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I was just wondering who (if anyone) was doing this at the moment?). DD2 is in the SCN so I have no other option. I'm finding it hard planning my life around being near an electrical source every few hours. I can't wait til I can finally get her home and start to BF (hopefully!).
Hi, It is very difficult when you have been sent home and your little prem baby who needs you so much is in hospital. As an LC I know that this is the time when mothers find it difficult to maintain their supply. I’m not sure how far away you live from the hospital? It is sometimes very difficult. Do you have a symphony pump at home? For this gig you need the good equipment - you don’t need to be mucking around with second rate stuff. Its false economy. Honestly, as much as you can you need to prioritise your baby and you milk supply. This is the time to call in all your favours. If you have friends and family who can care for your other child so you can be with your baby/on the pump then that’s what you need to do. You will rarely have such an important time in your family life.
What sort of kit do you have with the symphony? If you are using disposables from the hospital you might get a lactaset which you can use as a collection kit and then as a handpump as well for those times you are not near a powerpoint. (you will need an extra membrane cap or it won’t work with the symphony) Don’t skip a pump - just reshedule so if you know you won’t be able to pump in 3 hours time - pump before you go out even if it;s only an hour or so after you pumped and when you get home. Don’t be afraid of throwing in a couple more pumping sessions. Set your phone alarm for every 3 hours in the night. It sounds like boot camp - but it’s not for long, and the benefits are immense for you and your baby. (After than Baby will be demanding to be fed that many times :)
I'm not at the moment but I did have to exclusively express when ds1 was born as he had a bilateral cleft lip and couldn't get a seal to breastfeed.
I expressed for 10 months so I know how tough it is. 10 months is a long time but it really just became part if my daily routine and those first few weeks or month are the hardest!
Hang in there you are doing a great job and if you have any questions just pm me!
I'm on my phone but there is an exclusive expressers thread on here somewhere and I am part of an exclusive expressers group on Facebook if you want to join (it's private :)
My little boy just got discharged from special care 10 minutes ago :) we roomed in last night and MAN it was wonderful having him feed at night again. I breastfed on demand for the first week and had a private room upstairs but was discharged for week two as I was medically fine. :( I was still cranky as Parker was born with DS and it was a PITA week 2 trying to establish his feeding during the day after being on the easier bottle all night. He gets tired with the lower muscle tone.
Best tip an LC gave me.. Express every hour or 2 in the morning.. It's when you get most of your milk. I was expressing 250ml between 5 and 10am which was enough for 2 feeds. Then I'd express the other overnight feed during the day. Having said that I was at hospy all day feeding on demand so a bit easier as I only needed to express to cover nights. But if you CAN wake up early.. Lay on couch, watch grownup tv, stuff your face with breakfast, drop crumbs on the pump kit like its your baby's head (maybe that's just MY thing) and enjoy the serenity before the kids get up!
Oh and seriously if someone were to invent a version of Medela symphony that was hands free and had a car charge adaptor.. How much better would life be!!
Oh bigs hugs. I expressed exclusively for 12 months with my first, and those early days at hard. I second what Barb has said about using a Symphony (or the older one, the Lactina) - you can hire from chemists or the ABA.
Katters - they kind of did - it's the Medela Freestyle.
Hope your little ones both keep going from strength to strength!
Chody - as you know I am in the same position. I'm renting a medela symphony from the ABA as it is the best I've found. I also have a hands free bra I purchased on amazon from the US but a friend shipped it to me. You can make one by cutting slits in a sports bra to hold the cones in place. I play on my ipad while i pump. also hands free lets me interact more with ds1 while i pump. I also purchased softer cones as I found the kit ones really uncomfortable. You have mypump schedule in another post. I am only doing 1 in middle of night with a 9:30 pretty- bed time and 6:30am around the middle of night. I have a strong supply so this works for me (with 3 hourly during day). today we left special care early as we needed a break. This meant that i pumped late and i will readjust all the rest of the pre-2 am feeds as a result. I usually call special care at that time 2:30 am to get an update as well.
Well it's nice to know I'm not alone. My supply seems to be increasing nicely.
My totals for the past 3 days:
Monday - 545ml
Tuesday - 590ml
Today - 590ml so far - still have another before bed express to go. Not bad for day 7 I reckon!
I haven't hired a medela pump. I have a different electric pump at home. When I visit DD2 I use their pump there to express a feed. My pump isn't as fast, but it is working at the moment. Hopefully it's only for a few more weeks...
You are doing great - the system is working! Isn’t it amazing how quickly your supply comes in. Interestingly now is the time you are going to be at peak production. Your hormones are all zinging along and helping your milk production - so now is the time to get your milk supply as high as it can be. You don’t want it “set” on 590 mls (oodles for her now) when she will be needing 700-800mls in 4 weeks time. You want your supply high, and let her grow into it. Over time your prolactin levels reduce (which is normal) and increasing your milk supply then is harder work than it is now!
Thanks Barb. I finally got to see the lactation consultant at the hospital yesterday and funnily enough she said the same thing ;). I'm aiming to get up to a good 800ml a day. Yesterday I ended with 650ml so I'm close!
I love it when mums *don’t* get conflicting advice - woohoo! Must be secret LC business!
I know, it's great! So often you get told completely different things from different people.:
Hey Chody hun have you thought about lactation cookies? I know I've mentioned them on our belly buddy thread but wasn't sure if you were giving them a go or not :) I just bought all the stuff to freeze some dough this week.
I haven't thought of them yet as my supply seems to be building quite nicely at the moment. I'll keep them in mind if things start to drop though. Thanks.