Totally curious.
When did you start pumping? I've read some things that say not to pump until 6 (or was it 8?) weeks after LO is born/until your supply has regulated but I've heard other people say start pumping ASAP (even when in the hospital still) to get your milk to come in/make sure your supply is up...
So confused!
grapefruit / 4923 posts
i think it depends--for me, i started pumping day 5 because i had issues establishing my supply (and probably could have started sooner). LO was a super sleepy nurser and my milk wasn't coming in fast enough and flowing. on the other hand, my neighbor didn't pump except for one day when her LO was a few weeks old and she went to a wedding, and that created an oversupply.
i would see how it's going the first few days and if you have any concerns that you don't have enough milk, to see a lactation consultant and pump if necessary.
so hard to know what to do!
GOLD / grapefruit / 4007 posts
Day 5 bc I was so engorged! After that I pumped one bottle a day for my husband to give LO and have ever since. Now I pump once in the mornings, once in the evenings, and twice at work. My supply is great!
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
My son was a preemie, so I was encouraged to pump right after delivery. I couldn't breastfeed my son, because he wasn't strong enough, so I pumped every 2 - 3 hours, until I was allowed to BF him around 1 week old.
coconut / 8475 posts
Depends on your situation. My son wouldn't latch well so he couldn't suckle well enough to signal my body to make milk. I was always full, he was always hungry and he couldn't get enough milk out with the terrible way he was latching. I started pumping on day 4 to help my milk come in and then continued so I could bottle feed LO some, since he wasnt getting full enough. And I think it helped supply because my breasts were being emptied.
grapefruit / 4681 posts
I didn't pump for the first few weeks but really wish I would have started from the beginning to build an even bigger stash (which ultimately got donated anyway).
I had a major oversupply and the pedi we first saw told me not to pump because of this. She said I "had enough milk for twins" and recommended not pumping the first few weeks until my body calmed down. I think this time around I will be pumping ASAP regardless.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
I did it on and off in the first few weeks... i think month 2 is when i was routinely pumping and building a stash to help with engorgment and regulating supply/feeding "schedule"
honeydew / 7091 posts
It definitely depends. I didn't start pumping until 4 weeks, when we found out my supply was REALLY low, and not enough for DD. She was jaundiced/sleepy and not sucking very well, so my supply never got established. Knowing what I know now, I should have started pumping right away since she was an AWFUL eater. If my next kid is a great eater though, I will wait til 4 weeks again, probably.
grapefruit / 4066 posts
I waited until 8 weeks for my supply to establish, my LO nursed constantly the first few months so i didn't really even have time to pump, and I was dealing with a crazy oversupply and forceful letdown so the last thing I wanted to do was pump and make it worse!
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
two weeks when I got my pump. I didn't do it regularly though till 12 weeks when I started back at work
grapefruit / 4671 posts
I started pumping on day 5 when I got home from the hospital so that LO could have a bottle every night.
bananas / 9357 posts
It depends on your situation when you will need to start pumping. Ideally, you should wait until 6 weeks to allow your supply to establish. I pumped for the first time at 4 weeks and just did it sporadically to build a freezer stash until I went back to work at 16 weeks.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I started pumping around 4 weeks, after my supply was established. I was just pumping so that we could start introducing a bottle to Xander and I could actually get out of the house for a bit! This timing seemed to work out just fine for me.
pomelo / 5628 posts
It's tricky I think. If you are going to have oversupply issues, pumping is a bad idea. But if you will struggle with supply, pumping can be critical, especially right at the beginning or if your baby has trouble latching, therefore not stimulating you enough. I think it's probably betting to err on the side of too much milk and therefore pump right at the beginning. (I ep'd right from the start because my lo was a preemie.)
pear / 1579 posts
My dd was a preemie so I pumped immediately after delivery once I was in a regular room.
cantaloupe / 6397 posts
I think it depends on your situation. I pumped a few times in the first couple of weeks to relieve engorgment (only a couple of pumps to make it easier for LO to latch). My midwife told me not to pump until 6 weeks or so because I had an oversupply and pumping would make it worse. I actually started at 5 weeks because I felt like starting a freezer stash. I only pump once a day on one side because I'm off work for a year so I don't need much of a stash.
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 1 | 0 |
| Posts | 0 | 1 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite1
16 comments