Pumping

When you can start pumping - as soon as your milk comes in - but you may want to let your little one get used to you before expressing and putting it in a bottle. I think they recommend that she be a good latcher (if that's a word) before you go and confuse them with a rubber nipple. The nurses in the hospital will be helpful. Also, the hospital had a lactation consultant pop in on us from time to time while we were in the hospital to help with getting the little darlings hooked up right. Its not as easy as it sounds I tell ya!

What to pump with: well, the electric pumps have a mind of their own and can hurt like nobody's business, but they get the job done. Handheld pumps are effective too. I had both (the electric was super noisy and I couldn't take it to work for all the racket! I was a teacher.) Anyway, the handheld was just as good and more portable in my opinion. I used the Avent manual pump and the Playtex double electric brest pump - both quality pumps!

Oh, some advice: double bag the milk when storing in the freezer. Pump consistently and save consistently and you'll have a great supply. I was able to pump, nurse, pump, nurse with enough time in between that she was still getting what she needed - but boy when you skip one or the other - bang - you get rock boobies (or leakers! or both! how embarassing when you're sitting in a meeting!) It is a great time in your life - it is short lived though - so enjoy! :)A.

I have a Medela Pump in Style which is a really high quality pump, and it works quite well. I would recommend a hospital-grade electric pump as they are most effective and require a lot less work than a manual pump.

As far as when you can pump, you can pretty much start pumping whenever you like although it isn't recommended for breastfeeding moms to introduce the bottle until their baby 4-6 weeks of age in order to prevent nipple confusion. I started pumping when my son was 3 1/2 weeks old and gave him his first bottle at that age, and we've had zero problems with nipple confusion. Every baby is different.

Good luck!

I LOVE the Medela Pump in Style. I have the one that looks like a shoulder bag, so I can carry it anywhere and no one at work knows the difference. I can also pump both breasts at one time. They are a bit expensive, but I found mine on ebay. I happened to get lucky and find a lactation consultant that was selling them brand new for $99.00. I had a simple cheaper motorized pump I found at Wal-Mart, but it apparently didn't pump correctly and I developed mastitis. A lactation consultant I knew at the time suggested the Medela pump. Mastitis was so uncomfy the money was worth it!! I had to pump exclusively and managed it for 6 months...I won't tell you it is easy to pump that much, but I feel that it was every bit worth it. My son couldn't breast feed properly due to tongue-tie and still didn't get it down even after his tongue was fixed, so I was pumping pretty much within a week after he was born so he could get enough food. My milk supply was really messed up because he hadn't been sucking properly, so I took fenugreek and it truly worked! The best idea I heard to make it a bit more convenient to pump while at home was to cut two small holes in the nipple part of a bra you don't mind cutting up (just enough to fit the ends of the suction cups through from your pump) and put it on and you can pump hands free. I used the battery pack my medela pump came with, slung the bag's strap over my shoulder, and I could walk around the house and get things done at the same time. Close your blinds or you could get some strange looks from the neighbors! If you need any other supplies for your pump, I know I can usually get mine through the lactation consultant at the hospital where the baby is born, or at least they can point in the right direction. Hope this helps and good luck!

K.

Lots of moms love electric doubles, but I hated my PIS - I prefer the Avent hand pump you can get at target ($50) - doesn't hurt (electric gave me bruises), works just as fast (proven in studies), and completely quiet and portable.

I started pumping at 34 weeks. I delivered at 42w 5d.

S.

I used a Lansinoh pump, double and electric, I got at Walmart. It worked great. I pumped once my milk came in... but you can certainly start after a few weeks while you're still home.
Congratulations!
S.

Hi N.!

My name is S. S. and I am a mother of 3 children. In response to your question on breast pumps…try the medela electric dual pump. Go to: www.medela.com for questions on various pumps. A good pump will run about $200 – $300 and is well worth the money. You can start pumping the day after baby is born to stimulate the mammary glands to start producing colostrum (the first milk). I would suggest seeking help from a lacatation specialist (usually available through the hospital where you deliver), or you can simply ask me since I breast fed and pumped with my twins (now 3 years old) and my son (now 7 months old). I would also recommend that you start breast feeding as soon as possible after baby is born to create a bond. Please let me know if I can be of help since I am very experienced with pumping and breast feeding. You can reach me at: ____@____.com or ###-###-####.

Best wishes!

Sincerely,

S. S., mother of 3

The top of the line, Medela is what I found to work the best. They are expensive if you want to purchase, but they can also be rented through your hospital, midwife or whatever, for a reasonable monthly rate and then the only parts you have to purchase are the phlanges, the parts that actually touch your breasts.

Another thing I found very helpful are these breastshells from Avent. While I nursed on one side, I would begin to leak on the other side. You can wear these shells inside your bra and collect what is leaking out so it doesn't go to waste. By the end of the day, I would have a full bottle just collecting the leakage. This was very helpful in the beginning while you and the baby get used to the nursing. Once you have that established, then I would recommend pumping.

Here is a link to the breastshells:

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Avent-Comfort-Breast-Shells...

Just be careful with them. There are four in the box and only one set is the closed set for collecting. The other set has holes in them to wear if you have sore or cracked nipples to expose them to air to heal faster, and you don't want to put those on to collect.

Good luck!

The Medela Pump in Style is the best! It is about 250 dollars though, new. I loved mine! You can get them used on ebay or something. I still have mine, I only used it for 6 months. I'm willing to sell it and you can get replacement parts for it from stores that sell it, I have sterilized all the parts though! Anyway, either way, it was comfortable, quick and efficient. I used it at work too!

HI and KUDOS to you for choosing to breastfeed!

You will definitely need a good pump! You can rent one from the hospital or call the local la leche league. (www.laleche.org) I recommend the lactina.

As far as how soon, I think its as soon as your milk comes in. I don't think you can pump colostrum though?

Congrats on your soon coming baby! I just had my son on the 4th of July!:) It takes a few days for your milk to come in, so there is no point in pumping the colostrum. But as soon as your milk comes in you can pump. Don't forget that if you are pumping and breast feeind at the same time your body is going to be making alot of milk. With my first, I had a single electric breast pump and it was always kinda uncomfortable and it took a long time to get the milk from both sides. My sister also had a baby and was on WIC and she got a free double sided electric breast pump brand AMEDA and she has lent it to me. It works so much better and is much faster since you do both sides at once. I know that the double sided pumps are alot more expensive but I think it is worth it. And if you are on WIC and going back to work they will probabaly give you a sinmilar one.

Medela or the hospital grade pumps. You can rent these monthly and are worth it.. WIC can give you a free medela hand pump. I did this as the electric ones were too strong for me and hurt my nipples. I had more control over these... however, if you having to pump at work in which there are laws that allow you to do this in a private area (so don't listen to people's grief) you might want both.. one at home for when you can relax and do it yourself and one for when you are working and only have soo much time to get it done. *****Note*** make sure to use olive oil or pure lanoline on your nipples before breastfeeding or pumping.. this will help to keep your nipples from cracking, bleeding and it is perfectly safe for your baby.

Congrads.. It will take about 3-4 days for you real milk to come in and you should be able to start pumping as soon as you give birth.

I found that the best breast pumps are made by Medela. They are more expensive than other breast pumps but definately worth the cost. I made the mistake of trying a less costly breast pump at first and it didn't pump effectively and didn't drain my breasts well enough. I started using a breast pump in the hospital the day after delivery so that I could work with the lactation consultant to make sure I was doing everything right. You'll want to start pumping right away so you don't have problems with engorgement. A good lactation consultant can tell you everything you need to know.