Hellobee Boards

I started pumping about 2 weeks before I went back. I didn't have a great supply to start with, so it made me nervous to pump and potentially not have enough for the next feeding. But, I was able to collect enough over a few days to make up for one bottle. Whenever she would take that bottle, I would pump and eventually, my body started getting to produce a little more each session. The best time was for me to either pump early in the morning or late at night. Oh, and there were a few days in the beginning that I had to supplement with formula until I really got into a groove of pumping at work.

I started in the hospital- half an hour of pumping after nursing. It sucked, but it helped establish a hell of a supply. I haven't had to introduce formula, and my twins are 7 months old, plus I've got 150ish ounces in my freezer. I didn't pump at night, and I would only pump when I could after DH went back to work, but I started early and did it as often as I could stand.

@Alivoo01: @BabyBoecksMom: I originally didn't pump into the same bottle (although I do now). I would store what I pumped in the fridge, then pump into a new bottle and put that one in the fridge. And then at some point, I would combine them. Now I just pump into the same bottle (if it's the same day).

@Adira: So pumping into the same bottle from the same day is okay or is pumping into separate bottles and combining the two once cooled better? Thanks for sharing all the advice btw!

@Alivoo01: It's my understanding that it's okay to pump directly into a bottle of refrigerated milk as long as it's within 24 hours or so. That's what @Mrs. High Heels does!

http://www.hellobee.com/2013/05/20/pumping-at-work/

And I've been doing it for a few weeks now and haven't had any problems. But if you're concerned, you can definitely pump into separate bottles and then combine once they are both cooled. I started pumping into the same bottle because it was a hassle to have multiple bottles while pumping at work.

@Alivoo01: @Bookworm: My sister keeps telling me to chill out and wait and see how my supply is first and then make a decision. Like, if I have a low supply, maybe start pumping earlier and if I have a great supply or over-supply don't pump until later. But the "not knowing, not planning" is hard! I want to have a game plan. And I don't want to "make a mistake" and then wish I'd done it some other way, you know?

@Alivoo01: I pump directly into the same bottles all 3 times at work.

I started pumping at two weeks when I got my pump. But I never did it regularly since R needed to be held during naps, so it was hard for me to find time. I did build up some stash, no clue how much. Now I pump three times at work since she gets 3 bottles at DC

@Adira: Right - I didn't clarify, but that's what I would do, too

Right away. I probably have too much milk in the freezer but I'm addicted to pumping.

@autumnlove: @Alivoo01: I definitely enjoyed seeing how much I could pump, and I LOVED building a freezer stash. But after a while, I got sick of pumping after every feeding, and Xander seemed to ALWAYS get fussy when he heard the pump going, so it was kind of hard to keep it up at times.

Now I like pumping at work! It's such a nice break during the day! I get to go pump in a quiet room and read a book for 30 minutes - so relaxing! But I HATE if I didn't pump enough during the day and have to pump in the evening instead of spend quality time with Xander (or instead of going to bed).

@Bookworm: Great question! I was so worried and curious about all of this myself and read every thread and article about pumping I could. It's the issue that caused me to sign up for hellobee!
My son was born on April 18th and I already had a medela double electric pump at home. My maternity leave was ten weeks, and I started it a little early.
I started pumping for the first time on May 17th when LO was about a month old. My main goal was to learn to use my pump and to see if LO would take a bottle. I started out only pumping for ten minutes and built that time up over time. I now pump 20 minutes each session. LO took his first bottle like a champ! It was only one ounce but I was so proud of him I could have cried! I only had the small medela bottles with a slow flow nipple that came with my pump. We also gave a pacifier fairly early on (maybe 2 weeks? maybe less?) and never experienced any nipple confusion. However he will ONLY take that one kind of pacifier!
I continued to pump just one time a day, and letting DH or a grandparent if they were over feed the baby. Then we had some BF'ing issues and that difficulty combined with pumping made me feel very burnt out! So for my mental health I took a two day "pump vacation" - this was great and I'm glad I started pumping far enough in advance that I could do that. We met with an LC to figure out our problem and then I was refreshed and motivated!
So I started pumping specifically to build a freezer stash on June 5th (LO approx. 8 weeks old). I also started pumping twice a day at that point. Once after his first nursing session in the morning, and then I aimed for again after the second nursing session of the day (but life happens and sometimes my second pumping didn't happen til much later in the day). The earlier in the day I pumped, the better output I got. Some days if I had the time and the energy I pumped three times. I set goals for how much I wanted in my stash and was super motivated. When I reached a goal I set a new one. I was a little obsessive. Some days I let myself take a break and do other things, since spending your entire maternity leave attached to a pump is no fun!
I ended up with 68.5 oz of frozen milk before I returned to milk this week! It reduced my stress level (slightly) about returning to work. I want to EBF for one year. There were a handful of times I did not freeze the milk I pumped, like when we went to a movie, or if we were going to be out and I didn't want to nurse in public (although I did mostly nurse in public because I was so protective of my freezer stash!).
Start out by pumping in the morning, that is the best time for milk. Also, practice (a few days before you return to work) completely setting up and breaking down your pumping supplies. I practiced pumping at home, but I left everything out in the open on our dining table, pump plugged in, etc. I'm a little flustered/rushed here at work now because I have to quickly completely unpack my pump bag, set everything up, pump, re pack it, etc. I also wish I had practiced a few more times with my hands free pumping bra. I struggle a little to put it on.
Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!
Also, for what it's worth, my LC in the hospital said it's fine to start pumping, bottle feeding or offering pacifiers if BFing is established. I don't think any of those recommendations are set in stone. You'll know what feels right for you and your LO.
*Excuse me if any of my math is off (tired mommy brain).

@Anagram: @Alivoo01: I have done it both ways. With my 1st, my LC told me to wait to pump so I didn't start until 4-6 weeks and ended up regretting it because once your supply regulates, it gets harder to get an awesome stash.

This time around I pumped right away, and although I did struggle with oversupply (and that comes with it's own set of issues), it made pumping actually enjoyable for me because it was cool seeing how much milk I could pump out in one session. I went back to work in 10 weeks and I had a great stash, over 100 ounces.

The oversupply did suck because in the newborn stages, when your LO doesn't have much control yet... it's frustrating when milk squirts into their mouth too aggressively, milk spills/drips everywhere, and you risk having green stools (block feeding helped with that). They sputter and scream and fuss because the milk is too much for them. To combat that, I used some of the tips here - https://www.llli.org/faq/oversupply.html - and I also started pumping BEFORE some sessions (only for 5 min) to relieve the engorgement and make the milk more manageable for my LO. I figured it's not helping my oversupply issue, but it certainly is helping my stash... so I didn't mind!

After 3 months, I have a huge stash (300+ ounces), my supply regulated, and our nursing relationship is going well. I dreaded nursing that first month though.

I'll take oversupply over not having a stash any day. Plus, seeing a great output actually made me look forward to pumping. It made that time spent worthwhile!