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  1. sillymilly

    olive / 60 posts

    @snowjewelz: thanks! Yes, I guess I'm not truly EP-ig. I nurse at the start of most feeds, but DD tires out quickly and needs to finish with a bottle.

  2. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @sillymilly: that's probably even more work to nurse and still basically EP! I hope she can start being on the breast longer and longer!

  3. Mrs. Pajamas

    kiwi / 702 posts

    @agold: there are a ton of ways to relieve a clogged duct Check out kellymom.com. But if you can wait until you get home I always found that nursing worked the best for me. I would put DD on a chair/the floor and then lean over her while you're in table top position and let her nurse (dangle your boob in her mouth). Sounds ridiculous but the gravity plus her sucking helps get the clog out!

  4. agold

    grapefruit / 4045 posts

    @Mrs. Pajamas: Thank you so much! I will definitely try that next time. I did nurse her when I got home twice on that side and rubbed the crap out of it with my knuckles in a hot shower. I think I got it all out. Gosh it came on so quick and without notice!!

    @sillymilly: @snowjewelz: Thank you so much for the tips!

  5. agold

    grapefruit / 4045 posts

    @anonysquire: How are you doing with pumping? I hope you were able to quit like you have intended.

  6. Mrs. Pen

    blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts

    I'm sitting here pumping and finally joining in! I've been skimming/reading through the last couple weeks.

    How long have you been pumping? Just a couple weeks. I'm still on maternity leave for another seven weeks and want to build a nice freezer stash before going back to work at 12 weeks.

    For LO #... 2! Second boy- but it's my first time going back to work! I was a SAHM with my first until he was two years old, so I didn't have to pump. I'm totally new to this!

    EP-er or WOH? Currently maternity leave, but will be WOH full time come June 2.

    What pump do you use? Spectra S2 plus. I love it, so far. I had a medela freestyle the first time and never really cared for it. The spectra is very gentle, quiet, and seems to get good output!

    How's pumping going? Good so far! I'm just doing one session a day after he eats, and I've been getting 2.5-3 ounces at one time. I'm thinking of increasing to two sessions a day.
    I figured if I can keep pumping at least 3 ounces a day for 49 more days until I go back to work, I'll have a stash of 150 ounces! But I'd love to have even more since I'm worried about supply going back to work.

    What's your goal? Nurse for a year 🤞 Keep my supply up when I go back to work.

    Did any of you pump daily to build a stash on maternity leave? How long do you all pump for?

  7. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: Ugh all this Spectra love makes me kinda wish I got one! I just got a Medela PISA again.

    I never pumped with both during maternity leave... Just couldn't fathom how to find the extra time to. Plus every time I've had to do it, I barely got anything! I had been relying on the silicone little suction pump to catch letdown milk. I used it every feeding and could save up at least one 4oz bottle a day!

  8. babypugs

    persimmon / 1101 posts

    After rightie was completely useless yesterday I tried upsizing my flange. Now I have milk! I guess nipples DO change shape and size.

  9. Dr. Pepper

    apricot / 461 posts

    Today is 4/14! I'm stopping pumping on 5/14 (when baby is 11 months old), so I only have ONE MONTH LEFT! 30 more days. Eeeeek! So excited. That will make a total of 22 months of EPing for my two boys. I'm ready to be done!

  10. sunny

    coconut / 8430 posts

    @snowjewelz: wow 4oz is awesome!

    My output yesterday was the best I've had in a long time. I managed to pump 6oz in the morning when I've been usually pumping 3oz. I think it's because LO slept most of the night and didn't nurse much.

  11. Dr. Pepper

    apricot / 461 posts

    @babypugs: Yes! They do. I had to start with a larger flange and then about two month in switch to a smaller one. This happened with both boys!

  12. babypugs

    persimmon / 1101 posts

    @Dr. Pepper: Yay, you're almost there! I did the "weeks left" calculation yesterday and it was too depressing for words. I'm with you though, at least I'll never have to do it again after this year!

  13. babypugs

    persimmon / 1101 posts

    @sunny: That's a great feeling!

  14. catlady

    grapefruit / 4988 posts

    @babypugs: Huh, so weird. I would never have thought of changing flange size. Wondering if I should try that too.

    @Dr. Pepper: Congrats! So jealous.

    DS (4.5 months) and I have been having issues recently. Last week and early this week, he stopped drinking all his bottles at daycare. I was still producing plenty, but throwing away 4-6 oz per day (I send in 12 oz). The past couple days, he's started drinking them all again, but now I can't seem to make enough so we've dipped into the freezer stash a couple times this week. He's drinking more frequently at night too. I just can't tell if he's reverse cycling or going through a growth spurt. I'm hoping that nursing him over the weekend will help "reset" us.

  15. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @catlady: Ack! Maybe both! So far my almost 4 mo old never drinks everything so I've had plenty leftover to freeze even though I don't have the best supply still this time.

  16. catlady

    grapefruit / 4988 posts

    @snowjewelz: I know, I think it may be both too! Makes it so hard to figure out how to get him back to eating more during the day. Blah.

  17. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @catlady: Yeah mine's been up way more at night eating too... I'm too tired to think about that right now, lol

  18. Smurfette

    GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts

    @catlady: I hate when she doesn't drink it all cause it just goes down the drain.
    @snowjewelz: You save the milk from a bottle she drank from? I thought you should pitch it like formula?

  19. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @Smurfette: No I was talking about saving my letdown milk from the other side while nursing! I've def wasted milk b/c she doesn't consistently drink X amount! I told my mom to just feed in 2 oz increments!

  20. Mrs. Pen

    blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts

    Okay so my big question is: does anyone pump while driving?

    I'm so nervous about pumping when going back to work because I'll only be able to pump while driving. I don't work in an office. I need to buy a plug adaptor for the lighter, and I have the simple wishes bra (love!!), but not sure on the logistics of it.
    Where do you set the pump? I feel like it'll have to go on the middle console area because of the short length of the tubes- but I feel like it'll go flying when I brake/turn..
    do you wear a nursing cover? Do you wear the simple wishes bra just every day so that you don't have to snap down your bra, put on simple wishes and then hook up?

    I'm just confused on how this will work! I'll definitely do a practice run before I actually go back to work. Also, my birth center has a pump talk class I signed up for in May for tips on going back to work.

  21. meadow

    persimmon / 1272 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: I did it twice....so I'm no pro, but I put it on the passenger seat and wore a nursing cover. I personally wouldn't use simple wishes as my bra because I don't feel support or coverage like a real bra.

    Good luck!!! It can't be easy using the car as a primary pumping zone!

  22. agold

    grapefruit / 4045 posts

    Why are you girls throwing away left over bottle milk? Can't you keep it out for a little bit and give to your babies a little while later?

    @Mrs. Pen: I did pump while I was on maternity leave. I was obsessed with building up a freezer stash. However, I haven't even hardly touched the freezer bottles. Omg if I have to throw any out. I think I pumped for 5 minutes starting out. Then went to 8 and then 10 I think once I went to work. Now I don't keep track of time. I pumped only a little at first. More as time went on. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

    I also pump in the car occasionally. I have a dairy fairy bra. The lace one for pumping. I'm happy with it. I don't use a cover because apparently I'm no longer modest in that regard. I just lift up my shirt or unbutton it. I try to get the pump parts as ready as possible. I leave the pump on the center console. It's awkwar but it can be done. Try not to crash!

  23. anonysquire

    cantaloupe / 6923 posts

    @agold: yes I've mostly quit!!! I still randomly get engorged because my little bird has a teeny appetite. Knock on wood I can stay away from the pump haha. My son isn't the greatest eater and we might have to explore a feeding tube at some point.

  24. Smurfette

    GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts

    @agold: technically you shouldn't offer milk after it has been in a bottle they have drank from after an hour. Just like formula. So day care will try for that hour but then I told them to toss it.

    http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/reusing-expressedmilk/

  25. agold

    grapefruit / 4045 posts

    @anonysquire: I hope all the feeding works out for you and your baby. Nothing is worse than pumping when you really don't want to be pumping.

    @Smurfette: Thank you for sharing that! My mom keeps the bottle out if my baby falls asleep while eating it and she gives it to the baby when the baby wakes up. So it gets left out for upwards of two hours. I'll think about reconsidering this.

  26. marley

    kiwi / 706 posts

    Logging on after a hiatus during maternity leave - what a great thread!

    How long have you been pumping? about 14 weeks

    For LO #... 2

    EP-er or WOH? WOH. I return to work 2 weeks ago.

    What pump do you use? Medela PISA

    How's pumping going? Ok, I guess? Definitely better than pumping for LO#1. I pump about 12-16 ounces in 3-4 sessions. My husband works from home and my first day back he fed DS 22 ounces in 8 hours. I wanted to kill him! I had about 70 ounces in the freezer when I went back to work and I have about 20 ounces now. Now he tries to cap it at 16 ounces when I'm at work.

    What's your goal? One year! But if I dry up I'll be ok. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing until I run out.

  27. Pumuckl

    pomegranate / 3601 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: I used to pump in the car because I didn't really have a place at work at first where I could pump. I didn't pump while driving but when the car was stationary. Used the backseat and set everything up there. I just put the handsfree pumping bra one once in the car if I felt like it I used a cardigan etc to kind of conceal what I was doing. I didn't need to plug my pump in since I used a Medela freestyle. I used their little coolpack to store my milk. Worked pretty well.

  28. DesertDreams88

    grapefruit / 4361 posts

    Hi Ladies! I'm not pumping anymore, but I almost-EPed for most of Aug-Dec last year so I still reminisce a bit here and there by checking on these threads. I know, I'm crazy

    Anyway, I thought maybe I'd pipe in about re-using half-drank milk. I always figured that if formula lasted an hour, fresh breastmilk could go for at least a bit longer because it has antibodies while formula does not. Something to consider.

    As LO got older, I'd let half-drank breastmilk AND half-drank formula go up to 4 hours after being drank, if I kept it in the fridge during that time. I had no qualms about re-heating. Everyone has to do what they feel comfy with and that might change as LOs get older and bigger but, it is what it is. Hate dumping any drops of that liquid gold!

    I also hear that duckbill valves are better than standard ones with the Medela parts. I learned tips like that form an Exclusively Pumping Facebook group that was SO helpful. I highly recommend.

    As for the car pumping comments ... if you ever stay out longer than anticipated and get worried about keeping the milk cold, order a big styrofoam cup of ice from a fast food place, or better yet, get free ice from the soda machines at gas stations!

    All the more power to all you pumping ladies! It is so worth it!

  29. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: I've done it with DD1~ I think the pump is either on the console between seats or in the passenger seat. I've never had to brake so hard that it went flying or anything.... I get in the car, set everything up, put the bra on, turn on, and drive. When I get to my destination, I stop, put everything away including the bra. I do everything super slowly to make sure I don't spill! I think maybe the first time I wore a cover, but after that I was like whatever haha.

  30. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @agold: Eh, it's not like I set a timer out for leftover milk either... With DD1 I was probably over careful and threw out a ton of milk, but with DD2 now I have probably given her "old" milk!

    @marley: Haha ahh I'd be so mad too! I like your attitude! I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to outdo last time, but I agree that it's just gotta be what it is....

    @DesertDreams88: Wait, so the duck bill ones get more milk then the standard ones with the flap?

  31. DesertDreams88

    grapefruit / 4361 posts

    @snowjewelz: that's what I've heard. I never tried them because I had already had a ton of valves and membranes.

  32. catlady

    grapefruit / 4988 posts

    @agold: Just saw this but the reason I was throwing away milk last week was that daycare would heat it up, DS would refuse it, I'd bring it home and try again, he'd still refuse, and then eventually he'd just want to nurse and I'd let him. So the milk had been warmed and then sat out for like 3 or 4 hours, and then he'd nurse and go to bed and I'd throw it away once I knew there was no way he'd eat it that day.

    In better news, he's been drinking all his bottles again and sleeping better at night (i.e. not waking to eat as often), plus my supply seems to have recovered after a weekend with him. Whew. Seems like I always have the most milk on a Monday.

  33. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @DesertDreams88: Interesting. I have an old hand me down Ameda that has duck bill ones... I'm gonna see if they fit on Medela!

  34. kes18

    apricot / 485 posts

    @Mrs. Pen: I have with my first. I just put my pump in the passenger seat. Set up before you go anywhere. Seatbelt on first and then connect lol. And yes, I usually either put a nursing cover over me or if my cardigan was long enough I just used that. The only downside is I can't massage/pressure but it still works when I needed to do it. Then I would unattach at lights since my commute was about 25min I would finish a little before I got there. Otherwise you could leave it on until you get to your destination. Not ideal but if I had to, I had to

  35. josina

    pomegranate / 3973 posts

    @catlady: Glad your supply recovered / he's sleeping better again!
    Regarding throwing milk away, daycare will refrigerate/reuse a bottle from one feeding to the next and I'm good with that (even more so after reading the link posted above). Luckily she's been finishing her bottles this week so a non-issue.

    DD is drinking 2- 3.5 to 4 oz bottles while I work, and I pump 4 bottles, so I'm getting a good stash built.

  36. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @josina: Nice output!! I was getting a lot the first few weeks but not lately!

  37. marley

    kiwi / 706 posts

    @josina: so your DD drinks 7-8 oz while you're at work? I wonder if my DS is overeating. He eats around 16 ounces while I'm at work. I'm only gone for 8-9 hours. He's not overweight - he's in the 5th percentile in weight and 65th in height.

    Ladies - how much does your DC eat during the day?

  38. kes18

    apricot / 485 posts

    @marley: It is supposed to be 1-1.5oz per hour that you are gone from baby (so include commute times). 22oz is probably too much, yes. Can he pace feed and see how it goes? Mine started at about 12oz at 3mo and I increased it to 15oz a couple weeks ago since he kept dropping in his weight %iles the ped wanted to see if I could get him an extra feeding. I am also gone 9 hours.

    But then again, some babies really do like to eat and it is also about how many other times baby is fed. If you look at 24-36oz over 24 hours and figure out how often baby eats that should give you a guess of how many ozs they should get at each feeding.

  39. josina

    pomegranate / 3973 posts

    @snowjewelz: This is what I got all with DS too I think, but DD isn't drinking as much right now - I think that'll change but at least I can get ahead for a bit!
    Sucks your not getting as much! How long do you pump for? I'm pumping about 15 minutes now and get 3 let downs.

    @marley: I nurse her around 6 am, then she takes a bottle around 10 and 2, and I nurse her when I get home at 5:30.
    So yes, about 8 ounces. She is 8 weeks old, and a chunky little girl. I assume she'll go up another bottle as she gets a bit older.
    How old is your DS? I'd say that's a lot (maybe just by one bottle) but sounds like he's a little peanut yet. Are you able to keep up with him?

  40. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    @josina: I pump for 20 and get like 2 let downs. Some days I do better, some days I do worse... I've been taking supplements too! I think maybe I'm just not sleeping well sometimes.

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