Pumping And Feeding...NEED advice please! :)

OK,so I know we have some expert pumpers on here.I would like some advice from you guys!

So,I have been exclusively BFing Tia pretty much from day 1,with the odd formula bottle here and there and for a brief time when she wouldnt eat on the breast and just screamed and pulled,I pumped a couple of feeds a day.During this time,if she was hungry,I put her in her bouncy chair and rocked her with my foot while I pumped to stop the screaming until it was ready.

Well,the rocking thing no longer works...EVER!She's hungry and she eats on and off all day.Also she has started to get SO distracted by noises (mostly from my 4 yr old) and other things she wants to look at,that she doesnt really eat for more than a few minutes except at night when shes sleepy and we're in bed in the dark,then she eats fine.

Here is my plan,I want to start pumping in the day for sevral reasons;
1) So that she can have more in one go and not be feeding on and off ALL day and cluster feeding at night so much
2) So that other people can give her a bottle if neccessary
3) So that I have a little more freedom and also an idea as to how much she is drinking and when,plus I want to start on solids soon (within about a month)
I want to keep feeding at night becuase it's nice ans cosy,also I don't have to get up and warm bottles!

SO<here are my questions that you guys can hopefully help me with...

1) How do you START pumping and stay ahead? Do you pump once they've gone to bed?(I am afraid that if I pump in between feeds that all the milk will go in the fridge that when she wants some in the day,there won't be any left in me for her to eat (make sense?)
2) How do you store it? (I have bought some drop ins ,I HOPE they fit both my medela bottles and my Avent ones too (its says thet expand ???) Also,I only have a compartment freezer above my fridge,can you put the milk bags in the drawer?
3) how do you heat them up?
4) Have you any special tips /equipment for me?
Thanks girls,much appreciated! xxx

Hey Angel!
I may not be the best one to answer your questions. I know that there are few more ladies here that are more dedicated breast feeders.
I wonder if you could supplement with an ounce or two of formula at the end of each feeding or every other feeding to get her nice and full and then after you feed her pump. That way you don't have to dip into your daily pumped milk. If you could do that for a few days you would have a chance to build up a supply.

Owen is getting distracted when feeding too. He's pulling at the breast, hitting and pinching me and bobbing on and off. It really frustrates me! Today I spaced his feedings out a little more and it helped a lot. (I guess because he was really hungry!) I also have started turning off the TV or feeding in his room instead of out where every one else is. (This may not be an option for you during the day.)

I also quit feeding in the night so I could force him to get all of his calories during the day. I gave up one feeding at a time over the course of about two weeks.

As far as storage, etc.... I don't know! When I pumped it was never enough to do much with and I usually only pumped if I needed to have a bottle that day or the next day so long term storage was never a concern of mine.

Hope you can work things out!!!!

Lou Lou

Thanks for your response Lou,I would do the supplementing thing only thing is she HATES formula,she has only ever drank two bottle in full and that was because she was STARVING and I couldnt feed her.She eats like a pig though>I don't know how much she drinks obviously coz I BF but she is a big gurl and likes her milk.She's almost 4 months old and weighs over 16lbs!

hey angel!!! i'm nursing while we speak...sorry for the lowercase...

ok...

1. when to start pumping...if you nurse her in the morning try to pump right after she nurses 1st thing. how is your milk supply now? Do you know? How often is she nursing? Thane was fed on demand and still is, so when he would eat every 3 hours, I would pump after an hour and a half after his last feed. I wouldn't get much at first. But, now at 9 mos, I am pumping 12 oz my morning session and WHEN i pump the afternoon session i get about 6 - 8 oz Sorry that I asked you questions, but your answers will depend on what my answer is for sure on WHEN

2. How to store it...well I am one of the UNLUCKY ladies whose breastmilk deteriorates very quickly so what I do is pump and put it in those Lansinoh plastic baggies at work and then transfer them to the bottle when i get home. If I have to freeze it, which he will NOT eat anyway (little picky boy!!!) then I keep them in the bags and put them in the deep freeze with the number of oz and the date on them. If you are pumping to give it to her the same day, then its no big deal to keep it in the bottle to heat up later. And how to heat it...well I put water in a cup and put it in the microwave for 1 minute then put his bottle in the water for about 1 - 2 minutes - he likes his milk HOT! And Yes, you can put the frozen bags in the compartments of the freezer - that's no biggie.

3. OH sorry, answered this above I'll copy it: And how to heat it...well I put water in a cup and put it in the microwave for 1 minute then put his bottle in the water for about 1 - 2 minutes - he likes his milk HOT!

4. As for equipment, if you want a REALLY good pump for not much money that will really increase your milk supply, I recommend renting one from a local Medical Equipment Store and getting a Medela. They are about $1000 to buy one, but I pay $45 a month on the Lactina Select and its FREAKIN Awesome!!!! I pump 12 oz in about 10 minutes Its great! You only have to buy the bottles and pump mechanism for cleanliness purposes and its about $50 (a one time payment) and its yours. Its the nipple shields, pump action thing, and the bottles. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! You will get in the swing of things, I know exactly what you mean about not knowing WHEN to pump! You don't want to pump too much and then Tia not have any milk left. but the milk is NEVER all gone

Good luck!!!!

OK. If you are planning to only bottle feed her breast milk during the day, then you should be able to just start building up a supply. In order to have a system going where you will have enough milk to exclusively bottle feed her the breast milk though, you may have to just pump in the morning when you have the most milk from her sleeping all night, and only on the side that she doesn't drink from (assuming you feed only on one side each feeding), and then freeze it. Once you have built up enough supply to feed her all day, then you should be able to keep up with things if you are exclusively pumping during the day. It's unfortunate that she won't take formula, because this would help you build up the breast milk supply faster.

You can buy breast milk storage bags for the fridge. I recommend freezing the excess that you don't use during the day, that way you have it in an emergency, or if something happens and your fresh refrigerated breast milk got somehow contaminated.

Also.... when you store the breastmilk, it should be towards the back of the fridge, so that the temperature is not affected when you open and close the doors throughout the day.

It is actually o.k. to use ziplock freezer bags to store breast milk. I used put like 12 ounces in one medium size ziplock FREEZER bag, and then label it with the date and amount of ounces that were in it.

You heat up the refrigerated stuff by putting into the bottle you intend to feed your baby, then put that bottle into a sauce pan or bowl of boiling water. I found it was quickest to boil water in a fast electric kettle, and then dump the water into the bowl around the bottle.

Pump every 3 hours during the day to keep up your supply. Also, use olive oil to lubricate the breast shield tunnels while you pump. Things get raw if you don't. Also make note that their are different sized breast shield tunnels. If you start hurting while you pump, you may need to get a larger sized tunnel. I was all torn up before I realized there were bigger sizes.

While you pump, squeeze your boobs with each suction of the pump, like a cow. I know it sounds weird, but the milk drains faster, and more completely when you do this.

I hope this helps. I think it took me like a day of supplementing LM with formula to get a nice fresh milk supply built up. I know that your bubba girl hates the formula, so it may take you a while to build up enough for all day.

Angel, here's a great guideline for breast milk storage.
http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/11/breastmilk-collection-and-storage

Thank you thank you thank you!Much appreciated!

Ginny,I already have a medela pump that my neighbour kindly gave/lent me (I know about not useing/sahring the same parts.I have all new parts that touched milk just the actual machine is borrowed.It works like a dream I don't have trouble pumping...

Now about the question of how often she fees...To be honest I really don't know.It SEEMS to be a lot more often than 3 hours,she is demand fed and tends to feed every 1 1/2 -- 2 hours sometimes leaving 2 and a hlaf between feeds but rarely more.She often still drinks and falls asleep at the breat and wakes up pissy and hungry because she fell alseep before she got enough.In the late afternoon evening she cluster feeds, can be up to every half hour 45 mins (I get NOTHING done! during this time) and then she will sleep from about 8-9pm until between 3-5am and then eat and sleep again until 7:30-8am....I don't mind keeping the night feeds at all until she sleeps through the night comepletely!

She is amost 4 months old.

wow that is awesum that your friend loaned u the medela!!! thats wonderful!!!

i agree w princess that your best bet to start out with is an am pumping session when ya'll wake up. maybe feed her on one breast and pump on the other. at 4 months is when i started pumping too and it built up my supply quickly!

wow! she sleeps better than thane!!! lol he still wakes up several times a a nite to eat and bond i don't mind it either!

try the pumping every morning for awhile and see how it goes. if she doesnt eat really well then pump instead for the feeds during the day. all this will increase your supply. thats a great idea to get her used to the bottle 2! you are doing great!!!!

someones fussy!!! xxxx

Thanks,I was just miffed as to when to start,I guess it does make a lot of sense to pump from one side n feed from the other then theres always gonna be 'something'to drink if they go nuts lol

Thanks again girls I really appreciate this!

BTW, Angel, you'll get more milk if you pump both sides at the same time. So feed the bubs, and even if she very well near drains your breast, still pump this same breast as you pump the other. You may barely get anything out, but you have more let downs while pumping if you do this. Also, pump for 20 minutes, 25 at the longest.

If you feed from just the one side, she gets more hind milk anyway, so it should keep her satisfied longer.