Post by nancybotwin on Feb 13, 2014 9:48:00 GMT -5
I know, the topic that never dies.
How long is each pumping session for you?
I had been doing shorter sessions (5-10 min) because I let down right away and then it seems to stop. However I'm now not getting enough to keep up with DS. I'm going to change my membranes today but I was wondering if longer sessions might help. I'm starting to stress because the nanny has gone through my entire frozen stash; I'm living day to day with pumped milk and slowly losing the battle. Any other ideas?
Post by Velar Fricative on Feb 13, 2014 9:56:32 GMT -5
Definitely try pumping longer. I pump for 20 minutes. I get a few letdowns within those 20 minutes and almost always get the last one at around 17-18 minutes so pumping longer may work well for you.
How many times do you pump? Can you add another session? In order to get the amount I need I have to pump 4 times at work; there are days where I can only pump 3 times at work because of meetings and unfortunately I'm not one of those people that just pumps more in fewer, further-apart sessions. I have to pump often. Good luck!
Yes, pump longer, until you get at least 1 more letdown. It's not just one and done, it cycles through and your milk will come back in a wave, then go away again. I needed to get 3 (which took 20-25 minutes) in order to maintain my supply. If you're using a Medela pump, they have the letdown button which switches to a faster pulse, lower suction level to stimulate another letdown.
At the beginning 15-20 mins is enough to get 3 letdowns for me. By the end, 25-35 mins. I always got 2 letdowns in the first 15 mins. So sometimes I just gave up after that.
Yes, pump longer, until you get at least 1 more letdown. It's not just one and done, it cycles through and your milk will come back in a wave, then go away again. I needed to get 3 (which took 20-25 minutes) in order to maintain my supply. If you're using a Medela pump, they have the letdown button which switches to a faster pulse, lower suction level to stimulate another letdown.
I do have a medela. Do you manually switch back to the letdown after you have had a letdown? Or do you just keep on and wait for it to happen naturally?
Yes, pump longer, until you get at least 1 more letdown. It's not just one and done, it cycles through and your milk will come back in a wave, then go away again. I needed to get 3 (which took 20-25 minutes) in order to maintain my supply. If you're using a Medela pump, they have the letdown button which switches to a faster pulse, lower suction level to stimulate another letdown.
I do have a medela. Do you manually go back to the letdown mode or once you letdown do you just continue on in pumping mode?
Yes, pump longer, until you get at least 1 more letdown. It's not just one and done, it cycles through and your milk will come back in a wave, then go away again. I needed to get 3 (which took 20-25 minutes) in order to maintain my supply. If you're using a Medela pump, they have the letdown button which switches to a faster pulse, lower suction level to stimulate another letdown.
I do have a medela. Do you manually switch back to the letdown after you have had a letdown? Or do you just keep on and wait for it to happen naturally?
You can if you want but usually I just keep it going for the full two minutes.
Yes, pump longer, until you get at least 1 more letdown. It's not just one and done, it cycles through and your milk will come back in a wave, then go away again. I needed to get 3 (which took 20-25 minutes) in order to maintain my supply. If you're using a Medela pump, they have the letdown button which switches to a faster pulse, lower suction level to stimulate another letdown.
I do have a medela. Do you manually switch back to the letdown after you have had a letdown? Or do you just keep on and wait for it to happen naturally?
I manually switch back. Sometimes I let down faster than the set cycle time (a minute or two? I can't remember how long the "letdown" phase is) and manually switch to the regular mode, too, or I let down too slow and have to do 2 cycles through the letdown mode to get it to work. I will eventually let down with it in regular mode and waiting for it to happen, but it takes me several minutes more and I do not like pumping any longer than absolutely necessary.
eta: I'm not being very clear.... The pump turns on in letdown mode. Once milk flow starts, it either switches on its own to regular mode or I push the button to switch to regular mode. Regular mode expresses the milk efficiently now that it's started. Once milk stops flowing, then I press the button again to switch back into the fast letdown mode. Stay in letdown mode (pressing the button a 2nd time if necessary) until I get a 2nd letdown. Once milk is flowing, switch to regular mode. Repeat process for 3rd letdown.
I find the timing on the pump to be pretty good for the 1st letdown, but I often need to do 2 letdown cycles to get the 2nd and 3rd ones faster than just waiting it out in regular mode. I will eventually have them in the regular mode... but like I said, I am impatient.
I can't feel my letdowns and I wear a blanket tucked into my pumping bra while I do it at work so I'm not watching, but I usually do 3-4 twenty to thirty minute sessions. The thirty minute sessions are usually the ones where I've lost track of time though. If I did 5-10 minutes it wouldn't be enough for me.
I was the same when I started pumping, I didn't know you could have more than one letdown. I couldn't figure out why I could only get like 1-2 oz max in a session.
I now pump for 30 minutes, and usually get 3 letdowns. I pretty predictably get them 5-7 minutes after the "letdown" stage of the suction cycle. I hit the letdown button once the milk stops streaming, usually around 10-12 minutes.
My first letdown is usually the biggest, and the second two are usually progressively smaller. I also do compression toward the end of a session and get some more streams going to top it off.
I do have a medela. Do you manually switch back to the letdown after you have had a letdown? Or do you just keep on and wait for it to happen naturally?
I manually switch back. Sometimes I let down faster than the set cycle time (a minute or two? I can't remember how long the "letdown" phase is) and manually switch to the regular mode, too, or I let down too slow and have to do 2 cycles through the letdown mode to get it to work. I will eventually let down with it in regular mode and waiting for it to happen, but it takes me several minutes more and I do not like pumping any longer than absolutely necessary.
eta: I'm not being very clear.... The pump turns on in letdown mode. Once milk flow starts, it either switches on its own to regular mode or I push the button to switch to regular mode. Regular mode expresses the milk efficiently now that it's started. Once milk stops flowing, then I press the button again to switch back into the fast letdown mode. Stay in letdown mode (pressing the button a 2nd time if necessary) until I get a 2nd letdown. Once milk is flowing, switch to regular mode. Repeat process for 3rd letdown.
I find the timing on the pump to be pretty good for the 1st letdown, but I often need to do 2 letdown cycles to get the 2nd and 3rd ones faster than just waiting it out in regular mode. I will eventually have them in the regular mode... but like I said, I am impatient.
I do have a medela. Do you manually switch back to the letdown after you have had a letdown? Or do you just keep on and wait for it to happen naturally?
I manually switch back. Sometimes I let down faster than the set cycle time (a minute or two? I can't remember how long the "letdown" phase is) and manually switch to the regular mode, too, or I let down too slow and have to do 2 cycles through the letdown mode to get it to work. I will eventually let down with it in regular mode and waiting for it to happen, but it takes me several minutes more and I do not like pumping any longer than absolutely necessary.
eta: I'm not being very clear.... The pump turns on in letdown mode. Once milk flow starts, it either switches on its own to regular mode or I push the button to switch to regular mode. Regular mode expresses the milk efficiently now that it's started. Once milk stops flowing, then I press the button again to switch back into the fast letdown mode. Stay in letdown mode (pressing the button a 2nd time if necessary) until I get a 2nd letdown. Once milk is flowing, switch to regular mode. Repeat process for 3rd letdown.
I find the timing on the pump to be pretty good for the 1st letdown, but I often need to do 2 letdown cycles to get the 2nd and 3rd ones faster than just waiting it out in regular mode. I will eventually have them in the regular mode... but like I said, I am impatient.
mekiakoo If you pump to replace a feeding, should you pump the same length of a feeding? Or does it not matter? The goal should be to pump the same volume fed from a bottle (or close to it, some women can't get the same amount since the pump is less efficient and that's ok). I can nurse in under 10 minutes thanks to a forceful letdown and efficient babies, but it takes me 20-25 minutes to pump.
And does it matter when you pump, like should it be at the same time each day? If you're pumping to replace a feed, you just pump ideally at the same time as the feed. If you're pumping for a stash, it doesn't matter, although I prefer first thing in the morning because supply is generally higher then, as it's been longer between nursing sessions at night and you are well rested. Yes, pumping at the same time each day is beneficial when building a stash. You create that extra demand at the same time and your body will learn that schedule and start to produce more at that time for you. Just like not nursing as much at night means your body learns to make less at night over time, nursing (or pumping) more during the day makes more milk during the day. Boobs are smart (sometimes).
If you pump to replace a feeding, should you pump the same length of a feeding? Or does it not matter?
And does it matter when you pump, like should it be at the same time each day?
I always pumped for 15-20minutes even if she guzzled the bottle down in 5-10.
For the second, do you mean when they are at daycare and you're pumping at work? I have set pump times only b/c of room availability. You don't have to pump at the exact same time every day, but I would try and be w/in a hour of the same time each day.
I usually wait for 3 letdowns, with the last usually at about 28-30 minutes. I hate how long it takes, but at least this time I can keep up with DS2 with 3 sessions.
If you pump to replace a feeding, should you pump the same length of a feeding? Or does it not matter?
And does it matter when you pump, like should it be at the same time each day?
First question, I would say no. I go with number of letdowns and volume. Baby is much more efficient so they get what they need faster than the pump.
Second, I do try to keep on somewhat of a schedule, with at least 2 hours in between. Somedays I may be off an hour with a pump because of a meeting, but that doesn't seem to impact total volume for the day. I always get the most milk at my first pump and it dwindles each pump (often 5-6 oz, then about 4-5 oz, then I'm lucky to get 3 on the last pump).
I always pumped for 15-20minutes even if she guzzled the bottle down in 5-10.
For the second, do you mean when they are at daycare and you're pumping at work? I have set pump times only b/c of room availability. You don't have to pump at the exact same time every day, but I would try and be w/in a hour of the same time each day.
Actually I meant more like whenever H gives E a bottle, should I pump at the same time as he gets the bottle from H? We do this every night so E can get used to taking bottles, but it feels like I don't ever get a break either.
I would unless you plan on not nursing at that time later. Do you have a hands free bra? It helps make it feel like a break because you can at least read a book or knit while you do it.
I pump 15-25 minutes depending on whether I am at work or home.
I get 3 letdowns. One at 30 seconds, 15 minutes and 22 minutes. (yes, I have pumped way too many times to figure that out). So I try to go that long at work but I just don't have enough time sometimes. I always go to at least 17-18.
I don't switch back to the letdown setting. It just happens during regular pumping.
Post by runblondie26 on Feb 14, 2014 15:06:05 GMT -5
I usually pump for 10 minutes and get 2 letdowns in that time. Sometimes I'll get distracted and pump for 15 minutes, but no extra letdown. This thread has me wondering if I should be pumping longer.
How do you guys know how many let downs you get? I just sit there for 15-20min. And massage a little at the end.
I watch through the flange tubes while I pump. So far I've seen 2 let downs. I've lost track of time so I need to be more vigilant about time to see if a third one exists for me.
When I first started pumping for my NICU baby, I didn't understand this concept of letdowns. I accidentally stumbled on it when I turned up the suction on the pump one day and saw streams of milk shooting out whereas before it was always just a dribble. Then one day I pushed the letdown button to see what would happen. I saw another big stream shoot out occur.
How do you guys know how many let downs you get? I just sit there for 15-20min. And massage a little at the end.
I watch through the flange tubes while I pump. So far I've seen 2 let downs. I've lost track of time so I need to be more vigilant about time to see if a third one exists for me.
When I first started pumping for my NICU baby, I didn't understand this concept of letdowns. I accidentally stumbled on it when I turned up the suction on the pump one day and saw streams of milk shooting out whereas before it was always just a dribble. Then one day I pushed the letdown button to see what would happen. I saw another big stream shoot out occur.