https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:29:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-231280 Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:37:05 +0000 mediagirl 231280@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm doing pretty good. I got a blocked duct but it went away after 3 days. Day 2 was the worst, I couldn't even lift my arm without my breast hurting. Add that to other general post-pardum weepiness and I was a mess!</p> <p>I really don't miss breastfeeding. Yes, it would be easy to do when we're out and about and she is hungry but I don't miss the stress I had with trying to breastfeed her. I have 6 more weeks at home and then I'll be back to work. I plan on pumping 3x a day at work. I'm letting myself sleep at night and wake up when she does or when my breasts tell me they need to be pumped. It's working for now. </p> <p>I'd say the hardest part is what @winniebee mentioned above. Her son is now able to self-occupy now. My 6 week old can't do that very well yet. I've had to stop pumping many times to get her but for now, knock wood, we're doing ok with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-231264 Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:24:04 +0000 doodlepoodle 231264@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi there! I'm going to go ahead and pop in and introduce myself as a new *mostly* pumper :) Today was my first half-day back at work, next Wednesday I'll start full-time. I plan to still try to nurse two times a day as time/baby J allow. I don't get much when I pump each time but I'm going to try to continue to up my supply so I can meet his needs. Currently I'm taking fenugreek and drinking the mothers milk tea (ick!). Since I'm working only part time this week my schedule for pumping is changing the way our schedule has been and so HOPEFULLY after next Wednesday I'll be able to get both J and I used to things... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-230972 Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:27:19 +0000 winniebee 230972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How's everyone doing here?</p> <p>Pumping seems to be getting easier for me as DS can self-occupy better during the day. I feed him, then put him in his vibrating chair and talk to him while I pump and that seems to work. I've been going longer between pumps, too (esp. during the night when he sleeps for longer stretches). I still try to pump roughly every 3 hours during the day, but sometimes it is 4 hours. My supply seems good (knocks wood). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-221998 Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:24:41 +0000 mediagirl 221998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, I'm definitely on the bandwagon. It feels so nice not to have to worry about her fussing about and not taking the breast. @yin, I can't believe you EP'ed a whole year! That's awesome. </p> <p>I have a friend who EP'ed her twins. She did it for 5 months and has been helpful to talk to. She did say to try putting olive oil in the flanges. It helps lube things and lessens the chances of mastitis and clogged ducts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-221665 Sun, 15 Jul 2012 07:27:11 +0000 winniebee 221665@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: feel free to email me any questions you have! Pumping is a difficult but still good alternative. Since DS was low birth weight (only 5-5 when he was born!) I stressed about his weight and how much he was drinking all the time, until we switched to pumping. At 2 months he's almost 9 lbs! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-221661 Sun, 15 Jul 2012 07:21:39 +0000 winniebee 221661@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@krsmall: that's great! I'd like to tart to try BF again since DS is more settled now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-221659 Sun, 15 Jul 2012 07:20:13 +0000 winniebee 221659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: it's awkward but I feed him sitting very upright on my lap. He has really good head control so I sit him on my lap (not touching my pump parts) and support his head by cupping the base of his skull. I do this in the middle of the night and usually do not pump for the full 20 mins. During the day I will prop another small pillow under his boppy an put him on the couch right next to me. I don't do this at night bc it's too comfy of a position for him! I prefer to feed him while not pumping bc we can cuddle more and I'm less distracted. But I just feel like pumping is 20 mins less I can spend with him so try to multitask at least 50% of the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-221510 Sat, 14 Jul 2012 21:26:18 +0000 littlek 221510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm actually moving towards breastfeeding more and pumping less. I'm still pumping 4 times a day but it's wearing me out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-221473 Sat, 14 Jul 2012 20:21:47 +0000 mediagirl 221473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: how do you pump and feed him at the same time? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-221468 Sat, 14 Jul 2012 20:14:26 +0000 mediagirl 221468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I might be joining you all soon. I've struggled with M from the beginning. She has the hardest time remembering to open wide to latch on and most of the time, her latch hurts me. This week I have noticed she is getting less and less from me and she is sometimes not taking the second boob. :-( </p> <p>I'm going to read through some of the suggestions because I think I may need them soon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-220947 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:19:22 +0000 betsyboop 220947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yin: so so helpful, thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-220806 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:21:03 +0000 ktgee04 220806@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you so much for starting this! I plan on EP when my little one comes in a few weeks for a few reasons. Quite frankly, the idea of BF freaks me out a little bit. But mostly, I want my husband to share in the feeding of our son. I think it's important for both of us to bond in that way with him and not just me. Plus this will give the g'parents a chance to feed him : ) It's great to hear other people's stories and advice! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-220773 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:04:36 +0000 yin 220773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@betsyboop: I was down to 5x a day within a 24 hour period. It took a long time for me to get there because I was so paranoid about clogs and mastitis. I pumped every 2 hours for a long time because I was really scared about a decline in my supply. Every time I dropped a pump session, I would do so gradually. Every 3 hours would turn into every 3.5 hours, schedule permitting of course. Then a few days later you can increase to every 4 hours. You are supposed to extend your pumping sessions so that you are still pumping a total of 120 minutes every 24 hour period. I didn't always follow that rule and kept pumping for 20 minutes each session for my own sanity. If you only pump for 20 minutes and notice a slight decline in supply, just increase your session by another 5 minutes or so to see if that helps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-220696 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:14:43 +0000 betsyboop 220696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yin: Wow, a full year is amazing! That IS dedication! May I ask, when you say you pumped 5x a day do you mean 5x in 24 hours? And if so, were you always on that schedule, or did you gradually space out your pumps to get down to 5x? I'm pumping every 3 hours (started out every 2 hrs), but would like to stretch it to at least 4 hours and am not sure how to go about doing it without messing with my supply and encountering clogged ducts! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-218457 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 11:41:46 +0000 junebuglim 218457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yin: you definitely deserve a pat on the back and should be proud... (we all should, right?) Good job mama! Thank you for the tips!</p> <p>@kimbed: Thanks for sharing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-218367 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:45:31 +0000 yin 218367@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebuglim: Mrs. Bee exclusively pumped for Charlie and weaned off the pump in 2 weeks. Weaning for me took much longer because I was so scared of clogged ducts. I was also still pumping 5x a day and slowly increased my time between pumps. I tried to keep it at a steady 20 minutes for pumping (in case that would help with the clogs) and eventually decreased the time to 10 minutes. I had an occasional clog, but a little epsom salt soak would clear it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-218356 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:40:22 +0000 yin 218356@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: Growth spurts are much more difficult for exclusive pumpers. I usually had a spare bottle with an extra oz or two of milk just in case he wanted more. During a growth spurt I would slowly add in more milk to accommodate his needs. I also had to pump more often and for longer periods to tell my body to make more milk for my LO. That usually meant less sleep for me and more time pumping. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-218344 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:33:47 +0000 yin 218344@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So great to see so many EP mommies on Hellobee! I started to EP from the very beginning on day 2. My LO did not come to the breast and didn't know what to do with my nipple. It was also difficult to bottle feed because he didn't have the sucking reflex needed to drink. It was extremely difficult for the first week. I spent so much time encouraging my LO to go to the breast, and it didn't work. I made the decision to EP and not spend so much forcing my LO to breastfeed. </p> <p>Initially I had small goals -- make it to 4 weeks then 3 months. At the time my ultimate goal was 6. I had to supplement for the first month with formula, and eventually I produced enough that my LO was drinking all breast milk. I decided that I would quit pumping if I couldn't produce at least 50% of what he was eating. Luckily my supply always caught up to his needs, and I was able to EP for a full year. </p> <p>Of course it wasn't easy, and I spent so much time at the pump. I dealt with mastitis and so many clogged ducts. Finding time to pump always proved difficult. Before I started to wean I was still pumping 5x a day. </p> <p>Now that I look back on my experience, I give myself a pat on the back. EP requires a lot of hard work and dedication. If I could do it all over again, I would do it in a heart beat. Of course I know a lot more now than I did when I first started so it would be much easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-218145 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 07:21:30 +0000 SugarplumsMom 218145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can not wait to join this group! LO is about 2 weeks old and I had issues from the beginning. I have large breasts and pregnancy totally transformed my areolas into saucers (seeing them next to my baby's head is ridiculous). Apparently, I also have flat nipples (I never knew) and can only feed with a nipple shield. It's difficult to get her to latch even with the nipple shields - she's overly aggressive and the ends up knocking the thing off. I'm always balancing her, while holding the nipple shield in place, while holding my boob up to not suffocate her. </p> <p>It wasn't until I watched this YouTube video that made me come to the conclusion to just pump. Her little mouth can not do that, and it wouldn't even be possible with my nipples even when she's older. </p> <p>My electric pump should arrive tomorrow. Here's to hoping it'll get better!</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_U5BM6L9F8" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_U5BM6L9F8</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-217932 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 18:51:41 +0000 chrispygal 217932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure I'll be an EP, but I am definitely going to try for it. I had a breast reduction 20 years ago and was unsure if my milk would be able to express or not, and just how much I would create. I am 6 days post delivery and just got a pump to work on this. I might be behind by a couple of days so I am pumping every 4 hours to see what I can get and to see if we can stimulate production as I am able to get small amounts by manual pumping. LO has latched, but doesn't always and its very stressful to try and know what she is getting, if anything, from BF which is why I'm leaning towards EP. We will supplement if we need to, but our preference is to go with as much breast milk as possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-217915 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 18:25:36 +0000 leelee 217915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is 2.5 weeks and for the most part I am EP. She wasn't latching well initially and Dr told us it was imperative she was fed every two hours since her bilirubin levels were dangerously high. She took to the bottle very well and it is less stressful not wondering if she is eating enough. She is all better now so I try to nurse her for a little bit before giving her the bottle however I think I have a oversupply which makes it difficult for her. I generally pump 6-8 oz every 3 hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-217776 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:34:40 +0000 kimbed 217776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebuglim weaning off the pump is definitely a slow transition and i mainly did it by increasing the time between pump sessions. I worked my way from 3 hours to 4 hours around the 3 month mark. I would maintain my two pump sessions at work (our lactation room is on a schedule) but only pumped when i woke up, got home from work and before bed. Eventually i dropped the after work pump and stuck with the 4x a day for quite a while. At about 7 months i dropped one of the work pumpings and went to 3x a day. I eventually dropped the mid-day pump completely at about 9 months and now only pump 1x per day. Keep in mind I haven't been able to keep up with my son's demand, but I have been able to wean with relatively little discomfort and no clogged ducts. Surprisingly the majority of my clogged ducts were when i was pumping pretty consistently! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-217498 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:32:10 +0000 junebuglim 217498@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: it was a slow transition.. I increased my intervals slowly but was stuck at 4.5-5 hours for a while mainly because I didn't want to wake up again after feeding the babies and just pumped when they would wake up for a feeding and before going to bed. I figured pumping at 10 &amp; 4 am/pm would be ideal because it wouldn't get in the way of putting babies to bed, when hubs leaves for work, etc. one day last week I happened to pump at 4 am and since then it's been every 6 hours. I did a slow transition mainly because I was terrified of getting clogged ducts! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-217140 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 08:21:42 +0000 winniebee 217140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebuglim: how did you know you were tray to go 6 hr intervals? Last night I went 6 hrs - not bc DS slept that long he was just up SO much I couldn't deal wig pumping. I pumped 8 oz after 6 hrs which is good but I don't want my supply to go down. </p> <p>@regberadaisy: I ultimately switched to EP because it was too stressful - he would cry and cry after feedings and ben though my boobs were full of milk he wouldn't nurse. I finally decidedthat it was better for me to be happy and not stressed than to BF. I miss the closeness a lot and wish it would have worked out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-217003 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 23:36:27 +0000 junebuglim 217003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pump breast milk to feed my twins! They were too small (born at 35 weeks) when they were born to nurse at the breast well and I was starving the one that did because my milk didn't come in (didn't come in until I was pumping around the clock at every 3 hours.. I don't think I even had much of a flow until the 2nd week!) so we supplemented with formula. I tried to simultaneously breastfeed them when the milk did come in but it was WAY too stressful so I just resorted to pumping. Now one takes 100% breast milk and the other is 50/50 (he LOVES formula and takes the breast milk better when it is mixed with formula). </p> <p>It's been a little over three months now and I've increased my pumping intervals to every 6 hours as of last week.. so only 4 times a day which has done wonders for my sanity and not feeling tied to the pump and my pumping schedule all the time. I'm trying to figure out how to wean without running into clogged duct problems come the 6 month mark when I return my pump back to the hospital. </p> <p>I have 3 sets of pump parts which made pumping much easier when I was pumping every 3 hours.. they were totally worth the investment.</p> <p>@kimbed: It'd be helpful to hear how you wean off the pump and if you run in to any challenges in that area and what you do the get through them. I have already had a few clogged ducts and thinking about getting them when I decrease pumping stresses me out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-216951 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 21:21:19 +0000 winniebee 216951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kimbed: never mind you already answered my questions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-216889 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:45:49 +0000 regberadaisy 216889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This thread is really interesting.<br /> I'm kinda in no mans land right now! She gets bottles of bm during the day because I'm back at work. But we also supplement with formula because I'm not pumping enough to feed her, or just not able to pump often enough to feed her. And she's been supplemented since day 1. I nurse when I'm with her but I can't help but feel she doesn't get full that way. It might just be mental bc my mom says that <i>all</i> the time! But I do wonder since she's not a efficient nurser if pumping would actually give me more output than she takes.<br /> She does fuss at the boob but not all the time and middle of the night feedings are perfect 85% of the time.</p> <p>I've been thinking about switching to bottle feed only during the day and bf for night time feedings.<br /> I'm reluctant because I'm afraid my already low supply will drop even lower.<br /> I will miss the closeness I get with M while nursing. Unlike you ladies I have no pain issues so that's not a reason for me. I love our morning nursing sessions and will miss them dearly if I switch.<br /> Another option is to accept she is not a efficient nurser and pump the other breast every time or other that she feeds.</p> <p>So I'm just confused but will be keeping my eye on this thread!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-216861 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:25:18 +0000 winniebee 216861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kimbed: Thank you so much for sharing! How old is your LO now? Did you ever have to supplement with formula?</p> <p>@krsmall: My sister had the same situation with her daughter - born 34 weeks and in NICU for 2 weeks - and she exclusively pumped.</p> <p>@betsyboop: I use the same tricks - refrigerate parts during the day...also recently figured out how to pump and feed him at the same time - life saver! I'm jealous of your supply! I used to have a crazy supply but in an effort to save breastfeeding, tamed my supply and now I am pretty much on track for what LO eats. </p> <p>Oh, and here is my full story of how I came to pumping: <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-know-to-throw-in-the-towel" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-know-to-throw-in-the-towel</a></p> <p>How long do you plan to pump for? My goal was to EBF for 6 months. Now, I'm not sure how long I can keep up pumping. I hope to EBF for 3 months at least and then supplement with formula as needed. </p> <p>The biggest thing that bums me out about pumping (aside from the fact that I wish it worked out for us) is that time pumping is time away from LO. One thing I always am wondering is how to pump to keep up w/ growth spurts and also how to know how much milk they want. LO usually slows way down after 3 oz but then will drink another .5 or 1 oz after diaper change, burping, and an activity (tummy time etc). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-216827 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:58:14 +0000 littlek 216827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is almost 6 weeks old and we bottle feed him mostly and I breastfeed him for his night time feedings. We had to do bottle feeding because DS was born 6 weeks early and was in the NICU for 10 days. I've been pumping since the day DS was born so I have about a 2 week stash but I worry about keeping up with the demand as he gets older. When we started he was taking only 15ccs but now he's up to 3 ozs a feeding. When I pump I usually get 4 - 6 oz. Pumping is so time consuming and I'm worried I won't be able to keep it up once I have to return to work in September. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/exclusive-pumpers-thread#post-216797 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:34:40 +0000 betsyboop 216797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for starting this thread, @winniebee. Sometimes it's tough to completely relate to BFing moms! </p> <p>My LO is almost 7 weeks, and I've been EPing for about 6 weeks. I had some issues with my LO latching while I was still in the hospital but after working with 2 LCs there, by the time I went home, LO was latching okay but we needed to bait her with formula or breast milk via a medicine dropper. </p> <p>After a couple of days LO refused to nurse from my right breast, and my nipples were destroyed. We met with an LC at our pediatrician's office, and she suggested I use a nipple shield to help LO latch. That didn't work, and after a day or 2, LO started to refuse the other breast. She would scream and scream whenever I tried to BF her, and it was just very emotionally draining. I would try every few days and sometimes she would latch and nurse, but it was never long enough for a full feeding, and the times she wouldn't latch she would scream uncontrollably. I stopped trying 2 weeks ago. </p> <p>Managing the logistics of pumping has gotten better. During the day I use the same set of shields/valves and store it in the fridge, and use a separate set overnight. I take fenugreek, which I think has helped, as I am able to pump about 45-50 oz a day. My goal is to pump for 6 months and then feed with whatever supply I have built up in the freezer. </p> <p>I wish BFing had worked out for me and my LO but I am just thankful I am able to feed her my own milk for now. </p>