Author Topic: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2  (Read 76362 times)

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Offline lidiayy

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #285 on: March 31, 2009, 00:14:20 am »
Hi All,

Good to hear from you all, I have been so busy that sometimes I only have time to read your posts but not enough to post myself.  ::)

DD is officially a toddler as she can walk like a champ. She dances and really enjoy exploring the world around her. Now we need to be more alert so that she doesn't get hurt.

Olga - WOW at your output! I'm going to tell you about my experience. When DD turned 7 mo, I was pumping once a day at work and I had a dream pump at 11:30 pm. This amount was enough for next day's bottle at daycare. The dream pump I would freeze to keep my supply and my stash at a nice level.

When she turned 8 mo, I got sick and my supply dipped drastically. At lunchtime, I could only pump half the amount that I used to, plus I had a milk blister that wouldn't heal. So I decided to quit pumping at lunchtime.

I wouldn't say that by eliminating this pumping session my supply dipped, but it can be different to you. It all ended up with DD having a bottle of fresh milk (from the dream pump) + frozen milk. She had my milk exclusively until she turned 10 mo. I'm still Bf'ing 2x a day and she has a bottle of cow's milk at lunchtime.

Sorry for this long post but I just wanted to share my experience because we all know how demanding is to pump milk so maybe I could help you decide what's best for you and your LO.

Keep us posted on how you go

Hugs to all!

Lidia
« Last Edit: March 31, 2009, 00:27:04 am by lidiayy »


Offline shark

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #286 on: March 31, 2009, 19:56:10 pm »
DS had his last bottle with EBM yesterday.  Today we are on full cow's milk.  I have 6oz of EBM left in the freezer (it was my emergency supply in case of spills) that I am debating what to do with.  Part of me wants to put it all in one bottle and give him one last go but the more rational part of me says that we just went through a beautiful month of weaning and he is perfectly happy on cows milk and I shouldn't rock the boat.  I may just use it to mix with cereal or other foods.   Sigh, the end of an era.... But I'm super proud of having got to nearly 14m of EBM...couldn't have done it without all your support!

Lidia:  So jealous your DD is walking.  DS is just starting to stand for a few seconds at a time.  Still no steps but crawls around like a little maniac.


Offline clh

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #287 on: March 31, 2009, 20:26:26 pm »
Wow!  Congrats Shark!  ;D  YOU ROCK!  That's a wonderful era.  I seriously don't think I could've pumped full time for that long.  Great job.  :)

I like the idea of using the last bit in food.  Probably more practical than a whole bottle of ebm after the fact. 
Candice



Offline lidiayy

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #288 on: April 06, 2009, 00:15:52 am »
Hi Shark,

Great job BF'ing for 14 months and I second what Candice said, you must be very proud of yourself for puming for so long!
Don't be jealous about DD walking, I'm sure there are plenty of other things that your LO does that DD doesn't. And I used to say that I didn't want DD to rush to start walking as my problems would start from the day she started toddling (my house is full of ups and downs with stairs...)

Hugs to all

Lidia


Offline shark

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #289 on: April 06, 2009, 17:35:15 pm »
I'm still holding on to those last 6 oz of EBM... I guess I'mhaving a hard time letting go.  Part of me feels that Bfing isn't REALLY over till it's all gone.  Stupidly sentimental I know.  I should just use it before it goes bad.

On the other hand, I just had a fabulous weekend with DH and DS.  It was the first nice weather weekend of spring (and DS was healthy for a change) so we went to the park and the pool and just had a fabulous time together.  Makes me hate leaving him at daycare that much more as it's another beautiful day and I would love to just play outside with DS all day today.

No one warned me that motherhood turned you into an emotional mushball!


Offline clh

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #290 on: April 06, 2009, 17:59:13 pm »
:-*
Candice



Offline shark

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #291 on: April 09, 2009, 22:46:50 pm »
Yeah, long weekend!


Offline TRR

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #292 on: April 14, 2009, 19:14:13 pm »
 ;D Yeah made it past one year with breast feeding. It was a bit bumpy for abit but got better. So now have slowly started replacing EBM for MOO milk (as we call cow's milk in our house). So we are at 2 oz EBM to 2 -3 oz MOO milk in daytime bottles. So far DD has been taking it with out to much issue lately. Still prefers it warmed. Will drink some cold but not much. Still a bit gasy at the end of the day, so have been giving a dose of grip water before bed to help her tummy. She still is nursing morning and evening but have been all over on length of nursing (2min oneside only to 15min on both sides). Would this be an indication that she might be wanting to stop these feeds also?

We have been trying to introduce MOO milk at breakfast and lunch in sippy cup. She looks at the cup and shakes her head no. She will drink lots of water from the same cup. I have no concern that she is not getting enough milk but am wondering if anyone has a suggestion on getting her to take the milk in the cup? I am not in a big hurry to get rid of bottle but would like to try to sooner than later as easily and stressfree for her. 
Tracy
The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman exist

Offline shark

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #293 on: April 14, 2009, 23:03:31 pm »
TR, congrats on getting to 1 year! 
No real suggestions for the bottle to sippy cup transition.  Maybe try getting 2 different color sippy cups and always giving water in 1 and milk in the other so no confusion?

try the BF boards with this question, you may get better results


Offline bovi

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #294 on: April 16, 2009, 18:11:19 pm »
Hello girls, I am new to this thread, my lo is 6,68 mo :) and he is starting creche next week, only half time and I am very happy about that. He is still EBF, I have tried some vegetables but since lo has/had reflux and had eczema I have been very cautious and so we ended up me constating always a reaction I didn t like. Anyway I am a bit paranoid about reactions but I am not rushing introducing solids so that s fine. This thread is a treasure and I ve been trying reading it, but it is too long so I decided to post some questions.

I am planning  to BF for another year if possible.  At the creche he is going to eat only once at around 11. When I am at work do I have to pump this time or only if it is getting uncomfortable ? Where did you pump in the office or in the toilet? How did your colleagues react? Did you just put up a sign : „pumping in progress do not disturb!“☺ ? It would be actually great to pump that time so I would have the milk for him for the day after. There is a frigo at work, but can I transport the milk back home without problem?

I am building up some reserve. For how long frozen milk is good? I  still have some from December is that okay for DS?

Lots of questions! ..sigh.. Tomorrow we are doing the first day of adaptation as they call it here and I am going to leave DS there for an hour, hope he will like it. We went there today and he was happy but I was there so I have no idea how he will react to the new situation. Some days ago I cried to DH, but now I am decided 100% that I will look happy and never cry in front of my bub  when I leave him.

Looking forward to any advice/suggestion/comment even on questions I have not yet asked :)!
Viktoria

Offline Erin (redstarfalling)

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #295 on: April 16, 2009, 23:00:34 pm »
Hey Viktoria - I'll see if I can comment on any of your questions. :)

Should you pump around 11 am?  Yes, if you can - it can help to maintain your supply for weekends and holidays, as well as overall, and give you some extra.  I generally found it got harder to maintain a pumping supply after 6 months, and had to pump twice for one EBM of equivalent amount.

I pumped in the office.  My colleagues were good - some raised eyebrows (my lo was already over a year), but they knew from the sound and the closed door not to come in.  Although the ones who were comfortable with it would sometimes keep me company. :)

I stored it the fridge at work, and used freezer packs for the trip home to keep it cool.

Breast milk is good for about 3 months in a freezer attached to a fridge, and 6 months in a chest freezer.

Good luck!
Erin
Mother to Megan and Samantha


Offline clh

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #296 on: April 17, 2009, 16:00:49 pm »
What Erin said.  :)

I did not have access to a personal office, but an "anteroom" had been set up for pumping.  It was kind of a little mini-lounge with a table & couch before you got to the toilets (which were in a separate room).  Otherwise, I did what she did, with the freezer packs & such.  Office would definitely be preferable to a toilet.  And yes, feel free to put up a "do not disturb" sign.
Candice



Offline olkan

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #297 on: April 17, 2009, 19:33:05 pm »
Hi Viktoria - I still pump, for over 7 months now at least 2 times at work. I do it in the toilet, and to be honest I don't really care what people think, and my close colleagues know I'm pumping. My trip to home is about 30 min by tube and I never used any freezer packs - the milk is still chilled by the time I get home, and sometimes I forget it in the bag for a few hours when I come home, it's warm but it never spoiled. The fresh milk can actually last more than a day without even a fridge, if it's not too hot outside, and saves you the hassle with all these freezer packs which take space in my handbag.
My other tip is to keep a spare pump at work. I've forgot mine a couple of times, so had to go and buy a new one each time as otherwise I won't last a day without pumping, so know there is one in my drawer just in case.
If you just start pumping, don't be scared that in the beginning you don't get much, it's a learned skill and takes a few weeks to learn to get a letdown, just keep trying:)
Good luck!



Offline bovi

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #298 on: April 18, 2009, 18:16:32 pm »
Thank you all! Monday is the first day he is going to eat there. Oh I forgot to mention that he does not take much from the bottle. We have tried, although not enough hard I guess, but he drinks something like 30 ml (1 oz I guess)  and then stops. I have no idea how he will react. What a difficult experience this is to send him to creche! Friday he spent there an hour and he was crying a river by the time I arrived back  :'(

Olkan, very good that you mentioned that fresh milk can travel without the freezer back. Tomorrow I ll collect milk for the day after. Let s say that Sunday I ll do the first pumping at around 8 am and bub will drink it the day after at 11 am. I ll keep the cup (the avent one with the cover) with the milk in the fridge and Monday morning I ll transport it in a thermo bag. That I suppose will be good enough for the 20 min drive we have.

After all I ll try to pump in my office (lucky enought to have my own, at least I had it when I left :) )and put up a sign. The I ll have to wash it, that I ll do in the kitchen and hope not to get any comment. I work at a place with sme 800 people and so I ll meet many in the kitchen I dont even know.

It will be much less complicated when we he finally eats some solids and I can finish the DF, I ll then have more chance to get  a decent amount.

One more question. Does an electric pump make a difference? I have a manual one

thank you again and   :-*
Viktoria

Offline Erin (redstarfalling)

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Re: Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2
« Reply #299 on: April 18, 2009, 20:07:50 pm »
It can make a big difference actually.  If you're planning to do some serious pumping for a while, you might want to consider getting a double electric pump - gets more milk out, takes less time, and reduces repetitive strain injury! :)
Erin
Mother to Megan and Samantha