Starting pumping, but the pump scares me!

[sgio7485]

Hi ladies,
LO is 3w2d old. We are just coming off of a growth spurt and are back to our "normal" eating patterns after a couple of days of non stop feeding and not a lot of sleeping. I'm considering starting to pump maybe 1x a day or every other day to begin introducing a bottle in the coming weeks, or maybe just to build a little stash, or both. Nothing crazy. I have time before I go back to work. The pump is so intimidating to me! What are your thoughts on when to start pumping, when to pump, how often, etc? And how to not fear the pump?! Thanks in advance

[liziz]

When my LO was that young, it made sense to pump after my first daytime feeding. She would usually fall right back asleep (I got a good one!), and I would have a chance to sit, enjoy my coffee or breakfast, and pump.

Don't worry if you don't get much at first, it takes a while to get your body used to the pump.

[vvvvvfee]

i would wait another week or so to make sure your supply is properly established (if you pump too much too early, you can create an oversupply).

with DS, in the month or so before i went back to work, i pumped a couple of times a week in the morning. what i found was easiest was to have DS nurse on one side while i pumped the other side (this also helps stimulate letdown if you're not used to the pump). be forewarned that when you are BFing full-time and not missing any feedings, that you will not get a lot at each of these sessions-- maybe 1-2 ounces, maximum.

also remember that you really only need enough milk in your frozen stash to cover your first day back- so not more than about 12-15 ounces. anything beyond that is a bonus.

you will also want to have someone offer your LO a bottle every once in a while, too, so that they're used to it. have someone offer it while you're out of the area, and they don't need to give a lot- just put an ounce in the bottle. it may take some trial and error to figure out what kind of bottle your LO prefers (although some babies are not fussy about it at all).

GL! pumping requires a little bit of practice, but you'll get the hang of it. you can always come back here with further questions.

[Sparkly]

I started pumping at 3 weeks for the same reasons. I didn't go back to work until DD was 3 months, but I wanted a freezer stash, especially because I knew I would have to be away from her a few evenings for events and at least one weekend. I didn't want to have to stress about it.

My routine on maternity leave was exactly what liziz said above, I would pump for 15 minutes about 30 minutes to an hour after her first morning feed. I always had a great supply from the day my milk came in, so we only ever fed on one side. I would double pump and this did kick up my supply a bit, but nothing crazy. If I didn't feel like it one day, I would skip. No big deal -- might get a little engorged, but it would be okay. I actually chose not to pump every day to control my supply after realizing what was happening. This is NOT the case for everyone though, so you can plan to pump every day and then evaluate depending on what happens for you. I hated having to pump and wash bottles, plus my husband traveled for work at the time, so it was just me. I saw no reason to give her a bottle if I was right there! I only pumped to build that stash. We did have to work a little harder to get her to take the bottle after extended breaks, but once we found the right bottle (tommee tippee for us), it was no issue.

Pumping was really intimidating to me too at first. Just read all the instructions (six times if you're like me), and dive in. You will get the hang of it quick , and you can always come here with questions. Here I am 13 months later, still pumping, still kind of hating it, but it's NBD now. HTH!

[theresat858]

I started pumping one side while LO nursed the other when baby was 8 days old (we needed to pump early to get her weight up). I kept it up through maternity leave to get my stash. I also pumped whenever baby got a bottle.

If you get a manual pump (I love the medela harmony), it can be less intimidating than the double electric and great for occasional pumping.

[sgio7485]

theresat858 I actually just ordered a manual pump (medela) for that reason. I figured I could maybe start there?

[flcl]

I started pumping around 3-4 weeks because I wanted to build a stash. Everything I read said to pump an hour after LO eats in the morning. The problem with that, for us, was that LO was a terrible sleeper and always had to be on me to be content. He also ate pretty frequently and I was always paranoid he would want to eat right after I pumped. (I knew that I was never truly empty but still...) Pumping in the morning or during the day just wasn't working for us. I found that pumping before I went to bed to be the best. I didn't always get a lot of oz but as my body got used to pumping, the oz increased. I never pumped when LO was going through a growth spurt, just cause I was too exhausted and never pumped much those days. If I were to have another baby, I would probably wait another week or two to start pumping as I did have issues with OS. Best of luck!

[fish8412]

Feb 12, 2015 20:06:40 GMT -5 sgio7485 said:

theresat858 I actually just ordered a manual pump (medela) for that reason. I figured I could maybe start there?

I use the avent manual pump and it has worked awesome for me (still breastfeeding at 11 months). I would wait another week or two before beginning to pump. When you do pump, I would do it twice every day. If you only pump every other day it will take a long time to get a decent amount of milk. And more frequent pumping = freezer stash. I have a huge deep freezer stash and it has been very helpful. It was a lot of work but totally worth it. Supply is greatest at night so I would pump once at night (yes I know sleeping is more fun) and once during the day. LO would only feed on one side so then I would pump on the other. Be patient with pumping-it takes a while for your body to respond. Remember that dry pumping stimulates production so keep pumping even if no milk is coming out. Don't get discouraged when you pump half an ounce after 10 or 15 minutes!! It happened to me but after a week or so of regular pumping I would get about 3 ounces. Good luck!

[jmo823]

DS is 8 weeks today and I just started pumping on Monday. Like everyone has said I do it in the morning after his first feed. I only pump for about 10 minutes and have been getting around 2 oz.

On a related funnier note, my 2 year old is also intimated by the pump. He woke up early yesterday so he was awake while I was pumping. He started crying when I fired up the pump and kept telling me to go away. LOL. I think he thought I was taking the baby's milk away.

[catlady22]

Feb 12, 2015 20:08:48 GMT -5 flcl said:

I started pumping around 3-4 weeks because I wanted to build a stash. Everything I read said to pump an hour after LO eats in the morning. The problem with that, for us, was that LO was a terrible sleeper and always had to be on me to be content. He also ate pretty frequently and I was always paranoid he would want to eat right after I pumped. (I knew that I was never truly empty but still...) Pumping in the morning or during the day just wasn't working for us. I found that pumping before I went to bed to be the best. I didn't always get a lot of oz but as my body got used to pumping, the oz increased. I never pumped when LO was going through a growth spurt, just cause I was too exhausted and never pumped much those days. If I were to have another baby, I would probably wait another week or two to start pumping as I did have issues with OS. Best of luck!

This. Pumping at night was better for me so that I could be sure LO wouldn't want to eat right after I pumped. It made me feel less guilty somehow.

[ellabee]

I second the vote for the manual pump. I also found the double electric so intimidating at first. After I read the instructions 5 times, I got everything set up and then sat down and stared at it on 5 different occasions before I plucked up the courage to actually put the flanges on my boobs.

It's definitely so weird the first few sessions. It took me a little while to not feel like a cow...

Did you turn the pump on (without it being hooked up to you)? I ran mine through a few cycles and fiddled with the letdown button (medela PISA). That made me a tiny bit more comfortable with knowing what to expect.

[pooky08]

I still make mooing sounds when I pump if my husband is around. If I can laugh about it, it's not so bad.

Mooooooo.

[jesster88]

At that age we would have dh give ds a bottle while I pumped in the morning. I always had several ounces more than ds drank so I started building a freezer stash that way.

[Deleted]

After the three week growth spurt settles down is a pretty good time to start pumping and intro the bottle. We used to recommend waiting til after six week growth spurt but lots of moms would run into troubles getting baby to take a bottle or had to return to work by six weeks and they had to start sooner and get the hang of things before hand. I posted some let down and supply helping suggestions on another pumping post on this page that might help you with letting down for a pump. They can be a bit intimidating can't they?

[sgio7485]

Thank you everyone! I got my manual pump and my electric pump and im washing the parts as we speak. He is 4 weeks tomorrow and I think we are over the growth spurt. I just can't decide if I want to pump in the am (DS Tends to eat once around 5-6 and stays up until 8 or 9 before eating again and having a morning nap)... Or in the pm after he's down for the night. We are going to have my DH intro the bottle this week. My LO only eats from one side (except for rare occasions...) should I go ahead and pump the other side after he's content post feeding?

[fish8412]

Feb 16, 2015 9:52:57 GMT -5 sgio7485 said:

Thank you everyone! I got my manual pump and my electric pump and im washing the parts as we speak. He is 4 weeks tomorrow and I think we are over the growth spurt. I just can't decide if I want to pump in the am (DS Tends to eat once around 5-6 and stays up until 8 or 9 before eating again and having a morning nap)... Or in the pm after he's down for the night. We are going to have my DH intro the bottle this week. My LO only eats from one side (except for rare occasions...) should I go ahead and pump the other side after he's content post feeding?

Yes go ahead and pump the other side right after he is done feeding.

[ellabee]

For the feeding after you pump, LO might take both sides since you'll be a bit less full. Your body may have already regulated itself to make exactly how much LO needs, so it could take a few days for your body to readjust and make more for the pumping session.

Just wanted to throw that out there. The first time I pumped I think LO was fussier after the next feed because she didn't get as much from me.

Also, that's why some people do their pumping after LO goes down for the night. Since it'll usually be a bit longer until the next feeding and gives you time to fill back up. I've done it both ways - just do what works for you.

[sgio7485]

Update: i pumped tonight after his "last" feeding before bed and I got about 3 ounces! I've never been so proud of myself thanks for all of your help ladies. Next I'll tackle the electric pump but for now I actually didn't mind the hand pump!!