BellyBelly Member
I know it's a bit of quiet thread but I thought I'd post my latest achievement. Was at our local large shopping centre yesterday in the parents room and discovered one private cubicle with a powerpoint so plugged my little pump in whilst feeding DS. It meant I could shop and be away from home longer...yay
BellyBelly Member
We've made it to 2 months!! Feeling much stronger over the last few weeks. It's getting easier now compared to the first month. Looking down the barrel to my next goal which is 3 months providing BF isn't established late which is seeming more and more out of reach as the days and weeks move on.
Registered User
Well done LisaB!! That is awesome.
It definitely gets easier & easier over time.
Overnight feeds - I expressed overnight for 6 months, and then I just couldn't do it anymore. No point waiting for my girl to sleep through, she wasn't then & isn't now
By then I had a very well established supply, so it didn't drop off at all, just meant I had a longer pump in the morning & enormous quantities of milk. I had been going about 5 or 6 hours between pumps & extended that to 8 or 9 hours I think.
I would suggest maybe dropping every second night to start, see how you go and / or extending your time between pumps. If you don't get too uncomfortable then you can stretch it out a bit more.
I expressed as a passenger, but I didn't express when I drove, I felt like it would be a bit dangerous with cords & stuff everywhere (not sure what setup you have though). Just one of those things that does limit you a bit I guess when you are EE. Although the longer you go, hte more you can stretch out your pumps & it's amazing what having an extra hour or so up your lseeve before you have to express again is like! When you are living by the clock it's nice to gain some extra time.
You're doing a fantastic job
BellyBelly Member
Hi Fleur,
Thanks. I remember my first month was psychologically hard coming to terms with being on the pump, not successfully BF, feeling chained to the pump, learning some strategies like feeding DS whilst pumping and just being a first time mum. I actually threw the funnels and bottles across the room in tears a couple of times in those days as I just wanted to be able to BF. I still grieve for not being able to BF but I know I'm doing the next best thing and doing what i feel is right for DS and me.
When did you start going 5-6 hours overnight? I tried going 5 hours overnight in the first month and ended up with blocked ducts (I"m prone to them and get them every 2 or so weeks). I have gone 4 hours every now and then but am hoping to stretch this if I'm still going at the 3 month point. My breast seem to get really full in the early hours after midnight (sometimes I get an extra 50-70mls) and if I don't get up I break out in a sweat on my chest, or maybe it's some type of leakage. I'm not sure.
I was thinking it would be hard to express and drive but I saw a photo of a woman doing it on a website. I think it was kellymom so wasn't sure if it was something that a lot of regular expressers did.
I am feeling things are getting more do-able as I have heard that after 3 months you can stretch the pumps out a bit and I'm not to far off that mark now.
BellyBelly Member
Lisa,
I think that one thing that happens as you get further into expressing (whether it is for work or for EE reasons), is that you get more gung-ho about when and where you express (similarly to public breastfeeding).
I just used anywhere in a parent's room with a power point - not worrying about the cubicle; similarly any old empty room at work, or sitting on the floor in a quiet bit near a power point when at a meeting - with a big jacket people are going to hear and know what you are doing, but they won't actually get an eye-full.
I really admire your persistance!
Registered User
Yep
I expressed at work with a big t-shirt on over the pump & stuff, not in a separate room (there was none) but around the corner behind some shelves. It became very ho-hum after a while and one or two of the guys would come & chat while I expressed, another couple wouldn't come anywhere near me, lol.
Timing - I expressed every 3.5 hours for the first couple of weeks, then 4 hourly for the next few weeks and then 4.5 hourly until about 7 months I think.... my memory is failing me & I'd probably have to read back through this thread to find out for sure
Overnight I was doing 5 hours or so from about 4 weeks I guess...then 6 hourly maybe at 3 or 4 months?
I might have a dig back through here & see if I can find out for sure.
One thing I can tell you is that it WILL get easier, and then you will look back and wonder how you ever did it
Registered User
I could have written this myself. I remember at one stage my DH did his back, I was doing everything. I couldn't leave DS with DH for even an hour cos he couldn't lift him at all (for 6 weeks). One day I tried to time an osteo appointment and got home to my DH sitting next the cot madly trying to entertain DS until I got home... nearly broke my heart. Then someone ran into my car and it took a month to be fixed, so I was trapped at home alot. Through these trials, as if being chained to the pump & not being able to pump wasn't hard enough... it felt insurmountable & impossible. I remember I spent an entire week just thinking about stopping expressing... every pump, every hour, it was too hard, I couldn't do it. But I could. And I did. And I made it through that time, but it wasn't fun. And it wasn't easy.
I also used to look back and think should I have done more, should I have tried more (to BF)? This thread actually helped me to relive and remember what I'd been through trying to feed. I think it's a great question to keep asking yourself... what will you regret? And what will you glad of? I can so understand that grief for BF'ing, but what you said about doing what you feel is right for DS and you is pure gold just like that liquid gold you're giving him.
In regard to sleeping through, my DS started sleeping through quite early (10 weeks) so I just followed his lead. I figured my supply would be better if I just rested when he did, and luckily I didn't have too much trouble with blockages. I did have a few patches of having to pump like crazy (he drank me out of house & home at his 3 mth growth spurt - drank 1.5litres one day!!!) and I had to pump 2 hourly for a few days but I was rather selfishly protective of my sleep lol. I guess I was also lucky in that I don't seem to be prone to blockages, and I always got onto any sore spots super quick. I think what the others said about slowly starting to stretch it and seeing how you feel. Regarding expressing & driving, well if you can do it, I say wow. Not sure I could have... but I'm short with big boobs, I don't honestly think there would have been room haha!
In regards to your goal I think that's great! Break it down & keep it short - it's more manageable that way. Honestly if you'd told me I'd make 12 months I think I would have been horrified, but you just take it one day at a time and I do think you're through the hardest bit... it gets easier as they get older that's for sure. You are just doing a magnificent job. I think EE'ers often don't get enough praise in their own communities. I always felt some folks thought I was a little crazy, so any time you want some validation, please pop in here & share your woo hoo's, it's so important you do - because you are just giving your little miracle the most precious gift of all. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of all that EBM and time that I gave my son, and i have not regretted doing it for one nanosecond. Take some pics of all the EBM in the fridge too
I've got a few teheeh it's lovely.
BellyBelly Member
We are hitting the 3 month mark this week and considering stretching out the night pumps. My only hesitation is that since about 9 weeks my supply has been a bit lower. We get enough to cover the day but not too much extra. This coincided with a huge patch of stress with my DS feeding which resulted in a trip to the emergency department. At the same time I also stopped attaching him to the breast as professionals were concerned about the accumulation of negative experience at his feeding time and this transferring to his bottle feeding (a story for another time). The decision was made that we were going to EE and focus on feeding being a positive experience for my DS.
In terms of my supply I have upped the fenugreek herb and spent the last few days doing a series of 2 hour pumps (probably taking it to 9 pumps of 20 mins). My supply has crept up a little but I don't want it to fall any lower.
So, my questions about cutting back are:
1. In your experience did stretching out the night pumps affect your supply? Did you do anything to counteract it and was it successful in maintaining your supply ie: fit in an extra pump during the day
2. If you can recall, how many pumps and how much milk did you make at 3 months?
3. If you tried medication like motilium at what point did you seek that intervention ie: when you were just covering the day or when your supply was lower than that
4. We are starting solids at 4 months (another story in itself). How long after you started solids did you need less milk?
Thanks for your help.
Registered User
Hi Lisa,
I didn't cut the night pump until 6 months. Until then I was going about 6 hours max overnight and I had done that from fairly early on, maybe 4-6 weeks?
At three months I think I would have been pumping every 4 - 4.5 hours, for about 30 minutes at a time. I was expressing about 2L a day (I had a whopping supply! which I attribute to the fact that 1. I had lactated before and 2. I started pumping really early, when Pie was only a day or so old, and right from the start I did long pumps & often. In hindsight I didn't need to go so hard!)
I didn't use motilium but i did get a script for it in case I needed it. I felt better having it on hand.
We started solids at 6 mths & she is still, at almost two, drinking loads of milk (cows milk now). But her regular bottles started to reduce at about 8 months. Regardless of when you start solids, milk will still be the main'food' for bub until he is one.
I hope that's of some help, I know my situation sounds a bit different to yours. It's a tough journey and you're doing a fantastic job
Registered User
1. In your experience did stretching out the night pumps affect your supply? Did you do anything to counteract it and was it successful in maintaining your supply ie: fit in an extra pump during the day.
I stopped pumping at about 10 weeks when he started sleepig through. I rather selfishly wanted my sleep and always justified it by saying the extra rest would help me lol. I only got my supply up enough to meet his needs a few weeks prior (in retrospect I guess I was a bit hasty maybe?). He then had a big growth spurt at 12 weeks and I was pumping like mad (he drank 1.5 LITRES in one day).
2. If you can recall, how many pumps and how much milk did you make at 3 months?
Aah I have it written down somehwere. I think from fuzzy memory about a litre a day? He fed 5 times a day maybe? (or 6?) and I usually pumped as many times as he fed... except after he drank that huge amount & cleaned out everything I had. I pumped like a madwoman then...2 hourly for a few days but not overnight.
3. If you tried medication like motilium at what point did you seek that intervention ie: when you were just covering the day or when your supply was lower than that
I never thought of asking, no-one suggested it, I just pumped my bottom off. In retrospect I should have looked at other options. So saying I think I'm allergic to the active ingredient anyway. I found raspberry leaf tablets did far more for my supply than fenugreek. Took 2-3 days of taking it to see a change.
4. We are starting solids at 4 months (another story in itself). How long after you started solids did you need less milk?
My answer may not be all that helpful as we didn't start till 6 months and he had a lot of difficulty (hypersensitive gag reflex & very snuffly with undiagnosed allergies)... so he ate very little for quite some time... and to quote the dietician we saw, loved his EBM way too much lol. He was also a big feeder & chubby boy (75th percentile for weight). My DD (who is BF'ing) is currently 8 mths and started solids at 5 months. She's doing BLS and loving them, but I must admit has not dropped her feeds greatly. She's been on 4 feeds a day since 4 months old, they're just a bit quicker now. So sorry, I suspect you won't see a huge difference in his needs for a while after starting solids (and ideally, my understanding is that the BM really should still be their major food till one but I'm sure you know all that).
And my only other thought... while you're not putting him to the breast any more due to negative experiences, are you able to do baths together and have lots of snuggly time in other ways? I would imagine that's good from a hormonal (and consequently supply) perspective.
Hope that helps a bit, you're doing a fabbo job
Registered User
Belfie reminded me - the raspberry leaf really is worth looking into, I took it in the later stages of my pregnancy and drank a bit of tea after she was born, possibly another thing that helped us along.
Good luck
BellyBelly Member
Thanks guys. You've confirmed my feeling that I am a little short in my supply. I wrote down how much I was getting at each pump today and I was just making what he was taking. I think some days I'm making a tiny bit more because I have a small stash in the freezer. I have been pumping about 10 times a day over the last week to get this coverage.
I've bought some raspberry tea (maybe I'll look into the tablet version as I read online that you need about 6 cups of tea a day and it seems to dry my mouth out a little) and have just got a prescription for motilium so hopefully I will get an increase soon so I can back down on the number of pumps with confidence soon.
Registered User
Sorry just a quick post, but thought you guys might be interested to see this study:
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...bottle-164833/
Registered User
That is interesting, thanks for posting Belfie
BellyBelly Member
Thanks for posting the article Belfie, and still thinking of us EE and supporting us. I read it during one of my overnight expresses. It goes faster if I have something to read or fiddle with. I've often thought that we EE would make for interesting research particularly in the BF / FF area. We are a great control group to rule out feeding method...although I'm sure it's not quite that easy. My DS was on 75% weight percentile prior to 1 month and then dropped to 50% and his weight gain is still slowing. Although I must say his intake probably averages at about 800mls a day which is above the average BM intake 750mls a day. Not sure exactly what he does with the milk. His hair and nails grow...lol... It will be interesting to see what happens in the next 3 months as the research had some indication that weight gain might be accelerated for EE babies in that time period.
BellyBelly Member
Hi guys,
I just had a few questions about freezer supplies & also teat sizes.
Freezer supplies - well I bit the bullet and and went on motilium...best thing I did. I'm now making perhaps 100-150mls more than I need a day. Sometimes more. My freezer compartment is rapidly filling up and beginning to overflow with milk packets. I don't have a deep freezer so can only store for 3 months. How do you use yours? Do you thaw and keep a bit in rotation so the life of the freezer supply is extended? Do you only keep so much and discard or donate when you get to a certain point? The other thing my dietician told me was that thawed breast milk isn't quite as nutritious as fresh. Was this a factor for you?
Teat size - a FF in my mother's group said at about 3-4 months you can swap to the medium teat. I'm still using the slow teat. Did you swap or stay with the slow one?
Thanks in advance for you help.
Registered User
Hi Lisa,
glad to hear things are going well for you and the motilium is doing it's thing
Do you have a milk bank nearby? have you thought about donating? I gave pretty much all my frozen milk to the milk bank once I realised I wasn't going to need it. I was planning on rotating it, but I never actually needed to dip into the frozen stuff. So after a couple of months I was just donating everything.
I haven't heard anything about it being less nutritious... I guess it makes sense that frozen milk isn't going to be as optimal as fresh.
Teat size - I only looked at different sized teats after about 8 - 9 months, some of them I never did change size in. I don't know if using different bottles would have made a difference - we used the Pigeon ones, wide necked, supposed to imitate the breast - I guess if she had seemed impatient or gulpy I would have thought more of it - but she guzzled just fine with what we had, so...
BellyBelly Life Subscriber
If you are still planning to start solids early you wil be able to use the frozen EBM in food stuffs, porridge, rice, purees etc etc as well as what Felur said about donating some .....there is a facebook page called human milk 4 human babies that has branches for each state and might be worth a look.
If you are not going to attempt to put bubs to the breast at all going up a teat size is an option. We went up a teat size at about 4 moonths but only because he was getting really frustrated and taking ages to drink a bottle....be guided by your bubba...we tried a faster teat (medium or level2) at about 12 weeks and he was almost choking and it was coming out his mouth so we went back to the slow ones for a bit longer and tried again.
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