BFing & Pumping Check In!

[dawnfire]

I thought maybe it was time for a check in for those of us BFing and Pumping for our little ones.  Then we can see where we're all at and our experiences and maybe help each other out!

1.  How often do you BF?  And/or how often do you pump if you EP?

2.  SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof?

3.  For working moms, how often do you pump at work?  Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?

4.  Questions for the peanut gallery?

[dawnfire]

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP?

When I'm home, LO eats from me about 3 times a day (between 6:30pm and 8am)

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof?

Working mom.

3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?

Currently I pump 3x a day, but I'm getting so tired of it. And on Saturdays I can only pump 2x anyway because I only have a 30 min lunch break. I sort of want to rein it in to only 2 per workday but I'm so afraid my supply will crash even more. I'm only taking home 6-10 ounces of milk per day and LO eats 12-16 oz at daycare.

4. Questions for the peanut gallery?

I'm mostly interested to see how it's going for others and how often others are pumping at work. BFing and pumping is becoming exhausting and feels like sometimes it's still taking up all of my "free" time.

[soon2bmrsn]

1. DD nurses about every 3 hours during the day. This usually leads to 6 feedings in 24 hours (she sleeps pretty well).

2. SAHM (for now--I'll return to work when she's 13 months old).

3. n/a

4. n/a

[jnnfrrose6]

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP?

Weekdays- BF ~6am, at 11am, pump at 3, and BF at 7:30pm, weekends BF same as weekdays, plus 3pm.

ETA she has solids at 8am, noon, and 4pm (3.5oz of purees plus some puffs for each). 

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof?

Working FT. I nurse during my lunch break to avoid the pumping session (daycare is 5 min from the office)

3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?

Absolutely pump at 3 and hope for 4-5 oz. If my schedule allows, I try to add in a quick session sometime between 8-8:30am and get around 2 oz.

4. Questions for the peanut gallery?

No questions. Just have to say it seems easier this time around. With DS, I feel like I was pumping all.the.time. I was trying to stock up for a trip then and haven't had that to deal with, so that's probably why, but I'm definitely way more relaxed this time around.

[isolemnlyswear]

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP?
Bfing 5-6 times depending on what time she gets up. She eats every three hours

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination? Sahm

[Liv]

Feb 6, 2015 16:26:35 GMT -5 soon2bmrsn said:

1. DD nurses about every 3 hours during the day. This usually leads to 6 feedings in 24 hours (she sleeps pretty well).

2. SAHM (for now--I'll return to work when she's 13 months old).

3. n/a

4. n/a

sorry, not related to your post, but OMG. your baby (in avatar/pic) is so so cute!!! What a sweet grin!

[soon2bmrsn]

Feb 6, 2015 16:47:59 GMT -5 Liv said:

Feb 6, 2015 16:26:35 GMT -5 soon2bmrsn said:

1. DD nurses about every 3 hours during the day. This usually leads to 6 feedings in 24 hours (she sleeps pretty well).

2. SAHM (for now--I'll return to work when she's 13 months old).

3. n/a

4. n/a

sorry, not related to your post, but OMG. your baby (in avatar/pic) is so so cute!!! What a sweet grin!

Aw, thanks. That's DD!

[sararl07]

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP?

I only breast feed in the morning and in the evening.  I no longer pump at work...after I got sick my supply tanked and I wasn't able to get it back up.  I don't miss my daily dates with it.


2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof?

Working Mom


3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?

Zero


4. Questions for the peanut gallery?

[surfmama106]

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP?
I BF at 5:30am from one side and then pump the other everyday (4.5 oz) then weekdays I pump at work at 9 and at 1 and get about 4.5/5oz. I nurse at 4 and then at 7 before bed. Weekends I nurse 5-6 times a day but usually just 5.

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof? Working Mom

3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?
Twice at work and get 9-10 oz. DD gets two 5oz bottles during the time at work and one serving of fruit/cereal/puffs

4. Questions for the peanut gallery?
No real questions but I was nervous about my supply not being enough since I'm pumping exactly what she needs to eat while I'm at work. So I added that morning pumping session and it seriously helped so much. I've been freezing 6oz in the medela bags (just fits) and I am getting quite the stash going. I want to have enough to cover me during Track season (I coach) which will start he first week in March. I now have 130oz which is way up from the 60oz I had Jan 20th.

[lablover13]

1. LO nurses or gets a bottle every 3 hours and also typically eats a total of 6-7 times per day. Once in the middle of the night.

2. Working mom.

3. After 3 months I just transitioned from pumping 3x a day to 2x per day. I also pump in the MOTN (LO nurses from one side and I pump the other). I pump for 20mins at work and get a total of about 11oz from the two pumping sessions. I usually get 3-5oz in the MOTN which gives me a total of 14-16 oz. LO eats 14-15oz at daycare so I get just enough to cover her each day.

I agree that pumping is annoying, but I am thankful my supply has held pretty steady. LO's pediatrician told me at the 6mo appt that it is downhill from there in terms of BFing. She said that once she gets to 9mo LO will really start eating more food and less BM and by a year she should be mostly food. Knowing that things will start tapering off soon has kept me going!

[anotherdreamer]

1. Still on demand, but about every 2-3 hours still. They nurse about 5-10 minutes, tandem.

2. SAHM

My twins are still EBF, one eats some solids. She also likes to bite me; I dread when her teeth cut through. The other twin is a boob girl, likes to comfort nurse a lot still.

[sararl07]

This post encouraged me to try to pump once again at work. I got 4 oz. I know it's not a lot but I'm excited. I might have to try pumping once a day. On a side note formula is expensive.

[liziz]

1. Weekdays 3-4 times (once before work, and 2-3 between 3:30-bed), weekends on demand, but roughly about 7 (she typically has 3 bottles at DC on weekdays, so it's fairly consistent)
2. Full time WM - no lunch break, so I get to see/feed LO sooner.
3. 4x at work, 10-12 oz total. I've had 2 weeks in a row where I come out ahead, even though I've been sick, so I'm thinking about going down to 3, but worrying about supply.
4. I got nothing.

[kam3100]

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP? - When I'm home, I nurse dd every three hours.

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof? - I'm a working mom.

3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day? I pump three times per day and if I'm lucky I bring home nine ounces.

4. For those that pump motn, or bright and early in the morning, are you pumping while you're nursing? Do you use a manual pump?

[dawnfire]

Feb 6, 2015 17:48:24 GMT -5 sararl07 said:

This post encouraged me to try to pump once again at work. I got 4 oz. I know it's not a lot but I'm excited. I might have to try pumping once a day. On a side note formula is expensive.

This, plus my OCD telling me that it's really best to keep giving LO breastmilk, is why I still slog through my pumping sessions at work.  I don't think DH has any CLUE how much of a job it is to keep LO fed with breastmilk.  

Grats on the 4oz, anything is good to have on hand!

[quinncat]

1. I bf my girl twin and pump twice a day for my boy. My girl nurses about every 2-3 hours and wakes twice at night.

2. I work part time. 2 - 12 hour shifts.

3. I pump 3 times at work and once before leaving in the morning. I used to pump when I got home too, but recently stopped. In my 4 pumps on work days, I pump around 32 plus ounces. The days I'm home and pump twice for ds2 I average 15 - 18 ounces.

I hate pumping. I only keep pumping for ds2 out of guilt that his sister bfs. I wish he would bf.

[surfmama106]

Feb 6, 2015 17:55:09 GMT -5 kam3100 said:

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP? - When I'm home, I nurse dd every three hours.

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof? - I'm a working mom.

3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day? I pump three times per day and if I'm lucky I bring home nine ounces.

4. For those that pump motn, or bright and early in the morning, are you pumping while you're nursing? Do you use a manual pump?

No. I feed her then I go downstairs and use the motorized pump then I go back upstairs and either go to bed or get ready for work. (5am)

[Deleted]

1. Breast feed every 3 hours during the day. Usually 5-6 times a day and then he gets a big bottle before bed.

2. SAHM. Although our financial situation doesn't look good and I may have to get a job soon.

[Leapinglizards]

I BF around 8-9 times a day. I really pump unless I am going to be out someplace I don't feel comfortable breastfeeding in public

I am a SAHM

Anyone else have a baby that like to use the nipple like. Sling shot

[GrrArgh]

Feb 6, 2015 16:19:35 GMT -5 dawnfire said:

1.  How often do you BF?  And/or how often do you pump if you EP?

2.  SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof?

3.  For working moms, how often do you pump at work?  Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?

4.  Questions for the peanut gallery?

1. Every 2 to 3 hours. She asks to eat a lot more often for me than when the nanny is here. 

2. I work at home with a nanny and come out to nurse her whenever she needs.

[cko521]

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP?
On weekends every 2-3 hours. On weekdays, once at 6:30am, then LO gets 3 bottles at daycare and I pump, then after work LO eats solids at 6 and BFs at 7 and 10. Then she's usually up to eat twice at night. We were down to once but not lately.

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof?
Working

3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?
3x. I get around 7-8oz in my morning pump them 3-5oz at each of the other two.

4. Questions for the peanut gallery?
So I used to have a severe oversupply and forceful letdown. It started to regulate, then I got the stomach flu and it went down a lot. Which is fine, I still make plenty, but LO actually has to work for it and she didn't before. She now gets pissed about that, especially if she's tired. Ant tips?

[hurricanerek]

1. Still on demand. Every 2 hours during the day and every 2-3 at night. I'm ready to talk to the doc at her 6 month appt about spacing these out a bit more if we can.

2. Sahm

[rlb]

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP?

Weekdays before work (6:30-7:30) and usually not again until around 6:30/7p, but I top her off before bed (7:45-8p) Nothing MOTN for the past week since we moved her to her own room. It's been like magic and I really hope I didn't just jinx myself. She's been waking, but she'll just squirm/talk/fuss for about 10 mins and never full on cry, so I leave her be and she's been falling back asleep on her own. I usually pump about 10:30p before bed to try and make a bottle for the next day. Weekends there's really no rhyme or reason, but if I had to get it would be every 2-3 hours.

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof?

Working my ass off mom (lots of driving around the state - Michigan)



3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?

I'm pumping 1-2x times and happy if I get 5-8 oz. We had to start supplementing with formula close to 6 months because she was taking in more than I was putting out when away from me. For a while I had it nailed down to be exact with the extra night sesh, but I'm so over pumping too that I'm letting them slide more and more.

4. Yes, it's very much becoming exhausting for me, too. I'm tired of pumping in the backseat, I'm tired of pumping while driving, I'm tired of pumping when I'm tired, I'm tired of making time to pump when I have no time. I'm going to do it another 2 months to get her to 9 months, then I'll only BF and that will be done when she self-weans or turns one, whichever comes first. I'm ready to have my body back, in more ways than one.

[honeybee434]

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP?

I Nurse on demand when I'm at home and pump at work. At work I pump twice a day, and then on weekdays I nurse her anywhere from 3-6 times depending on how she does through the night. On weekends I honestly don't know how often because it's always random.

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof? Working mom.

3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Twice at work. Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day? Anywhere from 9-18 ounces. When my period started back up j was hardly getting anything, but on averge I would say about 13-14

4. Questions for the peanut gallery? No questions. But I did realize that I only have 4 1/2 months left of pumping at work! Woohoo! I hate pumping!

[chickiebabe7575]

Feb 6, 2015 16:19:35 GMT -5 dawnfire said:

1.  How often do you BF?  And/or how often do you pump if you EP?

2.  SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof?

3.  For working moms, how often do you pump at work?  Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?

4.  Questions for the peanut gallery?

1. We BF about 5-6 times over the course of a day (on the days I'm home) and at least once at night. On days I'm not home with her I miss between 1-2 nursing sessions.

2. I'm a combo I guess? I work a few hours Monday and Wednesday but we also have a nanny a few more hours on some other days so I can catch up on a little remote work.

3. I aim to pump every 3-3.5 hours, but some of those sessions have to be like 10 minutes. For example, I was given 2 lab sections that run back to back (9-11 & 11-1) and I have to create a break to pump in between them (in a supply closet at the back of the women's bathroom with no outlets so I had to buy a rechargeable battery). I take home a little less than she ate that day, almost always. So I try to pump at home occasionally but I have no schedule for that.

4. No questions other to say, I KNOW DH has no idea what a PITA it is to pump for DD. But he's always like "how much did you pump today? I feel like that's not enough". His intentions are good (keeping DD fed and healthy), but it's still crappy to hear. I just don't respond to the pump the way I do DD.

[rlb]

Feb 7, 2015 9:36:41 GMT -5 chickiebabe7575 said:

Feb 6, 2015 16:19:35 GMT -5 dawnfire said:

1.  How often do you BF?  And/or how often do you pump if you EP?

2.  SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof?

3.  For working moms, how often do you pump at work?  Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day?

4.  Questions for the peanut gallery?

1. We BF about 5-6 times over the course of a day (on the days I'm home) and at least once at night. On days I'm not home with her I miss between 1-2 nursing sessions.

2. I'm a combo I guess? I work a few hours Monday and Wednesday but we also have a nanny a few more hours on some other days so I can catch up on a little remote work.

3. I aim to pump every 3-3.5 hours, but some of those sessions have to be like 10 minutes. For example, I was given 2 lab sections that run back to back (9-11 & 11-1) and I have to create a break to pump in between them (in a supply closet at the back of the women's bathroom with no outlets so I had to buy a rechargeable battery). I take home a little less than she ate that day, almost always. So I try to pump at home occasionally but I have no schedule for that.

4. No questions other to say, I KNOW DH has no idea what a PITA it is to pump for DD. But he's always like "how much did you pump today? I feel like that's not enough". His intentions are good (keeping DD fed and healthy), but it's still crappy to hear. I just don't respond to the pump the way I do DD.

That would really upset me, like we can control it.  

[liziz]

Feb 7, 2015 9:52:37 GMT -5 rlb said:

Feb 7, 2015 9:36:41 GMT -5 chickiebabe7575 said:

1. We BF about 5-6 times over the course of a day (on the days I'm home) and at least once at night. On days I'm not home with her I miss between 1-2 nursing sessions.

2. I'm a combo I guess? I work a few hours Monday and Wednesday but we also have a nanny a few more hours on some other days so I can catch up on a little remote work.

3. I aim to pump every 3-3.5 hours, but some of those sessions have to be like 10 minutes. For example, I was given 2 lab sections that run back to back (9-11 & 11-1) and I have to create a break to pump in between them (in a supply closet at the back of the women's bathroom with no outlets so I had to buy a rechargeable battery). I take home a little less than she ate that day, almost always. So I try to pump at home occasionally but I have no schedule for that.

4. No questions other to say, I KNOW DH has no idea what a PITA it is to pump for DD. But he's always like "how much did you pump today? I feel like that's not enough". His intentions are good (keeping DD fed and healthy), but it's still crappy to hear. I just don't respond to the pump the way I do DD.

That would really upset me, like we can control it.  

That would upset me too. I tell H the best way he can help is by supporting me and trying to reduce stress in other areas.

[lablover13]

Feb 6, 2015 18:50:34 GMT -5 surfmama106 said:

Feb 6, 2015 17:55:09 GMT -5 kam3100 said:

1. How often do you BF? And/or how often do you pump if you EP? - When I'm home, I nurse dd every three hours.

2. SAHM, working mom, or some other combination thereof? - I'm a working mom.

3. For working moms, how often do you pump at work? Approximately how many ounces do you take home per day? I pump three times per day and if I'm lucky I bring home nine ounces.

4. For those that pump motn, or bright and early in the morning, are you pumping while you're nursing? Do you use a manual pump?

No. I feed her then I go downstairs and use the motorized pump then I go back upstairs and either go to bed or get ready for work. (5am)

^^ That is exactly what I do for MOTN pumping. The time depends on when LO wakes to eat that night.

[dawnfire]

I just saw my thread has a doppleganger. I don't even know how that happened. Weeeeird.

[Lola]

I stopped pumping/bf at 5.5 months when DH was in the hospital. It killed my supply so afterwards we weaned. Still a little sad about it.
You ladies are awesome to stick with it for so long!!!! Hang in there! Some days suck, but looking back, I think I could have dedicated more time to it. (And the spending $100+ a month on formula sucks!!!)