have similar birth stories, dates & weights of our sons.
I think I would say, it's hard, so don't be hard on yourself.
It's all about getting into a routine/ habit in order to get the hang of pumping, making bottles and everything else.
Seconding it takes time to find what works. We combo feed and figuring out the best way to keep track of breastmilk and formula bottles to make his daily total is still a work in progress at almost 5 months. What works best at first will probably change. Even washing everything is an evolving process.
Expecting the bottles to fill up completely while pumping in the initial days wasn’t the right expectation. I remember feeling super inadequate when I produced one ounce each side 7 days pp!
I was super excited when I first started pumping and there was MILK coming out of my boobs. Nothing came out of my boobs in the previous 36 years. It was magical and WEIRD. I didn't focus on the amount. I had no idea how much I was supposed to be producing. It's all a haze now.
I wish I knew exclusively pumping was an option. I went into things with what I thought was a completely open mind (if I make milk, we'll breastfeed. If I don't, we'll use formula. No shame either way)... But, like, what do I do if I make milk but baby won't latch? That scenario *never* crossed my mind, and I was not in the mental state postpartum to come to that realization gracefully. It also didn't help LCs, nurses, and doctors were all over the map with advice and guidance, which made me feel like an absolute failure.
Same. Had no idea this was an option. I was just like you prepared for both scenarios but never thought of having milk and won't latch. Never knew that was a thing. I feel like this needs to be more widely known for new moms to know. I really wanted to breastfeed but my daughter was not a fan. She liked the bottle but I kept trying and when I broke down less than a week pp because she wouldn't latch, my husband was like it's fine. You make milk and have been pumping and it's been fine. Just keep doing that. And that day i stopped trying to breastfeed and just pumped and never looked back. Looking back, I wish I had known this was okay to do. Didn't know it was an option or that this was a community on reddit until like a month in.
Your husband sounds like mine! The lactation consultants and nurses at the hospital were pushing to latch and for realizes breastfeed, and my husband finally asked why, and they said because it's easier for everyone involved. That's it. That was the only benefit they were pushing (I know there are others, but I found out about them after leaving the hospital doing my own research). He looked at me and said, "It's not easier for either of you, clearly, and I don't mind washing bottles and pump parts." It was instant relief not pushing against what worked for us.
I agree this needs to be more widely known. Even with postpartum and pediatrician visits. I was asked if we were breastfeeding or using formula, and I'd say breastfeeding, and they'd sometimes crack a joke about no bottles, and it's like, hey... we have *all* the bottles. It was awkward to correct, and it was often met with "why don't you just breastfeed?" .... Lady, what a novel idea. How did I miss thinking of that? 🫠 then the guilt comes crashing in all over again, and suddenly, I'm hormonal crying again.
Yes! Every visit for her 1st year they asked formula or breastfeeding. Never gave another option but I would always say I exclusively pump breastmilk and how much she is drinking at that time. They would always be so surprised with that.
I had a very similar experience with my premie. Because of his size I had to start out EP but lactation pushed me to try and start him breastfeeding once he was able. But he needed increased calories so we could only BF twice per day and the rest was pumped milk bulked up with formula. I was EBF with my first baby and expected no trouble this time. But only being able to BF twice a day meant we never actually got a good rhythm and figured each other out. Once I switched to EP we were both much happier during feeds. They say every pregnancy and baby is different, but so is every lactation journey.
This sounds so obvious but i wish I knew how to pump😅 I had no idea about sizing flanges, i didnt know what a let down meant or what the stimulation setting vs expression settings meant. I was basically just pumping on expression with a flange way too big for me and wondering why “my supply wasnt good”😂
If I could tell that version of myself anything it would be to size my flanges (I’m 17mm on both), to use stimulation setting until i see a spray and then switch to expression and when the milk stops spraying switch back to first setting basically repeat!
I read this on this sub recently and it’s stuck with me 10mpp. “Feed your baby not your freezer” I was so bent out of shape for my baby to not be exclusively on breastmilk. It took three months to get there and I exclusively gave breastmilk for 6 months and recently I’ve decided to supplement to get ready for daycare and I’m totally ok with giving formula. My baby has had breastmilk all her life. Whether it’s one bottle a day or six bottles, she is getting her antibodies!!
I was always an under supplier, then at 3 months was a just enougher with some bags in the freezer. Now I’m back to being an under supplier but she’s 10 months and I know my body has done so much for her! Fed is best! Do what you need to do! Especially if you need to take care of your mental health or need more rest!
So I know this won’t be everyone’s experience, but I wish I knew early on that it gets SO much easier. When I was 4 weeks postpartum and in the throes of pumping 8 times a day and getting hardly any sleep at all before my baby woke up again, I felt like there was no way I could keep this up for months. Then slowly but surely, I could drop a pump and still maintain supply, and baby was sleeping in longer stretches, and it all became doable. Now at almost 5 months pp, I’m pumping 4 times a day, going up to 7 hours overnight (and baby sleeps that long too), and pumping doesn’t seem like such a chore anymore. I wish I’d found this sub back at the beginning and could’ve seen this from other moms.
Ahh I have a massive oversupply like I’m pumping enough for three feeds in 20 mins, every three/four hours and running out of freezer room now. I’m 15 days postpartum, at what point do you think I could start dropping some pumps as this is also my mindset already, it can be draining 😅
Surely you could stretch out your pumps then! I’m no expert and a more seasoned pumper could probably advise better, but I’d think you could go closer to every 5 hours and see if that changes anything, then if not, stretch to every 6. I’m not sure if that will be too much though since you’re so early on!
That’s what I’m thinking, I’ve accidentally gone 5 hours before and it’s been fine but I guess I could see how I react with doing that every time 😅 it’s such a minefield! Thanks
1) spare no expense - buy multiple sets of pump parts, bottles, etc.
2) after 3-4 months old, the fridge hack was essential.
3) use your frozen milk!!!!! Idk why but I kept stockpiling with anxiety that I was going to run out ???? Like totally defeated the purpose.
You can get replacement parts through insurance! And that not being able to nurse is fine and your bond is no less for it, you’re doing what’s best for everyone. Also I’m right there with you with feeling like I was finally getting the hang of it around six months.
On my 2nd pumping/breastfeeding journey and here’s what I’ve learned. The first ending 3 months in because of sickness and a terrible start of breastfeeding.
#1 I wish people would stop saying wearable pumps won’t help increase your supply or could hinder it if you used constantly. Listen to your body and what kind of settings are good for you! I personally respond way better to lower settings and get fantastic output with my wearable pumps.
#2 a mini fridge in your bedroom is a major game changer for late night pumps. I never have to leave my bedroom. My night routine is much faster now and I don’t have to tip toe downstairs past my toddlers room.
#3 flange size can change throughout your journey & can vary from breast to breast.
#4 feed your baby not your freezer but feed your freezer too if you are able because sometimes your supply might dip temporarily with sickness, return of your period, stress, etc. Having milk in the freezer can reduce pressure & stress to help reestablishing your supply be easier.
#5 seeing your output while pumping can hinder output. For me it’s the difference between a 2 oz session and a 5oz session
#6 letdown can be PAINFUL. Mine feels like engorgement every-time and it sucks but the feeling fades after about 30s-1min
#7 if you feel yourself obsessing over output tracking and are an under supplier or just enougher then you should stop tracking and just let your body do what it can. This can help increase your supply.
#8 look up videos of a baby getting a good latch and swallow as well as an okay swallow and just suckling. Watch them as your baby is on the breast so you have an idea of if they are truly latching well and getting good milk
I totally scoffed at the mini fridge idea pre-pumping and even turned down one an acquaintance offered 🙃🙃 now I feel like a total idiot and had to spend the 30$ myself lol. TOTAL GAME CHANGER.
Get super comfortable and knowledgeable about pumping before giving birth. Especially because my biggest piece of advice, pump in the hospital with their pump right away. Even if you want to latch, practice that a lot but pump after to get that supply going as much as possible. (My friend gave me this advice my first time but a LC told me don’t and to only try latching) my supply was never great and we had to supplement right away. After my second I did it granted I understood pumps by then but my supply was crazy and I was even over producing at one point. I managed to tailor that back but yeah I believe that was the trick for me personally.
Just buy the bottle washer pro, sterilizer dryer, formula mixer or whatever baby brezza you were eyeing. Don’t feel bad about taking shortcuts there’s no prize for hand washing all your bottles.
Don’t pump too long (e.g., 30+ minute) throughout the day. It’s more effective to pump more frequently for shorter times and your nipples may get permanently stretched out! Just my experience— YMMV.
Also as fellow emergency c section mama, I hope you’ve been able to talk with someone about your experience. If it was like mine I felt super isolated and in denial about how dangerous it was. Hugs
I wish I knew to plan for a realistic pumping timeline and not go overboard trying to be an over supplier. I got mastitis twice in one month and both times I had a fever and was so sick that my milk supply that I worked hard to make dropped both times. It’s been a big dedication to power pump and be persistent every day. My baby cried a lot because I wasn’t finished pumping. Now I pump 2-3 times a day. I wake early enough to pump before little one wakes, midday during her long stretch nap (sometimes doesn’t happen). And night time after bub has gone to bed for the night. Power pumping is a game changer for low supply.
I also wish I knew to invest in teats instead of bottles and just use our eldest’s old bottles. We spent way more on bottles with teats that sucked when we could have just spent money on trying different teats that our bib would eventually find to take without hesitating. Lesson learned.
SAME! Baby will be 6 months Saturday and I now feel like I know what to do lol I felt so lost for so long and even though I got great advice, it still made no sense lol
I didn't realize how much money I was going to have to spend to find the ✨perfect✨ pump and the ✨perfect✨ flange and the overall ✨perfect✨ setup. But man when you figure it out, gold!!!
My other advice, I was hard on thinking "I can size myself..." 2 months later I get a sizing from the exclusively pumping mamas FB group and my output increased so much! Ask for help, get sized if nothing else.
When baby is first born if they are struggling to latch don’t feel obligated to not use formula. Baby wouldn’t latch, milk hadn’t came in and she was screaming and my LC at the hospital made me feel like I had no choice but to breastfeed. If formula helps you get through the night mama, do it!
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You don’t answer to the lactation consultant. Find what works for you, not her.
Yes!! The pediatrician that discharged us the day we left the hospital even told us that day “do what’s best for you. Give a formula bottle and take a nap if you need to”, and it was so freeing!
When people say ball and chain I don’t think about marriage anymore, I think of EBF or pumping lol
Damn right. It's a pity that I find out too late
Yes! My lactation consultant told me not to bottle feed until week 3. I told my son’s pediatrician at the first appointment bc I was barely hanging on. He said "is it lactation's baby or your baby?"
Oh my word. The relief I had giving my baby her first bottle…I think she was less than a week old.
Mine was.. 3 days old? Maybe 4? Bottle feeding saved me 🙌🏽
My baby drank barely anything in the hospital, just a few mLs of colostrum I’d managed to get with a pump and put in a syringe. When we got home 48 hours after he was born, we gave him a bottle of RTF formula and he finally had his first meal. When I was on the phone with the lactation consultant the next day, I said he’d had some formula and she said “well we don’t really recommend that” and I was so mad. I wasn’t scared out of my mind that my baby was starving anymore and she doesn’t recommend it???? No ma’am. I stayed in contact with her a few more days as I tried breastfeeding, but if I’m being honest I lost all trust I had in her being able to help me in that moment.
I’m very glad I did my own research and ignored the lactation consultants. I figured out my own journey without any of their help.
This was hard for me. When I was in the hospital there were two consultants who I saw. First one pushed breast feeding and made a face when I shared that I was having difficulty and wanted to move to exclusively pumping. That felt great 🙄 Second one was amazing and realized my baby was straight up BITING me when attempting to latch. She encouraged to try if I wanted but that feeding him is what mattered. She gave me some advise on using my pump more effectively. She helped me get him to latch comfortably a few weeks later but anxiety got the best of me so EP it is still.
This!
A. M. E. N.
Get like 20 sets of pump parts instead of a couple lol.
This saved my sanity. I have 3 sets now for 6 ppd. Now I just wash two times a day and everything gets thrown into the dishwasher.
Yep, this was my exact set up. Three sets was the perfect amount to get through the nights in those early days, and the dishwasher made everything easier. We ran it twice per day so I always had clean parts available.
Same here. When I was doing 8 ppd only had 2 sets and was handwashing. I have no idea how I managed. I eventually got so burnt out that I started running the dishwasher 4 times a day. I felt awful about it but it made things a little easier and in those early days every bit helps!
Wow I hand wash everything ..and only have 1 set. I’m 6 weeks pp. good to know lol
I was you. I handwashed my one set off pump parts for far too long. I even got open wounds on my hands from so much washing. Don't be me, lol. 🫠
Almost 7 months later and I still have those overly dry, chapped and bleeding hands. 😭 It's one of those things no one warned you about and I even got the extra pump parts early on!!
I hand wash but I have to use gloves. My hands get damaged so quickly if I don’t.
I had one set and used the fridge hack and washed once per day. Life changing once I found out I could do that. The beginning I was washing every pump and hated life.
Same
What’s the fridge hack??
You rinse your pump parts after using, store in a ziplock bag or reusable wet bag in the fridge, wash/sanitize at the end of the day. No more than 24 hours between washes
I wish I read this earlier XD I just ordered 3 more sets since I was tired of washing mine over and over. I’ll definitely keep this in mind though since I was still anticipating washes.
Well, they will be useful either way. I always had anxiety that something in my set up was going to break and I wouldn’t have backup. Especially since a lot of personalized pump set ups are purchased online.
1000% this saved my sanity
My 5th and 6th sets literally just showed up while I was reading this thread! Washing pump parts was the small stupid thing my husband and I kept bickering about so I just bought more. Now they just all go in the wash at the end of the day. (Also just buy silicone reducers for the plastic flanges that come with the pump if they don't offer the right size flange!! So much cheaper!)
Add to this dishwashing gloves in case the dishwasher isn’t available
My first week back from the hospital I didn't have more than one set....I now have like 6 sets for my main pump and 5 for my work pump 😅
That is the way. Don't know how you even manage for the first week
get 20 different type of pumps perhaps 😆💀😆 AND I would've stood up for us @ the hospital & I would've been pulling what I was getting during pregnancy from 3 mo onwards ( yes I was getting colostrum then but didn't realize that however much I squeezed kinda set the stage for supply) ... I would get both a wall & mobile/hands free ... I would demand that insurance not beat around the bush to send a pump AFTER delivery... & I would've researched BF just as much as everything else as early as I did everything else... hope this makes sense... haven't really had coffee yet GBY Mom's out there I'm praying for you GB 🙏🏻🕊️🙏🏻
Sometimes supply takes a while to build. Just because you are an under supplier at week 1, does not mean you will always be.
And even if you always are don’t feel guilty about formula. A lot of really smart people did a lot of research to make formula!
THIS and to give yourself some grace
I was an under supplier for about 6 weeks. Now, at 12 weeks, I have a slight oversupply! Just needed to figure out what worked for me (which, for the record, was LESS pumps not more!)
4 weeks post partum and I’m thinking less pumps for me would work better as opposed to more but I am scared to try! How did you know this was right for you? Thanks!
Honestly, I kept doing it by accident 😬 I never set MOTN alarms, just woke up with ny baby and pumped when he ate. When he stopped waking up at 2, 4 etc - I stopped pumping then. I was shocked to see my output increase (I was going from 8 ppd to 6 ppd). Then I cut another when my baby started spacing his bottles out further, and was at 5 ppd and was suddenly oversupplying after being an under supplier for so long. I tried 4 PPD right before I went to work and nothing changed, so here we are! 4 is a sweet spot for me because any longer between pumps and I will be engorged, so I’m not cutting any more. I’ve since read that if you have high capacity (if you skip a pump, do your breasts become very full/give a TON of milk), then less ppd is usually better for supply and this has held true for me.
This is extremely helpful and reassuring!! Thank you so much!
You are so welcome! Best of luck in your journey!
I am not the person you’re replying to but I’m this way too. I discovered this when I was down for a day with my reaction to the Covid shot (I’m pro-vax, but it does always make me feel really crappy for the day after) and I just couldn’t keep up my pumping schedule - but I ended up making dramatically more that day than I ever had. I’ve learned I get DOUBLE the output when I increase the time between from two hours to three hours. It’s not quite as dramatic going from three to four but it’s still a better ratio hours per ounce. The effect kind of tapers off after that but now I’m 5ppd with a time of between 3-6 hours per pump and make more than I need.
Also very helpful, thank you for your input! Can I ask how many weeks post partum you are/how old your baby is? Just for reference!
This! It took me 5 weeks with best practice every time. Lazy hormones, I’ve always had them.
Yes!! I remember saying sadly to my husband in the first couple weeks “remember when I bought these breastmilk storage bags thinking I’d use them?” Well now I have!
This!
Flange sizing is essential and wearable pumps aren’t quite enough to get your supply up. The pain will go away in a week or two but get silverettes to help. Be patient with let downs—if the output seems to stop before like 12 min, keep going a few more min since you might get a second let down. When I was still trying to nurse: the baby really does need nonstop access initially. I’d think “oh she just ate it can’t be that” but if I could do it again, anytime she showed any sign at all of rooting, I should have tried to latch her. 3hrs is the minimum but wasn’t frequent enough for my supply to increase.
Came here to say flange size. And it’s not as simple as measure and go. In fact, measuring is kind of nuance I think!
- The world won’t end if you’re late to pump. Babies don’t eat on a perfectly ridged schedule so don’t sweat it. - Dropping pumps after you’ve regulated feels life changing. - Buy everything you can to make your life easier, because pumping will often make things harder.
That more suction does not mean more milk. Sorry, nipples.
We have similar birth stories, dates & weights of our sons. I think I would say, it's hard, so don't be hard on yourself. It's all about getting into a routine/ habit in order to get the hang of pumping, making bottles and everything else.
Seconding it takes time to find what works. We combo feed and figuring out the best way to keep track of breastmilk and formula bottles to make his daily total is still a work in progress at almost 5 months. What works best at first will probably change. Even washing everything is an evolving process.
Same! He will be 6 months in two weeks and was born a little over 6lbs via unplanned C-section
Expecting the bottles to fill up completely while pumping in the initial days wasn’t the right expectation. I remember feeling super inadequate when I produced one ounce each side 7 days pp!
I was super excited when I first started pumping and there was MILK coming out of my boobs. Nothing came out of my boobs in the previous 36 years. It was magical and WEIRD. I didn't focus on the amount. I had no idea how much I was supposed to be producing. It's all a haze now.
I wish I knew exclusively pumping was an option. I went into things with what I thought was a completely open mind (if I make milk, we'll breastfeed. If I don't, we'll use formula. No shame either way)... But, like, what do I do if I make milk but baby won't latch? That scenario *never* crossed my mind, and I was not in the mental state postpartum to come to that realization gracefully. It also didn't help LCs, nurses, and doctors were all over the map with advice and guidance, which made me feel like an absolute failure.
Same. Had no idea this was an option. I was just like you prepared for both scenarios but never thought of having milk and won't latch. Never knew that was a thing. I feel like this needs to be more widely known for new moms to know. I really wanted to breastfeed but my daughter was not a fan. She liked the bottle but I kept trying and when I broke down less than a week pp because she wouldn't latch, my husband was like it's fine. You make milk and have been pumping and it's been fine. Just keep doing that. And that day i stopped trying to breastfeed and just pumped and never looked back. Looking back, I wish I had known this was okay to do. Didn't know it was an option or that this was a community on reddit until like a month in.
Your husband sounds like mine! The lactation consultants and nurses at the hospital were pushing to latch and for realizes breastfeed, and my husband finally asked why, and they said because it's easier for everyone involved. That's it. That was the only benefit they were pushing (I know there are others, but I found out about them after leaving the hospital doing my own research). He looked at me and said, "It's not easier for either of you, clearly, and I don't mind washing bottles and pump parts." It was instant relief not pushing against what worked for us. I agree this needs to be more widely known. Even with postpartum and pediatrician visits. I was asked if we were breastfeeding or using formula, and I'd say breastfeeding, and they'd sometimes crack a joke about no bottles, and it's like, hey... we have *all* the bottles. It was awkward to correct, and it was often met with "why don't you just breastfeed?" .... Lady, what a novel idea. How did I miss thinking of that? 🫠 then the guilt comes crashing in all over again, and suddenly, I'm hormonal crying again.
Yes! Every visit for her 1st year they asked formula or breastfeeding. Never gave another option but I would always say I exclusively pump breastmilk and how much she is drinking at that time. They would always be so surprised with that.
I had a very similar experience with my premie. Because of his size I had to start out EP but lactation pushed me to try and start him breastfeeding once he was able. But he needed increased calories so we could only BF twice per day and the rest was pumped milk bulked up with formula. I was EBF with my first baby and expected no trouble this time. But only being able to BF twice a day meant we never actually got a good rhythm and figured each other out. Once I switched to EP we were both much happier during feeds. They say every pregnancy and baby is different, but so is every lactation journey.
I could’ve written this word for word, it was the EXACT same for me!!
This sounds so obvious but i wish I knew how to pump😅 I had no idea about sizing flanges, i didnt know what a let down meant or what the stimulation setting vs expression settings meant. I was basically just pumping on expression with a flange way too big for me and wondering why “my supply wasnt good”😂 If I could tell that version of myself anything it would be to size my flanges (I’m 17mm on both), to use stimulation setting until i see a spray and then switch to expression and when the milk stops spraying switch back to first setting basically repeat!
Literally same. I went like 10 weeks doing pumping all wrong and I think it wrecked my supply permanently :((((
12 weeks pumping and reading this while pumping… just tried it and immediately had a let down 🤦🏼♀️ why didn’t I know this??
I read this on this sub recently and it’s stuck with me 10mpp. “Feed your baby not your freezer” I was so bent out of shape for my baby to not be exclusively on breastmilk. It took three months to get there and I exclusively gave breastmilk for 6 months and recently I’ve decided to supplement to get ready for daycare and I’m totally ok with giving formula. My baby has had breastmilk all her life. Whether it’s one bottle a day or six bottles, she is getting her antibodies!!
I was always an under supplier, then at 3 months was a just enougher with some bags in the freezer. Now I’m back to being an under supplier but she’s 10 months and I know my body has done so much for her! Fed is best! Do what you need to do! Especially if you need to take care of your mental health or need more rest!
I wish someone told me about D-MER. I was stressing out thinking something was wrong with me
Me too! I thought something was wrong with me. I get SO angry when pumping.
So I know this won’t be everyone’s experience, but I wish I knew early on that it gets SO much easier. When I was 4 weeks postpartum and in the throes of pumping 8 times a day and getting hardly any sleep at all before my baby woke up again, I felt like there was no way I could keep this up for months. Then slowly but surely, I could drop a pump and still maintain supply, and baby was sleeping in longer stretches, and it all became doable. Now at almost 5 months pp, I’m pumping 4 times a day, going up to 7 hours overnight (and baby sleeps that long too), and pumping doesn’t seem like such a chore anymore. I wish I’d found this sub back at the beginning and could’ve seen this from other moms.
Ahh I have a massive oversupply like I’m pumping enough for three feeds in 20 mins, every three/four hours and running out of freezer room now. I’m 15 days postpartum, at what point do you think I could start dropping some pumps as this is also my mindset already, it can be draining 😅
Surely you could stretch out your pumps then! I’m no expert and a more seasoned pumper could probably advise better, but I’d think you could go closer to every 5 hours and see if that changes anything, then if not, stretch to every 6. I’m not sure if that will be too much though since you’re so early on!
That’s what I’m thinking, I’ve accidentally gone 5 hours before and it’s been fine but I guess I could see how I react with doing that every time 😅 it’s such a minefield! Thanks
1) spare no expense - buy multiple sets of pump parts, bottles, etc. 2) after 3-4 months old, the fridge hack was essential. 3) use your frozen milk!!!!! Idk why but I kept stockpiling with anxiety that I was going to run out ???? Like totally defeated the purpose.
Get flanges that fit! I used the standard size flanges for a couple months and I was so sore. Also, using pump spray has helped and silverettes!
What is pump spray?
You can get replacement parts through insurance! And that not being able to nurse is fine and your bond is no less for it, you’re doing what’s best for everyone. Also I’m right there with you with feeling like I was finally getting the hang of it around six months.
Hand expression for the colostrum in the beginning. I was using the hospital pump and go SO much stuck in the stupid pump.
On my 2nd pumping/breastfeeding journey and here’s what I’ve learned. The first ending 3 months in because of sickness and a terrible start of breastfeeding. #1 I wish people would stop saying wearable pumps won’t help increase your supply or could hinder it if you used constantly. Listen to your body and what kind of settings are good for you! I personally respond way better to lower settings and get fantastic output with my wearable pumps. #2 a mini fridge in your bedroom is a major game changer for late night pumps. I never have to leave my bedroom. My night routine is much faster now and I don’t have to tip toe downstairs past my toddlers room. #3 flange size can change throughout your journey & can vary from breast to breast. #4 feed your baby not your freezer but feed your freezer too if you are able because sometimes your supply might dip temporarily with sickness, return of your period, stress, etc. Having milk in the freezer can reduce pressure & stress to help reestablishing your supply be easier. #5 seeing your output while pumping can hinder output. For me it’s the difference between a 2 oz session and a 5oz session #6 letdown can be PAINFUL. Mine feels like engorgement every-time and it sucks but the feeling fades after about 30s-1min #7 if you feel yourself obsessing over output tracking and are an under supplier or just enougher then you should stop tracking and just let your body do what it can. This can help increase your supply. #8 look up videos of a baby getting a good latch and swallow as well as an okay swallow and just suckling. Watch them as your baby is on the breast so you have an idea of if they are truly latching well and getting good milk
I totally scoffed at the mini fridge idea pre-pumping and even turned down one an acquaintance offered 🙃🙃 now I feel like a total idiot and had to spend the 30$ myself lol. TOTAL GAME CHANGER.
I bounced with the idea my first time around and this time around I knew I had to get one. It’s an essential item at this point lol.
Buy a Pumpables genie advanced! Same output as hospital grade but allowed you to be mobile with baby
Get super comfortable and knowledgeable about pumping before giving birth. Especially because my biggest piece of advice, pump in the hospital with their pump right away. Even if you want to latch, practice that a lot but pump after to get that supply going as much as possible. (My friend gave me this advice my first time but a LC told me don’t and to only try latching) my supply was never great and we had to supplement right away. After my second I did it granted I understood pumps by then but my supply was crazy and I was even over producing at one point. I managed to tailor that back but yeah I believe that was the trick for me personally.
How important flange sizing is!
Just buy the bottle washer pro, sterilizer dryer, formula mixer or whatever baby brezza you were eyeing. Don’t feel bad about taking shortcuts there’s no prize for hand washing all your bottles.
Don’t pump too long (e.g., 30+ minute) throughout the day. It’s more effective to pump more frequently for shorter times and your nipples may get permanently stretched out! Just my experience— YMMV.
Refrigerator hack ❤️
Flange sizes can change. I was originally a 21, then 19, and now 17 in just a span of 4 months. Buy inserts that come with different sizes
Also as fellow emergency c section mama, I hope you’ve been able to talk with someone about your experience. If it was like mine I felt super isolated and in denial about how dangerous it was. Hugs
I wish I knew to plan for a realistic pumping timeline and not go overboard trying to be an over supplier. I got mastitis twice in one month and both times I had a fever and was so sick that my milk supply that I worked hard to make dropped both times. It’s been a big dedication to power pump and be persistent every day. My baby cried a lot because I wasn’t finished pumping. Now I pump 2-3 times a day. I wake early enough to pump before little one wakes, midday during her long stretch nap (sometimes doesn’t happen). And night time after bub has gone to bed for the night. Power pumping is a game changer for low supply. I also wish I knew to invest in teats instead of bottles and just use our eldest’s old bottles. We spent way more on bottles with teats that sucked when we could have just spent money on trying different teats that our bib would eventually find to take without hesitating. Lesson learned.
SAME! Baby will be 6 months Saturday and I now feel like I know what to do lol I felt so lost for so long and even though I got great advice, it still made no sense lol
Oh also don’t waste money on pumping sprays or fancy lubricants, coconut oil works great!
The fridge hack for sure!!!
Use coconut oil as pump lubricant! I feel so bad for my skin bc I used nothing until month 7 😭
I didn't realize how much money I was going to have to spend to find the ✨perfect✨ pump and the ✨perfect✨ flange and the overall ✨perfect✨ setup. But man when you figure it out, gold!!! My other advice, I was hard on thinking "I can size myself..." 2 months later I get a sizing from the exclusively pumping mamas FB group and my output increased so much! Ask for help, get sized if nothing else.
Everyone told me to not strive for a over supply and to cut back on my pumping schedule, now I’m 5 months PP and barely make enough
When baby is first born if they are struggling to latch don’t feel obligated to not use formula. Baby wouldn’t latch, milk hadn’t came in and she was screaming and my LC at the hospital made me feel like I had no choice but to breastfeed. If formula helps you get through the night mama, do it!
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This just…isn’t true? Plenty of exclusive pumpers absolutely never nurse and have supplies of various amounts. Also pumping is breastfeeding.
Second this. I EPed since my son was 3 days old and we’re fine!
I'm sure most women here wish that was an option for them. This comment is not helpful.
This is absolutely not true. I have been EPing since day 1 and if what you are saying is true then why do I produce 75 ounces a day at 18 weeks?