https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 05 May 2026 00:04:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-981743 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:13:50 +0000 sunshineandsushi 981743@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In the beginning, I did pump every three hours, but now at almost 7 months, I'm down to 4 or 5 pumps a day. It takes time, but you will be able to stretch out the time in between sessions. The key is to wait until your supply is established. </p> <p>I do take my pump with me when we'll be out for a long time and I'll need to pump, or I will just pump before we leave and right after we get home, even if it's off schedule a bit. </p> <p>After four months, I gave myself the flexibility to miss a pump or go off schedule on one day during the weekends and it never hurt my supply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-981677 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 13:58:20 +0000 softcream 981677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i love how helpful and encouraging you guys are. thank you!</p> <p>LO will be 7 weeks tomorrow, so hopefully that means only 5 more weeks of sticking to this 3-hour schedule. i'm at the point of not needing to supplement, but i'd still like to boost my supply just in case (for his growth spurts).</p> <p>we bought a car adapter earlier this week, so hopefully that will help. i've also got a pack of batteries for emergencies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-980462 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:27:42 +0000 littlebittyhouse 980462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have always been really protective of my supply so if I was going to miss a pumping/nursing session I would bring my pump with me. I bought the car adapter and used a nursing cover. I would prep the bottles before hand making sure that all I had to do was pop the flanges/bottles into the tubing and go!</p> <p>A helpful tip I learned was that you do not need to wash your pump parts in between sessions. You can put them in a ziplock and keep them in a cooler bag with ice packs.</p> <p>When I am at work or if I knew I was going to be away for multiple sessions I pump, then put new bottles on my flanges and put the whole shebang back in my cooler bag so that they are ready to go for the next session.</p> <p>If you don't have one already I highly suggest the simple wishes handsfree pumping bra. Makes it so much easier! Plus you can do some 'hands on' pumping and get your milk out a little faster! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-979794 Wed, 31 Jul 2013 22:06:12 +0000 LaineysMom 979794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@softcream: @4 weeks I switch from EBF to EP. I started off pumping 5 times a day (8, 12, 4, 8, 12) and took nights off. I rarely deviated from that schedule, but when I did I would add an extra pump session some other time. @4 months I dropped to 4 sessions a day. I would periodically go 8 hours between pump sessions, but not often. @6 months I dropped to 3 sessions. Now, I sometimes go 12 hours between pump sessions if it is inconvenient to pump. My supply has been pretty great and I've never had to supplement. I think the key is to never let your supply dip for more than a day. If you notice a dip then get back on schedule.. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973971 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 20:13:23 +0000 Beehive 973971@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How established is your supply? I EBF, but when LO was maybe around 2 months old (possibly before) I would skip a feeding session every now and then. I started going to language classes every Saturday, and DH would give LO a bottle for one of his feedings while I was in class. I would sometimes make up for it by pumping later in the day (though usually not!). My lactation consultant said it's fine to skip a feeding as long as you pump to make up for it (and she said it doesn't need to be at the same time the feeding would have been). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973967 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 20:12:19 +0000 birdofafeather 973967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i would second getting a manual pump for the times where you *may* run past the scheduled pump time in the beginning. it's nice to just grab and go. it may not be as effective, but it will help your supply, is easy to grab and clean and doesn't take up space! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973851 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 19:22:45 +0000 hellobeeboston 973851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pumped in the car quite a few times! Once you really get the hang of it it's easy. I've pumpe all over the place, ha.... Most recently I pumped on the plane in my seat with a scarf covering me... Ha! No one noticed. </p> <p>It used to take me around 30 minutes also. Just plan around it for a while, it can be a pain but its temporary. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973836 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 19:16:35 +0000 SleepyMonkey 973836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i wasn't an EP-er, i was an EBF-er, however, i will say that at that stage, i still felt really anxious about going out with LO and timing it just right around her feeding schedule. i think you'll feel more comfortable with it over time....now i don't even give it a second thought about going out and her feeding schedule. i just feed her in the car if i'm out in public. i imagine you can pump in the car when you need to. and you'll also feel less pressure to pump exactly at 3 hours once your supply is fully established, you can let it go a little longer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973642 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 17:39:04 +0000 betsyboop 973642@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had the same issue when I was EPing. I would often plan to go to a party or a friend's house and stay for just a bit, but ended up wanted to stay longer but I'd have to go home just to pump. Sometimes I brought my pump with me but it was such a pain to prep all the bottles, etc. This went on for at least 4+ months, and then I was comfortable enough with my supply to stretch the breaks between pumping. Hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973619 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 17:29:00 +0000 autumnlove 973619@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used a manual pump in my car and restrooms. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973593 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 17:16:54 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 973593@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Totally the same. I didn't do much for awhile. I remember going to a play and I skipped dinner with everyone and had dh drop me off right before and I still went 4 1/2 hours without pumping. You c an do something like that every once in awhile and be fine. </p> <p>Realistically, it'll be another 5 or 6 weeks of this, then if your supply is good, you might be able to drop to 7x a day...although the extra time will probably be at night so you can sleep.</p> <p>But in 6 months, you might be able to pump 3-4 times a day which is sooo much easier! Good luck. Keep up the good work! (And pump in the car for any long trips...) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973589 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 17:15:53 +0000 lomom 973589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I EP'd for 6.5 weeks. After the first month, once I knew my supply was established, I occasionally went longer stretches. It got uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt my supply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973588 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 17:15:12 +0000 Pink Champagne 973588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Umm.. Pumping never interfered with my social life. I don't think I ever pumped for longer than 15-20 minutes ever though. You must be exclusively pumping then?<br /> I would invest in a car adapter and pump in the car. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-amp-your-social-life#post-973562 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 17:00:32 +0000 softcream 973562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i pump roughly every 3 hours, and i figure that'll be my schedule for a while still (LO is 6 weeks). i pump for 30 minutes each session, so i get just under 2.5 hours of "free" time between sessions. that's plenty of time if we just want to walk somewhere in the neighborhood.</p> <p>but if we want to go somewhere across town, the roundtrip drive with loading and unloading LO in the car will eat up at least an hour of that time. so we have at most 1.5 hours to be out, which is just enough time for a doctor's appt, or a casual lunch, or walking around the farmers market.</p> <p>anything more ambitious than that, i'd have to plan ahead and prep and pack all my pumping stuff, as well as find a place to pump at our destination and leave DH and LO to entertain themselves while i pump.</p> <p>is this how it goes for you too? or am i missing something, in terms of making things easier? how often do you venture out? and at what point does the schedule get easier? </p>