Breastfeeding Questions - Bellevue,NE

I completely get the won't be able to pump at the same time deal. I had a similar thing. I recommend getting a car adaptor for the breast pump. It makes it so you can pump while you drive to and from work and that can help you get a few pumping sessions in. Good luck

FIRST AND FOREMOST: if you want to breastfeed, you must surround yourself with people who are supportive and knowledgeable about breastfeeding. there are a lot of people out there who breastfed, or not, and believe and spread flat out myths about how breastfeeding works. these are not people you want on your team! LOL

www.llli.org. la leche league. find a leader nearby you. the closest group to me was an hour away.
la leche league leaders are moms who breastfed their babies for AT LEAST one full year. many breastfeed longer. so you KNOW you are going to get accurate, trustworthy information! you will be able to talk to them about any issue, and they will either have first hand advice, 2nd hand advice from another mom who is/was in the group, or at the very least, information, books, pamphlets and other tools to help you out!

www.askdrsears.com is also a great resource.

but above all, just nurse nurse nurse! dont think for a minute that you cant or shouldnt nurse your baby when you know that baby needs it! :) even if you dont think that baby is getting anything, your body is constantly making milk, so theres no doubt that your baby can constantly get a little, even if you cant pump or manually express any out yourself.

dont limit your baby to certain time periods on each side. just let your baby nurse until baby seems ready to switch sides (some babies will get frustrated when the milk letdown slows) or even until the next feeding! :)

above all, you CAN do this. i nursed my son until he self weaned at 20 months. i couldnt believe he self weaned! it was amazing to know that i completely fulfilled his need, and that i could allow him to grow out of it on his own. it was awesome. theres nothing like it in the world.

so, just get support. go to a meeting NOW - THIS MONTH if possible. pregnant moms are welcome!!! this way you can be used to it before baby comes, and even find people who can (and likely will) help you after baby is born!

one thing you can do is to nurse on one side while pumping on the other. that might help.

as far as making milk come in sooner, dont neglect the importance of colustrum - the milk that you have while baby is born! its drastically important! so just nurse nurse nurse!

you can start pumping right away, but i would focus on breastfeeding rather than pumping in the beginning, getting a good latch is the most important factor. you can pump after feedings if your milk is really slow to come in, but it can complicate things. my best advice is to be as natural as possible. when the baby is hungry, feed him/her. start on a different side each time, empty the first breast first, then switch and nurse as much as you can on the second side. baby falls asleep nursing a lot, especially in the beginnning, its a lot of work for them. if you can, wake the baby up once or twice if need be to finish the feeding. drink lots of water, that made a huge difference for me. no caffeine or dehydrating meds. try to relax. dont overthink it, just feed whenever baby is hungry, which might be an awful lot at times, thats ok. try not to introduce a bottle or paci at all for at least a month or so if you can help it. that said, i did intro a bottle as soon as i felt things were going well just so siblings and hubby could feed pumped milk once in a while, i felt the bonding was worth it. dont worry about going back to work yet, you have time and things will be very different by then. just relax and try to let baby call the shots for the first 4 or 6 weeks or so, just feed on demand as much as possible. once things are sort of settled, then you can start slowly adding in some pumping during the day. usually after your first big nursing of the morning is the best time, but you will see how things are by then, then you can build gradually. listen to your body and your baby. best of luck to you.

Best books ever-Dr Sears The Breastfeeding Book & Le Leche League's Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.
http://www.amazon.com/Breastfeeding-Book-Everything-Nursi...
http://www.amazon.com/Womanly-Breastfeeding-Leche-League-...
I had both with all 3 of my children and loved them to bits!
I never had to pump as I am a stay at home mom to all 3 of my children but I know the books have sections on it.
I highly recommend looking at them.
Congratulations on your newest addition to your family :)

Check at the hospital about having a lactation nurse come in right away to help you. I started pumping at the hospital (baby lost too much weight). When I went home I pumped after most daytime feedings. She only nurses from one side though (my older daughter was same - although pumped every 3 hours around the clock w/her as she born at 29 weeks - but both always very small). A lot of people will say to wait on a bottle & pacifier - however my experience was my older in the NICU who was introduced to a bottle from the beginning because i could not be there around the clock & a pacifier to work on sucking didn't have any problems with nipple confusion. My baby now would never take a pacifier (& I tried every kind!) and rarely took bottles (& only 1-2 1/2 oz!) at daycare & only from her teacher which caused problems when she went on maternity leave!
I would highly recommend a medela pump and I saw someone else suggest the car adapter. My daughter's teacher pumps on her way to work most days to get an extra time in! I would also recommend a lactation consultant. In Lincoln we have a place called milkworks that is all about the nursing mom! (consultants, pump rental/purchases, nursing clothes, baby clothes, information) Or check with your pediatrician office. Ours has one doctor that is primarily there to help! Good Luck! all the work is worth it!

congratulations on the new (soon to be) arrival! Find a good lactation consultant!! They can make all the difference in the world! I didn't even know it, but my OB practice had a GREAT lactation consultant on staff...get hooked up with one before the birth, because if you are exhausted from birth and not sleeping, it can be overwhelming to figure out who to call. Find someone good now! go to your local La Leche League for support and education, read books, etc.

From what I understand, before the milk comes in, you make colostrum which is very important for your new baby. More importantly, it gives you both time to work on establishing a really good latch before your breasts become engorged and make latching on more difficult!

Also, if I remember correctly, just nurse on demand for at least the first month before trying pumping, and wait until BF is well estabalished before introducing a binky or a bottle.

Read as much as you can, it will give you confidence, join La Leche league, it will give you support, and find a good LC, she will be able to help you with practical skills.

Good LUck! I personally love breastfeeding - I nursed my daughter (after a C-section) until she was 20 months old, and I am nursing my 16 month old son, and it is the best times of my day!

(you can freeze your milk, medela makes special baggies for it, you can get at your local Babies'R'us).
Good luck!

Try this site, it is specified to all of the topics regarding breastfeeding :

http://www.theskinnyscoop.com/search/breastfeeding?utm_ca...

You have so many questions that you might be better served by contacting a local La Leche League support group before birth. Then when you are in the hospital make the best of your lactation consultation appointment(s) by printing off your questions above, pack it in your hospital bag NOW, and don't forget to bring to your appointment if not in your hospital bed.

One positive is that since you have 10 weeks with your baby before returning to work, your milk should be really established, especially if you nurse exclusively during that time. So even though you might not be able to pump at the exact same time during your shift, hopefully you'll be able to pump a couple of times.

I also noticed that my milk came in slower after a C-section, then with normal vaginal delivery. Must have something to do with the major surgery part. So probably best to wait until after the painful breast engorgement part to start pumping. I personally did not do well pumping and nursing back to back. I only pumped when away from my baby, and I needed pictures of her to help with let down.

Yes, freeze your milk in clean, sterile containers.
Congratulations and best of luck nursing!

You have lots of great questions and this is a great resource. But, I really think you should speak to a lactation consultant either pre or post-delivery. I believe the hospitals provide them free of charge and I know they are all very knowledagble and willing to talk at all times. I would call the La Leche League and get in touch with someone ASAP to get started. Good luck!!