Exclusive Expressers

Congratulations Cece :bluecheer: One year is a great milestone. I hope you are really proud of what you have achieved. Even though I'm not there yet I think Fleur offers some very sensible advice: keep going if you want to. If you scroll a little further back you will see that my DS has a cows milk protein allergy and Surprised has suggested rice milk as an alternative for him, which could be viable for your DS if you want a milk alternative.

I hope your unpacking goes quickly, I don't envy you.

Fleur - it's weird how we get so attached to producing so much more than we actually need, it's like we think that our supply is constantly under threat, well that's how I know I operate.

Surprised - thanks for the info about rice milk. I will talk to the paediatrician about it as I'm going to see her next week. Rice milk seems like it might be the way to go when I need a substitute and maybe I can introduce it to think out his rice cereal if my supply ends up dropping to the point I don't want to use EBM in his food.

Okay, am I being overly anxious without reason or could there be an issue on the horizon?

I dropped my pumps from 8 to 7 about 10 days ago. DS is now having 2 solid meals a day so I didn't need the same amount of milk. Prior to dropping my pumps I was getting about 1L a day and I have been on motilium for the last few months. My supply has dropped 100 - 150mls now that my breasts have settled down. This is enough to cover DS feeds and a bit extra ie: maybe 150-200mls extra. I have been anxious about the drop and watching the figures I'm recording about my supply and really worried that it will just continue to drop. I guess I'm not sure if my supply is stable or could drop further.

Has anyone else had a similar drop with decreasing pumps, and does it stabilise or just continue to go down? I can't really continue to pump 8 times a day as 1L is a bit overkill when DS takes about 750mls or so including milk to thin out his solids. What do you think?

In my experience it should stabilise over the next few days...each time you drop an express the supply will drop over a few days and then stabilise at the new level....at least thats what happened for me.

I agree, it should stabilise. If it doesn't one other option might be to increase the length of your pumps, rather than the frequency. I used to pump for quite a long time but found that that worked better for me, rather than pumping more often.

Okay so I'm probably just being over anxious, afterall how could my supply just slip away entirely if I'm pumping 7 times a day.

Fleur I will probably make some longer pumps if I need too rather than go back to 8. Going back to 8 doesn't make sense, particularly as by 6 months (2weeks away) my son will be having 3 solid meals a day.

Hi Lisa,

In my experience, as Fleur and Mel have said, when I dropped a pump my supply would level out of a few days and then reach it's new level and remain steady. It can be a very worrying time though. It becomes so ingrained to watch those levels and not let them drop too much.

As for me, I've finally done it. My last pump was on Friday night. I only got 60mls and decided fighting fate (be it decreased supply or unfortunately lack of support from DH to allow me time to pump - he didn't see the need to go past 12 months) was not good for any of us. So, After 54 weeks my pumping days have ended. I'm sad but happy. I think it will take a little while to really appreciate what I've done and the huge commitment it was. I have about a weeks supply of frozen EBM that I'm working through and transitioning DS onto cows milk. I think it's going okay, but DS is miserable atm due to teething so it's a little hard to say for sure. I must say I'm looking forward to when I can just throw the bottle in the microwave to heat up rather than waiting for the bottle warmer. It's a small thing :)

CeCe- Well done, so inspirational. I'm secretly hoping to make it to Xmas and then that might be enough. DS will be 9 months then. Xmas might be enough because my family does super desserts and I won't be able to eat them if I"m still pumping because I can't have dairy products due to DS milk protein allergy. People are already beginning to question why I'm still going as I'm almost at the 6 month mark and returning to work.

Well done Cece, what an awesome acheivement :) :leap:

Lisa, others' expectations on what you should do and when can be a pain in the neck! I copped a bit of it from my workplace, when are you going to stop... I just said when I'm ready... it passes so quickly, you do what you need to in your time. They'll get over it ;) :hug:

Fleur - In Victoria it is a legally protected right to express in the workplace, but I have heard that my workplace thinks they are bending over backwards for me by 'allowing' me to express. I have already explained that I can do it in the same amount of time that others take cigarette breaks and I can actually work (I do desk work) whilst expressing which is my preference rather than just sitting there. I think the female boss perhaps hasn't had successful experience with expressing because she has told other people at work that she doesn't understand how it will work.

Argh, that's so frustrating. It doesn't matter that YOU know it's your legal right, and that you are no less productive for it, the fact that they think that must be so frustrating - and it can be so hard to change stubborn, closed minds.
If you need backup I am sure there are somelinks somewhere with solid info - if you want to take the option of leaving it lying around strategically ;)

Hi everyone, just wanted to introduce myself. I just joined BellyBelly and have read most of this forum already! My beautiful DS is 3 months old and I have not had much luck with breast feeding. He has had severe reflux, was described as an "angry little man" by my lovely midwife an hour after birth when I first tried to feed him and he refused to attach, I've had severe nipple infections, trouble getting my milk to come in, low supply and now breast refusal resulting from nipple confusion and associating feeding with pain. I've been mostly expressing since he arrived and have just about given in to the fact that he will be a bottle fed baby (after many many many tears and much heartbreak).

I am aiming for 4 months of EBM, I know many of you have gone on much longer so I will see how we go from there!!

Looking forward to chatting with you all soon!

Hi, Takingthelongway :welcome:
Congrats on making it this far, I think in many cases the first few months are the absolute toughest. Four months was my first goal as well, and you are nearly there :)
Wishing you all the best with your EE journey & look forward to seeing you around.

Hi Fleur, thanks for your reply. It's good to know I've been through the toughest part! I must say though I'm not sure how I'll go trying to express once DS gets mobile!

Just realized I should answer those original questions, here goes:

How long have you been expressing? 3 months

How long do you plan to do it for/ or have done it for? Minimum 4 months exclusive breast milk, then maybe some formula, I'll see how I go!

How many times a day do you express? Seven. Try to express at 7am 10am 1pm 4pm 7pm 10:30pm and 2:30am (that's when DS wakes overnight at the moment) don't think I could express overnight if he slept through!

Do you enjoy it? In a word, no. Every time I express I wish I could be breast feeding, makes me a little sad, and it's tricky trying to juggle life, baby and expressing.

Do you have other kids? No...not sure I could do it with a second child (ditto!!)

If you feel comfortable sharing- Why you are expressing? As I mentioned in my last post... Multiple breastfeeding issues!

What type of expressing method do you use? Medela Freestyle double pump, love it.

How much milk in a day? ~900ml

Best expressing tip? Keeping expressing gear in the fridge so it doesn't have to be washed every time I use it!

Happy Expressing!

Welcome Takingthelongway. Wow at getting about 900mls a day. That's great!

In those first few months my goals were really very short. It started day to day, then week to week etc. It was probably around 4 months that I felt I could go to 6 months and then I think my stubbornness set in, so I went to 12.

I totally get the wishing at each express session you were directly feeding. I had that up until I stopped, and even after. I'm glad you've found BB and this thread because it is a great support.

Hey there Takingthelongway,

Welcome to our little thread. My first goal was definitely 3 months. At that point I was only setting a goal a month ahead. Sometimes only a week ahead. 900mls at 3 months is great. My supply took a dive around 9 weeks when I finally stopped trying to attach my son and had some stress about his feeding issues. I went on Motilium which meant I could keep my sanity be expressing 8 times a day to cover the basic feeds and a bit to store. I'm 6.5 months in and still doing the 2.30am express and this week slowly trying to wind this one back. I've been wanting to do it for ages but because of the supply issues I had have been scared to take that jump. My DS is now on 3 solid meals a day and his need for milk has cut back so I'm biting the bullet now.

I don't particularly enjoy expressing either and it makes me a bit sad too about not being able to BF. Nearly every time I get on the pump it's after some procrastination. At the end of the day I am glad that I am giving my son BM and that's what keeps me going. I try and use the time to get on the computer or do some paperwork and that makes the time go quicker and keeps my mind occupied.

As my son has gotten more mobile I think the expressing has gotten easier. I now do it when he is having his day sleeps or often he is happy enough to play with a toy on the floor. I definitely prefer to do it when he is sleeping so I don't run the risk of having to bend down and spill the milk when supervising him.

My new goal is 9 months and I think I will call it a day then, particularly as my son has a milk protein allergy which means I'm off all dairy which has been a huge lifestyle change for me.

Wow, it's great to have so many replies already, thank you! CeCe I know what you mean about stubbornness! The mums at my mothers group are unable to comprehend why I don't just "give myself a break" and put him on formula. All my life I "knew" I would breast feed if I was ever lucky enough to have a baby, but now that hasn't worked out I can't just "put him on formula" it's just not something I could do right now, there are too many health benefits of breast milk and I don't feel I can deny my beautiful boy those benefits just because it would be more convenient for me to give him formula. (although realistically I know he will likely get at least some formula in another month or two). But you getting to 12 months is amazing!!

Lisa B 9 months is awesome.... Respect!! I'm on motillium too, I forgot to mention that! Have been since day 5 when I was still only getting 1ml or less colostrum. I had to comp feed for about 10 days until my supply came in as DS lost 14% of his birth weight and was jaundiced. He has been fully EBM fed since then. I started taking 20mg three times a day and have very slowly weaned down to 10mg three times a day.

It's good to know it's still possible to express once bubs gets mobile! I'd been a bit worried about that! At the moment I express when he is asleep or quiet and happy in his swing facing me!

As you have both said, I'm setting small goals and will see how far I get!

I'm trailing a dairy free diet now to see if it improves his reflux, 2 weeks so far and no significant change yet, will see how we go!

Hi hun and welcome. You are doing a great job - expressing is HARD!

I got to just over 11 months... I had aimed to bf for 1 year, but my lovely GP gave me the ok to put him on to rice milk just before his 1st birthday, so I jumped at the chance to stop... for me, not having any formula was as good as bfing to 1 year, if that makes sense!

I haven't heard about not having dairy helping reflux? I'll have to keep that 1 in mind for this (in utero) baby. Although since no 1 had a milk allergy, there's a good chance this one will too.

Sounds like your supply is pretty decent now. It's so hard when you know exactly what you're getting. I kind of think ignorance is bliss sometimes!

Well must fly but I just wanted to welcome you. xoxo

On the topic of "dairy free' a good friend of mine who is an old hand at dairy free having breastfed her dairy allergic children said to me the other day that she got a lot of pressure to put her children on dairy free formula and "give herself a break" - it must be wearing her down." (She found the comments wore her down, not the actual situation) but when the baby is on food they still need to be dairy free. As a mother, you still need to modify your diet. You can't eat dairy in fron of your children, and it's easiest to just not have it in the house. Many children grow out of their allergies and intolerances earlier rather than later, thank goodness, but if your baby toddler or child is allergic to a food you just can't have it, can't have it in the house, and no-one much sympathises with the other's workload." Many mums I have worked with have found being dairy free tough, but when they get the hang of it find that they are healthier than ever before. It was an interesting conversation and an interesting take.