Hellobee Boards

I'm not an exclusive pumper, but I do pump

I pump into new bottles and consolidate bottles from the same day. (It helps immensely with no spilling etc). When A was 3 months and I first came to work I was pumping 3x regularly (sometimes four)...

I'd feed him on one boob, pump the other as I was getting ready for work, then pumped every 3 hours at work, 9am 12pm 3pm.

I nursed 1-2x after I got home from work. He was easily taking in 30 oz from months 3-7.

I pumped double (at the same time) for 20 minutes. After AF made her appearance, I pumped for 30 minutes to make sure I got a second letdown and make up for my diminished supply.

I'm not an EPer, but I am a WOHM, so here's my info:

I pump into the same bottles. So at the start of the day, I pump, put the bottles and pump parts in the fridge, and then when I pump later in the day, I pump into the SAME bottles. No consolidation needed and less bottles to wash!

I pump 3x a day (or more depending on my output). I nurse at 5:30 a.m., pump at 6:00, 11:00, and 3:30, nurse at 6:00 p.m. and 9:00. I pump for 20-30 minutes and always hand express after. And usually massage during.

I have a double electric pump, so I pump both sides at the same time for 20-30 minutes. One side produces more than the other, so this morning I got 3 oz from the right and 3.5 oz from the left. I'll probably get 2.5 oz from the right and 3 oz from the left at my next pump. This morning after nursing, I got 1 oz from the right (I nurse Xander from the right side first) and 2.5 oz from the left. Total for the day should be ~15oz. But sometimes I get less and then I pump in the evening to make up for it (Xander takes 15oz at daycare).

When I was pumping at work, I pumped into the same bottles till they were full. Then at night I poured into bottles for the next day or froze what I didn't need. I pumped for 20 mins, which usually let me get a 2nd letdown.

Also, put your pump parts in a Ziploc bag and in the fridge and then you don't have to wash them every time, so that saves you some time too.

I pumped three times at work and usually could cover her bottles. Then for awhile, she wouldn't nurse first in the morning, so I send a 4th bottle of formula. But I was ok with formula. I wouldn't pump at night unless for some reason she didn't eat on one side. After she goes to bed, that was my time. I just didn't want to be pumping 24/7.

I don't EP, but I do pump.

My work schedule is not flexible, so I'm only able to pump once for 15 mins. I am not able to pump enough for all of his feelings so we supplement. He gets about 50/50 mix.

-I wake up at 6:00 am and pump for 15 mins.
-B wakes at 7:30 and takes a bottle of formula.
-7:30 i do a quick 10 min pump before work
-I usually pump enough for him to have all breast milk while I'm at work. Sometimes, he gets a bottle of formula.
-12:30- 15 min pump at work
-I nurse as soon as we get home (around 5) and usually around 7
- Bottle of formula before bed
-I pump before I go to bed

I EPed for almost a year!

Here was my schedule:

Pumped when I woke up first thing in the morning, into used refrigerated bottles from the night before. Consolidated that milk into bottles waiting in the fridge from the day before. Refrigerated those empty bottles and parts for the pumping when I come home that day. Go to work.

At work: bring 1 set of parts and 4 bottles. Pump into new parts/bottles, consolidate into one bottle, refrigerate everything. Second pumping: pump into one used/one new bottle, consolidate into first bottle (and second if necessary), refrigerate everything. Third pumping: pump into one used/one new bottle, consolidate, refrigerate.

Back at home: consolidate all milk from work pumping into bottles refrigerated at home. Pump into the used refrigerated parts/bottles from that morning. Consolidate into bottles from work, refrigerate old parts/bottles. After this is usually when I washed all the used bottles and pump parts and nipples. Then at night I'd pull out a new set of parts/bottles and pump into those, then consolidate and then refrigerate the parts/bottles for the next morning.

I hope that makes sense!! Once you've got the rhythm down it's really not that complicated at all.

I pumped about 15 mins with a double electric, doing breast compressions the whole time and always waited for second let down. I pumped enough to cover her feedings for a while and built up a frozen stash, then as I eliminated pump sessions one by one, I started using my frozen stash (when she was about 6 months old since that's when the oldest milk had to be used) to cover the deficit. I'm lucky I never had to use formula but I would have done that if I didn't have enough frozen stash left.