BF / Supply Q

[moonstone523]

Since Samantha was a month old or so I've been pumping morning and night to build a stash.

Since S only eats from one side in the middle of the night (and always) I wake up really engorged.

I therefore have to pump as soon as I can. Or I'm literally dripping milk.

How do I prevent that?

Also my goal is to be able to push my 9am pump session to 10 without bursting of milk.

Advise.

[sara76]

Pump before you go to bed? I pumped when I got home from work at night if she was asleep. Since I was already awake I figured I might as well, and it would put me to sleep since it usually takes me a lite while to settle in after being in that crazy place. As far as your scheduled sessions, that is over my head. I've never been much of a schedule girl so I have no experience with that.

[moonstone523]

I already pump before I go to bed.

[jennifer8080]

Caleb only eats from one side in the middle of the night, because I'm too lazy to move him or myself. I just feed him from the other side when he's ready for his first morning feeding. Some days, I literally am dripping milk, but I refuse to pump, so I'll just hand express a little.

As for moving your pumping from 9-10, I would try to go at 15 minute increments. Move it to 9:15 for a few days, then 9:30, 9:45, etc. I was never a big schedule person when I was EPing. Heck, at one point I was pumping twice a day, and getting 30-35 ounces each time, so I may not be the best person to ask!

[moonstone523]

Jan 11, 2013 13:23:31 GMT -5 jennifer8080 said:

Caleb only eats from one side in the middle of the night, because I'm too lazy to move him or myself. I just feed him from the other side when he's ready for his first morning feeding. Some days, I literally am dripping milk, but I refuse to pump, so I'll just hand express a little.

As for moving your pumping from 9-10, I would try to go at 15 minute increments. Move it to 9:15 for a few days, then 9:30, 9:45, etc. I was never a big schedule person when I was EPing. Heck, at one point I was pumping twice a day, and getting 30-35 ounces each time, so I may not be the best person to ask!

30-35 ounces each time. HOLY SHIT. Did you have to keep swapping bottles?

[jennifer8080]

Jan 11, 2013 13:26:45 GMT -5 moonstone523 said:

Jan 11, 2013 13:23:31 GMT -5 jennifer8080 said:

Caleb only eats from one side in the middle of the night, because I'm too lazy to move him or myself. I just feed him from the other side when he's ready for his first morning feeding. Some days, I literally am dripping milk, but I refuse to pump, so I'll just hand express a little.

As for moving your pumping from 9-10, I would try to go at 15 minute increments. Move it to 9:15 for a few days, then 9:30, 9:45, etc. I was never a big schedule person when I was EPing. Heck, at one point I was pumping twice a day, and getting 30-35 ounces each time, so I may not be the best person to ask!

30-35 ounces each time. HOLY SHIT. Did you have to keep swapping bottles?

Yes. It was a pain. And I used 8oz Gerber bottles to pump with. When Kennedy had her surgery, the nurses were always like holy shit, how do you do that because I had big bottles of milk lined up. LOL

[sara76]

This has nothing to do with answering your question, but wondering are you planning on starting solids or cereals at all when she's 4 months (if she's ready of course) or waiting? For me, even though at 4 months each day she only took maybe an ounce of cereal mixed with breast milk from a spoon, my level almost instantly leveled out. Prior to that I was getting 10-14 ounces per side and after cereal I would get 6-8. I know you're not at 4 months yet and it's not helpful now, but I'm sitting here while she naps and trying to be quiet

[mrsmew]

Ellie has always been a one-side-only per feeding nurser. So I definitely had the dripping milk thing happening overnight early on. I have no real advice though except that if that's your routine, if you stick with it eventually your body will adjust. I did wake up in literal puddles of my own milk many nights but after a while, it just stopped being an issue - not so much leaking, then not so much fullness, and now it just is fine. It was a pain in the ass for a while though and it did take a while to regulate. I couldn't live without breast pads for like the first 6 months, then all of a sudden, I just didn't need them anymore.

I guess my advice would be to just keep on in the way you want it to go and let your body get the memo soon. Of course, I'm sure that's not helpful at all.

As for pushing the morning session back, I think the gradual approach sounds like a good idea. You may just have to be bursting with milk for a little bit until your body figures it out.

Also, jennifer, holy crap to the 30-35 ounces! You must have been born to lactate.

[moonstone523]

Sara - I haven't much thought about giving cereal at 4 months. I think I might wait till 6, but I don't know.

Mrs.Mew - Yes, I can't live without breast pads. they are a must.

I guess I'll just ooze milk for awhile then.

[sara76]

Jan 11, 2013 14:20:02 GMT -5 moonstone523 said:

Sara - I haven't much thought about giving cereal at 4 months. I think I might wait till 6, but I don't know.

People used to ask me that a lot and I was always in the school of we'll cross that bridge when we get to it also. You can't really plan that in advance. It's a feeling and a judgement call on when the baby is ready. I'll warn you though, along the lines of the weaning thread, with cereal or solids of any sort, comes mixed emotions. The boobs stopped leaking but the day I realized that she was no longer 100% exclusive breast milk was a bummer. But I wanted her to have the iron and la la la. You do you, just know that the leaking will eventually stop. And you'll be sad

[mrsjenrn]

Jan 11, 2013 13:48:45 GMT -5 mrsmew said:

Ellie has always been a one-side-only per feeding nurser. So I definitely had the dripping milk thing happening overnight early on. I have no real advice though except that if that's your routine, if you stick with it eventually your body will adjust. I did wake up in literal puddles of my own milk many nights but after a while, it just stopped being an issue - not so much leaking, then not so much fullness, and now it just is fine. It was a pain in the ass for a while though and it did take a while to regulate. I couldn't live without breast pads for like the first 6 months, then all of a sudden, I just didn't need them anymore.

I guess my advice would be to just keep on in the way you want it to go and let your body get the memo soon. Of course, I'm sure that's not helpful at all.

As for pushing the morning session back, I think the gradual approach sounds like a good idea. You may just have to be bursting with milk for a little bit until your body figures it out.

Also, jennifer, holy crap to the 30-35 ounces! You must have been born to lactate.

This exactly!