New Mommy Questions

I used Lansinoh milk storage bags, and just kept them in the freezer, dated. My right breast always had more milk :-) To avoid engorgement, pump often! I bled for about 5 weeks after each pregnancy. Pump and dump if you have been drinking more than two beers or glasses of wine.

First off don't be sorry for asking questions here, that's the point! :)

Congrats on your new baby. How old is he/she?

Pumping: Do it as often as you need to and want to. You are right. You make more than baby can eat right now and you need to keep it, stored correctly. It is called Liquid Gold for a reason. :)

I used the Lasinoh bags and put it immediately in the freezer if I knew baby didn't need it. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 -3 days and then it NEEDS to be frozen. I kept the more recent bags in the top part of the freezer (of the refrigerator), but not in the door. I put them in a gallon sized freezer bag. Then I moved them to the chest freezer in the gallon sized freezer bags, toward the bottom. They can stay there for 8 - 9 months.

What you will find is that your body will even out the supply to baby's demand and you won't pump so much EXTRA as you are now. You'll want your supply later for when hubby leaves out your milk or you forget to put it away or when baby starts eating solids (you add your milk to the cereal). So now is the time to stock up!

It is totally normal for one side to produce more than the other and for your let-down to be more powerful on one side.

Engorgement will reduce once your body regulates to baby's needs. It won't be this way always. Once you get regulated about a week or so into it, you won't have this problem unless baby sleeps through a nursing session.

To relieve it, you can pump a little bit out to relieve pressure or get a warm washcloth and massage them, or even a cool pack if they feel hot.

Pump and dump is only for those who drink alcohol or take a medication that baby cannot or should not have. If you do decide to drink (I wouldn't recommend it), you should give baby your stored milk.

Try to limit your caffiene intake. I didn't notice much a of a difference with my girls with too much caffiene, but I also never had too much until they were much older (9 -12 months of age).

Some foods MAY affect your baby. I couldn't eat dark green veggies. That made them both so gassy.

Did you have a c-section or vaginal birth? Mine were both c-sections and I only bled for about 2 weeks, and spotted daily for about 3 more weeks. I've been told that with a c-section, they vacuum out much of the blood so there is typically less.

You didn't ask, but it could be 2 months to the entire time you breastfeed before you get your first period. You are able to become pregnant while you breastfeed, so you will want to use protection if you're not ready for another baby in 10 months. :)

Hope this was helpful!!! Congrats!!!!

For storage, you buy little rectangular boxes that fit your milk bags and squish them flat to make it easier to store large amounts. I bled for 8 weeks, but that's on the long side, I believe. I think 5-6 weeks is more normal. It is very normal to produce more on one side than the other. Sometimes, its a result of your breast tissue, sometimes the baby sucks better on one side than the other. Since you are pumping anyway, I would recommend pumping more on the side that is under producing to help even them out. The only time you need to pump and dump is if you have taken something that you don't want in your breast milk -- then you pump to keep your supply up and relieve discomfort, but dump it so your baby doesn't drink it. Yes, everything can affect your milk taste/quality, and some babies are more sensitive than others. I was lucky, and my sons didn't seem to be bothered by anything I ate or drank, so I limited caffeine and alcohol, but otherwise had whatever I wanted. Some moms have to cut out dairy or other things. If you were asking about quantity of milk, then yes, some foods can affect quantity. I don't know about anything that limits quantity, but some herbs, like fenugreek, can increase your milk supply if it is low. Good luck!

I am pumping, too, and my lactation consultant team has been very helpful. Yea for you that you are producing enough to store! I store mine in the bags, in the freezer. Date the bags.

I only dumped after surgery. I drink coffee and alcohol, in moderation.

I have heard that a warm towel can be used for engorgement, but I haven't had to use one. Call the numbers that they have on the breast pads packaging. I don't know your pumping/feeding schedule, and it might be a matter of modifying that.

Good luck and congratulations!

Storage: I found cool ice cube like trays that I freeze, then remove and put in a bag to use later - it freezes them in 1 oz cubes.

Bleeding: All three of my births were vaginal, first I was still bleeding at my 6 week check up. Second, was 4 weeks and my third was about 2 weeks then another week of spotting. I felt great this last time and if I over did it, I would start bleedng again.

Pumping - I do get an ounce more out of one breast than the other.

Engorgement will get better when your body regulates (I'm assuming yours is still pretty little?) I usually pump when I get engorged - ususally mornings as she starts sleeping longer and missing a feeding.

I limit my caffeine to one drink a day or decaf if I have something. But I try not to drink much caffeine prego/nursing/ or not. I do know foods do effect milk and the taste like my second wouldn't drink my milk if I ate onions or garlic. Thinks that make you gassy will also make baby gassy and sometimes worse like broccoli, sausage, etc.

You get breastmilk storage bags that you can use to freeze it.Lay them flat to save space. If you don't plan on using the breastmilk in the next two days, it's better to freeze it immediately. Also if I remember correctly you can save upto 6 months in deep freezers. For regular freezer , it's 2 or 3 months only. I had this list I got from hospital on the duration of time breastmilk can be kept in refrigerator and freezer. Once you freeze the breastmilk, you can thaw it in the refrigerator but have to discard it if you don't use within 24 hrs or so. You can't refreeze it. Also avoid opening the freezer door again and again , so the temperature remains constant.

I think I bled for almost 3 months. I was still bleeding a lot for my 6 week check and it stopped couple weeks later.

yes, totally normal to have milk on one side more than the other. Also, the more you breastfeed/pump the more you will produce. Demand = suppy , so if you think you don't want to produce as much you can cut down on the pumping.

Engorgement - pump regularly. Sometimes babies refuse to breastfeed and the moms have so much milk and they get engorged because they can't empty it . Since you are pumping this shouldn't be a problem for you , make sure you empty your breasts every 4 hours. If you still get engorged, apply heat and massage well. It should get better. Also, keep a cabbage leaf in your bra until it's wilted - helps with engorgement.

Why would you pump and dump? You can always save breastmilk in the freezer , need not dump it unless you are on certain medications where it's not safe to feed that milk to the baby.

You can take fenugreek to increase milk supply. if your baby is too gassy etc you might have to stop eating certain foods that could be affecting your baby. Drink lots of water.

See if someone will order the book "Breastfeeding made simple: severn natural laws for nursing mothers." This should answer a lot of your questions.

Also, La Leche League like "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding."

I highly recommend getting hooked up with a La Leche League meeting/leader in your area. They typically are happy to answer questions and address concerns over the phone, even if you've never attended a meeting.

I used to put mine in bags, label them with a date and how many ounces and store them in the freezer. Lay them flat so they take up less room. I had a plastic container I kept them in (oldest in front).

I think I bled for about 4 weeks, I know it was done by my 6 week appointment.

I breastfed for a year with both of my kids. The left side always produced more. So perfectly normal.

Engorgement - Pump to relieve the pain. If it's not a time you normally want to pump then just pump a little otherwise your body will think you'll always pump then and produce it more.

I NEVER pumped & dumped so I can't help you there.

I avoided caffeine and alcohol while breastfeeding so that was my choice. If you notice certain foods makes your child gassy or give them an upset tummy then cut back on those foods.

Hi A.! Congratulations!!
I didn't have access to a lactation consultant for my 1st baby either...try contacting your local health department to see if they have one. Mine did - she was awesome and even came to my house several times. I couldn't have done it without her. :-)

I was engorged ALL the time. Even though it sucks (and is painful), it's better than being "dry" so try to stay positive. :) Make sure you don't wear tight bras (might be a good idea to go bra-less for a while) so that you don't get a clogged milk duct which could lead to infection. If you notice some redness in an area of your breast, it is a clogged milk duct and all you have to do is massage it - it will unclog and prevent infection. Keep drinking lots of water and keep your breast pads handy. :) After 2 months or so (I can't really remember!) you should be feeling so much better.
I once contacted a pharmacist to ask if ibuprofen was safe to take while breastfeeding and he said "no" so I might avoid that if I were you. ??
Pump & dump if you have alcohol, certain medications (or anything worse)...I never wanted to bother with this, so I just avoided anything & everything that could be potentially harmful.
I drank caffeine every day while breastfeeding and my babies all seemed fine/slept well. Certain foods will give the milk a different flavor. If your baby is very gassy your pediatrician will give you a list of foods to avoid.
Good luck with everything - you'll do great!!! :)

Hi A.,
Sorry it took me a while to answer, I just caught up on some emails. I exclusively pumped for my 3rd baby. About storing the milk, I used the sealable bags by Lansinoh. I would store small portions, then put a bunch of bags in a large freezer ziploc bag and label it on the outside with the dates and the amount in ounces. I also had an abundance of milk, and was able to store a lot of it. We bought a deep freeze and used that to store breast milk, which keeps it for up to a year. I never found that caffeine effected my milk, but I drank in moderation. Like, 2-3 cups of half caffeine half decaf coffee a day. I did always produce a little more out of one side than the other, I'm sure that is normal. With engorgement, I would just make sure you are pumping frequently, every 2-3 hours for the first few weeks, until your body adjusts to what you need and it will slow down. And, make sure you are emptying your breasts completely, which for pumping, they would always tell me to pump for 15 minutes. Hope this all helps!

Post-partum bleed lasted about 4 weeks for me, but my menses was always days longer than most women.

Contact the Le Leche League to get the best information and tips for successful breastfeeding: http://www.llli.org/

I called LLL by my doctor's advice the first time I engorged (ouch). They told me to fill the sink or a large container with very warm water and to lean over it and soak my breast in the warm water. For some reason, that position actually helps. The breasts will drain the excess milk and you get a milk bath. If you pump, that just signals the body to produce more milk. Allowing the moist heat to draw the excess milk feels much better and does not increase milk production. The pump and dump just exacerbates the problem. It tells the body that more milk is needed. I did the LLL lean over and soak method once. The pressure was released. I took hot showers and baths and let them drain like this for about 3 days. I never engorged again after that.

I never fed my baby caffine, alcohol, or too much sugar via my milk. If there is anything you don't want your baby to drink or eat, then you should not eat or drink it. But, if I were breastfeeding today, I don't think I would worry over having 1 or 2 cups of a good green tea on a given day. For a real treat, I make a green tea latte, sweetened with honey and flavored with cardamon and cinnamon. I can pass up coffee any time for one of those! I make mine with rice milk since I'm off milk now.