Let's talk Pumping

[Somers Isles]

Can't sleep so I might as well pick your brains.

Where are the pumping mom's? (Ranging from the exclusive pumpers to the once in a blue moon pumpers)

Can you share some tips and tricks that you've learned?

[Somers Isles]

Things I'm especially curious about...

- How to be more efficient at work.
I hated being in my stupid storage closet/converted pumping room at school and having to essentially disrobe from the waist up. I've heard of the tip where you wear a bra with slits so you can just insert the flanges... but that never worked for me because any bra that you could do that with made me look very frumpy so I'd always prefer to wear something different.

- Pumping while out and about?
Hated feeling like a hostage in my house because I knew pumping needed to happen at a certain time but there would be days where I wouldn't be bringing DS out with me...

- Freemies?

- Never knowing how much to freeze in one bag so to eliminate waste (or portioning out too little)

[txcatlady]

Thanks for starting this!

I just got my pump (spectra s2) and was wondering if I should get extra parts? I plan to pump at work for at least 6 months.

[hpnegirl]

I read this as "plumbing" not "pumping".. that's all I've got

[anfranklin2]

I exclusively pumped for my first for 9 months, and he had breast milk to last him til 14 months! My big tips for pumping:
-Always have extra parts and multiple size flanges.
-If you use a spectra, hack it to use medela parts(it's easier to find medela parts and will make your life easier)
-have a good back up manual pump, I liked the medela one the best.
-use coconut oil instead of lanolin for lubing up your flanges.
-if you think there's a change you'll need to pump, bring your supplies. I always had a converter in my car so I can use my normal plug.
-if you need to pump multiple times a day, put your pump parts in a ziploc in the fridge instead of washing them every single time. Save yourself some energy/time.
-Freeze milk flat, and don't overfill your bags. I usually stored 6-8 oz per bag. If you store a lot of milk, package the small bags into gallon size ziplock bricks.
-get the gel pads for your nipples and keep them in the fridge. Hopefully you won't need them, but if you do, you'll be very thankful to have them available.
I think that's all I got so far!

[anfranklin2]

Mar 17, 2017 22:27:40 GMT -5 Somers Isles said:

Things I'm especially curious about...

- How to be more efficient at work.
I hated being in my stupid storage closet/converted pumping room at school and having to essentially disrobe from the waist up. I've heard of the tip where you wear a bra with slits so you can just insert the flanges... but that never worked for me because any bra that you could do that with made me look very frumpy so I'd always prefer to wear something different.

- Pumping while out and about?
Hated feeling like a hostage in my house because I knew pumping needed to happen at a certain time but there would be days where I wouldn't be bringing DS out with me...

- Freemies?

- Never knowing how much to freeze in one bag so to eliminate waste (or portioning out too little)

-If you wear a standard nursing bra, you can use it to hold your flanges in place. The little strap on the outside, you can bring it to the middle of your chest and put the flange under that and the cup. I'll try to dig up a pic for you. I had a hands free pumping bra, but it ends up being more of a hassle.

-get a car outlet converter so your regular plug works. I used my car to pump pretty often. It's not ideal, but easier than trying to find a spot to pump.

-I never used freemies, I didn't see the appeal lol

-if you know how much your baby will take by bottle on average, store in increments of that. Max would take 4 oz at a time usually, so I'd do 6-8 oz per bag. And remember the 24 hour mark for thawed breast milk starts when the last bit of it is thawed. If it's not totally melted all the way and you don't think you'll use it, refreeze!

[iheartbroccoli]

I only pumped for a short while after DS1, to donate milk, but I used the Kiinde system and found it really convenient. If you get the starter kit, it will have everything you need and works with most brands of pumps. I used it with the Medela, and it was super easy to use. You pump directly into a bag, so there is no cleaning of pump bottles or having to transfer milk. I plan on using it again this time, as they also have bottles the bags fit directly into so when it is time for feeding, you don't have to transfer the milk from the bag to the bottle.

Also really curious about how to be efficient at work with pumping! I work from home most days, but I need to be in the office at least twice a week. Our state requires employers of a certain size to provide a place to pump that isn't a restroom, but even though my company is subject to this law the only place to pump is the restroom (or an empty office but those offices have windows and no blinds, so you'd be giving everyone a show!). I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with this honestly.

[chknma]

my routine:
set up pump
attach pump (simple wishes pumping bra...the best I tried. flip bra down....put on pumping bra....sometimes I would wear a tank to feel less naked under my shirt for the day)
pump
portion out to feeding bottles *I kept pump parts, pumping bottles and BM bottles in a cooler with ice packs

Monday: Frozen BM ...oldest from freezer
T-F: Fresh BM from the day before
Then on Friday freeze BM --yes to freezing flat...sorted by date
* I froze in 4-8oz portions since DD2 only ever took 4oz bottles...I did freeze little portions of 1-2 oz if I had it which was good for a day when I was a little short

at home I would trade out storage tops for nipple tops and put in fridge for next day....wash pumping stuff and let it dry over night... I liked having an extra set of parts for nights that I just didn't get around to washing...same for enough pumping bottles (medela with old pump) and feeding bottles (lansinoh momma)


I'm going with the spectra this time. I hear some other bottles attach to the spectra so will sort that out when it gets here.

*I honestly didn't do much outside of work that I couldn't bring DD2 for the first few months because I didn't want to deal with pumping or I would plan where/when to pump and have everything ready to go....I have pumped in my car which was easiest unless I was at someone's house. Then as we got further into it could deal with a little engorgement until I got home and didn't really notice a trouble with supply

my only tips are that water and enough calories were the biggest impact on my output

I'm also leaky the whole damn time so if anyone can really recommend reusable pads I'd love to save some $$ from the disposables but only tried a few cheap ones that didn't work well

[jmcbick]

Adding on to what others have already said...

Keep extra membranes in your pumping bag! Those little suckers can rip or get warped, and they make a HUGE difference in the suction and output. The replacement packs are pretty cheap. You're actually supposed to switch them out every 3 weeks or so which I didn't know st first, oops. When I did finally change them I saw a big increase in my output. (This is for a Medela PISA, not sure if this applies to other pumps!) ETA: link ( www.amazon.com/Medela-Extra-Membranes-Pack-6/dp/B007KAIB18)

I had a hands free pumping bra (like This: www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HUWJ3P4?colid=2WCSLUSAJOL6I&coliid=I13ZLVOYHYV4NR ) that I kept in my pumping bag and would just throw on when I pumped. Also would just shove the flanges into my regular nursing bra if in a rush or I forgot the pumping bra. But that thing was especially nice for mornings DS didn't wake up for a nursing session before I left for work I'd just put that on and pump while I was straightening my hair and putting on makeup. Huge timesaver.

Drink SO MUCH WATER.

+1 to having a manual pump for random situations. Mostly because I had a bad habit of leaving my adapter to my pump at work, but also came in handy on long car trips or when baby would only nurse on one side (ESP first thing in morning when my boobs were so full) I'd use the manual to simultaneously pump the other side.

[jmcbick]

Oh and yes to putting pump parts in the fridge in between sessions to save time on washing! If you have a shared fridge at work and think people will get weirded out seeing pump parts in the fridge next to their lunch, I just bought some wet bags (like for cloth diapers) on Amazon to use for that purpose.

Re: freezing. I used the Lasinoh bags I felt they worked the best (no leaks) and were usually the cheapest on amazon. I'd freeze the bags flat with the top folded up a bit so that the milk wasn't freezing into the zip part of the bag, if that makes sense? I found that prevented leaks as well. Then once they were solid and flat, I lined them up from oldest to newest in something like this www.target.com/p/sterilite-ice-cube-bin-white/-/A-13797819?sid=1441S&ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Storage+Organization+Shopping_Brand&adgroup=SC_Storage+Organization&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=9001982&gclid=COzSmcC84NICFciKswodi_EBbQ&gclsrc=aw.ds to keep it all organized and make sure the oldest stuff got used first.

[icedtea]

Thanks for starting this. Pumping stresses me. I didn't even know you needed a special bra for it, and keep forgetting. We got the Kiinde pumping system and I'm hoping that helps.

[cubbiebear325]

I pumped extra in the morning after feeding dd for the first 4ish months to build up freezer stash starting at about 3 weeks and pumped 2-3 times/day at work. DD always nursed when we were together.

I have a medela PISA from dd. I always wore nursing bra and I always wear a cami under my shirts at all times, so I would take shirt off, pull cami straps down and nursing bra down and used the simple wishes hands free pumping bra which worked great. Also was fully covered except for my arms. I couldn't wear a dress while pumping since I then would have had to be semi naked and didn't like that. I always charted while pumping so needed the hands free to work through and make the most of the time. I agree to always having extra parts with you, especially the membranes. They really do make all the difference. I also agree with storing the parts in the fridge in a ziplock. I just put them in the fridge/freezer container for the milk that came with the pump after my first pump since it was only half full. Then used the medela wipes after the second time until I could get home and wash. Drink lots of water and I always had a "pumping snack" as well, like an oatmeal bar, pb crackers because I was always starving!

I also agree that my supply dipped when I tried to cut my calories much so I didn't worry too much about that until done bf'ing. And I drank a ton of water all day, which I do normally, but really did a lot while bf'ing.

I also used lasinoh bags, by far the best and froze flat in 3-6 oz increments though usually froze 4 oz bags. With my extra morning pump and oversupply the first 6 months, I had abotu 1000 oz in my deep freeze, which allowed me to stop pumping months before I stopped nursing. I did 1-2 bags of frozen bm and 1-2 bottles of fresh bm for dd for daycare to try to cycle through some. Also don't forget you can push the button to do another let down in a pumping session and this can help output as well.

chknma I had day and night bamboobies and loved them. Plan on using them again this time. Though I will use disposables the first few weeks probably when the nipples are most sore and I'm using a ton of lanolin.

I am looking into trying a spectra this time just to compare output if insurance will cover, but overall liked my PISA and had good output with this. But regardless of the pump, having the right sized flange is incredibly important.

[Somers Isles]

Mar 19, 2017 21:02:40 GMT -5 cubbiebear325 said:

I pumped extra in the morning after feeding dd for the first 4ish months to build up freezer stash starting at about 3 weeks and pumped 2-3 times/day at work. DD always nursed when we were together.

I have a medela PISA from dd. I always wore nursing bra and I always wear a cami under my shirts at all times, so I would take shirt off, pull cami straps down and nursing bra down and used the simple wishes hands free pumping bra which worked great. Also was fully covered except for my arms. I couldn't wear a dress while pumping since I then would have had to be semi naked and didn't like that. I always charted while pumping so needed the hands free to work through and make the most of the time. I agree to always having extra parts with you, especially the membranes. They really do make all the difference. I also agree with storing the parts in the fridge in a ziplock. I just put them in the fridge/freezer container for the milk that came with the pump after my first pump since it was only half full. Then used the medela wipes after the second time until I could get home and wash. Drink lots of water and I always had a "pumping snack" as well, like an oatmeal bar, pb crackers because I was always starving!

I also agree that my supply dipped when I tried to cut my calories much so I didn't worry too much about that until done bf'ing. And I drank a ton of water all day, which I do normally, but really did a lot while bf'ing.

I also used lasinoh bags, by far the best and froze flat in 3-6 oz increments though usually froze 4 oz bags. With my extra morning pump and oversupply the first 6 months, I had abotu 1000 oz in my deep freeze, which allowed me to stop pumping months before I stopped nursing. I did 1-2 bags of frozen bm and 1-2 bottles of fresh bm for dd for daycare to try to cycle through some. Also don't forget you can push the button to do another let down in a pumping session and this can help output as well.

chknma I had day and night bamboobies and loved them. Plan on using them again this time. Though I will use disposables the first few weeks probably when the nipples are most sore and I'm using a ton of lanolin.

I am looking into trying a spectra this time just to compare output if insurance will cover, but overall liked my PISA and had good output with this. But regardless of the pump, having the right sized flange is incredibly important.

I forgot how helpful it was to pump extra off in the AM. I even remember getting to a point where I would strictly pump first thing and give DS a bottle because I could get more milk that way ... ended up being faster too because DS was a slow eater (and still is lol)

[irish14]

I didn't use the whole Kiinde system but I did like their bags - I inherited some from a friend and used them a ton.

I nursed for 3 mos on leave, then pumped while working full time until 1 year, then we just nursed at home after I quit pumping. I supplemented bc of low supply so I feel like I did all the options for feeding all at once, lol.

I liked my PISA too, but have heard such good things about spectra I may try that. Or I'm considering renting hospital grade, bc I had low supply issues with DS. I suspect this may have been in part from only offering one boob per feed in the very early weeks, so my advice is offer both in the beginning.

Love my hand pump for at home/pumping while out of the house/short travel. Also for getting clogs out. I have a Medela.

I forget what other people have said already but:

Looking at pics or videos of your LO during work pumping can help you get more. So can hands on pumping (massage toward the nipple while pump is going). There are some good videos out there on this.

All the supplements/what you should eat/etc advice never worked that well for me. Pumping is supply and demand, and absent legit low glandular tissue (very rare), the more you remove the more you make.

Almost never dump pumped milk. Even if you can't feed it, you can use it for a milk bath or topically otherwise. If a doc tells you to pump and dump, double check them. Many meds are safe to pump or nurse through but docs can be uninformed and err on the "dump it" side. Mommy Meds is a helpful app for this. If it's sour YOU WILL 100% KNOW, smells terrible if it's actually gone bad.

Will think about more advice. Loved my simple wishes pumping bra (Amazon). I tried the holes in sports bra trick but liked the SW better bc I could just flip shirt up, flip nursing bra down, and put it on over everything instead of totally taking off whole top/bra/whatever. Made setting up faster.

[mamabear13]

Following , thanks! I pumped with DS at work but lost my supply so ended up supplementing.

[Somers Isles]

Mar 21, 2017 11:36:32 GMT -5 irish14 said:

I didn't use the whole Kiinde system but I did like their bags - I inherited some from a friend and used them a ton.

I nursed for 3 mos on leave, then pumped while working full time until 1 year, then we just nursed at home after I quit pumping. I supplemented bc of low supply so I feel like I did all the options for feeding all at once, lol.

I liked my PISA too, but have heard such good things about spectra I may try that. Or I'm considering renting hospital grade, bc I had low supply issues with DS. I suspect this may have been in part from only offering one boob per feed in the very early weeks, so my advice is offer both in the beginning.

Love my hand pump for at home/pumping while out of the house/short travel. Also for getting clogs out. I have a Medela.

I forget what other people have said already but:

Looking at pics or videos of your LO during work pumping can help you get more. So can hands on pumping (massage toward the nipple while pump is going). There are some good videos out there on this.

All the supplements/what you should eat/etc advice never worked that well for me. Pumping is supply and demand, and absent legit low glandular tissue (very rare), the more you remove the more you make.

Almost never dump pumped milk. Even if you can't feed it, you can use it for a milk bath or topically otherwise. If a doc tells you to pump and dump, double check them. Many meds are safe to pump or nurse through but docs can be uninformed and err on the "dump it" side. Mommy Meds is a helpful app for this. If it's sour YOU WILL 100% KNOW, smells terrible if it's actually gone bad.

Will think about more advice. Loved my simple wishes pumping bra (Amazon). I tried the holes in sports bra trick but liked the SW better bc I could just flip shirt up, flip nursing bra down, and put it on over everything instead of totally taking off whole top/bra/whatever. Made setting up faster.

Great tips!