https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:16:07 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568642 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:23:24 +0000 pregnantbee 568642@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started pumping in the hospital. They said it would help my supply to come in, and it came in after about 2-3 days. My LO had to be in the NICU for 5 days at birth, and they called me to come and nurse whenever he was hungry. In addition, I gave the NICU any colostrum or expressed milk in case he needed more, but they never fed him a bottle per my wishes. I believe they used a dropper if they needed to feed him anything on top of what he ate while nursing. We didn't introduce a bottle of expressed milk until he was 3 weeks old. Before that time, anything else I pumped went into my freezer stash. (And I pumped because I would get uncomfortably full or he would fall asleep mid-nursing session, so I would pump the other side.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568605 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:15:28 +0000 Bao 568605@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started at 2 weeks, and thank god I did because I had to leave LO for 3 hours for a funeral and had I not pumped before, I would not have had any milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568601 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:14:37 +0000 mrskc 568601@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started at 4 weeks. It was just every once in awhile at that point. I would pump on the weekends in the morning when dh was home. Slowly I started building a stash. It was also nice to finally pump a bottle and allow me to get away for a few hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568589 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:12:17 +0000 Bluebonnet 568589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started pumping at 3 weeks. It took me until 6 or 8 weeks to get into a pumping routine. The first few weeks of pumping, I pumped randomly. Sometimes I pumped if I was going to leave the house for a couple of hours. Sometimes I'd pump and DH would give LO a before bed bottle. Then I started to see patterns in LO's feeding times, and I built a pumping schedule around that.</p> <p>LO would just feed off one side at a time. After the first feed of the day, I'd pump the other side. I'd do the same thing for the last feed of the day. This built a nice freezer stash in no time. </p> <p>Hang in there. It takes a little bit of time to get this all down. Things were MUCH easier by 4 weeks and so much better by 8 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568403 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:08:57 +0000 autumnlove 568403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pumped at the hospital a few times but nothing came out...not even a single drop. My milk didn't come in for 9 days! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568398 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:08:10 +0000 LemonLong 568398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LC said to start between 3-6 weeks. I started at six weeks and only pumped right after the first morning feed. I was able to build up a 5 day stash by doing this. I use the milk maid app to keep track of my pumping and stash. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568394 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:06:44 +0000 BelugaBean 568394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started at around 2.5 weeks postpartum. We were going to wait until 3-4 weeks to start so I could build up a freezer supply and have DH start giving her bottles but I had to leave LO for about an hour or so when she was around 3 weeks old so I needed to have a bottle in case she needed it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568387 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:04:08 +0000 mrsfondue 568387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i started pumping immediately after LO was born (he would only latch on one breast, and my supply was low due to post-partum pre-eclampsia), but once we worked out my supply and his latching issues, i stopped pumping and just enjoyed only having to breast feed at each feed. then i started pumping again at about 6 weeks to start building a stash so my husband could give him bottles and i could get some time out of the home. at first, i pumped after his morning feed (around 7 am) and after his last night feed (around 11 pm). once i had enough that my husband could give him a bottle, i pumped after the morning feed and then when he gets a bottle. also, when i have a clogged duct, i pump after every other feeding until the clog is cleared, or if my breasts feel particularly full, i pump after the next feeding to help alleviate the pressure and prevent clogged ducts. at first, it is a pain and feels like a huge time suck, but eventually it gets easier to manage and it is really rewarding to see your stash build. good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568372 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:00:30 +0000 Pink Champagne 568372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started in the hospital!! LO had a hard time latching, so I would pump and get what I could get, and we would feed it to him with a bottle.<br /> I don't get the waiting for three weeks thing.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568335 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:49:41 +0000 SleepyMonkey 568335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i started at 3-4 weeks, as per my LC's recommendation. i did one pump (both sides) right after LO's morning feed for 15 minutes. My LC said not to worry about how much you pump during that session. If its 1 oz that is fine, if its 2 oz, then that's great. i did one pump a day and tried to give her one bottle a day (during which you do another pump) for awhile. after she began STTN at 8-10 weeks, the amount i was able to pump was a lot more so that was a good way to build up the freezer stash. then when we moved her bedtime up, i put in one more pump session before bed. so now i usually have four pumps per day (1 morning after her feed, 2 at work when she has bottles, and 1 before bed). don't worry. pumping is so confusing in the beginning, but then you'll fall into a routine and then it'll just be a pain in the ass :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568327 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:45:38 +0000 oliviaoblivia 568327@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm 5.5 weeks PHP and haven't started yet. Subscribing because I'm ready to start my stash. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568313 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:42:27 +0000 purrpletulips 568313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started at 3 days because despite being my second LO, my milk took forever (i.e. almost 10 days) to come in and the LC I met with wanted to help it along. I would pump after feedings for about 5-10minutes. Would put it in the fridge until I got enough and then freeze it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568298 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:36:21 +0000 mediagirl 568298@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started at 2 weeks because M was not getting her weight up. I pumped after feeding sessions and stored the little I got in the fridge until it accumulated to 5oz, then froze it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-pumping-1#post-568293 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:34:35 +0000 ladyfingers 568293@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The lc at my hospital said not to pump until 3 weeks, is that pretty standard? LO is going to daycare at 12 weeks and will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. Ebf'ing is really starting to wear on me, but I'm also stressed out by the idea of juggling nursing and pumping, so I'd like to get started so I can start slowly, with maybe one pumping session a day.</p> <p>When did you start pumping? How did you make it work with nursing? Also, my right side is always way more painful than my left, particularly when latching. So much so that I cry and hesitate before latching LO. I was considering exclusively pumping that side while continuing to nurse on the left. Bad idea? I know I'd need to fit in more pumping sessions that way. </p>