Pumping advice, please

[cherryvalance]

I spoke with the lactation consultant from our hospital yesterday and we're going in to work on latch issues next week (yay!).

In the meantime, I'm still primarily pumping. I'm trying to keep up with every three hours, but it's so hard and I feel lile something's off. How long should each session be? I feel like I could pump for hours and still have milk. On average, I'm pumping for about an hour (I don't have my hands free bra yet, so I go one at a time) and I still have tons of milk left.

He eats just about every three hours, so by the time I feed and change him, then pump, it's almost time for the next cycle to start. It's okay when H is home and can feed him while I pump, but it's exhausting during the week.

I also know the lactation consultant said you want to be sure the baby is getting fore and hind milk, but I feel like there's no end in sight for my milk, so how can he get the heavier hind milk?

Help, please!

[starburst604]

I think I pumped for 15-20 minutes each time, every 3 hours? That was dual pumping. I pumped and FF for about 3 months before moving to just FF. I'm no expert but my understanding is the more you pump/nurse, the more your body will produce. Are you still feeling engorged when you finish pumping? You could try slowly cutting back on how long you pump for, just pump what you need and your supply should respond.

You have all my sympathy on how hard pumping is. I hated every minute of it and looking back, instead of holding and bonding with my baby I was having someone else hold her or feed her so I could pump.

[pooh8402]

I wouldn't pump for an hour! You're running the risk of oversupply, which, believe me, you do not want. I think most people should be fine with 15-20 min per breast.

When I first started pumping regularly, I was the same way. My boobs loved the pump and would just keep letting down over and over. I would pump for 30 minutes trying to empty them. I ended up with an oversupply, and my milk quality suffered (lots of thin foremilk, not so much fatty hindmilk). It really did a number on E's tummy. I had to stop myself at 20 minutes, and back off to every 4 hours, and block feed when I did nurse. It was painful for a few days, but I eventually regulated.

Breasts continually make milk. So you'll never be truly "empty."

[cherryvalance]

starburst604, thanks for the commiseration! I didn't anticipate half of how stressful it would be--all of my newborn stress is surrounding this, it seems.

[cherryvalance]

Aug 12, 2017 14:02:47 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

I wouldn't pump for an hour! You're running the risk of oversupply, which, believe me, you do not want. I think most people should be fine with 15-20 min per breast.

When I first started pumping regularly, I was the same way. My boobs loved the pump and would just keep letting down over and over. I would pump for 30 minutes trying to empty them. I ended up with an oversupply, and my milk quality suffered (lots of thin foremilk, not so much fatty hindmilk). It really did a number on E's tummy. I had to stop myself at 20 minutes, and back off to every 4 hours, and block feed when I did nurse. It was painful for a few days, but I eventually regulated.

Breasts continually make milk. So you'll never be truly "empty."

That's what I'm afraid of--I want to get the hind milk, but it seems like this milk is never ending and I can't tell if I'm getting the better stuff.

I pumped at 5 this morning and then again at 11, and I usually go about 4 hours in between. Should I just stop pumping at 15/20 mind per side and call it a day?

How did you know it affected E's tummy? DS is gaining weight, thankfully, but I can't tell this early what's normal and what's an issue.

[grover]

Pumping was relaxful for me while actually pumping but so stressful overall. I only pumped (and supplemented with formula) from the beginning for 7.5 weeks, and then my supply ended and we went only FF. But that was due to me not sitting down to pump 8-10 times a day.

The nurse told me to keep sessions at 20 minutes max. The hands free bra was a lifesaver! Pumping was so much more enjoyable when I could surf the internet, eat and read a book while pumping!

[starburst604]

Aug 12, 2017 14:10:48 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

starburst604, thanks for the commiseration! I didn't anticipate half of how stressful it would be--all of my newborn stress is surrounding this, it seems.

It was for me too. I wish I had focused less on BFing and more on enjoying her. If I had another, I don't think I'd put myself through it again.

[cherryvalance]

grover, yeah, the actual pumping sessions aren't bad because I can just sit there and play around. But the damn stress about having enough milk on hand, keeping up my fluids, etc is rough.

[pooh8402]

cherryvalance, E had horrible gas, and his poop turned green and frothy, almost classic for too much foremilk. It started when I started pumping and my milk supply shot up, and didn't end until I took measures to decrease my supply.

Yea, I just stopped at 20 minutes. You have to, to tell your breasts you don't need that much.

[cherryvalance]

Pooh, thanks --it helps to know what to look for! We have his two week appointment at the pedi this week and I already called last week in a panic over something else, so I'd like to be able to wait and ask, lol.

[thoseareradishes]

Do what you need to establish your supply, but try not to let pumping sessions go more than 15 minutes, maybe 20, because otherwise you will feel tethered to the pump all the time. When E was in the NICU, I pumped for 30 minutes or more sometimes, and that was fine until she was more alert and in a crib and needed more attention. Then it was just a pain in the ass, especially once we got home. I'm weaning off the pump now, and only pump for 14 minutes a session, and it's so nice.

When you put your milk in the fridge, do you end up with a fatty layer over a watery layer?

Are you doing any massage as you pump? That may help move things along. Also, make sure you are eating and drinking every time you pump.

[loira]

I think pps have given you some really good advice. I was also told by both a lactation consultant and my PHN to limit pumping sessions to no more than 15 minutes each breast. This was mainly for my sanity, but also they told me I'd increase/keep my supply better if I pumped more frequently vs longer sessions. I don't have any other advice to give because I decided to combo feed, which made it possible for me to only have to pump 5-6 times a day. Once I decided to EFF, I kept pumping 4 sessions a day (this was the best) just to get a little freezer stash before weaning completely.

I'm sorry, it's really incredibly draining (literally!) I hope the LC can help you figure things out so you won't have to pump as much in future. I swear, the sound of a pump still gives me nightmares of the newborn phase.

[cherryvalance]

thoseareradishes, I notice my milk has separated once it's been refrigerated. Is that what you mean? Otherwise it just all looks the same straight out the gate.

I wish the pedi gave me better guidance when she scared the shit out of me over DS's weight loss and I started pumping.




loira, omg it is so draining, lol. I have formula on hand and that's been helping a little with the mental pressure of having enough milk.

[thoseareradishes]

Aug 12, 2017 21:58:02 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

thoseareradishes , I notice my milk has separated once it's been refrigerated. Is that what you mean? Otherwise it just all looks the same straight out the gate.

Yep!  Check with your LC of course, but I would guess that if you're seeing the layers, that he's getting both the foremilk and hindmilk.  

[pooh8402]

Aug 13, 2017 2:30:05 GMT -5 thoseareradishes said:

Aug 12, 2017 21:58:02 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

thoseareradishes , I notice my milk has separated once it's been refrigerated. Is that what you mean? Otherwise it just all looks the same straight out the gate.

Yep!  Check with your LC of course, but I would guess that if you're seeing the layers, that he's getting both the foremilk and hindmilk.  

Yep! The top white layer is the fatty windmill, and the bottom layer is the foremilk.

[loira]

Aug 13, 2017 9:56:16 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Aug 13, 2017 2:30:05 GMT -5 thoseareradishes said:

Yep!  Check with your LC of course, but I would guess that if you're seeing the layers, that he's getting both the foremilk and hindmilk.  

Yep! The top white layer is the fatty windmill, and the bottom layer is the foremilk.

This made my morning!

[pooh8402]

Stupid autocorrect. LOL! I'm leaving it.

HINDMILK.

[cherryvalance]

Legitimately lol'd at that!!

[mpc]

I don't have a lot of advice, just get that pumping bra ASAP! It makes a huge difference

[cherryvalance]

Aug 14, 2017 9:00:06 GMT -5 mpc said:

I don't have a lot of advice, just get that pumping bra ASAP! It makes a huge difference

Should be here today! Thank you, Amazon!

[FastHands]

Aug 12, 2017 14:19:56 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

Aug 12, 2017 14:10:48 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

starburst604, thanks for the commiseration! I didn't anticipate half of how stressful it would be--all of my newborn stress is surrounding this, it seems.

It was for me too. I wish I had focused less on BFing and more on enjoying her. If I had another, I don't think I'd put myself through it again.

Yep. I'm pg again and struggling (mostly because of hiw miserable I was during the newborn stage), and I'm giving serious thought to never pumping, and just BFing if/as long as it goes smoothly. The cost/benefit of that situation just doesn't pan out in my personal experience.

[cherryvalance]

As an update, all of the advice here helped so much!!

I'm pumping every 4-5 hours or so, which gives me a nice long stretch of sleep on the weekends. I got my hands-free bra and it's amazing to pump both sides at once and have my hands (although I can't really do anything but change the TV channel and play on my phone, lol). Pumping for 15-20 minutes has been life changing and I've even started a freezer stash.

The lactation consultant at the hospital gave me some tips for getting DS to latch and he has nursed a few times this week. He seems content during/after, so I think he's getting something, but I'm still relieved to see how much he's eating in ounces.

Thank you all so much! I feel a thousand times better and this week was so much easier.

[pooh8402]

So glad that it's improving!