Pumping 101 Please

i remember before i went back to work (about 2 weeks before) as soon as my son was done nursing, i would put him down and get on that pump, that way my body produced more...it worked out really well...i can remember feeling a great sense of confidence when i'd fill up a whole bag at work!! I highly recommend a electrical pump...they work great!!! i never did the hand pump thing, but i had a girl friend who did and it took her about 20 mins to pump...it took me 5 - 8 mins for a good bottle....
best of luck!!!!!

I have the electric pump in style and it works great!

Hello, oh the joys of pumping. You said this is your second child but I only have one and I am sure the time factor is a lot different.

I now have a 1 yr old and she has not had anything but breast milk. I work full time and pump all day it seem like but I Know it is the best thing for her. When I am with her she nurses but when I am at work I pump 3 times a day. When I get home I nurse her and then right before I go to bed I pump again. I have not had any problems with not having enough milk. If I keep on that schedule I have enough for the next day. I also saved milk before I went back to work just in case.

My advice is to pump on her schedule when you are away from her, that way your body is still following her schedule.

I also noticed you said you had a hand pump...I have an electic pump and if you are planning on pumping a lot that is the way to go. I tried to use a hand one and it is too time consuming! THe electric ones are expensive but so much quicker.

GOod luck

Hand pumps are convenient since they are easy to assemble but you may get more with an electric like Pump in Style. I used feed a bit longer than normal off the 1st breast, and pump the 2nd breast after the feed. In the morning you have more milk, so that's the best time. I used an advent hand pump for this, but as I mentioned, if you still aren't having luck, an electric is a good next step. Also try to relax. If you're getting anxiuos about not being able to pump much, this will affect your milk output.

I made the mistake of buying a cheaper pump at first, too. You need to go out and buy a good pump- you'll probably have about $250 in it, but it is so worth it!!! I bought the Ameda Purely Yours and it worked wonders. You can buy it online or in more upscale pharmacies. The lactation specialist at the hospital I delivered in also recommended the Medilia as well if you can't find the Ameda.
As far as when to pump, I would always pump the opposite side when my son nursed. When he finished the one side, I would switch and pump what was left from that side. He never once acted like he didn't have enough to eat, and pumping at the same time he nursed seemed to help the let-down process and produced more milk. Also, I would pump between feedings at night. When he slept through the night around 2-3 months, I would still wake up every few hours and pump. Hope this helps!!!!!

R.,

Pumping after she eats is good for emptying your breasts, but remember that your baby has already depleted your supply. Unfortunately, you need to pump when she is not eating. Late night, early morning, etc. I know one mom who got up at 3 a.m. to pump! It is going to suck for a couple of weeks, but it will really pay off in the long run.

Some moms feed their baby on one side and pump the other, but that never worked for me, even though my daughter only nurses on one side at a time.

Figure out how many times a day your baby eats and estimate 3 ounces per feeding. Start adding pumping sessions and build up a supply that will feed your baby for several days. Just having that supply will help you feel more confident moving forward.

Once you return to work, make sure you pump regularly to keep your supply up. I try to pump as many times as McKenna eats - usually 3 times a day, and I get a full day's milk for her.

Also, stressing about getting enough milk really impacts your supply, so when you pump, really try to relax. If you do it late at night, curl up with a good book/movie and a cup of something soothing (I like Hershey's Goodnight Kisses hot chocolate - 99% caffeine free).

Good luck!

Kali

Congratulations on your recent birth!

I "worked & pumped" for all 4 of my children, and I'm a childbirth educator so I've been sent samples of several types of pumps, so I'm intimately familiar with the task you are trying to do. But my youngest is 3.5 years, so I'm getting a bit less familiar with newer pumps on the market.

I mostly used a Medela Pump in Style since I was working full time. It is awesome...just to plug that in case you will be going back to work. On manual pumps, I *HATE* the Ameda pump that is given out free at many hospitals in the "breastfeeding diaper bag." It hurt my breast and my hand when I used it, and it was hard to get much milk. I am an "easy pump" so ultimately I would get milk, but I only reccommend it in an emergency.

I do like the Avent Isis and the Gerber Massaging Manual as far as use goes--both are comfortable for the breast and the hand (ergonomic design keeps wrist straight and has a large pumping handle to spread out force over your hand). I've heard that Dr's Browns has a pump out now that is similar to the Gerber, but I've never seen it yet. The Gerber pump is a pain in the neck to take apart to clean, which is its major drawback. The Avent is easier. But the Gerber is a great design for sore nipples as it puts less suction stress on the nipples.

When using a manual pump, you should pump only until milk starts to let down, then hold the suction at a comfortable level while the milk sprays until it stops. Then start pumping again until it sprays again...

Pumping in the morning is usually the easiest as you have the highest milk supply then. Pump after your baby eats, not before to ensure the best supply for the baby. On days I was at home I would generally nurse my baby, then spend some time playing with baby, eating my breakfast, then nurse baby to sleep for a nap, then I'd pump while baby was sleeping. I wouldn't necessarily pump immediatelly after nursing the baby down to sleep, but I'd make sure to get it done while baby is sleeping. If you have to pick between pumping very soon after the end of a feeding, or very close to the beginning of the next, I'd go with the beginning, just because a healthy baby can ALWAYS pull out more milk than the pump, and you are constantly making milk, so you will not short the baby if you pump before, but as you mention, if you pump after and baby has eaten a lot, you might have trouble getting milk.

Pumping in the evening, unless you have an over supply, is likely an exercise in futility. You are already tired from the day anyway, and your milk supply is reduced (this reduced supply is why some babies "cluster feed" in the evening). I would nix evening pumping sessions unless you are separated from your baby at that time--like for a part time job, or because you are out for an extended date with your hubby (but babies at this age are so portable...I always brought mine along when hubby and I went out).

Good luck!

P.S. One other poster said "Milk is watery when it first comes out at each feeding and then gets thicker as you nurse. The same is true in the reverse, if you pump then nurse, the pumped milk is more watery and less fatty which stisfies the baby longer."

I'm sure this poster just accidentally left some words out here. The "watery" pumped milk in this scenario that is low in fat would satisfy the baby *less*. I think what the post meant to say is that since you have pumped out the foremilk, when the baby nurses and gets the hind milk--which is more fatty--the baby will be satisfied longer.

It worked for me to set aside a specific time each day just for pumping. After a few days my body got used to producing more milk at that particular time and I was able to pump more effectively. Also, keeping yourself adequately hydrated prior to pumping is also helpful. Hand held pumps did not work for me. I had to purchase an electric pump to get the most suction. You can also rent pumps from the hospital or Leleche league.
Setting aside a specific "pump time" is also good because I found that if I fed my son then pumped, the pumped milk was full of the fatty milk. Milk is watery when it first comes out at each feeding and then gets thicker as you nurse. The same is true in the reverse, if you pump then nurse, the pumped milk is more watery and less fatty which stisfies the baby longer.
I have to also admit that pumping with my second child did not work as well as it did for the first child. What I ended up doing was nursing my son in the morning, at bed time, and throughout the night, and maybe once during the day. The other feedings I used formula. My son's nutrition was still primarily breast milk but maybe two feedings per day were formula.

Personally, I would keep pumping after she is done feeding. This can also help to increase your milk supply. However, for more expert advice on the matter I would suggest contacting the La Leche League. I found specific info on pumping on their site at http://www.llli.org/NB/NBpumping.html.

Good luck and I hope this is helpful.

I have always let down more easily nursing than pumping so it works better for me to pump first. The worst case is that she is still really hungry after you nurse her and you will need to give some of what you pumped. If you need to do so, I'd offer small amounts at a time so you don't contaminated it and end up with left overs that need to be tossed. Bacteria can go from their mouth into the milk so you want to toss anything left after about an hour.

The other thing that you might try is pumping from one side and nursing from the other. You can try taking advantage of the let down as you nurse and pump at the same time or let it build up and try when you are finished. One way to build your supply is to pump between feedings. You don't want to go too crazy with that or you will be overflowing. Try during one of her longer feeding gaps but maybe 30-45 minutes before you expect her to need to eat again. That way your body has had some time to prepare for nursing again, but it will give you time to replenish before needing to nurse again.

I would always pump in the morning during my son's first feeding, when I was really engorged. I had a hand pump as well. I would put my son on one breast and while he was nursing I would pump the other one. This worked out really well. When the baby first goes on your breast, it initiates the let down in both and makes pumping the opposite one a lot easier. And mornings were great for me because my breasts were very full at that point. Don't worry about short changing your daughter. Let her nurse a little longer on the first breast and then you can still switch her to the one you were pumping from for a little extra. She's more efficient than the pump and will be able to get more out of it, even if it has stoppped giving milk to the pump. Again just give her a little extra time on feeding if she needs it. This will also greatly increase your milk supply. I never had a problem with my son wanting for more when I did this, although if you are really worried you can always offer a little of the pumped stuff if she does get fussy.