https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:33:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1703037 Mon, 16 Jun 2014 13:16:36 +0000 jhd 1703037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@leelee: thanks! I'm renting the medela symphony for now. Not washing bottles constantly is a game changer for sure! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1701991 Sun, 15 Jun 2014 23:17:50 +0000 leelee 1701991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I EP with my daughter and I agree with the handsfree bra, it makes a big difference. Also I don't know what type of pump you have but I have the medela Pisa and used the cheap gerber/evenflo bottles to pump into, they fit perfectly and were so cheap I was able to buy several if them so I was not always washing bottles! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1701966 Sun, 15 Jun 2014 22:41:55 +0000 jhd 1701966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePeony: I'm using your tip to save a little time. Thank you!! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1699943 Fri, 13 Jun 2014 19:09:14 +0000 QBbride 1699943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePeony: good idea! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1699939 Fri, 13 Jun 2014 19:07:07 +0000 PurplePeony 1699939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: @QBbride: I don't add new, warm milk to cold milk, but I do often combine the milk from a pump session into one of the bottles, refrigerate the empty bottle I dumped the milk over from, and then use that as one of my bottles for the next pump session. I think it's a good compromise between not mixing milks of different temperatures and saving on a bit of washing up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1699828 Fri, 13 Jun 2014 18:01:36 +0000 QBbride 1699828@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jhd: thanks! Nicu nursing is amazing. It's one of those places most people don't know anything about until they need it. I love my job! I'm happy to hear your son is home with you! It must have been a long 7 weeks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1696954 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 20:16:17 +0000 jhd 1696954@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@QBbride: off topic but after spending nearly seven weeks in the nicu let me just say you nicu nurses are amazing! We couldn't have made it through all this without such wonderful nurses! Thanks for all you do! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1696289 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:47:44 +0000 Adira 1696289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@QBbride: Yes, I don't think I'd do it for a NICU baby! But when I started doing it, Xander was 6 months and it DID save a ton of time. :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1696269 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:39:17 +0000 QBbride 1696269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: yeah I think you want the fooled milk to stay cool. Anyways I bet it saved you a ton of time. In the NICU we're always extra careful so I'm sure that's part of it too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1696264 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:37:34 +0000 Adira 1696264@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@QBbride: That's what I used to do! But then I read something that said it was okay to do it and so I started doing that, which saved me sooooooo much on bottle washing. I never had an issue with it, but it's probably BEST not to do it.</p> <p>Also, my first pump of the day was always my largest, so I was always adding less "new" milk to it, which I suspect helped, because it never really warmed up because of my pumping. I think this is the problem with pumping directly into cooled milk because you don't want your cooled milk to warm up at all. But that's just my guess. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1696258 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:34:46 +0000 QBbride 1696258@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Hmm interesting. I'm a NICU nurse and we tell mums to not pump into cold milk. Instead we recommend refrigerating the warm milk then when it's cooled adding it go the already cold milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1696257 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:32:44 +0000 Adira 1696257@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@QBbride: I've read (on a couple different articles, though I don't have them on hand) that it's okay to pump directly into already cooled (refridgerated) milk as long as it's within 24 hours of when the milk was first expressed. What you don't want to do is pump into frozen milk though for fear of thawing it and causing it to go bad early. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1696251 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:29:10 +0000 QBbride 1696251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I don't understand pumping into the same bottles until they're full? If you're storing your milk in the fridge, you shouldn't be pumping "warm" milk into "cold" milk... ? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1696191 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 16:52:20 +0000 jhd 1696191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pmerr: thank you so much for your help!! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695448 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 12:03:37 +0000 pmerr 1695448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been EPing about 9 months, and hopefully have enough that I can start weaning next week to get me through the rest of his first year.</p> <p>I agree with @Anagram. Definitely something so you can be hands free, take one day at a time (or one month or one week..), and stick to a schedule. </p> <p>Keep your phone with you. If you're alone, it's nice to look at pics or browse the internetz. </p> <p>Have multiple pump parts</p> <p>It can be very hard to pump and watch the baby at the same time, especially if baby is mobile. If you need help, don't be afraid to see if someone can watch baby while you pump, if you're able to do that.</p> <p>Try to be relaxed before you pump. It's a lot to do when you're EPing, and can be stressful, but it will go quicker if you're more relaxed.</p> <p>Also, I know that you're supposed to sanitize the parts daily, but I rarely do that, so if you're strapped for time or it's just too much, don't stress about it. Also, I used a Medela PISA, and love it as much as you can love a pump. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695385 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 11:32:00 +0000 jhd 1695385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sunshineandsushi: @lawbee11: @avivoca: @catlady: @2PeasinaPod: thank you ladies! I'm so grateful for your advice!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695378 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 11:30:11 +0000 jhd 1695378@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: congrats on 11 months!! Thanks so very much for all your thoughtful suggestions. You are right about taking it a day at a time. And not waiting for the perfect moment (this was really hard with the nicu but we're going home tomorrow so I can be much stricter). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695370 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 11:26:01 +0000 2PeasinaPod 1695370@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One thing that really helped me was putting a heating pad on while I pumped. It got the milk flowing a little faster and helped to prevent clogged ducts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695366 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 11:24:06 +0000 jhd 1695366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: I don't know what kind of band I have but I like that too. It is pretty easy to use. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695361 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 11:23:02 +0000 jhd 1695361@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aegie: those are excellent suggestions! In the first few weeks things were so crazy I wasn't able to stick to a strict schedule, but it's getting much more structured now and it sounds like that will be the best for my supply. Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695223 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 10:32:53 +0000 aegie 1695223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I EP for 12 months. I would say .... stick to a schedule so your body knows when to expect a pump session, that way you're getting the most milk at that time since you've essentially trained your body to produce milk at that interval. Going by a very loose schedule made me fluctuate output but being pretty structured in my pump schedule meant I had reliable output day in and day out.</p> <p>I rented a hospital grade pump for home because you always produce the most the first morning pump of the day and I wanted a good machine to really drain me after a long night of not pumping. I also had a medela PISA that I left at work. That way I was only carrying the milk back and forth. I used the pump parts with the PISA at work and bought 2 sets to use at home. That way I wasn't struggling to find clean parts. I also took a clean ziplock bag with me to store my pump parts at work and leave them in the fridge. At the end of the work day, I used a medela wipe to clean them and then steamed them in the microwave pack that they provide so I didn't have to bring those parts home and potentially forget them! I also left my hand pump at work too for the days I DID forget something. I brought home the pump parts every Friday for a deep scrubbing at home. </p> <p>take your phone with you when you pump at work and look at photos of your LO to help with faster let down. Or better yet, look at videos. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695145 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 10:11:28 +0000 catlady 1695145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh yes, hands-free pumping is key! I like to wear a nursing bra that pulls down easily and then use a Pump Ease band. I pump at work so that works better for me than the Simple Wishes one.</p> <p>Also, make sure your flanges fit (I ended up getting some from Pumpin Pals that worked alot better for me). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695131 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 10:01:57 +0000 avivoca 1695131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I only pump at work, but having two sets of pump parts and enough bottles for three days saved my sanity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695084 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:50:47 +0000 Anagram 1695084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jhd: i've been EPing for 11 months today. Will you be taking care of LO while pumping? If so, I would set a pumping schedule and really stick to it as closely as possible. I found that if I waited until the "right moment" (when LO was asleep, or happy or didn't need me), I would never pump. So a lot of times in the early days I just had to pump while she fussed in the rock n play, and I would rock her with my foot and talk to her.</p> <p>-Take one day at a time When LO was at 3 months, I never could have imagined making it to 11 months and now here I am.<br /> -enlist your partner to wash bottles and pump parts as much as possible<br /> -keep parts in the fridge and re-use as PPs mentioned<br /> -hands free bra<br /> -lots of bottles (I use the same 4 over and over but if I do this again, I will probably buy more).</p> <p>Keeping your supply: </p> <p>Don't drop pumps too quickly. I was pumping 8 times a day till 3 months, the 7 times until 5 months, 6 times a day at 6 months, dropped to 5 times a day after 6 months and then because my supply was still good dropped to 4 pumps to make my life easier right around 7 months. But then I got really sick, my supply dropped and it never fully recovered to the pre-sickness days of having a huge supply. I've been making barely enough to cover what LO needs for the past 3-4 months. </p> <p>Good luck! EPing takes a whole lot of perseverance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695053 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:37:28 +0000 Adira 1695053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also, have a million bottles so you don't have to constantly be washing them! (I had 9 and I wasn't even an EPer) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695039 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:31:38 +0000 lawbee11 1695039@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sunshineandsushi: Haha good advice :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695036 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:31:20 +0000 lawbee11 1695036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jhd: I also don't EP but I do pump at work every day. Definitely get a couple of hands free pumping bras if you don't already have them (I like the simple wishes ones). If I were EP I'd get at least 2, probably 3. I would also get at least 2 (probably 3) sets of pump parts (I have 2 sets now). They make storage bag adapters and storage bags that hang from the adapters, and those are easy to pump into. Better than having to hold the bags on (but if you're always pumping straight into bottles then this won't apply). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695030 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:29:43 +0000 sunshineandsushi 1695030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Get a hands-free bra! Simple Wishes worked great for me. </p> <p>Get a couple sets of pumping parts so that you don't need to wash on demand each morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695026 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:29:08 +0000 Adira 1695026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jhd: Here's a couple blog posts I found helpful too:</p> <p><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2014/05/27/what-i-didnt-know-about-exclusive-pumping/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2014/05/27/what-i-didnt-know-about-exclusive-pumping/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2013/07/09/my-exclusive-pumping-journey/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2013/07/09/my-exclusive-pumping-journey/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2012/12/31/my-pumping-system/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2012/12/31/my-pumping-system/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-tips-for-ep#post-1695023 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 09:28:40 +0000 jhd 1695023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: I'm renting one right now. I will definitely keep it for a while! </p>