BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Breast Feeding => Topic started by: RachelC on May 02, 2008, 18:44:06 pm
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Continued from https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=66647.0
This is an area people often need some help with so I thought I'd start a support thread for working mums who breastfeed.
You may be a champion pumper or perhaps someone who only breastfeeds a couple of times a day. Share your experiences and ask for advice here.
However please do feel free to start separate threads as always if you want a wider audience!
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Marking, even though I am not BFing anymore, hoping to give some help to those who are.
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Just marking my spot. Also, you can do this & make it work! ;)
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Not much activity here - are all the working moms working too much to goof off on the internet between (or during) pumping sessions?
I'm on the one month countdown to supplementing some ebm feeds while I'm at work with whole milk. My pumping output started diminishing around 6 months and despite all my efforts has not regained it's original glory of up to 17 ounces a day. I'm lucky to get 7 out of two pumps at work. I pump like a fool to make up the difference, just had a week off and managed to sock away 30 ounces. I am so proud, it was my goal to bf exclusively for a year w/o supplementing formula and I'm going to make it! No easy feat for a working mom!
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I am a teacher and am off for the summer. My lo is 15 weeks old. I was hoping to stock up on milk to freeze this summer, but so far it isn't going so well. I am lucky if I get 3 ounces a day to freeze. I usually feed her and then when she moves to the other side, I pump the first side. She eats 6 times a day (every 3 hours during the day) and sleeps through the night. I am a little worried that I won't be able to keep up with her when I go back to work mid- August. Any suggestions on how to get more milk to freeze?
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Liacarmen! WOW!!! :o 17 ounces!!! :o I'm sat astounded! (can you tell? ;)) I NEVER had that much output, even in the beginning. Good for you making it your year. :D I'm proud of you, too. We just made our year last month. I agree it's not easy. Isaac had some formula in the NICU the first couple of days, but we started bf'ing then & never looked back. :D
Welcome Ekaump! Honestly, 3 oz after feeding your lo is better than I could ever do. Does your lo take a dream feed? Mine never did, so I pumped at that time (~10 pm) to get additional milk. It's good you're working on your stash now. That'll help come August. Gotta go, but keep asking questions, we'll try to help you through. It really can be done. :)
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Okay- so 3 ounces a day is good. I just wasn't sure what to go by. It seemed like I should be able to get more than that. She still does her dream feed. I tried to take out a feeding a couple of weeks ago, but she started to wake up in the middle of the night again and I didn't want to go back to that :) I thought in the next couple of weeks I would try it again and pump for the 10 o'clock time again.
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You might try to pump both sides an hour after your LO feeds and see if you get more milk that way. They say the pumps just remove the milk that's there, not inspire you to make more - so you'd probably not going to get tons right after a feed. It also helps to establish a time of day that you always pump so your body is prepared for it. Shoot for a morning time because you make more milk in the AM. If you are really ambitious, I would try for an hour after the first feed in the morning and an hour after the second feed. Make sure you're drinking an absolute ton of water, that helps. Sleeping through at 15 weeks - how lovely!
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I'm sitting at my desk in my office pump in one hand typing with the other!! Working mum in action!!
My top tips for helping to pump at work - is to have lots of photos perhaps even a 'slide show ' but also record your babies noises onto your mobile phone and listen to it when you pump.
If ever I go to pump and not much comes out I look at the photos and listen to the noises and then about 2 minutes later I'm in full flow....
Good Luck !!
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so 3 ounces a day is good. I just wasn't sure what to go by. It seemed like I should be able to get more than that.
Well, to be honest, what is a "good pump" for one is awful for another & great for a third, even though they pump the same ounces. :-\ You kind of get what you get. Point of reference, I have to pump ~3 times for 2 of Isaac's current bottles. It has changed as he has grown, his needs have changed, my output has changed, etc. :-\ Do remember that your pumping output (even at a replacement pump, where lo is taking a bottle & you're pumping) is NOT an indication of your supply. Lo is very efficient at removing the milk, better than any pump is going to be.
Liacarmen & Michelle (welcome! :D) gave you some good pumping tips. Also, some women have good luck visualizing flowing water: stream, rain, river, Niagra Falls... ;)
Gotta run... be back later.
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Hi Girls.
It's time for me to join this nice group. I spent all my 'Y' time today reading pps ;)
CLH - thanks for the tip. It's good to see that I'm totally normal by being a pumping maniac.
A question to get started: if my LO nurses for 10 minutes and I "dream pump" around 4 Oz (on good days 5Oz) - 10 minutes to get this amount, can I say that she'll need more than 4 Oz (considering that babies are more efficient than pumps)? By Kellymoms milk calculator, the 6Oz bags I'm freezing seems to be OK, but I feel a little concerned about that. :-[
Thanks
Lidia
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Welcome, Lidia! :) Glad you could find some tips & reassurance in the previous posts.
Remind me how old your lo is... Which feed(s) are you looking to replace? How many times are you feeding total?
I found that the "how much to give" question is kind of a trial-and-error thing. All I honestly know to do is to tell you to try. Kellymom gives a good place to start, but each lo is different. Neither of my boys took more than 6 oz at a time, ever. Others take more. Some take less. :-\ When you start, I'd fix bottles that you think your lo will take, and send some extra so so she has some extra if she needs it.
I think when mine started daycare at ~4 months, they each were taking ~4 oz in each bottle. That slowly grew up to 6 oz, and then shrank to less, all as their needs changed. Their caregivers were always good to tell me if they were still searching for more at the end. And I could tell when they didn't need as much (daycare didn't throw out the milk, so I could literally see). I also have a full serving (or 2) frozen in the freezer at daycare in case something happens to his bottles (spill, liner break, etc) or he needs extra for whatever reason.
I have found that freezing in 3 (or so) oz bags worked well for me. If I was missing only part of a bottle, I wasn't thawing for a whole bottle. If I needed a full bottle, just thaw 2 bags.
HTH... :)
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Hi Candice,
Thanks for your reply. My LO is now 17 weeks and she'll be going to day care in 2 weeks.
I have around 50 bags of ~6 Oz in my freezer :P (DH is also complaining b/c we can't store food anymore ;D) I don't want to waste her precious liquid but as I've started pumping since DD was 2 mo, I had no idea of what would be necessary (I thought that it was better to have an extra than leave her asking for more).
I've read somewhere that our BM changes accordingly to baby's needs, right? In this case, should I need to mix "older" frozen milk with fresh one? i.e. should I send a bag of frozen milk and a bottle of fresh one (IF I manage to pump a bottle - I think I would only be able to pump at night on a regular basis so, 3-4 Oz will probably be what I would have of "fresh milk" :-[)
I'll be able to BF her in the morning (before leaving), at lunch and at night. The daycare I'm planning to leave her has a different routine comparred to ours. They bottle feed babies at 10 am, 1pm, 4 pm. They give solids/juice/fruit at 12 pm, 2 pm, accordingly to what has been indicated by LO's doctor. My LO is flexible 4 hours EASY (7 am, 11 am, 4 pm, 6 pm and 8:30 pm). Little by little, her feedings would probably need to be adjusted to daycare times, as she is going to stay there from monday to friday, full time (7:30 am - 6:30 pm).
How did you girls manage to go through Separation Anxiety (the mom's one?) :'(
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WOW at your stash! :o :o :o ;D That's great! My personal opinion is that it can never be too big. ;) Extra is definitely good.
BM does change as lo grows, but I wouldn't think you'd have to use frozen preferentially over fresh. You may get other advice, but my "order of use" is generally fresh first, then frozen (starting with the oldest bag). Yes, you can mix the frozen with the fresh to get the appropriate amount in the bottle.
Will the daycare work with you on schedule? Would they still follow baby's current schedule, as she's still so young & then slowly transition? I'd think this was important, at least at first until she gets used to their schedule.
As for separation anxiety... well... it's hard. I can tell you that being able to bf at lunch will definitely help. I was able to do that with both my boys, and I just loved those special times with them. :) With J, I actually hung out at the daycare for the first week or so. :-[ But they were very accomodating & understanding. :D {{hugs}} hun. I understand.
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Hi girls,
I need your expertise and help. I've been thinking of a plan for my return to work.
I don't know how it works in other countries but it's common in here that a week prior to mom returning to work, both mom and baby go to the daycare for adaptation. They say that this adaptation is for the baby but we all know that it's mainly for the poor moms who will suffer from separation anxiety ::)... i'm just kidding. It's meant for the mother to know how the daycare works and either for the mother to give instructions for the caregivers.... Probably you all have done the same.
(spoke too much - sorry! :P)
Anyways, when back work I plan to BF her at 7 am / 1:30 pm / 8 pm and she will be bottlefed (my milk) at 10:30 am and 5 pm. I have milk stored for those 2 bottles but I plan to keep BF'ing her on weekends.
Today I pump at:
7 am (after feed) - get 1 Oz or 1 1/2 Oz. When she STTN, I can get 3 Oz (after feed) :o - but hurts to be engorged, though :-[
6 pm (after feed) - get 1 Oz or 1 1/2 Oz
11:30 pm (dream pump) - get 3 - 4 Oz.
During this adaptation week, I need to simulate how things are going to be so I plan to pump at 10:30 am and 5 pm.
After July 28th, I think I'll only be able to pump at 11:30 pm daily. Do you think my supply will drop drastically? I'll try to pump at work at least once/day but not sure if i'll make it.
Should I pump more during this adaptation week? I'm also worried to "over pump" and become engorged from 28th on... ???
Sorry for ramblings... I feel anxious and can't talk to anybody about this. People here are not used to pumping and DH can't help. :'(
Any suggestion / comments will be very welcome.
Lidia
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Ohhhh... going back to work is so hard! All of these details do get sorted and it does get easier, I can promise you that. Probably not what you want to hear, but I would really try to pump at least twice at work (is it an 8 hour day?), I think it's hard to say how different people's supplies will be affected, but for your own comfort too. If your work setting isn't going to work, could you do it in the car? Or would they arrange a closet space for you?
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Hi Liacarmen,
Thanks for the encouragement. I'm trying not to feel guilty for leaving her with caregivers. :-\ I know they're very adaptable. At this moment, my only concern is to keep BF'ing. I know I can do it!
I've sent an e-mail for the HR department asking about a place for me to pump. So far, no replies. I guess I'll have to return and then figure out how things are going to be. At first, if there's no option, I'll be pumping at lockers room. Not the best place to do it but, at least, it's not WC.
The parking lot is far from the office, so pumping in the car is not possible. Besides, I have never tried to run the pump with batteries, don't know how long it would last.
Anyways, I'll try my best. You girls are my inspiration, if you can make it, why can't I? ;)
Thanks!
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Lidia hugs to you. I went back to work when Graesha was 6.5mo and I continued to BF and pump until she was 13mo (our choice). It's not easy, but you can do it. I second liacarmens thoughts about pumping 2x per day. The less you pump the less you will yield. Be consistant on the times of day for the best result. Best to pump at the same time you'd be nursing. It's law in Canada that a nursing mother must have a space to pump, is it law in Brazil? Can you look into it? Your HR department should support you as well.
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Hi Lyndsy
Thanks for the hugs!
I've just read the e-mail from the HR department. There's no room available and I wonder if one day there'll be. I just realised that they don't seem to care about breastfeeding as it's not obligatory to have a space to pump... Just for you to have an idea, the girl who replied my e-mail "advised" me not to pump but to express by hand. She said I could develop cracks and hurt myself by pumping >:(
I'll definitely try to pump twice a day. What happens if you miss one pumping session occasionally? Do you get engorged?
As a last resort, I could keep BF'ing her when I'm with her. Wouldn't my body adapts to produce milk only at those moments? Has anybody experienced that?
Thanks
Lidia
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Just for you to have an idea, the girl who replied my e-mail "advised" me not to pump but to express by hand. She said I could develop cracks and hurt myself by pumping >:(
I'll definitely try to pump twice a day. What happens if you miss one pumping session occasionally? Do you get engorged?
As a last resort, I could keep BF'ing her when I'm with her. Wouldn't my body adapts to produce milk only at those moments? Has anybody experienced that?
Thanks
Lidia
1. That's crazy and untrue.
2. Yes you would get a little engorged, as long as you pumped soon after, you'd be fine.
3. You would probably have to suppliment during the feed times even when you're at home (weekend) as your body wouldn't be used to supplying milk at that time of the day. If you were supplimenting with EBM that was stored in the freezer you would definately run out faster. Probably have to switch to formula. I realize there isn't a whole lot of options for you though.
Just a note. I am in the car industry which is not at all "girl friendly". I made it very clear that pumping was a non-negotiable for me to return to work. I realize that isn't the perfect route for everyone.....just a thought.
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Hi Lidia,
Your HR lady is crazy, don't pay that advice any mind. I am woefully unfamiliar with the employment laws anywhere but the US - but I'm wondering, do you get 15 or 10 minute breaks throughout the day and a lunch? I hope these questions aren't intrusive, I'm trying to brainstorm some ideas for you. If you're in an office type building there's got to be a closet and even if it doesn't have an outlet, you could use those battery packs. Is there a bathroom that locks? How about some rollerblades to get to your car really fast on break? :)
I am certain you can make whatever you decide to do work. If I remember correctly, you've got a huge stash to work with while you figure out where to do your pumping at work. If you're allowed time off throughout the day, I'm certain you can detective out a private nook.
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I agree with you both... The HR girl is crazy. I replied to her saying that she wouldn't need to worry about my milk expression ability as what I really wanted was her support on finding a place to pump.
My stash is big (~320 Oz atm :P) I've been pumping a lot and wonder if I'm not getting addicted to it :-[ I wanted to keep DD on breastmilk until 6 mo, without formula or solids. I think it may be possible due to the amount of BM I have frozen.
LOL on rollerblades! ;D It would be sooo nice but people from Healthy and Safety Dept. would fire me, though!
Liacarmen - you're right and don't worry about being intrusive, I really appreciate your help. At lunch time I plan to go feed DD so it won't be a problem. As for the 2 daily sessions, I agree with you. If people can make a break to smoke, to have a cup of coffee, why can't I have my break to pump some milk for my DD? I'll find a place to do it and I'll let you know.
Now re engorgement : DD has STTN for the past week. Every morning my breasts are really engorged. Just for you to have an idea, I have to pump for a while so as to relief some pressure for her to latch. I'm feeding her plus pumping after feed (pump = 4Oz) :o Am I making things worse by pumping?
I feel so happy to have someone to share my anxiety :) ... Yesterday I had a meltdown because DH can't help on this pumping / stash / schedule questions... :'(
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I'd look at that morning engorgement as an excuse to add to that enviable stash. It'll chill out when your body gets used to the sttn. Good for you for making this work! I really think us pumping working moms are the hardest working gals on the planet - wherever we're located! Going back to work is really hard, I went back at 4 months too - but it does get easier and all this pumping business sorts itself out. I had a really hard time with it in the beginning. Now I'm proud to set a pumping example for the other young women in my office. I'm glad they get to see me making it work. You're fully at 6 months with that stash - good on you!
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Hi Liacarmen,
That's what I thought, that I can deal with the discomfort for a while to increase my stash. This morning I pumped 5 Oz.
I've noticed that when I pump to relief pressure, a lot of foremilk comes. After DD finishes nursing, I pump a little more, so hindmilk I guess. I wonder whether this milk wouldn't have an imbalance between foremilk and hindmilk. Maybe I shouldn't bother about it? ???
I'm nuts... Definitely. :-[
I wonder how many of you were like me atm...
And I admire you and the other girls from the previous forum. ;)
Thanks. :-*
Lidia
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{{hugs}} Lidia! Sorry I've been away from the boards for a few days. You've gotten some great advice, though. :D Could you sell the rollerblades to your health/safety folks as good exercise?! ;D I liked that one. ;)
Also, FYI, you can get a car adapter for most pumps so that you plug the adapter into the cigarette lighter/power port in your car, & the other end into your pump. Sometimes you find them so that there is a wall socket looking interface, & you plug your regular pump plug into that receptacle.
As for the 2 daily sessions, I agree with you. If people can make a break to smoke, to have a cup of coffee, why can't I have my break to pump some milk for my DD? I'll find a place to do it and I'll let you know.
Definitely! Any time you can find to pump, even if it's not the "ideal" length of time, will help you.
Honestly, I've never really considered the hindmilk/foremilk question as it relates to pumping... Evidently it hasn't been an issue here, but I haven't relly pumped before nursings very much... ???
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Hi I'm currently BF my 5 month old and go back to work in about 7 weeks. I'm intending to continue BF in the morning and evening but considering using formula for day feeds at nursery. I was interested that some of you are stockpiling and freezing milk. I'd prefer my lo to get as much breastmilk as possible but know I won't be able to consistently express enough when I'm back at work. I hadn't thought of stockpiling in the next 7 weeks as I've read that breastmilk changed over time to suit the baby's stage of development. If I express and stockpile while I'm off will it still be suitable for my lo when I defrost? I've also noticed that my lo doesn't seem to keen on milk that I've frozen and defrosted in the past. Has anyone else had this problem?
Thanks in advance for any help and advice. :)
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Hi, jessiecat! {{hugs}} on having to go back soon. That's always hard. As for your questions...
Yes, breast milk does change as your lo grows. Yes, fresh from you is *most* ideally suited to your lo. BUT, there's still lots of good stuff, even in milk that has been frozen. So we stockpile what we can. :) Yes, anything you express now & freeze will be good 7 weeks from now. This website:
http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/11/breastmilk-collection-and-storage
has some good info about how long you can store expressed milk under various conditions. I don't know about your lo not liking previously frozen milk. Mine never cared. Are you sure it was the milk & not the bottle itself, or that *you* were giving bottle & not breast (if that was the case), or... Just trying to brainstorm some other possibilities. Has lo had formula before?
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Hi clh, thanks for the reply and support :) I'm fairly sure it was the milk not the bottle or me feeding her. My lo is used to taking expressed milk from the bottle and isn't fussed who's feeding her it but everytime I've tried so far with previously frozen milk she hasn't been happy. I'll give it a go again though as stockpiling would be helpful even if she still had to have formula once a day at nursery. I've just started to introduce formula in the last week so she won't have to cope with too many changes at once - going to nursery, taking formula, changes to her routine etc She doesn't seem to mind drinking it but I'm not sure her little tummy is used to it yet.
I'll check out the website you mentioned and see what info I can gather. Thanks again
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Hi!
Candice - thanks for the encouragement. It's interesting what parenting brings to our lives, isn't it? I want to make things so perfectly to DD that I think I end up overthinking most of the times! Maybe I just need to go with the flow.
That Medela website is very helpful, thanks for the tip!
Jessiecat - your LO is cute! Welcome to this forum. I'll be back to work next 28th and I've been stockpilling since mid-may. I've also heard about milk changing composition but I'd rather give my LO my own milk than formula (it's cheaper!). Nothing against formula feed, though.
Maybe your LO refused frozen milk due to lipase activity? have you read/heard anything about it? Although it's said that most babies don't mind this change.
More info: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/lipase-expressedmilk.html
HTH
Lidia
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Hi lidiayy,
Thanks for saying she's cute. We were trying to get her to pose for her passport photo but we couldn't get her to sit still and stop giggling ;D
I just read the info on lipase activity it was really interesting thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Fingers crossed my DD was just being fussy about the defrosted milk because it will be a real bother to scald each lot of expressed milk and I'd read you weren't meant to reheat more than once. I'm getting a little confused I must admit. Anyway, I'm going to defrost some milk I froze awhile ago and try her with it tomorrow. I'm hoping that she has gotten over her dislike it sure would make life easier however, nothing seem simple with my lo. She was born 2 weeks late on Feb 29th I think this means she's going to be an awkward little baby. She definitely falls into the spirited baby category ;D
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Hi,
Yes, I'm a little confused too... We went to see the doctor yesterday so as to check her weight and also to get some instructions regarding her feeds while at daycare. I told him that I've been stockpiling my milk since Mid-May and guess what: he said I should only keep frozen milk for 15 days! I've read that this is true for frozen milk stored in freezer compartment inside refrigerator but he insisted that even for self contained freezer this is the maximum one could keep frozen milk. >:( I called a local human milk bank and they confirmed.
I felt like all the work done so far was stupidity... :(
Maybe they said that due to this changes in milk composition? Or just because they can't guarantee that milk will not go off even at very low temperature? Never know... But I'm not going to throw out my milk. :-\
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I've never heard of the 15 days for a self-contained freezer. I've used mine months later, & all was fine. (The stuff I thawed for use today was pumped at the end of January!) Maybe post a separate thread in the main bf'ing board regarding this issue? I've posted links to what I know. You might get a wider response from the general bf community.
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Hi Candice,
I googled it and found that Brazilian Health Department was responsible for this information. I found out also that it's a conservative thinking as it's not common for women to pump / extract milk here. All the scientific reports referring to 3-4 months are related to experiments done in US, Europe - places with different climate conditions when comparred to Brazil's, that's why they mention not to keep it longer than 15 days. ??? Besides, as Brazil is a country with, unfortunately, lots of people with lack of education, they can't guarantee that every mom will be able to express milk in good hygiene conditions.
Anyways, it's been hard enough to deal with the separation anxiety and all that comes with it so I won't suffer any more. I'm going to give her my milk. The doctor wasn't against giving my 'old' milk to DD as he trust my info about longer storage time, so I'll just do it and that's it. ;)
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Good for you, Lidia! You sound so confident. :) That's those mommy instincts kicking in! ;) You know, we all take in information from all over the place (here, friends, family, doctors, internet research, books) and take what we need to do what's right for our particular families. :) Glad to hear you have an understanding doctor. That's great! I'd think as long as power stays on & the freezer is at a proper temp, you'd be OK.
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Hi again everyone,
as you've been so helpful on the topic of freezing I'm going to bombard you with another couple of question about going back to work. Hope you don't mind and thanks in advance for the help and support. :)
Firstly, I'm currently pondering the issue of when to put my lo in her own room. The advice here is that they stay in your room for the first 6 months. She'll hit the 6 month mark just before I go back to work and she starts nursery. My DH and I are happy to keep her in our room for longer than the 6 months but we don't want to cause probs by keeping her with us too long. Any ideas?
Secondly, how can I help prepare my DD for the massive change in daily life that will occur when I go back. My DH and I are both teachers and he'll soon be off school for the summer holiday. Just as my LO will be getting used to having us both around she'll be put into nursery for 4 days a week. I have to admit even though it is weeks away I'm already fretting and have been for awhile :(
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Hi Jessiecat, I love your pic of your LO. I am in a similar position to you - LO is also 5 months old and excl BF and I will be returning to work at the end of August (also a teacher!). Re preparation - will your nursery let you come in the week before and spend some of each day there with LO? I too was thinking of BF morning and night and FF during the day but this thread has made me consider expressing at work...Usually am too busy even to eat lunch at work let alone express milk!!
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Jessiecat - Sorry I have no answers to your questions... :-\ DD has been sleeping in her room from the first day. But IMHO, I would try to put her in her own bedroom because if you go longer than 6 mo, she is can suffer from SA. How is your bath and bedtime routine?
As for the prep, I think it's important to have a week before she starts for you both to go there and show her that she'll be safe and you'll come back to pick her up. At least, this is what I'm going to do next week. I'll stay with her for some hours starting next monday. I'll post later with my personal experience, ok? ;)
Omy - welcome to this board. As you may have read, I'll have to find a way to pump during the day to avoid dipping my milk supply. Do what's best for you and your LO. She/He will be fine with you BF'ing morning and night if it's what you can do for her/him! :)
HTH
Lidia
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Hi Omy, your little one's pic is a cutie too :) The nursery has encouraged us to do some practice sessions before the big day when I go back to work but I'm not meant to stay with her :( I've only ever left her a couple of times since she was born and that was either with my DH or my mum so this seems like a huge step.
I know what you mean about being too busy to express at work as a teacher there always seems to be a hundred and one things to do. I've started stockpiling milk and I'll try to express once a day at home too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my supply will be ok and my body will adapt to the change in demand. This week I've started giving her a bottle of formula for one of the feeds she'll have when she goes to nursery. I'm expressing at that point and freezing. Hopefully I can keep it to one bottle of formula a day at nursery for a couple of months at least.
Lidia - I'm looking forward to hearing how you and your lo adapt to nursery. It is nice to be able to chat with other mums going through the same stuff. This site is a life saver :)
Our bedtime routine has been really good until the last week ::) suddenly it has all gone a bit pear shaped. Usually we give her a bath at around 6.15, get her dressed in her pjs and sing her twinkle twinkle before putting her in her cradle and using shush/pat when necessary. This week she's become really agitated by the shush/patting and so we're having to use pu/pd when she won't self soothe :( During the day she is starting to self soothe for naps but at night no such luck and it has been really traumatic :'( She's been really clingy this week too but I think the problem might be that she's been coming down with a cold. She spent all last night snuffling away and just isn't her chirpy spirited self today. Hopefully when she's feeling better everything will settle back down but she's got her 3rd set of immunisations next week so that's sure to set everything on its head again. Oh and on top of moving to her own room at some point soon she has to move from her cradle to a cot ::) There's always something isn't there?
Forgive my ignorance but what is SA? ???
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Hi Jessiecat.
No doubt this website is a life saver... Even if you don't find answers to your questions, at least there always be someone to support you and give encouragement. ;)
Sorry that your LO is becoming sick, hope she get over soon. I think the type of injections that most LO take around the world differs a lot because I've seen in other posts about LOs suffering after shots and mine has never noticed it! She obviously cries when the nurse inserts the needle, but not more than that. Maybe I'm lucky? ???
Although we have a lot to deal with, it's amazing to be mom, don't you think so?
As for 'SA' it's separation anxiety. In this case, the LO missing mom. I don't know too much about it, just that it's supposed to happen at 7 mo or so. But not every LO suffers from it. Which BW book do you have?
Hugs!
Lidia
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Hi Lidia,
So far my DD has been fairly good with the injections. Yes there were tears at the time but no horrible reactions however, it does throw her off her routine for a day or two. Mind you I think she rarely manages a day without one element of her routine going awry.
The book we've been using is 'The Baby Whisperer Solves all your problems' and while it isn't quite accurate that she's solved all our problems she has certainly given us a helping hand and is referred to most days. We'd be finding it difficult to cope without. I never thought I'd be the kind of person to recommend a book like BW so strongly but I can't help myself and even my DH has directed a friend of his in its direction.
You are right being a mum is amazing. Each day there seems to be something new to watch with wonder and awe - even if it is only my lo finding her toes or sleeping for a full 2 hours ;) And who would have thought the contents of a nappy could be quite so interesting :D
I've read about separation anxiety and am dreading it. She's going to hit 7mo just after I go back to work :( The guilt is already building.
Do you think I could wait until after the SA disappears before moving her to her own room :-\ or am I just being a really big scardy cat and avoiding doing what's best because it is difficult? ???
Anyway I appreciate the support, advice and the simple chat. Thanks!
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Hi Lidia thanks for the welcome! Jessiecat - I hope your little one recovers soon - it may be teething symptoms. re moving to her own room - you have to do what you feel is right for you - I know some people who have slept in the same room as their 2 kids for 10 years! And my first DD was 3 before she slept all night in her own room! Now I am on 3rd DD I am much tougher! LO is in her own room but it is literally the other side of my bedroom wall and both doors are open so I am not very far away from her. You must have a big cradle if she is still fitting into it!
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Hi girls,
Jessiecat - I second what Omy said about moving your LO to her own room. I know it will be lots of changes to her so do what best suits you, your DH and your LO. I think they (LOs) give us lots of clues to find answers to our questions. Maybe try one night, see what happens, then gradually move her? ??? Just a thought. ;)
Today it was the first time I gave DD a bottle. I live in Brazil and we can't find Breastflow bottles in here so I asked BIL to bring me from the US. I first tried the stage 1 nipple and DD got around 1 1/2 Oz and fed up... I ended up giving her the breast, not sure if I should have, though. Later, I tried using the stage 2 nipple and she got around 3 Oz and started fussing again. DH told me to give her the breast, and I gave in... :-\ Should I have insisted more?
Did I make a mistake in doing her the breast?
I'm very confused and DH says that we shouldn't push too hard on DD as she is too young, but I won't be there to offer the breast if she doesn't take the bottle. What should I do?
thanks
Lidia
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Hi all,
Thanks for all the support and advice. I think I'm going to start putting my lo down for some of her naps in her own room and see how she goes. It should give her a chance to get used to her room etc I keep telling myself I've got six weeks before I'm back to work so I've got time to help her make the transition. Hopefully she'll love it and want to be there instead of in our room :)
Oh and on a positive note I tried my lo with defrosted milk again and she didn't have a problem with it this time :) Let the stockpiling commence!
Lidia,
Hugs! I found it really upsetting when I first gave my DD a bottle and I was lucky she took it without a problem. How much does she usually take at a feed? It sounds like for her first time with a bottle she did well. She didn't refuse completely and I know of babies that have. How long is it before she will have to take the bottle because you won't be there?
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Hi Jessiecat - you're right to put her to sleep in her own room at nap time. If she has any problem (which I think she won't) you can be there for her and will not be sleep deprived. Good to hear that she accepted the defrosted milk without problems!
I'll be back to work (full time) next 28th, but this week she'll be staying for herself at the daycare starting tomorrow. I'll go with her the first 3 days for short periods. Gradually, this amount of time is extended that on Friday, she'll be there the whole day. So I needed her to take the bottle until.... tomorrow!! :o We didn't start this process before because the pedi said it wasn't recommended, now I'm not sure if it was the best decision.
I don't know for sure how much she drinks as I have never given her a bottle. I can pump around 3-4Oz but it's just an idea of the yield. She eats for 10-12 minutes, but I think we've been through a GS because she's taking 15-18 minutes per feed... ???
Will try again today so let's see how we go. I'll let you know.
Thanks for the hugs.
Lidia
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Hi Lidia - you can only make decisions based on the advice you're given. If the pedi didn't recomend a bottle you pretty much had to follow their advice.
If it is any help I can pump about 6oz and my lo takes approx 10-15mins a feed. When she takes a bottle of formula she manages approx 4-5oz (although today she only managed 2oz ???) the formula packet suggests at her age she should be taking a 7oz bottle. She never seems overly hungry after the formula, still lasts 4hrs till her next feed and is continuing to put weight on steadily. I think your lo will be fine. I look forward to hearing about how well it goes at nursery and with the feeds :)
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Hi Lidia - it is great that your LO took 3oz from a bottle! I think it is best not to make the experience traumatic for them - so 'giving in' with the breast is probably fine. At least that is what I do. Lo is hopeless at feeding from a bottle - so far her best effort was 2oz! I am trying with formula but I will have go tomorrow with EBM. I have 5 weeks to go till work but I want to get this sorted! I try once a day. I also try a sippy cup once a day (with water in it) and she is getting quite good at drinking out of it. Maybe we will miss out bottles altogether. Jessiecat - you are so lucky your LO is fine with a bottle!
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Hi,
DD is sick. I don't know if it was my milk! :'( She woke up this morning with her back covered in tiny red spots. ??? Called her Dr and he told me that it can be a viruses. What if all my stash is contaminated? He asked me a few questions to see if it could be allergy, but I didn't eat anything different the past days and DD has only got my milk, except those 2 bottles that I gave her yesterday.
He said that she could have been in contact with someone with the virus and now she has developed the disease. She had fever. Now she's fine but don't know what to do...
Thanks for the encouragement. Today I didn't give her the bottle as I wanted to be sure that she is well fed. Will try later when she gets over this!
Lidia
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Hi, ladies!
Just wanted to throw a couple of things out there... Advice here (US) is generally to continue bf'ing, even if you're sick or have been exposed to something. Thought is that lo's are also exposed (whether you bf or not), and if you continue to nurse, at least they're getting the antibodies & nutrients that are in your milk. BTW, Lida, I imagine it is more likely that Milena was exposed to a virus, and it happened to show up now. {{hugs}} They get all sorts of things when they are this age. :'(
Point of reference, when my boys started to daycare at about 4 months, they were taking ~4 oz bottles (3 of them throughout the time they were at daycare). Babies will usually take more from a bottle than they do from you, just because it's easy for them. They don't have to work to let a bottle drip in their mouths. That's why bottles like breastflow are recommended in some situations; they mimic the work required at a real breast.
{{hugs}} all around... You ladies are doing great!
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Hi lidia,
sorry to hear your lo is ill. I'm sure it isn't anything to do with your milk. Babies tend to pick up all sorts of bugs. My lo currently has a cold which she's given to me and before that she had a cough for 6 weeks, before that it was chicken pox and before that at 4 weeks she ended up in hospital with a virus and high temp. She sounds sickly doesn't she? The docs assure me that she is perfectly normal and babies get lots of bugs. Don't feel guilty or blame yourself although I know how easy it is to do. You are doing a great job and obviously love her loads. WE can't protect them from everything however much we'd like. :)
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Thanks girls!
I'm so relieved to know that this illness wasn't caused by my milk. Both doctors I asked said it was something she got from another baby/child/adult. She's still suffering from high fever but it's under control. Ladies from the breastfeeding forum have helped me keeping things in perspective.
I know she may be sick a lot of times during her childhood but I think the last thing I would think that could happen this week was that she could get sick. Today we were supposed to start adaptation at daycare...I agree with you, they pick up all sorts of bugs, their body is just not ready to be bombarded with so many things!
I'm feeding her every 2 1/2 hours (very flex) so that she doesn't get dehydrated as she is EBF. I'm not pumping those days as I never know when she'll want a feed. At least, I don't need to toss my stash!
Thanks for the support. Gotta go, DD is crying. Poor LO! :-\
Lidia
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{{hugs}} to her! Hope she feels better soon.
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Poor little one - hope she is better now!
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Hi everyone, guess what I've got another question ;D
How do you work out how much expressed breast milk to give your baby in a feed? Do you follow the guidelines for the amount of formula they would have or is there another way of working it out? So far as I'm always around when my lo has a bottle, whether it is breast milk or formula, I top up from the breast if I notice she's still hungry after her bottle. Her appetite seems to change throughout the day and every other week. I don't want to send her off to nursery without the right amount there for her but equally I don't want to waste lots of expressed milk by sending too much.
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jessiecat-- This site (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html) privides a good starting point, but as you realize, each child is different, & even the same child changes day-to-day and throughout the day. What I did until I got a better handle on what each boy wanted was
*make bottle(s) based on the suggested amount
*send a little extra fresh milk so that more is immediately available (didn't do this too long)
*send some frozen for daycare to keep in their freezer. It's available if lo needs more than you sent, or if something happens to what you sent (broken bottle liner, spilled bottle, etc). Our care-ers try very hard to protect our ebm, but accidents do happen. I tried to keep ~1.5-2 bottles worth.
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Thanks clh I've checked out the site and it was really helpful as were your suggestions.
It is silly but I keep getting really panicky about little details of the whole great big going back to work thing. Hopefully I'll be able to calm down a little before the big day.
Lidia -I hope your little one is feeling better
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Hi girls,
DD is better, a little grumpy though. Last night she had fever again and I think she had a headache. It's awful because when she cries, we end up with lots of AP and I don't know if she'll get used to it... Last night, she had a NW at 11 pm and DH rocked her to sleep. :-[
Anyways, thanks for the wishes!
Yesterday we went to the daycare to start the adaptation. We arrived there at 2:30 pm and left at 4pm. I BFed her at 2 pm and left home. She played until almost 4 pm and since the caregiver doesn't know her tired cues, she obviously (but not on purpose) lost the window! DD got OT and was about to sleep when the caregiver asked me to pick her up. DD got upset, and I don't blame her, she was up for 2 hours! Although she can handle a 4 hours EASY in terms of eating, she can't handle 2 hours of 'A' time without being OT. She ended up napping for only 30 minutes at home and then woke up.
I think all these changes (daycare, first time sick) are tough for those LO, don't you think so?
The weather here is very dry so people are more prone to respiratory illnesses, IYKWIM? DD's poop is very liquid due to this germ infection so I didn't try to give her bottles. I'll take her to daycare again today and I'll ask the caregivers to offer a bottle now that she seems to be better. Fingers crossed for me! ;)
Jessiecat - don't feel silly... If you knew how I am feeling at this moment... Yesterday I had a huge meltdown :'( I don't know about you but I'm perfectionist so I had dreamed of a perfect adaptation week, when DD would accept the bottle and come back to my breast happily, that I would have time to get used to the idea of leaving her there, that I would have the chance to explain the caregivers about her routine... Due to this illness, my plan went to pot! DH got upset because he said that I can't predict what is not predictable... As Candice has said, every LO is different and that's BW is for, reading our LO cues.... I just wonder that it could be easier (no pun intended)!
I've got to go...DD is waking up from a nap and I'll take her to the daycare. I'll keep you posted ;)
Hugs to all
Lidia
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Good Morning from New Zealand!
Our daughter is 15weeks old and shortly i am returning to work on the weekends so dad & Ludmila can spend time together (dad works long hours during the week). I am still breastfeeding exclusivley and we have tried her on the bottle and she took to it really well. However it seems our LO (little 1?) likes the bottle a bit too much as when i have been putting her to the breast at times she starts to crack up at me :( Ive been told that this is because the milk is easier to suck when its coming from the bottle & she may just be getting lazy? ??? Its a tad upsetting when this happens and i dont want to only use bottles so soon! :'(
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Hi Jesse,
I know what you mean by using only bottles. Today was the 2nd day of DD (dear daughter) at daycare. It was the 2nd time that she took a bottle as well. I Also have the fear of her refusing my boobs so I'm using Breastflow bottles (The first years) which is most likely our breast.
It's true that some LOs (little ones) find it easier to eat from the bottle, but there are many that always go back to breast. I wish my DD is like that.
hugs!
Lidia
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Welcome to the boards, Jesse! :) Yes, that can happen with bottles. That's one reason bf'ing experts will tell you to have bf (breast feeding) well established before trying bottles. That said, most lo's can learn to go back and forth. If you don't have access to a breastflow bottle or a Medela special needs feeder (both more like breast & have to work more with the Medela), you can do some things to make a "normal" bottle harder for your dd. I was told to use a slow flow nipple/teat, no matter how old the baby was. Also, you can let her have a few swallows and then pause for a few moments (take the bottle away) before offering again. It sounds kind of harsh, but it's good for us to put our forks down between bites, so... ;) I'll try to think of other tricks, but I'm blank at the moment. Welcome again!
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I didn't use the breastflow bottles because I hadn't heard of them when I was in the bottle market - but I did always use the newborn nipples, I still do in fact. See no need to get him faster ones and I have had a lot of bf'ing problems, but not him refusing the breast in favor of the bottle.
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Hi everyone :)
Lidia- I'm glad to hear your lo is feeling better. It sounds like even though she got ot at daycare at least she wasn't distressed. The carers will soon learn her cues I'm sure and if she enjoys it it will be less stressful to leave her there. I agree that changes are hard on los they seem to love routines. The trouble is that they change and grow so quickly everything is always changing for them. I look forward to hearing more about her adaptation. I'll be taking notes ;D
Thanks for the support and reminding me I'm not the only one having meltdowns. I, like you, am a perfectionist and add a little baby to the mix and things get worse. It seems really important to get every little thing right and even tiny problems and mistakes seem like massive failures. I suppose all mums and dads want what's best for their children - I think I'll be forever feeling guilty or inadequate about some aspect of mothering though.
Hi Jesse - Ludmila's a great name and she's got a cute little smile. :)
I found it really upsetting when my DD took to a bottle so well but she quickly made it clear she still liked feeding from the breast. Your little one might find it easier to feed from a bottle but remember breastfeeding offers the chance to be cuddled up close to you in a really special way and babies love to be close to their mums :). Plus, you won't have to worry about leaving her when you need to as you know she'll take a bottle. I know some mums who dread leaving their babies because they know that they won't feed unless it is from the breast. My heart goes out to them and I have to be thankful that my lo can feed without me there.
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Ok, so day #3 of adaptation at daycare:
Today I left her there at 8 am. She had a long nap of 2 hours, which made me very happy as I thought she wouldn't like to sleep in a different place.
She woke up at 10:20 am and the caretaker tried to offer her a bottle. She refused. I'm using Breastflow with stage 1 teats. The girl said to me that maybe this teat is too slow because when she offered the bottle with stage 2 (4pm), she accepted better. I think maybe she has difficulty in drinking from the bottle because she is still learning? ???
She only took 1 Oz from this first bottle and ended up without feeding until 12:45 pm, when I arrived there to give her my breast. She ate at 6:45am, so too long for her tiny stomach! The 4 pm bottle, she took almost 2 1/2 Oz, so I think we're improving.
I pumped at 10:40 am and 5:30 pm in order to keep my supply when she'll be at daycare. Hope I can keep doing it from next week on.
Have a nice weekend!
Lidia
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Good afternoon everyone! Thank you for the tips :) DD has been a perfect suckler for the past day, a plunket nurse (after care for mum & baby untill 5yo in nz) said to try standing up when you put her to the breast...worked first time...The only downside is i have to hold a 6kg baby for how long! Thank you ladies once again!!! So awesome to have a suppport network...and its only a click away!!!
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Hi,
Just a quick question, I'm back a work now and having a hard time making sure I pump enough volume durng the day. What's better for volume and supply, pumping longer (i.e. 20min) or shorter (5-10min), more frequent pumping?
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Hi, Shark-- I don't know which is *better*, but I can tell you what I've done. ;) I went the longer, less frequent route. I ended up pumping 2 times per work day, plus a "dream pump" after lo went to bed (about 10 or 10:30). If you do not do a dream feed, that might be an option.
Also, note that a lot of women need to pump more than once to make up a feed. I had to pump about 2x for 1 bottle.
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Hi girls,
So today was my first day back to work.
I pumped first thing in the morning as my breasts woke up engorged - DD was sick last week, so having NW to eat, she has STTN the past 2 days and my body is still producing milk for this night feed ;D) I also fed her before leaving her at daycare.
At 10:30am, when she usually nurses, I pumped around 4.5 Oz :o And I had to do it at the locker room, which is not a nice place in terms of hygene so I think I'll have to dump it >:(
I went to daycare at 1:30pm to fed her. Picked her up at 5:45pm and fed her at 6:30pm (my breasts were engorged as well). She took a bottle in the morning at 10:15 am (3 Oz) and another at 4:30 pm (4 Oz). I've been using Breast Flow bottles and she's doing fine with it and breast ;D (mommy happy!!! :))
So far, the caretaker didn't use any of the frozen bags I've sent since DD is only taking the "fresh" milk.
Candice - as you have suggested, we're using the fresh milk and will top up with the frozen one. I can't say that she's taking 4Oz because this amount is increasing every day as she's getting used to eating from the bottle. :P
Shark - my pumping routine: 7 am ish- 4Oz + feeding
10:30 am ish - 4Oz
11:30 pm ish - 4Oz
HTH, hugs to all
Lidia
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I'm basically pumping full time as my start/end times change a lot and besides, we have latching issues...
My current schedule looks like this
7:30AM pump 20 min
12:00PM pump 20min
5:00PM pump 20min
7:00PM pump 10-15min
9:00PM pump 10-15min
3:00AM pump 20min
I find I have to get up in the middle of the night because it is my most prolific pump (stupid prolactin peaks at 3AM). I also find if I don't then the AM pump takes 30min or more to empty the breasts and I don't have that kind of time in the morning.
I'm finding I have trouble going from 12-5 without pumping as I get a bit too full and I think this is having a negative impact on my supply as I'm finding the volume of the 5PM pump a little on the low side, especially considering it's been 5hrs since the last pump. I think Ineed to pump at 3:30-4PM instead, but it's so hard to do when it's so close to the end of the work day...any suggestions?
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Gosh, Shark! I didn't realize you were only pumping. Wow! :o :o :o
What would happen if you shifted earlier an hour or 2 during the day:
7:30 am
11 am
3 pm
7 pm
9pm (or maybe 10 to make it more even)
3 am
That would get your 2nd pump of the work day away from the end of the day and put you on basically a 4 hour schedule.
Sorry I have little to offer. {{hugs}}
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I guess my thing is that I was trying to disrupt my work day as little as possible by pumping right before starting, at lunch and then after work but it just doesn't seem to be working out that well. I don't have control of my work-day schedule and can't offer to work through lunch or stay late to compensate based on the nature of my work. So pumping at 11 kind of sucks cause it's just an hour before lunch, but pumping at 3 may be do-able. I guess I was just wondering how often other working moms out there pumped and how they incorporated pumping into the work day.
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Maybe do give it a shot at 12 and then again at 3 before pumping at home at 7. That would be a 3 hour gap, then a 4 hour gap, as opposed to 5 hr then 2 hr. I'm blessed for my work to be flexible. I do know that there are some out there that can't pump at all during the day due to work (teachers?) that manage, but I think they nurse while they're home.
Are you interested at all in trying to get him back on/working on the latch? A separate thread for advice and a lactation consultant appointment might help. Don't know if you've been down that road before... or if you're content where you are, that's great, too. :)
A separate thread about not being able to pump during the day may get you a wider audience than just posting on this thread, too.
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Hi Shark
Hugs first and what a great mum you are for pumping exclusively.
I'm afraid I can offer no ideas as my work situation is extremely difficult to get time and privacy to pump.
How many sessions does it take for you to get enough milk for one day's feeding. I used to have to pump for 2-3 sessions for just one feed. Just out of interest, how much milk do you get at each session.
I know we have another member who exlusively pumped but I am not 100% certain who that it - i have pm'd Emma to see if she can remember.
ditto to what candice has said
I'm sure you have already had lactation consultants to help with the latch - is it something you would like to try again?
Try a separate thread asking for help - you need more input and specific help than that is probably available just on this thread.
alex
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It's 'stacy' who was an exclusive pumper for a long time. She's very helpful.
Shark - I think a separate thread is a good idea as this is an unusual situation. Most working mums have the option of doing natural feeds which benefits their supply.
Exclusive pumpers often end up taking galactalogues - prescription domperidone or fenugreek and blessed thistle from a health food store.
Also consider your pump. They can often get tired after several months of frequent use. What kind are you using?
Definitely breaking up that 5 hour gap would help. Even if you do just 5 mins at 3pm it would help.
At 9pm or 7pm I would go longer if you can. Carry on after milk has finished to send those signals. Sometimes it's beneficial to do 10-15 min and then a 10 min break and then another session to get another letdown.
I'm assuming you have a double-sided pump. Warm compress before and during pump a possibility? Massage during pump?
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I think flutie is also a full time pumper and I've pm'ed her too.
I get roughly 1-1.5 oz per hour since last pump. So if it's been 3hrs, I expect 3-4 oz that pump, if it's been 6 hours (like at 3AM) I usually get 6 or 7 oz. That being said, often by later in the day the ratio is a bit lower.
DS currently eats 6 x 4oz per day, though we're working on redistributing that to make it only 4 or 5 feeds a day and elimante the 2 night feedings. We're having trouble with that though because he's a spitter upper and I hate to give him more milk than he can handle andf then just watch it all come back up. It took nearly a month to go from 3 to 4 oz feedings without spitting up large amounts.
In terms of getting baby back to the breast, our problems started right from day 1 and we were seeing 2 really great LCs. Unfortunately, my nipples were just getting so sore that I had to take some time off BFing to let them heal and I just pumped instead. Then at 4m he was found to have a small tongue tie. We had it clipped in hopes it would help improve his latch but I think the damage was done. I have tried him on the breast many times since (I try for once every 2-3 days) but he's still a nipple muncher. I am going to try and see the LC again now that it's been a few weeks and he's had time to get used to his new tongue, maybe there's still hope...
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Oh, I am using a medela pump-in-style advanced pump. I don't think it's getting too tired yet...
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Hi Shark,
I just wanted to say that you're brave to be exclusively pumping! with all those difficulties, you must be proud of giving your LO your milk!
Hugs
Lidia
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Shark - it does take some babies time to adjust to a tongue tie and obviously the older the baby the longer to adjust. He is going to have lost the need for a wide latch with his bottle use.
I hope you have some luck with your next attempt. I would think about using a nipple shield in your situation as well.
Obvious point but I'm guessing you have a back-up pump if anything happened to pump A.
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Hi everyone, I am heading back to work soonish (6 weeks, but am applying for a new job and if I get it, I could be heading back in the next few weeks) and am looking for advice on how long I need to get my body used to pumping the feeds.
I have slowly been introducing dd to a bottle over the past month or so. She gets one every so often, so she still much prefers the breast. However, I haven't had very good luck in the past with pumping (with my first baby), so am a bit nervous about this. I was thinking that I should try pumping the feeds that she would normally be taking at daycare and giving her a bottle so we can both get used to it for about a week or so before she actually goes to daycare. Is this the way most people do it and is that enough time or should I do this for a few weeks instead? I am having a bit of trouble atm as my milk supply is quite low due to dd having a cold for the last few weeks - but I have posted that on a seperate thread. However, it means that I am trying to pump as much as possible right now as she is using all of my stock in the freezer.
Can anyone make any suggestions on anything else I should be doing to get my body used to pumping before I head back to work?
TIA, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Kerrie,
Welcome to this board!
I have been pumping for 2 months or so. I started when DD was 2.5 mo with "pumping routine" as follows:
7 am ish - feed + pumping (2 Oz)
6 pm ish - feed + pumping (2 Oz)
11 pm ish - no DF, just pumping (3 - 4 Oz)
When DD dropped her night feed, my boobs woke up engorged and I had to pump 1st thing in the morning to relief the pressure. Since then, I think my body "assumes" that DD eats A LOT at that moment, because I pump around 3 Oz, then feed, then pump more 1.5 Oz.
Now that I'm back to work, I pump at 7am ish (5 Oz) + 10:30 am (3 - 4 Oz) + 11 pm (3 - 4 Oz).
I know that lots of pumping sessions are hard, but have you considered doing it 1 hour after every Holly's feedings, at least for 2 days or so?
Sorry I can't help much more than this! :-[ But I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
hugs
Lidia
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Thanks Lidia, that is great info ;D. It gives me a start anyway. As I'm trying to increase my supply atm i am now pumping after every feed until I get it back up, but then I might try to do 1hr after her feeds for a few days and then drop back down to something like the schedule you started on and keep that up until I return to work. Wow, you also must have had a lot of supply when you went back to work recently, after pumping for that long :P Also, do you use a special bottle or a slow flow teat with her bottles now so she still wants the breast?
Thanks for your help - nice to talk to you on a different board too ;)
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Hey, Kerrie! Welcome & good luck with that job application!
I think Lidia has some good advice for you. I wouldn't replace feeds until you actually start to work. Pumps are not as efficient as lo's, so you most likely wouldn't pump enough in 1 sitting to replace that bottle. So you'd be eating (or lo will be eating!) into your stash. I'd suggest pumping after feeds as much as possible. (I know. Sometimes it isn't possible when you have a toddler running around, too.) If Holly is not taking a df, that time of night (10-11 pm) is a great time to boost your stash a bit.
I think around the time my boys were her age, I was doing something like
7 am - bf
10:30 am - pump
3 pm - pump
7 pm - bf
10:30 pump
Or at least it went to something like that soon after 6 months... Hard to remember now. ::)
I would suggest keeping a slow-flow nipple as long as possible. Both mine did that & went back to breast just fine. If there starts to be issues with breast refusal, you can always look into something like the medela special needs feeder or the breastflow (that one may be UK only?). They both mimic the way a breast works better than other bottles (makes lo's work for their dinner ;)).
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so be honest, do you wash your pump after every use, especially during the work day?
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Thanks Candice, that is also great advice ;D. I guess initially I thought I'd 'practice' giving her those feeds to make sure it all works out, but didn't think about it eating into my stash!
I think I am getting a bit nervous as I don't always get a let down when I pump (e.g. I've just been pumping now for about 10 mins and my let down on one side has only just kicked in ???), but if I start pumping regularly now, that should give me more of an idea of what times work best for me. It is very hard to pump at the moment with Hunter running around, but he actually likes to sit with his hand on the pump to feel the vibrations, so it keeps him amused for now anyway :P
Shark, not that I am working yet, but I have read on one of these threads that if you put your pump straight into the fridge when done, you don't need to wash it before the next feed. I've been doing that at home when I know I am not going to get the time to wash it before I need to pump next. I then try to wash it every 2nd time at least though. Hmm, hopefully this isn't too unhygenic :-\
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Need Help! First i'm having trouble trying to navigate the new lay out too this site! I probably last logged on in 2005/2006 with my first child. I have not been on since.
I now have a 6wk old little girl. She has been nursing well since birth and being supplemented with formula. Now I really want to work at getting her mostly on formula before I return to work in Sept./Octo. She is very gassy and was doing great with taking formula supplement, but now is
fighting the bottle. She seems to only take it from my husband or myself.
Need Help,
Meredith
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I don't wash every pumping time. Put in zip-top bag. Keep cool. Re-use. ;)
Hey, Meredith! Welcome back. Congrats on your newest bundle of joy! :D Sorry you're having a difficult time navigating. :( You're welcome to post on this thread, but the moms on this particular thread are trying to continue bf, even though they're working. Both my boys took to the bottle decently well, so I don't have any advice for you there, either, I'm afraid.
There's something in the bf FAQ about getting bf babies to take a bottle: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64926.0
You could also post a new topic in either the bfing (http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=12.0) or bottle feeding (http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=11.0) boards. That might get more "traffic" regarding your particular issue than on this thread. To start a new topic (sorry if you already know this...) go to the board, & below the "child boards" section and above the main section, over on the right, there are a list of buttons. Click "new topic" & then you can type in a subject & your post. Hope that helps!
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Hi everyone, sorry if this has already been discussed (as much as I would like to - I just don't have time to look back through all of the posts), but I was just wondering what type of pump everyone is using? I only have a Medela Mini Electric, which I don't think would hold up for constant pumping when I return to work (also may have been some of the reason I couldn't build my supply up with ds just over a year ago). But I had a look in the product recommendations and have narrowed it down to 2 that sound good - Medela Swing and Ameda Purely Yours (I don't want to spend the type of money needed on the Medela In Style Advanced since I will probably only continue this for another 6 months or so and this is my last baby too). But if you either use one of those, could you please give me your honest opinion about it OR if you have another type of pump that you find great - please let me know. Thanks so much, Kerrie
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I use the Medela Pump In Style Advanced (finishing up 2nd lo on it! :o), but I've heard lots of good things about the Medela company in general. I've heard less about Ameda. That doesn't mean they're worse; just that I've heard of them less.
You *do* need to have a pump that is designed for how you're going to use it, though. You prbably want to have a double electric so you can pump both breasts at once. Otherwise you'll have to double your pumping time. Have you thought about renting one? You might get a better-quality pump for less, if you're not going to use it long. Don't know how the economics work on that, but it's a thought!
P.S. If you start a new topic/poll you might get better traffic.
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I only used my Medela PISA for 6 months but it was worth every penny. It made pumping at work sooo less stressful (not to mention shorter) and my yields for the 11am pump were always 10-11oz. I had a huge stockpile and that in itself is very comforting.
I sold my PISA after I was done with it for 1/2 price.
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Imy yields for the 11am pump were always 10-11oz. I had a huge stockpile and that in itself is very comforting.
:o :o :o :o WOW!! ;D ;D ;D I think 7 oz at once is my tops EVER! ;)
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Wow, that is a lot of oz.... That is fantastic. I'll look into that one.
Candice, TBO, I didn't even think of renting one :-[ it must be this baby brain of mine.... I'll look into it definitely. DH would be a lot happier if I spent a LOT less money on it than $300+ - though we both realise the cost of formula would be a lot more in 6 months anyway and I was really hoping not to go down that road.
I thought about starting a seperate post, but just thought I'd ask on here first since everyone on here pretty much pumps the majority of the time so hoped I'd get enough opinions to help me make a decision ;D
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Okay, so I just looked into renting a pump and it will cost me twice as much as buying one :o. The companies around here renting them out are asking around $300 per 3 months of hire. Maybe I should buy a few of them and start renting them out myself ;). I will definitely be buying one I think, now I just have to decide which one to buy!!!
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Hi Ladies,
Sorry for the late answer. I have been busy and DH teased me a LOT about coming home and logging BW website ::)
Kerrie - sounds like you have a good plan, pumping after every feed is tough but really worth it. Due to my pumping routine, I have built a huge stash! ;) I gave DD Breastflow bottles with teats stage 1. At first, she refused and cried a lot, then we gave teats stage 2. Now that she's learnt how to eat from the bottle, caregivers returned to stage 1 and she's doing fine. She returned to my breast without any problems! ;D
As for the pump, I use Medela PISA as well. I think Medela Swing has the same features as PISA except from the fact that with PISA you can double pump. If you're already used to pumping one side per time, I think you wouldn't have problems. I found it easier and faster to have the letdown when double pumping, though but it's just me and every mom is diff, so... :P
Shark - I only pump once when at work. As soon as I get home, I boil the parts for 3 minutes and then pump again. Occasionally, like today, I was out of office and had to pump twice as I couldn't go feed DD at lunch time. I pumped at 10:30am, put the pump parts in the bag (keep cooled) and then used it again. Hopefully, nothing bad will happen :-X
HTH
Lidia
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Thanks Lidia. I am still debating about the pumps, but I am leaning towards the double pump as I think the faster the better.... Especially at work. Hm, will keep doing some research into it - I've heard really good feedback about the Ameda double as it is like the Medela PISA, but will look into a bit more. Thanks for your feedback. I think I will try to follow your pumping plan over the next few weeks too, once I stop pumping after every feed - then I might get a stash large enough to not stress about... PS - My DH teases me about logging onto BW too - he tells me I need my 'fix'...
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WOW! :o :o I had no idea it was so expensive to rent! This made me laugh, though:
Maybe I should buy a few of them and start renting them out myself ;).
Good luck on your decision. I know it's an investment, no matter which way you go.
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The 'first years' makes a decent double electric pump that retails for about $75 cdn. It's OK for occasional use (i.e once or twice a day while working). It's REALLY strong ( i only ever used it on the lowest setting) but the cycle speed is a bit slow for maintaining supply without a lot of BFing when at home. I used it tons for the first 2 months and it was great but had to switch to the PISA when I went to full time pumping.
Just a thought...
Thanks to all those who responded about pump cleaning!
One more question about that...is it better to just rinse the pump and leave to air-dry before next use or to leave full of milk and in the fridge between uses?
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I'm pretty sure Emma says not to rinse. Breast milk has antibacterial properties that protect it for a while.
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Oh, sorry I just need to vent here - I am really really struggling with my let down. I hope that a better pump helps as I am so nervous this will happen when I go back to work. I am pumping with Holly right on the ground next to me since she isn't eating much at all - and I am pumping right after she feeds and still not getting a let down.... Hm, I don't know what to do! Anyway, thanks for allowing me to vent!
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Honestly, if you're going to use it for 6 months I'd go for the Pump In Style - I was just looking at them on Amazon and you can get one for 250, maybe less if you do some serious internet shopping.
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Thanks Liacarmen, I live in Australia and they are almost $500 over here. If it works through a converter, I guess I can always have one shipped over here (would save me half the cost anyway). I have narrowed it down to wanting a double pump anyway and am considering the Ameda Purely Yours as they run for about $200 cheaper (or $100 cheaper with the carry all) and I've been reading good things about the pump itself. I'm just comparing prices on the internet now.
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{{hugs}} Kerrie! That can be so frustrating! I find I have to distract myself, or I'm too worried (still! ::)) about letdown for it to actually happen. I get myself all set up, & then cover as much of the horns & bottles as I can with my shirt. Then I try to make a point of not looking. At home for the dream pump, I would usually watch TV. At work, I take a good book or magazine. I've read the most stuff that way! ;) That worked for me, but every woman is different. :-*
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Hi. I'm new to this thread and I'm going back to work Aug. 18. I'm a teacher. I was just so sad because I had to throw away about 35 oz. of milk that went bad in the freezer. It was from May. I just put the freezer in the coldest setting. I'm afraid to look at the bags from June & July. :(
Someone had a question about let down. I know how hard it is. The milk I threw away was from when I started pumping and it was so hard that I literally had 0.75 oz bags in faith that it would increase. And it has! So hang in there. A few tricks I learned- Continue pumping so that your breasts & body get used to it. The pump will never be as efficient as the baby, so don't think it's not there. It is! Try moving the shields to different sections of the breast so that you can hit different milk bags. Do a breast massage, then pump. A breast massage is like a self breast exam. Then-don't laugh-shake your boobies facing down, so that gravity helps. Pump and repeat. It helped me so much and I could get more milk that way. After a month of doing this my body got used to the pump and now I can get about 10 oz in the morning on my best day or 8 oz on a regular day. Yeah, relax!!!! Pumping right after bfing didn't work for me. If I wait 1 hr. is best. I got a lot of milk also if I bfed when baby was nursing, but he was too distracted by the machine and wanted to pull the cords, so it didn't work. Good luck and let me know if anything helped you. Do you have a double pump? I have the Medela In Style and I think it's awesome. Also, make sure you have a shield appropriate to your breast/nipple size. Good luck!
Somebody else had a question about pumps. Get the double pump! You will need every minute you have. It's faster and both breast stimulated at the same time give more milk.
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Hi to all
Mamitica - welcome to this board. And WOW :o on 10 Oz in the am!!! Definitely your breasts got used to pumping!
Kerrie - I'm sorry you're having a difficult time with letdowns... :'( Chin up because you'll make it, trust me! When I pump right after DD's feeds, I do like this:
1 - put the pump shield in one breast and turn the pump on
2 - gently press the free nipple (very, very gently so as to avoid hurting) - roll your nipple between your finger and thumb.
3 - keep doing it until you have the letdown
In this process, I know it's hard but try to avoid being anxious.
In my case, doesn't make any difference watching my LO... :P Sometimes, it takes about 5 minutes (never watch the clock, though) stimulating until I can have a letdown. If I don't stimulate, milk never comes so don't think you're doing anything wrong.
When you pump right after feed, you have already had the 1st letdown (the most powerfull) as your LO stimulated your breasts for it, so the 2nd or more, it's harder to achieve.
Does your LO have a dream feed? If not, try to take a warm shower and massage your breasts. Like Candice, I dream pump while watching TV.
I hope this helps a little. Please let me know how it goes! I'll be thinking of you :-*
Hugs
Lidia
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It's official. All my frozen milk is bad. I just threw away 3 months of hard hard work. Needless to say, I'm devastated. All I have left is today's milk. :(
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Mamitica
But what happened? What makes you conclude your milk is bad?
Isn't it frozen?
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Hi Mamitica, thank you very much for your advice on the letdown and the double pump. I did have to laugh at your shaking the boobies downwards for gravity - but that is only because I think in pictures!!! A very funny thought - but WOW at 10oz in the morning - I will be shaking my boobies all over the place if it helps me achieve that!!!
I am really sorry to hear about all of your frozen milk being spoilt :'(. I had the same problem as I had a backup store of milk - (not 3 months worth, but about 8 bags) and I left my freezer door open for 2 days before we discovered it and sadly everything in there had to be thrown away (it was a standalone freezer, so was full of meat, fish etc). I am sure you are devestated, but at least you know you don't need to work so hard this time achieve more milk.
Lidia, thanks for your advice too - I will definitely try that as well. I didn't really think about the first let down being the strongest, so I might start waiting a little while after her feed to pump. The main reason I have been pumping straight away is to get my milk back up to a full supply again rather than trying to get additional. She still isn't eating that much, but someone told me that when they are on antibiotics they can go off their food anyway. So I just want to make sure I maintain my supply. BUT, the good news is that I have been unofficially told that I have this job I applied for (offer should come through next week after I have done a medical), so I will probably be starting around the beginning of September (I was due to go back to my old job mid-Sept anyway). So I can now concentrate on getting my body used to pumping and get dd used to daycare - hmm, should be interesting :-\ I'll let you know how I go with my letdowns. I am wanting to order a double pump this weekend and get it soon so I can get used to it and it will hopefully help. How is your dd going at daycare?
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campbell chick- Here's the link that helped me pump more effcientlu. As I said, at the beginning I would only get like 1/2 oz. but with perseverance I increased the amount. http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html I hope it's useful to you.
My milk went bad I think because I think the freezer wasn't on the highest setting. I tasted it all and it was all bad.
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Thanks Mamitica, I'll definitely check out the link.
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lidiayy- I served LO the frozen milk yesterday in the sippy cup and realized later that I was bad- the smell gave it away; then the texture; finally, the taste. It's the worse taste! And poor LO had about 4 oz of that milk. :(
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Kerrie - Congratulations on new job!! :D Isn't it good when you have new challenges? So you've decided to buy a new pump? I'm sure you won't regret, letdowns should be easier and soon you'll have mastered pumping and you'll be able to send Holly to daycare w/o being worried. ;)
DD is fine with the daycare thing. Actually, she is so sociable than I wonder if she misses me :P
Mamitica - oh, how awful. Have you read about milk not smelling fresh?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/lipase-expressedmilk.html
Anyway, you're already used to pumping and soon your stash will be bigger again!
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Hello, ladies! Just thought I'd join in with some questions! I have a 10 month old DD who will be in daycare 4 days a week starting in the middle of October. She has never taken a bottle, and in fact is still getting 5 BFs a day due to sensory/reflux issues causing problems with her intake of solids. When my DD1 was 10 months, I cut out one BF and gave cow's milk in a sippy instead (she refused a bottle, would not drink EBM or formula from a sippy, but happily sucked back the cow's milk ::) ). Then when she was 11 months and I went back to work, I was feeding her just 2x a day, morning and night. Unfortunately, she weaned herself entirely and suddenly 4 days after her first birthday.
Hayden has some health issues (reflux and kidney problems), and I really want to BF her as long as I possibly can. I don't have a pump, but would happily invest in one if you don't think it's too late. Should I be introducing a bottle for the EBM feeds, or just give it to her in a sippy? I can pump once at work (I only get a half hour break in a 9 hour day - my arrangement), and then once at 9 pm. I'm sure she'll still need her night feed, with reflux she tends to take smaller feeds and still needs that one. Will that be enough to keep my supply up? She'll be getting BF morning, evening, night, and then 2 EBM feeds. How many oz does a baby this age usually take per feed?
Thanks in advance for any help! :)
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Welcome, Mamitica! So sorry to hear you had to dump your stash. :( That's so hard after putting so much work into it.
Congrats on the (almost) new job, Kerrie! You sound excited. :) I'm glad you're getting your pump beforehand to try it out & get used to it.
DD is fine with the daycare thing. Actually, she is so sociable than I wonder if she misses me :P
I know this feeling. ::) It's good to know that they enjoy where they are, though. And I know that Isaac's teachers really do love him, too.
Welcome, Nicole! How is Hayden 10 months?! ;) I have a few thoughts. They're worth what you paid. ;)
I really want to BF her as long as I possibly can. I don't have a pump, but would happily invest in one if you don't think it's too late.
My personal opinion is that you will probably be able to bf longer if you are able to pump. Every woman's body is different, but the more "keep making milk" signals that you send, the better. I did fine when I was doing 5 feeds/pumps, but things really started slowing when I went to 4, and I'm honestly not doing well with only 3. Granted, I was trying to start the weaning process, but when I did, it hasn't taken long to drop. My plan is to get to 2 & do it as long as my body will. Anyway, sorry I got sidetracked.
Should I be introducing a bottle for the EBM feeds, or just give it to her in a sippy?
Hayden will be ~1yr when you get back to work. I'm thinking to try just a sippy. Otherwise, you'll be wanting to start weaning the bottle about the time you get it introduced. (says the woman whose 14-mo-old still takes 2 bottles ::))
Will that be enough to keep my supply up? She'll be getting BF morning, evening, night, and then 2 EBM feeds.
I can't post any guarantees, but that sounds like a good plan, provided you're pumping at least twice to get the 2 ebm feeds. Also, keep in mind that for a lot of women, you have to pump more than once to get enough for a single feed. I would pump ~3-4 times for 2 bottles when Isaac was Hayden's age.
How many oz does a baby this age usually take per feed?
I'd start with this webpage (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html) as a good place to start. Make your bottles according to it. The first few days (or couple of weeks) you can send in extra "fresh" milk in case she's still hungry. If not, it can always go into the next day's bottles. Over this time, you can figure out how much she really wants in her bottles & you can start making them according to her instead of the generic calculator. I always made sure I had 1-2 bottles worth of frozen milk at daycare in their freezer. That way if bottles spill, she's really hungry, liners break, etc, they have an easily accessible supply.
Hope some of that helps. Good luck! :D
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Hi Nicole, just wanted to pipe in too and say I have just now ordered a double pump for when I return back to work in a few weeks. I only had a mini electric, so wouldn't have been sufficient to use regularly. However, if you only have a short break at work, a double pump would definitely be the way to go and a good investment. The idea is obviously you will get more milk in a shorter amount of time - is there anyway you could split your 30 min break to 2 x 15 mins? You could then pump at least twice through the day to hopefully get more milk out.
Anyway, my personal opinion on the bottle v's sippee cup at that age is you may as well just go straight to a sippee cup. Everything I have read (I believe even Tracey's books) has stated that if the baby hasn't had a bottle before 6 months, you can just go straight to a sippee cup.
Candice a question for you as you are still BF'ing after a year - do you still introduce cows milk as well as BM after 1 year or just hold off on cows milk until you stop BF'ing altogether? Sorry it might be a silly question, but my ds was on formula by 1 year, so I switched to cows milk shortly afterwards - so not sure about BM (hoping I will make it that far)
Lidia - I am sure Milena misses you - but know how you feel. My ds is the same - he runs into daycare waving bye bye to me when he goes - I remember the days he used to cry when I dropped him off... But I'm really pleased to hear she is loving it - it is a load off your mind. I definitely can't wait for my new challenge with this job, I'm very excited.
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Marensmama- My advise is to go for the sippy. DS in 7 mos. and hardly ever took a bottle, but now that I'm going to work in a week, I introduced the sippy. I got the Born Free ones. They are more expensive, but no bad plastics and he loves the spout since it comforts his gums. He had no problem using the sippy. He really likes it. About the pump, a good quality double pump is worth the investment. Anytime you are pumping you'll be glad you invested your money in a good product. Pumping is not my favorite past time and I"m glad I can do it as efficiently and quickly as possible. I have a Medela In Style. Surely worth the $250 for me, specially at the beginning when your body is getting used to the pump and every ounce counts :) I'd recommend pumping as many times as you can as well. In the morning is always a good time because your body tends to accumulate more milk during the night. Then, during your break at work; at the end of your work day and at home at night. It's a lot of time and effort; hence the importance of a double pump.
Kerrie- Congrats on the new job!
Campbellchick- Have you checked out the video and to the "gravity" exercises? LOL :) I actually used the technique this morning because I wanted to get 8 oz. even and that helped gett that extra ounce. LOL
Well, I'm over my stash being spoiled. I figured DS didn't want old milk anyways and the truth is that it helped keep my supply up, get my body used to pumping, and helping with the work transition. I wonder if one day the power went out and maybe that caused it to spoil....It's a mistery.
So I'm starting work in a week and I already miss DS. For those of you with babies already in daycare, how do you handle the long hours away -almost 10 in my case w/ commute and what not. I'll miss that little one so much.
Take care ladies. I think I'm going to do some gardening. DH is with DS at IL's house. Got a few hours to myself. :)
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Hi Mamitica,
It's been two and a half weeks since DD started at daycare. Since DH and I decided to have a baby, we always thought about leaving her at daycare so as soon as she was born, I started to prep myself to it. It's not easy as there's always a felling of guilty, specially when they get sick.
All I can say is that babies are very adaptable and once they have someone to feed them, change their nappies and a comfortable place to nap, they'll be ok.
I drop DD off 8 am and pick her up almost 6 pm, so pretty much like you plan to do.
Try to show confidence to your LO, I think this helps.
Take care
Lidia
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Kerrie, I intro'd cow's milk at ~12 mo, but didn't really include it as a beverage until closer to my freezer stash running out. First I used cow's milk in oatmeal & other cereals. Then I started offering it in a sippy with breakfast. Last to come was changing over the bottles I sent to daycare. He (and J before him) handled it just fine.
Mamitica, {{hugs}}. It *IS* hard to leave your lo. I was... overly involved when I started to leave my oldest. For the first week, we went. Notice "we," not "he." I stayed with him almost the entire time. But then I convinced myself that he'd be OK for longer and longer periods. You know what? He was. :) Just tonight he told me "I wanna go to school!" and was upset because it was 5 pm on a Sunday & nobody was there. ::) I have to admit that it was easier to leave Isaac. He started with the same teachers that J had had a couple of years ago, so I already knew & trusted them. As a bonus, it was close enough to work that I could go bf each boy at lunch for the first few months they were in daycare. That was quite a blessing to have that.
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Candice it seems like you had a great transition into daycare. At the moment I have ds at a fantastic daycare centre, which I have booked dd into and have been sooo nervous about her going to daycare. She is so spirited and is definitely a mummy's girl, so am worried she will panic without me around. I had it all planned to transition her next week and leave her there for a half day too (I am anticipating to start work the week after next with this new job) but now everything is up in the air! DH is also looking for a new job since he is getting out of the Defence Force in a few weeks. He went to an interview today and wants to take the job. It sounds fantastic BUT his working hours are 6am - 5pm and with my job, there is travel involved, which is worst case scenario up to 50% of the time. It should only for for a few days each trip though. But now, as none of the daycare centres open before 6am, we need to look for a family daycare option that will take them occasionally before 6am for those times I am travelling so DH can drop the kids off before he starts work. Unfortunately my family are just that little too far away to help those mornings, which now means that we need to move house and move daycares - and DH wants to do this (move daycares that is, not house just yet) before he starts work on the 8th September. We have our house until January, so will need to look for somewhere else to move, but if I need to go away before then, we don't know what we will do with the kids. If I wasn't nervous about this whole daycare thing before - I certainly am now!!!! I don't want to switch because I know the girls at the other one and they are fantastic. I can't make a decision in a week surely - especially since dd is such high maintenance.... Anyway, will make some calls tomorrow to go and look around next week. I can use my parents as a back up option for the next few months if I need to go away though, so hopefully won't have to make a decision as quick as DH wants anyway!!! Aaargh, stomach in knots now about it all....
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WOW, Kerrie! Big hugs to you! As if one new job in a family isn't scary enough... :o :o I would think just deal with what you've got for a little while, so that you don't have to rush into a change. If you rush, you might find yourself having to change *again* because it wasn't right for y'all in the first place. I hope you find what you need. :-*
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Kerrie- Hugs! Wow. Lots of changes happening, but I'm sure you will all manage beautifully in the end. As Candice and Lidia shared- kids are very adaptable. I think it's us who have the toughest time because of guilt and stress. If you don't mind I'll include you in my prayers.
Candice and Lidia- thanks for the comforting words. it's good to know that there are people like us who go through these things together and can support each other. :) I start going with DS to daycare on Thrusday and MIL will come tomorrow to train since she'll care for him M-W.
Hugs to everyone. :)
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Thanks Candice & Mamitica - I appreciate your support and Mamitica your prayers! Candice, I totally agree about not rushing into it incase it isn't right and we need to change again - I think that is what I was am fearful of if I need to decide on somewhere by next week! I have done lots of research today and have found some options that may be available to us to stay put for the next few months and look at someone to help out if I need to travel - then I have some others daycare options that may become available next year - so it gives me time to look around!!!
Mamitica - I tried to view the link you sent through - and there is nothing wrong with the link at all, but our wireless broadband is too slow to view it properly without it pausing every few seconds - very frustrating. I will try to view it at my dads next time I am there because it looks very helpful.
Had better run, dd not going down for a nap - hugs to you all.
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Kerrie - WOW, so many changes in a short period of time! But I'm at the end everything will be fine! I'll be thinking of you. ;)
Girls, can you help me with a question?
DD is now 5 months and I planned to let her be EBF until she reaches 6 mo. She's been taking 2 bottles (EBM) at daycare - the caregiver offers frozen BM mixed with fresh one. Considering that when she reaches 6 mo she'll start solids, would it be necessary to keep my "pumping routine"? So far, my stash hasn't decreased too much as I have been pumping quite enough the amount she's been taking. I wonder if I need to keep pumping 3 times a day.... When J and/or Isaac started solids, did you find out that pumping was less necessary? Or it's right the opposite, they gain more mobility and start to eat much more that you need more pumping sessions to have a bottle? ???
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Different nursing relationships, different answers. :-\
With James, I struggled with my supply all the way thru. I had to keep pumping 3x at work plus the dream pump, just to keep up. When I started dropping pumps, my supply went pretty fast. (I didn't start dropping them until J was about a year, though.)
With Isaac, I was able to drop one of the daytime pumps (~8 months or so?) so it was 2x at work plus the dream pump. It's kind of blurry now. :-[ I dropped the dream pump ~12-13 months, but started eating into my stash heavily at that point.
Solids at 6 months honestly didn't have a lot of impact, either way. They take so little solids at first, it just doesn't matter. They're just tasting & practicing rather than getting a lot of nutrition.
Does something in that help?
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Candice,
Thanks for your reply. Actually, we went to the Dr. last thursday and as your said, he confirmed that she shouldn't decrease the amount of milk she is taking (at least at the beginning) so I think I'll keep pumping. He said that as time goes by, she would probably drop lunch time feed (around 8 mo) and replace it for solid meal - this doesn't help too much as this time I'm there to give her my breast ::) but even though, I'll try to keep pumping. I definitely think it's going to be worth making this effort for longer.
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Hi Lidia, just saw your post and was on, so thought I'd say hi. I hope things are going well. Keep up the pumping. I start my new job the week after next, so am getting nervous. Will be taking dd to daycare this week to familiarise her with it and will probably leave her there for a half day on Thursday to see how she goes. It is very strange because I had no problem taking ds to daycare (was sad about it of course) when he was 8 months, but for some reason, I feel sick to my stomach about the thought of dd being in daycare right now. I just think it is because she is such high maintenance and I'm worried she won't get the same attention I give her.... Anyway, I hope Milena is doing well, K xx
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Kerrie, I totally feel the same about leaving my DD2 in daycare. I was devastated to leave DD1 in daycare at 11.5 months, but with DD2, I'm even more upset at the prospect of it... she's got reflux and kidney trouble and has difficulty with solids... it just seems like she's more of a baby than Maren was at this age! It's a small consolation that they'll be in daycare together, and that this time it's not a stranger I'm leaving my baby with, our DCP is like a member of our extended family. Hugs, I know how hard it is!
I bought my Medela Pump In Style Advanced (Metro Bag) on eBay yesterday so I should be getting it maybe next week. I'm not returning to work until October, but I plan on starting to pump right away to stockpile. When I go back to work, I'll be dropping 2 BFs and pumping 2x a day (at lunch time and then at 9:00 pm I think - her BFs will be 6:30 am, 6:30 pm, and probably one night feed as before). Does this sound about right? If so, do I start with the 9:00 pumping session and keep her on the 4 BFs a day (plus night feed), and then try to get her to take one feed with a sippy in a month and then drop the second BF a couple weeks later so that we're on track when I start work?
TIA! :-*
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Just a thought marensmama...
You may need to pump more than 2 times to make up 1 bottle (most moms do). Also, you may find going 6+hrs between pumping or feeding a little hard on your supply, I know I did! I had to just make more time to pump during the work day to avoid long stretches without any breast stimulation...but everyone's different so who knows?
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Hi girls,
Kerrie - Hi! As you know, DH hates when I log on this website so I always try to post on this forum b/c posts are shorter than the Birth club one... :P I miss all the girl, though :-[ I try to reply there but it's so hard to read and then do personals...
Anyway, thank you for the encouragement, I'll keep pumping. I love weekends b/c I can spend more time with DD and I don't need to pump (my breasts really need a break!).
Big hugs to you, I've read on the other post that you may need to leave kids with a nanny! I'm sure things will work for you, I'll be thinking of you all!
Marensmama - I pump at the same time as DD would nurse if I were with her so that on weekends her milk will be there for her ;) The amount that I get on week days isn't enough for a bottle, as Shark said. The caretaker always mix fresh milk with frozen (half of each). I hope this helps!
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You may need to pump more than 2 times to make up 1 bottle (most moms do). Also, you may find going 6+hrs between pumping or feeding a little hard on your supply, I know I did! I had to just make more time to pump during the work day to avoid long stretches without any breast stimulation...but everyone's different so who knows?
I was thinking the same. Is there any way to fit 2 pumpings into your work day? Like Lidia said, try to do it when she'd be feeding normally/having daycare bottle. If at all possible, I'd try to start with that. If you find that you're a champion pumper & don't need the extra pump, you can always drop it later.
{{hugs}} all! :D You can do this!
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Great thread... I am still on maternity leave but have started receiving emails from work so my hopes of not having to go back before 24th of Oct 08, seems to have gone out the window... lol
I work for a telecommunications company that is dominated by men and I am wondering how I am going to manage going back to the office? We have numerous fridges in the dept and I plan on using one of them to store my BM. I wonder how this is going to effect the men who make use of the fridge? lol
I am determind to continue breastfeeding despite my work demands and it helps that i live only 5 mins from the office.
Anyways, just want to say congrats to all the breastfeeding working mommies, it sounds like hard work!!!
Hugs
xxoo
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{{hugs}} TristansMom! You will manage.
Are you going to be in the same physical location as before? Are you in an office so you can shut the door? Some women I've heard of were able to borrow their boss's offices if they didn't have their own. I pumped in a little "anteroom" before you got to the toilet stall portion of the bathroom. It had a couch, bookcase, and was set off with some shower curtains for privacy. Not the best, but certainly not the worst, either.
Mark your milk as "not for coffee." ;)
Good for your determination! That'll help A LOT! ;) Post back as you have questions & concerns.
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unfortunately we all work in an open plan enviroment. We have a gym in the basement of the building that has a small room with a massage bed on it where I plan to express away from prying eyes... lol.
As to the ''not for coffee'' LOL. I will make sure that they are aware. The milk is for only one man and thats my lil man, hehehe.
Thanks for the great support!!.
xxoo
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Thanks for the advice. I only get a half hour break for lunch, so it's not likely that I could pump 2x at work and once at home. It'll be once at work and once at home. Hopefully I will have enough stockpiled before I go back to work to help out with it at first. If only my new pump would come in the mail!!
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Hi!
Marensmama - IKWYM... I asked BIL to bring my Medela PISA from the US as it costs double the price here in Brazil.
Today I was out of office on a meeting which was held on a hotel. I planned to pump twice (10:30 am as I normally do and lunch time, when DD normally nurses) and as there wasn't a suitable place to pump, I decided to do it in the bathroom, although I don't think it's hygenic enough :P Anyway, when I turned on the pump, I heard a sound: the AC adaptor burned out!!! >:( There wasn't information on the voltage!!! I just couldn't believe that was happening to me, as I'm very cautious about my pump.
To make long story short, the Hotel is going to pay for the damaged adaptor but my boobs got soooo engorged that I still feel it a little sore. :( Thankfully, DH managed to buy a similar one until I could get a new one from the local Medela representative and now I can feel relieved that I'll be able to keep pumping DD's precious milk! ;)
I read somewhere from Kate that once you start pumping, your pump becomes your best friend, so my advice is to always ask about voltage before plugging in. ;)
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Is my milk going to dry up? I am so worried about it. Having my LO have my milk is the most important thing in the world to me. I feel like the pump just doesn't gather as much as my LO. I plan to pump as much as possible when I am at work. I am just going to have to make time. I should be able to get a few pumping sessions in....any advice to make sure my LO doesn't have to supplement?
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TristansMom, Ikwym about the male dominated work environment - I work in the mining industry, so full of men too...
I am starting a brand new job next week and have no idea where I am going to pump. From what I have seen the office is open plan and even the offices are all glass, so not sure if any of them have blinds, otherwise I'll be stuck in the bathroom pumping. They are just undergoing a refurbishment which is due to be finished soon, I wonder if it is too late to try and see if I can get a private room put in somewhere. Oh well, I guess I'll find out next week :-\
Lidia - I'm sorry about your pump AC Adapter. Wow, I never would have even thought about checking the voltage incase that happens. It's funny how we get used to an electric pump, I guess in the old days where there was no pump, people used to do this by hand, but I wouldn't have a clue how to even do that :-[
Well, I got my Ameda double pump in the post the other day and so far have used it three times and LOVE it. It has made such a difference and I've been getting a letdown straight away - I have been having so much trouble with my mini pump and my letdown, so I am so relieved. Even after dd has fed, I am still getting a few oz out.
Was just wondering though - dd went to daycare for a half day trial run today so I ended up pumping that feed instead (about an hour later than when I probably would have actually fed her) and got 10oz out (5oz from each breast). Since I have no idea how much dd actually eats, but assume that this would be more than enough for a feed for her - do you think I would be pumping this each time? OR do you usually have one larger volume, then a smaller one if you pump twice during the day? Just wondering what happens with everyone else and what the norm might be?
Lidia - question for you - if daycare is mixing your fresh with frozen, what happens when your frozen stockpile is depleted? Or are you pumping enough to keep restocking the freezer?
Sorry for all of the questions now, I'm just starting to wonder what to expect next week. Thankfully am feeling less nervous since I have a bit of milk in the freezer, so at this point she won't get hungry, but am worried that I won't be able to pump enough to keep up all of her bottle feeds each day....
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Nicole, I hope your pump comes soon! :) As for not being able to pump much at work, I think Alex couldn't pump at all at work & still managed to feed her lo's for a right long time. :-* Here's to a freezer stash! ;)
Lidia! That's awful about your adapter! :( >:( Glad the hotel is helping you replace. I can't imagine not being able to do it at all. I remember the day that dh forgot to pack one of the little connector pieces for me. So I only had 1 complete set of parts. I ended up pumping 1 side in the morning & 1 in the afternoon, but at least the pump itself was working so I could do *something.* Ouch! Hope you're feeling better today.
{{hugs}} Jessica! It *can* be done. I went back to work when each of my boys was 3.5-4 months old. I ended up bf'ing each for over a year. :) You're right that a pump doesn't get as much as your lo. (Remember that is NOT an indicator of your supply, as lo is much more efficient.) I was blessed enough to start with 3 pumping sessions at work. I had to keep that going with J, but with Isaac, I was able to drop down to 2 sessions. It kind of depends on how you're responding to the pump. Have you started back to work yet? If not, I'd start pumping now as much as you can (hard to do while actually taking care of lo's, I know). Does your lo df? If not, that's a great time to pump. That one always helped me make up the difference, since I never pumped enough in 1 session to make 1 bottle. ::)
Kerrie, first off, 10 oz?! :o :o :o That's amazing says the woman who rarely got more than 3.5 total! ;) That's great. Yes, I would think that is more than lo eats, but the only way to know for sure is to try her with some amount in her daycare bottles & see if she needs more or less. (I'd send a bottle plus a little more fresh if you have it so they can top her off if needed, at least for the first few days.) Let me know if you need an idea of how much to start with. Kelleymom.com has a decent calculator, but I can't look it up right now. Best luck with your new job. Is there a way to tour your new job site beforehand so you can scope it out for pumping spots? Maybe while lo is doing some trial run at daycare? Hard to say if you'll get 10 oz each time. I got more or less the same over my 3 pumpings (2 at work, 1 dream pump) toward the end with Isaac. The first was usually most, and the other did usually decrease, but not much for me. Every woman is different, though.
{{hugs}} all around, ladies. :) Y'all are doing great things for your lo's! :D
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{{hugs}} Jessica! It *can* be done. I went back to work when each of my boys was 3.5-4 months old. I ended up bf'ing each for over a year. :) You're right that a pump doesn't get as much as your lo. (Remember that is NOT an indicator of your supply, as lo is much more efficient.) I was blessed enough to start with 3 pumping sessions at work. I had to keep that going with J, but with Isaac, I was able to drop down to 2 sessions. It kind of depends on how you're responding to the pump. Have you started back to work yet? If not, I'd start pumping now as much as you can (hard to do while actually taking care of lo's, I know). Does your lo df? If not, that's a great time to pump. That one always helped me make up the difference, since I never pumped enough in 1 session to make 1 bottle. ::)
thanks! I think I just needed to hear that. I do have a stash in the fridge - I honestly have no idea how many bags or ounces but i have some. I am going to have to just be really strict about it at work. If I have to go in my car then I will. I don't do the dream feed so yes that is a great time to pump. Sometimes I do it twice after LO goes to bed. She is asleep by 7:30 so I usually do an 8:30 and I have started doing an 11:30 since she doesn't wake me until 4 or 5 usually. I am just going to keep at it and remember that no matter what is going on at work...she is the most important thing. Thanks!!!!
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Hi Candice, thanks for your support. I had a look on the KellyMom site last night and did a rough calculation. DD ate 160ml at daycare yesterday morning as that was all I sent in the bottle and she drained that. I guess it didn't seem like she was still hungry or screaming for more as they didn't use any of the frozen stuff I left there. Next week I might try sending in 180ml and 200ml and see what she eats for both feeds. The calculator said about 180ml was the high range and I think she woke a little after her feed was due. Also another question for you - I can pump as many times as needed at work (most of the time anyway), so would I be better off pumping only twice at work or three times? DH was encouraging me to try pumping 3 times during the day as I will be away for about 10 1/2 hrs, but I wasn't sure if I would actually get more milk by doing this or not. She would obviously only eat twice during that time and then I am planning on feeding her the moment I walk in the door from work, so I was thinking twice would be better, then try to get another pump in during the evening too?
Jessica - big hugs I hope it all goes well when you start work. I was also worried about the pumping starting to diminish my overall milk, but I think if you keep up BF'ing your LO whenever you are with her this would also really helps to keep your milk supply up. I hope it goes well, let us know.
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campbellchick
Thanks! I am just going to try to stay positive. My goal is a year. I am sure I will be posting with my questions and success stories! ;)
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Hey, Kerrie! I honestly dom't know the answer... It really depends on you & your body & how you respond to the pump. :-\ With J, I kept ~3 hr between pumps/feeds (even when he stretched longer at daycare). I'd do something at (about) 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, & 10. I kept that up until I started weaning him. With Isaac, I dropped to doing something at 7, 11, 3, 7, & 10 at about 8 months. It is really just what works for you. I'm sorry I can't be any more specific than that.
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Campbell chick,
I would probably aim for 3 pumps but try to make the last one 3-4hrs before you plan to BF so baby has plenty to eat. One thing I discovered was timing never works as planned, if you plan to leave work and be home by 5, you probably won't actually get to sit down and latch baby on until 5:30 so plan accordingly so you don't get too engorged!
Good Luck!
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I'd go for three pumps too and see how it goes - you make more milk the more you remove milk, so it can't hurt! I did three pumps in an 8 hour day, about 10, 1 and 4 then feed at home about 5:30.
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Thanks for that, I might try to do about the same. I won't be getting home until 6.30pm, so it seems I'll definitely have time to fit 3 pumps in there! First big day tomorrow - I'll see how I go!
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{{hugs}} Kerrie! Let us hear how it goes. :)
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Hi All,
Kerrie - first of all, I hope your 1st day at new job went well, couldn't have time to come earlier. :-[
Now about what you've asked me: I don't know what exactly I'll be doing when I run out of my stash. Things have been a little crazy since last friday. DD started to eat a lot at daycare (200 ml) and she had NW on friday (at 4 am), on sat (2 and 5 am), which is very unusual for her, as she has STTN since she turned 4 mo. I think it can be the 5 mo GS, but not sure though. :P Although Tracy and DD's Dr don't want me to feed her at night, I ended up feeding her as she was screaming and nothing else would make her happy.
Due to this fussiness and NWs, we decided to start solids (juice, fruit) a week before we were planning to do. I was told that once they learn to eat solids, LOs normally drop the lunch time feed. Is this correct?
In two weeks I won't be able to go to daycare to feed her at lunch time :'( as local legislation only guarantee 1 hour away from work until baby turns 6 mo. Not sure what to do, maybe pump during the day, maybe not... It's been hard to pump at work :-\
So far, I have 4 daily pumping sessions: 7, 10:30, 6:30 and 11:00. This has been enough for me to send 1/2 a bottle and also to freeze some milk.
HTH ;)
Hugs to all
Lidia
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Don't feel bad about feeding her at night, you know you're baby best. I think there's a lot of pressure about what you're supposed to do, but heck, if she's crying and you want to feed her - go right ahead and don't give it a guilty thought. Are your pumps at work yielding enough for the next day at care? I found at about 6 months I really had to step up my pumping schedule and pump an hour after feeds on the days I wasn't working to keep up. It was a lot of work, I wont lie, but it was worth the effort if you're committed to doing it, you absolutely can make it work.
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Hi girls, well have started my new job and so far so good! Except Holly only allowed me to get 4hrs sleep last night :'( so very tired today. And of course yesterday on my first day, she woke up at 5.30am right when I needed to get up and get ready ::). Apart from that she is loving daycare - was very happy there yesterday, slept and drunk all of her milk. My pumping is going well - I am averaging close to 8oz in the morning and around 5-7 in the afternoons. Only pumping twice a day at the moment so hopefully if this continues I can just do twice which will be enough to feed her the following day. Oh and also, my hours are better than I thought they would be - I finish work at 5pm, so should be able to be home by 5.45pm at the latest, not 6.30pm like I first though ;D
I do have a question though - can anyone recommend a hands-free pumping bra I can buy online? I bought one, but it doesn't really work too well as the slits I put the pump through doesn't hold it tight enough, so I need to hold at least one bottle while pumping (which kind of defeats the purpose of it :-\).
Lidia - I wonder if Milena is going through a GS at all or she might just be ready for solids. I think your call on feeding her at night, do what works for you. I am still feeding Holly at night as sometimes it is the ONLY thing that will settle her. I hope you can keep the pumping up. Do you think your work will allow you to still go and feed her even after the 6 months? It still amazes me that companies are not more receptive to pregnancy & breast feeding like they should be >:(. I hope you can work it out, but don't put too much additional pressure on yourself to keep it up if you just can't.
Anyway, gotta run as I am at work now and probably should be working ;) Kerrie
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Kerrie, glad to hear things are going well! :D You could try making a hands-free bra with a bra you don't like/don't mind cutting up. :-\
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On kellymom there's a way to hang elastics from your nursing bra's clip to hold the bottle...
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/hands-free-pumping.html
Still waiting for my pump to arrive, so I haven't tried it out yet.
:)
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HI everyone!
I'm backto work afte the summer off. Carmen is 81/2 months and I'm so glad to have made it this far with BF (it wa s arough start, but we haven't looked back!) Problem is, like most, dwindling supply. It was fading when school ended, and now after the summer, I have to pump twice at work plus twice once I'm home to get 3-4 ounces for her bottle she takes while at daycare.
Ugh.
My question:
Should I initiate a dream feed now and not worry about the small amount at daycare?
She wont take more than 6 ounces (when I gave her frozen stash) and the other day left an ounce in her bottle when I sent her with 5.5 oz, but when I only have 4 oz, I've sent her w/4 oz of formula supplement and she takes it (well, today she didn't- not sure what that heck!?!?)
I'm afraid supplementing w/formula will dry me up!
I've tried fenugrekk which worked in the past, to no avail.
I'm very sad about this. Nursing has been such a tender and sweet part of our life together and I hate for it to end b/c of work!!!
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I hear that! Tell me this, you're pumping 3 or 4 times for one 5 or 6 ounce bottle to send to daycare? I had the same thing happen at about 6 months, I had to pump a lot to make up enough for the days I work. When you go back to work, are you able to pump for the missed feedings? You'll get more then than you do when your feeding and pumping all day - it might just sort itself out.
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Thanks for the suggestions on the hands free setup - Nicole, I hope your pump turns up soon. There is nothing like waiting and waiting for things to arrive, I was very eager to get mine to try it out! I just love it. I'll check out the kellymom link too.
Ladyv, good luck with the pumping, I really hope it works out for you. I personally think supplementing will decrease your supply, but you could supplement and keep the pumping up too (even though you might only get small amounts), but that may maintain your current supply. I think if you drop pumping sessions or feeds when introducing formula, that will definitely decrease your supply. But good luck, big hugs to you!
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Pump came by courier today, and all I can say is wow, I'm so glad I spent the money... as far as breast pumps go, it's beautiful! Even my DH thought it looked like such nice quality. Had a drink in the hot tub tonight, so I'll wait to use it until tomorrow. I can't believe I'm actually excited about pumping! ::) :)
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Liacarmen (I love that name:)),
I am already back to work and that's all I'm getting with pumping both at work and home. Sad isn't it? I feed her at 6 am and phave tried pumping at 9 and 10 and neither yields much, so I end up with another session at 1, then at home after her afternon session (3:30) and in the evening after I feed her for bed.
All that and what do I get? One 4 once bottle. A lot of work for very little.
I'll keep trying. This is the first time she's been in daycare and I'm wondering if stress isn't making it worse than it should be. Maybe if I kep pumping away and relax, things will get better.
Thanks for the support! You, too Campbellchick!
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Thanks ladyv - definitely keep up the pumping and once your dd settles into daycare, I think you'll relax and get more milk - it is a stressful time - especially when you are even more worried about not getting enough milk. How long have you been doing this for?
Nicole - really pleased your pump has arrived - kwym about being excited about pumping though ::) Since I got my new pump I haven't even thought of it as a task anymore - I actually don't mind it at all. Love the new photo of Hayden btw - sooo cute!
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Welcome, Ladyv! Hugs, hun! It's so hard to start back to work. :( The other ladies are right: stress can definitely affect the amount you pump. I couldn't even look at the bottles when I was doing it. I had to cover them with my shirt so I wasn't thinking, "When is it going to come? Am I going to make enough? What if I don't get enough?..." Some women do well by imagining flowing water: streams, rivers, waterfalls... I had to pretty much ignore it completely. ::)
Just for clarity, your feed/pump times look like this?
6 am - bf
9-10 am - pump
1 pm - pump
3:30 pm - bf then pump
7ish? pm - bf bedtime then pump
I think you mentioned instituting a dream feed? If she's sleeping well, I probably wouldn't do that, but I might start pumping at that time (~10 pm) That was the one that helped my make up the difference I needed. Just a thought.
Also, some women have had luck using fenugreek in conjunction with blessed thistle, but you'll need to ask someone else about the dosage. (I never used that one.) I did use something called Mother's Milk Tea by Traditional Medicinals. I found it in the organic dept of my regular grocery store and in health food/herb shops.
Hope something in all that helps. Welcome again, & keep posting. :)
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Hello ladies-
I've been back to work for almost 2 weeks now. You guys were right, it was not as bad as I thought. Meaning, DS is loving daycare and has adapted beautifully to beign with MIL for 3 days and daycare 2. He's napping and eating well. Me, on the other hand, still trying to adapt to the change, schedule, and demands, but I'll find my own routine soon.
Pumping is going well. I pump once at work and once at home at 8:00 p.m. I'm thankful for the $250 I spent in my Medela Advanced In Style. It's worth every penny.
DS wakes up once at night to nurse and I don't give it a second thought. It's my chance to be with him and it gives him comfort.
Kerry, I'm glad your work situation is going well.
Campbellchick, good job on the pumping!
Ladyv- Don't worry about the low yield. Pumping and breastfeeding will only increase the supply and soon enough you'll be pumping a lot more. Relax and look at some pics of baby while you are pumping. :)
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mamitica! I was wondering where you were. :D Glad to hear everything is going so well. You're right. You'll find your groove soon. :)
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Mamatica, you're my inspiration... my DD still has a night feed, I think you've got a great outlook on it. And I plan on pumping 2x a day, so I'm happy to read that it's working for you! I bought my PISA and haven't used it yet but it looks like it will be worth very penny!!
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Hi ladies,
Good to hear that everyone is happy with their pumps... Interesting to think of what we do for our LOs, isn't it?
I think DD went through a GS as you suggested, Kerrie. She woke up some nights and now she has returned to her old "routine" ::) She has increased the amount per bottle, though (from 150 ml to 220 ml) - lots of pumping work for me. The good thing is that since she woke up some nights and fed, my body understood that the demand increased and started to produce more. I'm taking advantage of it and expressing (pumping) as much as I can to keep the supply up. :P
So far, I have been able to keep my stash at the same level. But I know I'll start to have some difficulties from the next month on, because last month there were some days when she was sick and I had to offer my breast to her more often, so couldn't pump and freeze too much. My stash will decrease faster than it has been.
Anyway, my first goal was to keep her exclusively breastfed until 6 mo. Although I had to start with fruit juice and fruit puree because she was spending so much energy at daycare, I'm very happy to know that I could make it and will probably be able to do it for some months to come (with one or two nursing sessions).
My two cents for you: be positive and try not to push too hard. Pumping is really a hard task but really, really worth it! It's hard in the beginning but once your body gets used to it, you'll see the difference!
HTH
Lidia
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ladyv, I'm really just Lia, Carmen is my middle name but someone's already got Lia on the boards (I haven't run into her yet!). I'm sorry about your pumping trouble, I pumped like a maniac too, I did 3 pumps on the days I was home (morning, mid morning and night time), then added a night time pump on the days I worked, in addition to the three pumps I did at work. I was counting down the days till I could start adding a little whole milk if I couldn't pump enough. Bummer for me, a couple weeks after my son turned one he went on a nursing strike and I still haven't been able to convince him he really wants to be an extended nurser. But here I am - still pumping! I can't believe that I can't give it up yet. I'm still hoping he'll decide he wants to nurse, and he's doing well with the whole milk, but I want to make this transition nice and slow. Enough about me - is that pump of yours working? Those white membrane things wear out, pull on them a little and see if there's cracks in them. On the front of the pump, the gage thing that you use to turn it up and down, if you push on it, do you get more suction? If you stick the flanges part on your gut when it's on do they suck your skin in? Just a few things to check because wouldn't it be lovely if you just needed a pump tune up?
On the blessed thistle/fenegreek, I take that combo and I think it helps - 3 of each together 3 times a day. Also, drink TONS, and I mean tons of water. Good luck to you!
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I have heard that oatmeal is also really good for your supply and of course drinking lots of water.
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cinnamon is good as well... so see if you can have cinnamon -enriched cereals in the morning. and chicken noodle soup.
these two were the things that my lactation consultant insisted on me having :)
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Hi Ladies, I have a question - I have had a really really bad flu this week (unfortunately has gone through the entire family). Its the kind of flu that brings on the body aches, roaring headache, fevers/chills etc etc. It has just been such a miserable week. Thankfully I am on the mend now though. I came down with this on Monday and by Wednesday afternoon I noticed that my milk output had dropped compared to what I can usually pump at work. By Thursday I was down to about half of my usual output and the same again on friday morning :'(. I picked DD up early on Friday so got to give her her afternoon feed and haven't pumped since as yet. Do you think this drop would be from dehydration or from being sick? As soon as I noticed my decreased output, I made sure I was drinking plenty of water - but I still felt dehydrated (as you do when you are totally congested).
In the past I have used DD to get my supply back up - but now I only have tomorrow to get her to keep sucking on the breast and since she is all congested, I've noticed that she is now not eating much either ::). Then on Monday afternoon I am heading away for work for 2 nights and won't be back until late on Wednesday night, so it will be pump only during this time. Any suggestions to help increase my supply again (in a hurry)? I will make sure I keep the water intake right up there (I usually drink close to a gallon of water a day anyway) and anyamom - I've been eating Chicken Soup like it is going out of fashion ;) Thanks, hope you are all going well anyway, haven't heard anything from this thread in a few weeks :-*
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if you can try some super charging...
sit down with your pump and pump for 5-10 min every hour for as many hours in a row as you can
can also try galactogogues like fenugreek or domperidone (need to see doctor for the latter) Can try oatmeal too, it's supposed to help, good luck!
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Thanks Shark, I'll give that a go. I ended up pumping once over the weekend and got a fair amount out (still not as much as usual, but better than I expected). I think the water is definitely helping!
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Hi - I'd be really grateful for some advice, please. I'm going back to work part-time, 3 days a week, in November. DS will be 5 months old. I would love to carry on giving BM for as long as I possibly can, trouble is my job makes it incredibly tricky/near impossible to pump. Assuming DS is on a 4 hour EASY by then(!), I think I'll need to pump enough for feeds at and 11am and 3pm plus some extra in case DS gets super-hungry. I can BF in the morning and evening. Trouble is...I won't be able to pump until 12noon at the earliest. How long does it take most people to pump? Could I pump enough if I pumped at, say, 12 and 1 and 4? maybe again at home? And how should I add the pumping on the days when I'm at home? Sorry so many questions!
At the moment I pump for the dream feed. It takes about 30 mins to get 2oz even with an electric pump (medela single pump). I can get about the same amount in the same time with a hand pump. Are the double ones much better? And are they very noisy? or heavy?
Is anyone using formula while they are at work and BF in evening and mornings? Is that working alright?
Sorry to ask so many questions. I've been working myself up into a real state about this! Thank you so much for any replies.
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Hi! Welcome, & good for you, giving your ds the best start! :D
I wish I could tell you more about how much and how fast you can pump & how a double electric compares with a single or hand. Unfortunately, it really depends on you & how your body responds to a pump. Some women get lots in just a few minutes, while others (even with a great supply) can hardly pump anything. :-\ What I can tell you is my experience.
I've only used a medela pump in style advanced (double electric). It's taken me thru 2 boys, working all day. With ds1, I had to pump 3x/day (about 10, 1, & 4 if I remember correctly). With ds2, I was able to pump enough for his bottles by only pumping twice (maybe 10:30 & 2 or something like that). Even for me with different boys, my pumping was different. What really helped out both times was to institute a dream pump. Neither of mine ever really took to a dream feed, so I used that time to pump instead. It helped take the pressure off myself for trying to get enough only at work. So I really like your idea of pumping again at home. That really worked for me.
My PISAdvanced was pretty heavy, but I got the backpack version, so it wasn't really that much of an issue. It was kind of noisy, but at work, the whole hall didn't hear what was going on.
As for pumping on your days off... I didn't have to do that with ds2 (didn't have the days off with ds1). Some things that I've read on the boards though are... if you only single side feed, then pump the other side while/immediately after you bf. Or if you double (like me), then maybe wait an hour or so after a feed & then pump both sides. That should give you enough time to be prepared for the next feed, even on a 3 hr EASY. (BTW, several bf moms find that their lo's don't stretch to a 4 hour EASY as soon as Tracy suggested they might. Mine were still on 3-3.5 hr at 6 months or so. Not all do that, but I wanted you to be aware that it's not uncommon. :))
Oops. Just re-read that you do a df & pump for that. Not sure when you'd fit another pump at home in, but it would be good if you could get one.
Sorry it's late & my brain is kind of jumping around. You mentioned sending extra incase ds was really hungry. I did that the first few days, but once I figured out how much he was taking usually, I just sent that amount. AND I kept a bag of *frozen* milk at daycare in case of hunger, spillage, drop-in bag breaking, whatever. That way he had additional available, but I didn't have to send in a lot extra every day. Just a thought.
I know some have mixed ff & bf, but I don't have personal advice on that.
Don't worry about asking questions. :) And try not to work yourself up. (Easier said than done, I know. I've been there.) But ds will pick up on it, & it doesn't help pumping output. ;)
I hope something in that helped. Keep posting. :)
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Hi Em, welcome and big hugs to you for worrying so much about this. I know how you feel. Firstly it will probably really help your supply as you are working part time and can feed your ds on the days that you are not working and that is always the best way to maintain your supply. But as Candice said, it is very different for each person.
I personally only used to have a Medela Mini Electric pump and had very little success pumping with that (I had used it with ds and my supply diminished totally with him by 5-6 months). So when I was planning on going back to work this time around, I was stressing big time on being able to pump to keep feeding dd. I invested in an Ameda Purely Yours double pump and it has honestly been fantastic. I think I was using the mini electric more than it was designed to be used and I also read that sometimes the motors on the pump can wear down. I have been using the ameda for 7-8 weeks now and I've had no problems at all pumping enough or getting a let down. In 1 pump, I can pump enough for 1 feed, so I only pump twice a day at work at this stage and the rest of the time I feed dd (morning, evening and she still wakes once at night for a feed), then on weekends, I try to avoid the pump altogether when I can and just feed dd as that helps my supply the most. Also, the ameda pump is super light and only weighs about .5kg (1.1lb). Oh and it is very quiet. Much quieter than my mini electric. I personally think it was completely worth the investment and has made pumping for me very easy, rather than something that I dread doing.
Anyway, I hth a little. Let us know how you get on. I know how tough it is making these decisions and not knowing if it all going to work out to what you need/want. :-*
Kerrie
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Yay! Glad you got some advice on a different pump. :)
the rest of the time I feed dd (morning, evening and she still wakes once at night for a feed), then on weekends, I try to avoid the pump altogether when I can and just feed dd as that helps my supply the most.
This is certainly true. I wouldn't trade a real bf for a pumping session. I meant to say I'd try to fit in a pumping session in *addition* to bf'ing your ds. Sorry if there was confusion. Like I said, it was late. ::) :-*
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Thanks Candice and Kerrie! Your posts were really helpful. I'm convinced this site is keeping me sane (ish!) :)
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Em, I know exactly how you feel! When my dd was only 2 months old she WOULD NOT sleep at all and this site is the ONLY thing that got me through it and keep me from going around the bend!!!
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Hi Ladies,
How have you been? Working a lot, I'm sure....
I wonder if anyone could help me. Candice, maybe you can: are you still BF'ing? Since I stopped going to daycare at lunch time to feed DD, almost once a week I started to have a nipple bleb.
I'm not sure if it happens due to pumping (long time w/o baby nursing directly from my breast). It's soo painful and besides there's always the risk of mastitis. So far, I think I've been lucky because I only feel the pain (skin sensitiviness) but no fever, so I'm pretty much sure there's no infection.
Well, I'm still BF'ing, 1st and last thing and DD is drinking my milk in the bottle once a day at daycare. I've been able to keep my freezer full of my milk!
Hope to hear from you.
Hugs to all
Lidia
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Hi, Lidia! Wow! Congrats on almost 8 months. That's WONDERFUL! I'm so proud of you. :D That's a LOT of hard work.
In answer to your questions... No, I'm not bf'ing any more. We weaned completely about a month ago at 16.5 months. Still a bit sad sometimes, but it was a great bf'ing relationship. :)
Honestly, I don't know what to tell you about the bleb... I never had one, & I did lots of pumping, too... Ummm... Trying to think... Is it a skin sore? Is there a knot underneath? Did Milena recently get (more) teeth? How long has this been going on (i.e. when did you stop going for lunch)? This may be worth a post of its own on the main bf'ing board... I'm so sorry I'm not more help... :(
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Hi there, Lydia, sorry I can't help you either :'(. I hope you can post on the other BF board and get some help though. I just wanted to say hi - things are so busy, it is just crazy. We are going on vacation for 2 weeks next weekend and are flying across the country with both kids! On one hand I am sooo nervous about it all, but on the other hand, I can't wait for the time off... (Hmm, and I've only been working for 2 months and need more time off already :-[)
Anyway, I hope everyone is well - Candice, congrats on your very long stint of BF'ing - 16.5 months is fantastic work... Especially it being your second time around too. I feel that my milk has suddenly dropped quite a lot and I'm not sure why. I've been watching my water intake like a hawk, but it hasn't seemed to help the last few days. I wonder if it is because I have finally stopped the one night feed? I have heard that the night feeds can really help your supply. Does anyone know? I will see how I go next week as it was only really the last 3 days of last week that it was a problem. I also wonder if it is from being so tired too? Holly has been awake far more than usual lately as she has been teething, had fevers and has another cold again. She has been very unsettled at night and I have also been working very long hours this week with lots of driving (about 2+ hours a day). It might just all be taking a toll on me??? I hope it is not permanent though, Holly is doing fantastically with the BF'ing so far. I would hate for my supply to drop this far into it :(
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Hi girls,
First of all, thanks for the support! It's so much better when you know that there's always someone here to talk to, isn't it?
Candice - Big hugs to you, dear! Please be sure that you've done a great job BF'ing J for 16.5 months. I want you to know that I admire you!
About your question: it's been almost two months that I stopped going to daycare at lunchtime. At that moment, I was pumping at 10.30 am and then I BF'ed DD at 1.30 pm. When DD turned 6 mo, I quit the 10.30 am pumping session and started pumping at 1.30 pm. I don't know why this bleb appears but I'll follow your suggestion and will post my doubts on other board.
Kerrie - Good to hear that Holly is skipping the night feed. ;) IKWYM by supply dropping a little due to tiredness. Try to enjoy your LOs while on vacation, definitely you'll feel better and your milk supply will go up. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Thanks once more.
Lidia
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Thanks Lidia, I also meant to comment on how gorgeous your avatar of Milena is! Soooo cute.... Let us know how you go with getting that bleb sorted out.
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Thanks ladies. :)
Kerrie, how many "real" bf's are you doing now? And how many pumps? Stress can definitely impact supply, so your trip (even though you want to go) may have something to do with it. If it doesn't pick up, you could try adding another pump back in for a few days. Once I dropped below 5 or so sessions (bf or pump), my supply dropped. Different bodies have different levels they can handle; you may have reached yours. Or it could be something else entirely. ::) ;) We're always guessing, aren't we?
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Thanks Candice. We are always guessing aren't we ::) I am doing 2 real BF's a day and 2 pumps now. I guess with the night feed it was 3 real BF's. On weekends of course, all BF's and no pumping. I avoid it like the plague. I am also now a bit worried because we will be leaving the kiddies with the grandparents for 2 nights and taking off for a wedding. I am going to have to try to pump after we arrive to get some stock up for when we are not there. I have no idea how I am going to fit a pump in and how I am going to get enough milk in only 6 days before we go away :-\. I think as my supply is best in the mornings I might just pump straight after the morning feed as I don't think she takes much from the second side anyway. I could always just give her one side and pump the other as she will be having solids straight after and these days she doesn't seem very interested in that second side in the mornings anyway :(. I was also thinking I could try to get another pump in before bed too. Then I would have fed Holly at 6pm or 7pm, then pump again around 10pm now that I am not feeding her at night. Hopefully I will get enough milk up and it may also help my supply a little - fingers crossed. I will reassess again after spending 2 weeks straight with her and hope that my milk has gone back up.
xoxo
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I think as my supply is best in the mornings I might just pump straight after the morning feed as I don't think she takes much from the second side anyway. I could always just give her one side and pump the other as she will be having solids straight after and these days she doesn't seem very interested in that second side in the mornings anyway :(. I was also thinking I could try to get another pump in before bed too. Then I would have fed Holly at 6pm or 7pm, then pump again around 10pm now that I am not feeding her at night.
{{hugs}} hun. I think you have a good idea about adding some pumping in. To be honest, I kept that 10pm pump for a long time. (Isaac was 12+ months before I got rid of it.)
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Well I have lasted one full week back at work and guess what!!! I have survived it!!! LOL
A Day in the Life of a Working Breastfeeding Mom... (some ramblings from the heart)
I am effectively working being a career woman and pumping being a dedicated mother in a male dominated environment.
The first day was absolute hell, but by day 2 in the afternoon there was no time to skip a beat, all i wanted was to get home.
I wake up at 04h45am. Shower and wash my hair. I then come into my room where my lil munchin is sleeping and gently wake him up around 5am. From 05h00am to 05h30am, I breastfeed Tristan and talk to him about who knows what that time of the morning, I ramble on and on softly cause i feel his snuggle deeper into my embrace at the sound of my voice. As he drifts off to sleep, I think of my day ahead, and us being separated till I get home in the afternoon.
I tuck him up back in bed and give him a big kiss and tell him that I love him very much. I am out the door at 05h45am and a quick ride down the road takes me to work and our in house company gym. That is where i am headed. After a low impact cardio and 10 minute steambath, I refresh myself and get ready for work upstairs.
When I arrive at my desk, I literally sit and don't move until my mobile alarm goes off as a reminder that its nearly 10am and I need to express.
I take a walk towards the bathroom with my coolerbag over my shoulder. Inside are Ziplock bags, a black permanent marker, my Avent Isis Manual pump and bottle, sterile wet wipes, a bottle of fenugreek, latex gloves, a container of prolac, detol hand sanitizer and a big bottle of water and my cellphone which has over 200 photos of Tristan on it that i watch as a slide show while i pump. I have consumed enough water during the day to sink the Titanic and I hope that my expressing is swift and effortless... one can only hope...
After 15 minutes of pumping, smiling and happy even though we are apart, i know i am doing the right thing... I bag the milk into a ziplock, seal and label it with the date and amount. On average i pump out 9oz, which makes me so proud cause its really hard work. I clean up and make sure that all is safely stored and cleansed. I walk out the bathroom and throw away the gloves in the dustbin on the way out. I leave my coolerbag in the fridge on the other side of the building, there department is the nearly the only one comprised of only woman. Once the bag is tucked away inside the fridge, I head off back to my desk to continue where i left off... I then work straight through till 14h00, where i get up and repeat the above process again.
By the time its 15h30 having worked a hard day in the office I am exhausted and all i want to do is sleep...
I rush out the building like a bat our of hell and make my way home.
I walk into my apartment and find my son sitting on my mothers lap and she is singing a song to him... "" Booby boy, Booby boy, you're mommys little booby boy'' to which my ears are greeted to the sound of my boy gurgling with laughter.
Any stress or unpleasantness i might have experienced during the day vanish as if they had never happened. I am so happy to be home. I take him into my arms and hold on like there is no tomorrow, breathing in his scent, the one only babies have! I smile as i look into his eyes. He smiles and i know he recognises me. With a wiggle and nudge, i get the message and unhook my bra to allow Tristan to latch. His expression is one of triumph, the cat the got the cream. There is nothing better in the whole wide world than holding him after a day at the office. I smile as i look into his eyes and whisper softly... Mommys home my boy...
I sit here now beside my son in bed, typing out my experience today and thank god for being so blessed. For having a good job, being able to breastfeed and work successfully, for being healthy, for the unwavering support of my mother and her absolute love for her grandson and most of all, I say thank you for Tristan. I love him so.
My eyes are getting heavy now and i know the sandman is calling... my thoughts are pleasant and relaxed as i know that tomorrow is another day, the sun will shine and the birds will sing... and i will be able to be a mom and a career woman, together as one...
Its difficult, but the rewards outway the sacrifice... Its bed time now, cause I know that if Tristan doesnt wake up later for a dreamfeed, I will have to take up my trusty pump and express for tomorrow and the next day...
Well thats enough ramblings of a tired mom...
My thoughts and good vibes go out tonight to all the other pumping and working mommys...
You are all amazing, wonderful and truly unconditional mothers. Well Done.
xxoo
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Wow. That's amazing, Tristan's Mom! The only thing I can say is to print that out & put it in Tristan's baby book. You'll want a record of that someday. You're doing great! :-*
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Hi Girls,
Before posting on another board about my nipple bleb, I decided to wait for my next app with my OBGYN so that he can have a look at it and tell me exactly what to do. I just hope he doesn't tell me that the only way I could fix this is by weaning DD. :-\
Kerrie - WOW! Hard work... I hope you can get as much milk as you want/need. No doubt Holly will look back someday and thank you for all this effort ;)
Tristan's Mom - love the pic of your avatar. You baby is cute! And thank you for your words. That really inspired me. I can't deny I dropped some tears by reading your post, all this working and pumping really pays off in the end when we finally get a single smile from our LO's.
Big hugs
Lidia
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Hi Tristans mom, that also touched me very much. From another hard working, tired mum, I definitely understand the best feeling in the world of being able to cuddle and hold our kids after being away from them for a day or longer!!! I also feel very priviledged to be able to be providing dd with BM and have never thought of pumping as a hassle, only something great that I am doing for her. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. xoxo
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You are an amazing writer and mum Tristans mum. :-*
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Very touching Tristan'smum
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sigh, read tristan'smum's posting ang got a tear in my eye.
I've had a particularly rough work week and feel like I've barely seen DS (or DH for that matter in 3 days. I've spent more time with my pump than them and I'm tired and lonely and feeling guilty for being away so much.
just needed to vent to someone who understands...
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(((((huggggggs shark)))))) i know how you feel and my thoughts are with you sweetie.
xxoo
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{{hugs}} Shark. :-* You know we understand.
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Thanks!!!
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Hi just checking out posts. Have been able to get ideas and reassurance. I am a 1st time mommy and so unsure what to do most of time with feeding and changes to DD's routines so going back to work made me a nervous wreck at first. But reading the posts her has helped a lot.
I do have a quesion about dropping dream feed. DD is 8m. Eats 3 solid meals a day w/ 4 feeds(2bf & 2 EBM when at work). She was not waking to eat, feed off both breasts and go back to sleep no problem at df. Now she has been all over the place for the df's. Waking up early to be feed, waking as soon as I go in the room or when I pick her up, just suckling at breast and not wanting to come off, and wanting the paci when done to go back to sleep. So I think it is time to drop but not sure. I want to as I would like to maybe get to bed sooner now back to work finding need a bit more rest and having hard time to get it. Also noticing a slight decrease in milk when pumping so would like to have the extra pump session for the next day supply. I read about dropping df, to do it gradually over time and length but am wondering if anyone has just dropped and what happend? I know ever child diffrent but just curious what might happen. ??? I also have to admit hard to let it go as it was a very calm wonderful time for me to end my day with her especially after going back to work. :'(
Thanks for all the great advise and notes do far!
Tracy and Lynessa
<img src="http://b1.lilypie.com/cws4m7.png" alt="Lilypie 1st Birthday Ticker" border="0" />
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All I can offer are {{hugs}}... We never did a df, even when the boys were tiny. :-\ I will say if you don't get response traffic here that you need, feel free to start your own thread on the bf board. :-* Welcome! :)
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Hi Tracy,
Welcome to this board and big hugs to you.
DD dropped DF when she was around 2.5 mo and then I started to pump at this time. In my case, I just did it cold turkey, but I don't know if this will be of any help to you as you mentioned that she's been all over the place for the DF's.
Does she wake every night for a feed? What happens if you just drop the feed when she doesn't wake up at the time you DF her? You'll probably be doubted if it would be better to pump instead (I was) so my advice is to pump but not to freeze the milk immediately so that if she wakes up to nurse and your breasts are empty, you can still give her your milk in the bottle.
HTH ;)
Lidia
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Hi Tracy, do you think she is going through a GS at all? I guess maybe not if she is sometimes only suckling and not always downing a lot of milk. I had a dreadful time with the DF with my dd as she would also start waking earlier and earlier each night for it, then she started waking around 8.30am and before midnight again for another feed but finally she dropped it on her own and only woke once a night after I went back to work (was really happy with that) then finally only a few weeks ago she started sttn when I decided it was time to stop feeding her at night! I had to wait until I knew 100% that she just wasn't hungry at night. I felt like no matter what I did I just couldn't fill her up. But if you are feeling your LO is ready to drop the feed, can you try to just not feed her when she wakes? I started by just giving my dd cuddles for a minute or two, then would put her back in her cot and she went back to sleep. The only problem I did notice though was my milk output has dropped considerably since I am not doing that feed and I am really struggling to get enough now. However I've just ordered another set of breast shields for my pump so I can leave one set at home for a late night pump (I have just been too exhausted to stay up and pump that session but I think I have to now) and then I don't need to wash and steralise that set straight away to get it ready for the next day if I am too tired as I'll keep another set in my bag for work. Anyway, let us know how you go with trying to drop the DF.
Kerrie
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Just an update why I have been so scarce I am having such a difficult time at work lately... you would think that a woman boss would be more understanding with regards to expressing and the need for a stressfree environment... Things have just become so unpleasant in the office and she is literally making my life a misery. I am TRYING so hard to keep positive and ignore what are clearly her own insecurities, inconsistencies and dark mood swings.
The stress isn't good for me, my pumping and most of all my baby boy... i was told that since i have come back to work from maternity leave that i have changed and have created a wall between myself and her team. Guess its because i am not prepared to work the late hours into the evening anymore like the other girls on the team. They are young single woman with no children at home. Now i am being told that i am not a teamplayer... i mean what a load of crock. My supply has started dipping and I think this is all connected to the fact that my working environment isn't constructive and supporting because of my line manager being such a nasty piece of work.
but I must say that Tristan is doing so well and i cant believe we just made our first 5 months of successfull breastfeeding on the 2nd December! Pumping has become a second nature to me during the day and so integrated that i even pump over the weekends when am home with him.
anyways ladies, Its good to be back on the boards... and wanted to drop in and say hello...
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oh honey that ua awful about your work you would think she would be ok - the sad thing with her is she is probably jealous that you actually have a life - try not to let it keep you down. If you think she is being unfair maybe seek some advice is their a personnel department or anything that yo can speak too.
yay for th 5 months bf thats great xx
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{{hugs}} Tristan's mom! That's awful. >:( Good for you for sticking it out. 5 months! Great job! :D
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Hi - I'm new to this tread, my DD Tessa is 6 months tomorrow and I've been working since she was 3, pumping for me turns to be very effective, though teaching DD the bottle was a bit of a nightmare, but worked finally. I managed to get flexible hours out of my boss, so I miss only 2 feeds, and BF in the morning, and then 5:30, 7:30 pm and 4:00 am.
(she actually used to STTN when she was 4 for about 3 weeks, but that's it, now she's up any time between 2 & 5 am. I can't also make her nurse for longer than 3 min, so when BF only (like weekends), she's snacking and I'm not sure how I could extend it (she takes 200ml from the bottle which is my full pump from 2 breasts, and she's never more than one breast if BF). Any tips?
To Tristan's mum - hugs I know its hard, I actually need to start travelling shortly and I'm terrified to leave my LO, she still has NFs and separation anxiety is to kick in shortly, but all I have to say - let's be realistic, apart from nice boss/nasty boss factor, ANY boss wants 150% if you, and so does your LO. Probably she/other girls feel it's unfair you get flexibility as it was your choice to have kids, that's what I used to feel before having Tessa. What helps me is being absolutely clear to myself about the choices. I used to do 12 hours at work, I'm a manager myself, I worked until 3 days before giving birth, and I struck a deal with my boss that I come back 3 months earlier BUT he would give me flexible hours, and I promised he would never feel that. So I'm doing 10-4:30, AND 8 - 11 pm everyday from home. It's hard but DD is worth it, and my career is worth it. I had to cut on fun/hobbies/going out etc though, it's all about choice: sometimes I can't pump because of the meeting, I'd pump in the toilet in 10 min during the coffee breaks, I'd cut on lunchbreaks and work nights if I need to. You can demand your boss to be accommodating, but you can only make her WANT to be accommodating only if you are such a star that she'd be terrified to lose you. :-\ It's not fair but it's not a fair world anyway ;) I think coming clear with your boss about your priorities always helps, at least you both know where you stand...
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Hi Olkan,
Welcome to the boards and thanks for the vote of confidence.
I have tried coming clear with her unfortunately her ears were blocked or something as she simply wasn't interested. But as they say... No worries, I have spoken with HR regarding the issue as its borderline discrimination because if its done to one individual then it must be across the organization... and consistency enforced.
xxoo
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Hi
Am so glad you spoke to HR I think that was th eright way to do - I think it is totally unfair to discriminate against you because you have a child. Your priorities have changed and maybe she does not like it.
I work really hard when I am within working hours to achieve what needs done during the day so I can be at home with my kids - realistically you now have two jobs . If she cut you some slack and was nice to you she would probably benefit from you wanting to be at work and working hard. Sometimes I think managers have problems striking a good work/ home life ethic. It is proving to be one of the biggest problems in the workplace that companies are actually paying consultants to put procedures in place so people have the right balance to ensure happiness and pro-active workers.
I hope she eases up on you xxx
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Thanks hun! xxoo
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Is anyone familiar with the legal requirements for employers in the UK? I am unfortunately having to return to work in February when my lo will be 6 months old. At the moment I am bf her and although I am slowly introducing some baby rice and fruit/veg she is still taking more milk than ever. I work in a very cramped office with one toilet for the whole floor and 1 conference room for the whole company! I am really worried about where I will be able to pump and even store the milk! I am one of 3 women in a company of nearly 40 and the first ever to have a baby so they are not really used to looking out for bf mums! Any advice? Thanks...
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TristansMom, I am so sorry to hear of your rough situation at work. That would feel so unfair and thank goodness HR have taken your side on this. Everyone has a right to be a parent and not have to work horrendous hours!!! I used to work those sort of hours before having kids but since having them, I just flat out refuse to do it and I am so thankful I have had such wonderful, understanding bosses (all men of course with their own families). I really hope she eases up on you with some pressure from HR and that it becomes far less stressful for you - it is already hard enough working, pumping and trying to be a good mother :-*
Olga, your situation sounds like mine did a few months ago. I first went back to work when she was 6 months and she used to be up for a few feeds a night. Thankfully about a week after I started working she started waking only once a night for food. I also have to travel for work - usually am away 1 or 2 nights every 2-3 weeks. DH would give her a bottle for her NW and she would eat about 200mls. Then one night when I was away (about 4 weeks ago) she just sttn for the first time ever. After that I decided that she wasn't hungry anymore so I stopped feeding her when she woke. I would just give her a cuddle and put her back down and she'd go right back to sleep. It only took less than a week and she started sttn!!! Unfortunately it hasn't really helped my milk though becuase since I stopped that night feed, my output at work has dropped considerably. Anyway, to get back to your situation - do you think your dd is getting distracted? My dd usually eats really fast when BF'd too so maybe your dd is taking all she needs during that 3 mins from the 1 breast. If you want to get her to take the other side as well, maybe slowly start increasing the time inbetween feeding her - e.g. by 15 mins and she will hopefully start taking the second side (that is what I had to do with my dd as well since she was a big snacker).
Anyway, had better run as I am at work. I am downing the fenugreek and blessed thistle to try to increase my output. Does anyone else use these and has it worked? My work scheduled has slowed down at lot now so I can go back to pumping twice a day now and hopefully spend longer pumping too. That might all help. I have been so busy I have only been pumping once a day at lunch-time and as I am away a lot - it sometimes ends up being in a toilet cubicle, so I do it quickly.
Finally, ElizabethsMummy, sorry I can't help as I live in Australia, but good luck with your situation. Let us know what happens. I hope your employer finds an appropriate place for you!
Better run,
Kerrie
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Kerrie, I had luck with fenugreek & know of others that had luck with the combo. I was going to suggest finding time for another pump, since you've weaned the night feeds, but you're already looking to do that. So just {{hugs}} & a hearty "well done!" from me. :)
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Hi Kerrie,
Thanks for the tips - she's basically on a 4 hour routine during the day with the bottle, takes 200ml each time - so when on weekends I breastfeed, she finishes quickly, fights to be put back to the breast, and then hungry in 2 hours - I can last her 4, but then she wakes more for a feed at night. I try to feed her in a quiet place without distractions - she's the same at night, hardly ever takes the 2nd breast, and I know it's hardly ever more than 100-140 g. As these had been only weekends so far, that was ok, but I have a month ahead at home with her, and just not sure whether she'd properly eat to keep the routine on. The issue is she would fight a nap if she's hungry - well I guess if worse comes to worst, I will countinue pumping and giving bottle twice a day. For some reason pumping works better for my milk supply then BF.
Did your LO take the bottle ok at night? I had one night lately where I pumped before going to sleep as normal, and she happened to wake up 15 min after, and couldn't get much off the breast - so she went into 30 min angry screaming, refused the bottle and just raged, and then woke up screaming for 2 nights and wouldn't settle, and there is nothing else I could think of happenned that upset her that much apart from not getting the milk from the breast...
I also don't seem to have developed lots of ways to calm her down at night apart from nursing unfortunately, so I bet she;s not really hungry, that's more of a habitual waking, as she used to STTN at 4 months, but then stopped.
When you travel, do you pump as well including during the nights?
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Hi Ladies,
Welcome to the newbies!
Although it's almost Christmas and we should be slowing down, things have been so tough lately that I hardly have time to come here and keep up with you all! :P
When DD was born I aimed to achieve 6 months of exclusively BF. I did it. Then I challenged myself again to reach 9 months... Now she's 9 months and a week old and I'm still BF'ing her. When at daycare she's still having a bottle with my milk and since I still have around 300 Oz of frozen milk, I think DD will have my milk until she turns 1 year old. ;D
I have to confess that my output had decreased considerably. I'm pumping only at night (dream pump) and get only 3 Oz (90ml), enough to mix with frozen milk.
TristansMom - hope things eases up on you. I think your boss and the other girls will regret for being unfair with you.
Olga - are you sure Tessa is not teething? Maybe she's suffering from the pain and it has interferred in her sleeping pattern. DD used to STTN since she was 4 mo, and started to have NW when she had GS at 5 and 6 mo. After that, she only had NW due to teething.
Kerrie - WOW... You're brave. I have no energy to pump twice a day when at work. Actually, due to the nipple bleb (which hasn't healed up so far), I had to quit BF'ing DD at lunchtime even on weekends in attempt to make my body understands her feeding routine, so no pumping sessions during the day. :-\
Elizabeth's mummy - Sorry, I can't help as I live in Brazil. Hope you find a suitable place to pump. This was one of the reasons I had to quit pumping at work. It was quite embarassing leaving the room with my pump because every man in the room knew what I was going to do. And the others who didn't, always asked me if I was going home... :P
Do you know if the milk supply dips when the periods start?
XOXO
Lidia
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Hi, Lidia! Yes, production can dip for a few days when your period comes back. It should bounce back, though, so it'll be a few days of decreased production & then more or less back to normal. Good for you going this long! (And I'm pretty jealous of that stash. ;) WOW! :o)
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Hi Lidia,
Nice to meet you!
Well, if she was teething she'd have had some teeth out over the 2 months, wouldn't she? ;D
She does chew on everything, but no teeth yet, and NW are every day since 5th month... Oh well, as long as it's once a night I'm cool with it.
Good to know the frozen milk is of use - I've got about 15 litres (!!!), just recently had to throw away some, no space in the freezer, actually recently reverted to 2 pumps a day + DF pump to decrease it, as I had about 400ml extra a day, now it's about 200 ml extra. The only issue she tends to like my milk from the bottle better than BF, so always struggle for her to eat properly when BF. Hopefully the supply doesn't go drastically down after 6 months, I read a few moms here were saying it happenned.
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Lidia - I'm also jealous of that stash of yours!!! WOW. I wish I had that much, then there would definitely be no mixing BM with formula for Holly.... I also get a decrease in my milk output when I get my period back, but I have found both time, it isn't temporary for me :'(. With Hunter I got mine back only about 8 weeks after he was born and by 12 weeks I had a huge dip and couldn't get my milk back up. The same again this time, but it only came back about 2 months ago, which has also coincided with the dip in my milk ::). I also read on the Kelly Mom website that a drop in output around 9 months is perfectly normal and usually happens (doesn't help me to be able to pump enough milk though). Anyway, I hope your nipple bleb clears up soon, have you had any advice on it? Can you do anything for it? It must be painful!
Olga - wow, each post, your situation sounds sooo familiar to me. Holly was also exactly the same and no matter what, I couldn't settle her at night without giving her the breast. I kept trying to do ssh/pat with her and she would fight me for up to 3 hours a night - so once I started working there was no way I could keep that up, so I just gave in and kept comforting her with a BF at night. She would go through phases where she would eat a lot at night, then eat very little, it was just a comfort to her. But then once she dropped back to eating only once a night, she would usually take a pretty solid feed. Not both sides though, I almost never gave her both sides at night since she would usually go to sleep. When she was hungry though, she took the bottle from DH just fine if I was away for work. That was when I could tell how much she was actually eating. One night he said she had eaten almost 200ml and that was huge :o. She doesn't even eat that through the day. Anyway, I just let her guide it and as I said when I knew she wasn't actually hungry anymore, I decided I'd stop feeding her and see how she went and thankfully it worked and I haven't fed her at night now for the last 5 - 6 weeks. She has been sttn the entire time. I am so relieved, but somehow still feeling quite tired :-\. Anyway back to you - your dd must be using the breast as comfort if she wasn't happy with the bottle by the sounds of it. How many times a night does she wake? I hope she stops soon for your sake! Hopefully she will do what Holly did and eventually just be happy with a quick cuddle instead. I had even tried everything, including the GW plan and nothing worked for her! She was far too stubborn....
Also, when I travel for work, I didn't do a late night pump. I found when I pumped in the morning, I was really full and got about 8-10oz anyway, so I didn't really need to pump at night. I didn't get that much if I pumped before bed anyway as I would have only just pumped around 7pm that night. And there was no way that the only night I had to get a full nights sleep without being interrupted, I was going to get up to pump at midnight or 1am either :P.....
Anyway, have taken the day off work as things aren't too good in our house. Holly woke up with a fever this mornings and we've all had a tummy bug for the past 4 days :'(. Poor Holly though, she has about 3-4 teeth coming through, a bad cold for the past week and a tummy bug... She has been sooo miserable today and she even fell asleep on the loungeroom floor cuddling a stuffed toy. It was so cute, but I feel so bad for her. She is back in her cot sleeping now and we spent most of the morning sleeping on our bed. I feel a bit better after getting some more rest too - my stomach was still quite fragile this morning. I don't feel like I have had it as bad as everyone else though thankfully too! Had better go anyway, have some washing to bring in before Holly wakes up. Take care everyone, talk soon.
Kerrie xoxo
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{{hugs}} Kerrie! I hope y'all are feeling better soon.
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Thanks Candice, she still is very unwell today too. I've booked her into the doctor later this morning just to make sure nothing more serious is wrong with her. She couldn't stay awake for more than 20 mins all of yesterday and she still has a fever this morning and is just as tired.... I hope you are doing well anyway :)
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Hope you get good news, hun. {{hugs}}
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Hello ladies
So crazy busy these days I have just been able to check back in.
So DD is still having a df. I have been trying to up it time wise 15min at a time. So we are up to 10:00pm feed. Had a few bumps with holiday get togethers, visitors and so forth. I think when we get to 930 I am going to try and see if she will go all night without. I think she can even right now but she is getting her 2 front top teeth in so her nursing is all over the place again. Hoping to have her 2 front teeth for Christmas. She will be a bunny for Christmas with her 2 top and 2 bottom teeth. :'(Poor little darlings. Teething is just such a up and down time for them. She has the roses checks, gums are sore and so tired. She wants to nurse and chew on things but it hurts. She is so darn cute with teeth, when she smiles now she seems so proud of the bottom 2 that she looks like she is purposely pushing her bottom jaw out to show them off. ;D
As far as work and pumping going OK. I have been pretty luck so far with having a place to pump and not having to many issues with having to take the time to pump. I am sure it is just because I work for the government and most people are afraid to say to much in case they are brought up on harassment. May heart goes out to all of the moms have issues with work. This day and age it should not be any issue. You are doing the best thing you can for your child and trying to make sure they are taken care of financially by working.
Just keep reminding yourself you are doing the most important job in the world which is being the best mother you can be.
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Well the bad news is that Holly has a really bad ear infection in both ears... I feel soo bad not knowing that. She hasn't even been pulling at her ears or screaming or anything, but it was obviously getting worse, hence the 2.5 day fever she had. Thankfully the fever broke yesterday afternoon and after starting antibiotics she started feeling better. Today DH stayed home with her as I had to come to work and he said she has been really good so far. She is back to napping normal times (not all day) and has even been playing on the floor on her own instead of wanting cuddles all day. I have been missing the cuddles though!!! Anyway, must run as I am at work. Tracy, glad to hear that everything is going well for you and the pumping. Don't you just love those teeth - Holly has her 2 bottom ones and I think they are just adorable too!
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Yay, Tracy! Glad to hear things are going pretty well.
{{hugs}} Kerrie & Holly! Hope the infections clear quickly.
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Kerrie - glad to hear Holly is doing better, hope she gets well soon!
Thanks for sharing, if I only have to wait 3 more months I think I can cope with 4-5 hour sleep at night. Quite honestly I don't have enough will to go through any sort of sleep training for a few weeks, when she wakes I feed her and put her right back and fall back asleep immediately. I don't even know whether it takes her long to go back to sleep, but I reckon she's ok as she doesn't wake me up.
I can't really get to the bottom of the NWs, as we started solids, she had a bit of wind pain, she had an obvious growth spurt at some point, a cold before that, so it's kinda hard to rule out everything. She did only 2 NWs yesterday which is not bad, we've been through 3-4 lately.
Will probably have to have my DH to try to give her bottle at night, gonna be tough ;D He stayed with her today for the first time on his own, 40 min naps only throughout the day :o, had to put her down to sleep an hour earlier to avoid getting her OT.
I'm actually quite opposite, I get 240 ml around midnight, but only 140ml in the morning. I'm also forever paranoid about dropping milk supply, so I never miss a pump, and when my LO has days when she eats less, I pump after feeding her to keep the supply up ;)
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Hi All!
My nipple bleb has almost gone. :) The doctor was right when he said I had to quit daytime feedings during weekends, it's soooo much better not feeling pain when latching!
Thanks for the info re dipping milk supply after periods returning. My supply is gradually dipping and it's making me nervous, but I need to start thinking that someday DD WILL wean, so better get used to this idea. :-\
Kerrie - loved the new pic of your avatar. Hope this ear infection clears up soon. So bad when our LOs get sick, isn't it. If only we could fix all for them. :'(
Candice - congrats on the pregnancy!
Olga - IKWYM by not missing a pumping session. I tend to think that if I miss a single pumping session, my body will immediately think that baby doesn't need it and my supply will dip. :-\
Better go now because DH is waiting me to have dinner.
XOXO
Lidia
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Lidia - was also going to comment on your new avatar too - Milena is just gorgeous.... It is so nice to hear from you more often these days - what is going on there? Has your DH finally resigned to the fact that you need an outlet?
CONGRATULATIONS
[/color]
Candice - I didn't even see your new ticker - that is fantastic news. I hope it all goes well, but I'm sure you will keep us informed!
Olga - Holly used to get wind pains, but it started from birth. I cut dairy out of my diet and she stopped getting them. So after some trial and error I found out she has a lactose overload issue. She only reacts when I have too much lactose. It sounds possible that your dd is having a reaction to something she is eating directly. Most doctors tell me that what I eat shouldn't make a difference to her - but I know it definitely does! I really hope her NW's get better for you though. Holly just all of a sudden dropped from 3-4 a night down to 1 at 7 months after the solids kicked in (she didn't start eating solids until almost 7 months due to a really bad cold she had at 6 months). Your dd might be waking due to wind maybe? But it is great when they go straight back to sleep - that is a great start.
Anyway had better run, am at work and have a meeting to go to. Hope you are all doing well xoxo
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Whoops - I put the colour on the wrong line instead of the congratulations - sorry Candice, that was meant to be a nice Teal colour!
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:-* Thanks, ladies! I'll be coming back to the bf boards with my own questions again soon. ;)
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Hi Kerrie - I'm totally with you on believing what I eat influences the baby though doctors here say otherwise - that's why I was on the strictest diet cutting off dairy, sugars, beans, any sizzle drinks, all yeast bread and white bread, all fruit and fresh vegies for the first 3 months, and them brought those back in really slowly, and started having dairy only when she was 5 months old. I think her NWs is altogether - hunger (I cut back on solids now to solve the wind pain), accidental parenting (I have no stamina to tackle her crying with pu/pd at night, I'd rather nurse for 5 min and put her back to sleep), habit, windpain sometimes, development (she learns crawling now and recently started to sit), so I guess it's just this period when you can solve hunger, but then something else kicks in. And she hasn't started teething yet, so my real sleepless nights are ahead I reckon :o
We also went all over the place with her routine now, really hard to get her on the 3rd nap, but tried 2 naps and got her OT by evening, but she pushes feeds/naps around a lot now (and used to be minute-precise for the past 3 months), so I'm getting so confused that I don't know where to start - Feeds Routine, Naps, Night Wakings, you name it. Just asking myself whatever I'm doing on-line at midnight instead of catching up on sleep lol ;D
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Olga, it really sounds like our babies are twins!!! Well, the younger Holly anyway. Your last paragraph there - Holly used to do that too. She never actually catnapped well anyway. I gave up on the 3rd nap by only a few months as it was near on impossible to get her down for it, but then if she didn't have it, she was so OT. Thankfully it all came good again when her A time started stretching out. How much A time does Tessa have now? Can you start trying to stretch it out by 15 mins at a time? If she has dropped that 3rd nap for good (which sounds about right at her age). I really feel for you - I totally understand where you are at. Holly was soo inconsistent I never knew where to start trying to fix our issues either. It can be so frustrating. When I started back at work full-time and she was about to go to daycare, I was soooo nervous about her routine being all over the place and I wasn't going to be there to control it, but it ended up being a good thing. I made the daycare fill in a book so I could see what I needed to adjust and things ended up smoothing themselves out, now she is a consistent napper again and we have the NW's sorted. Fingers crossed for you - AND you probably need some sleep too instead of being on BW at midnight problem solving :-*
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Hi Ladies
Things are a bit out again for DD. The top teeth are pushing through and having pain. DD having trouble BF and EBM. Hopefully be down in the next couple of days and DD will be better. She does look so darn cute with the rosy checks. I really should get a picture loaded. Maybe over the holiday I will get time.
Candice: Congrats! That is wonderful news. ;D
Kerrie: Hope Holly is better now. I worry about my LO and ear infections. She pulls at her ears a bit especially when teething or OT. Our PED told me to bring her in any time I was concerned because so many LO have ear infections and don't show signs until they are really infected. So don't beat yourself up for not knowing. Poor LO, it must really hurt. IKWYM about missing the cuddles. It is nice to be able to cuddle them, if like my LO she is so busy now cuddles are few. :)
Good idea with book for daycare. What did you ask them to keep track of? I am just starting to set up a child care provider for DD starting in Jan as DH is going back to work also, and looking for any tips or ideas on how to make it go smoothly as possible. No more MR MOM :D, it has been great experience for DH to be at home. He now really understand how busy a LO is, but like me still would not change having LO no matter what.
Olga: I know it is hard! :'(My DD at about the same age went through a crazy time. She did not nap well, was having NW 2 -3 times (had been sleeping most nights before that) had her growth spurt, caught a cold and finally had her teeth come in. It was exhausting! I remember thinking I would not survive, and what was I doing wrong. Some how we struggled through and things have got much better. I ended up just trying to not stress over trying to be on schedule all the time and work on things in baby steps. It took about a month and half but now she is back to some what normal sleeping and eating. Or should say was till teething started again. Also when I started my DD on solids at 6m she to had wind that seemed to keep her awake at night. Sometimes at night if I could get her to pass it she would go back to sleep right away. She is better now that has adjusted to solids. Yes I to believe what we eat as BF moms affect the LO. I know I could tell when DD was new born she would defiantly react to things I ate. Always had an issue with the slightest bit of garlic, to much dairy, and had to watch some veggies. She doesn't seem to have issues now.
Lida: Hope nipple bleb better. I have not had many issues that way but can just imagine how painful it can be.
Lidia/ Olga: IKWYM about missing the pumping. I feel like if I do miss I will not get it back up. Also have had dip with period and find I really need to pump a bit more often to get it back up again.
Sorry for the novel, apparently lots to chat about today. Wish you all a very wounderfull holiday season just in case I don't get back on till the New Year. Be sure to enjoy ever minute with families. Time to go pump!
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Hi Tracy - I hope the transition into daycare goes smoothly for your dd after being at daddy daycare ;D. The things I put in the book for daycare to record were times of morning tea, lunch & afternoon tea, bottles and naps, then I had a comments column. The main thing I looked at of course were naps and then bottles. I could tell straight away if she was going to be OT when we got home by her naps and also if she could hang out until a bedtime bottle or needed one straight after getting home. The main reason I did the book was because DH picks the kids up usually and he would never read the board (they have all of that info recorded up on a whiteboard each day) or if he read the board, he could never remember to tell me the times. It really helped me (I was probably too obsessed over it like I have been since she was born ::)) but I knew what time to put her down each night and also if any tweaks needed to happen, I could let the carers know what to adjust. It is probably worth trying for a while until you are comfortable all is running smoothly anyway. Let us know how it all goes once she gets there ;)
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Hi Ladies,
Kerry, Tracy - thanks for your support, it's getting much better as I've been able to stretch Tessa's A time to 3 hours and we are on 2 naps unless she EW at 6 am, then we need the catnap which is a nightmare, but the 2 nap day works really well. I've also had great progress in recognising her mantra (finally) and I stopped what apparently was clear interfering when putting her to bed or when she wakes up. She falls asleep after 10 minutes of screeching on her own which is great, and only wakes at 5:30 for a feed. I'm still struggling with lots of accidental parenting to get her past 40 min mark for the naps, and end up rocking her in her pram throughout the nap, but just don't yet have confidence to start sleeptraining, especially when I need to be back to work in a week, just hoping maybe she will outgrow.
I have other major concern, I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance. My boss needs me to start travelling as early as first week of Feb (Tessa is going to be 8 months), and it's going to be the whole week and I'm just so terrified to leave her. She still has NF, she's BF, my DH never attended to her at night and with him she only naps 40 mins. I have tons of frozen milk but what if she will just refuse it and scream through all nights and days?! I just can't imagine leaving her, plus she could start having separation anxiety then, and I guess I'm having one already.
If that's not enough, my MIL who was here for 3 months to look after Tessa when I'm at work has just been refused the next visa, and me and my DH are taking all our vacations now while to try to find a nanny, but then again leaving my DD with some new nanny for a week... I don't think I can bear it, though I know I will at the end but it's just sooo hard.
Could someone say something reassuring that it will work out ok and how BF babies manage through their mom's travelling...
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Oh Olga, I really feel for you! That is a lot to go through all at once, very stressful. BUT I can say from experience, my dd coped just fine with my travelling. DH had also never attended to her during the night for a feed, but when I did have to go away (she was 7-8 months when I started travelling) she took the bottle from him with no problem during the night (actually, I was probably a little miffed over that though :P). She did really miss me when I first started going away though, but she did get used to it and she does really well. Your dd is used to the bottle, so maybe on weekends you could get your DH to start giving her a feed just to see how she goes? When is your MIL due to leave? Will your dd be used to the new nanny before you go away?
Really big hugs to you, I know how stressful it is - I was so worried about how I would cope with BF'ing dd and my travel, but it actually worked out for the best because she eventually started sttn when I wasn't home anyway :) It might be tough at first, but she will cope okay while you are gone and if she is hungry enough, she will eat. Huge hugs again xoxo
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Hi All,
First of all, Happy 2009!! I hope the best for you and your LOs! ;)
We have just got back from a week away travelling. We went to the beach and DD just loved it! She can't walk alone yet but DH was holding her hands and if she could run, she would have swun like a Nemo! :P Isn't it interesting how babies like water?
I'm returning to work tomorrow morning, after spending a whole week with DD, starting to have SA (me, obviously :-[)
Now some personals:
Kerrie - I'm also very happy that DH is not complaining about me BW'ing. I think I made a big change because I used to be a BW maniac and I have to confess that I overdid it. I was so strict to a routine that it made me almost crazy. I started a therapy with a psicologist two months ago and it's been helping me a lot. I still have lots of problems with MIL but I know I have to deal with one problem at a time. I'm very jealous when DD has to stay with MIL or even when we're all together and MIL plays or cuddles DD. :-[
Olga - Kerrie's idea of a book is very useful. We use it too. In my case, the daycare already has a standardized report in which they write down the naps (when it started and how long it last), meals (time and composition), bottles, diaper changes (poop and pee) and general comments. It's really useful because if your LO comes home in a bad mood you can have a look at the book and check if she's OT. I also find it very useful because they write down how many onces of my milk DD had and what she ate during the day so that I can vary her diet.
Now re the travelling thing, IKWYM... DD started to show symptoms of SA and she's now 10 mo. In my new job position, I'll have to travel more often and I don't know how to deal with it as I have never been away from DD.
There was one night last month that I wasn't at home to feed her, though (and it wasn't planned). DH had to take over the bedtime routine and defrost my milk to put DD in bed. He did it perfectly and she STTN! So, hang in there because your LO will help you. In my case, I used to talk to DD a lot and try to comfort her that even if I'm not with her all the time, whenever she needs, there'll always be someone there for her. Big hugs to you ;)
Now a litte bit of me. I missed friday night pumping session because we're on the way home and since we arrived at 3 am (I'm used to pump at 11 pm), the only thing I could think of was to get some sleep as DD would wake up at 6 am. Yesterday night I tried to pump and I could only get miserable 20 ml. Nothing... Now I think there's no turning back. I tried to pump again today at 10 am with no avail. Tonight will be my last trial. It's sad to say and I'm dreading to think that in a few weeks time, DD will wean as my milk supply will dip drastically. :'(
Are your LOs having only BM? How did you introduce formula to them? I still have some frozen milk but I'm afraid it will last until next weekend so better come up with a plan this week. Any tips are appreciated.
Hugs to all
Lidia
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Kerri - thank you for your support, as always ::) I realize me being away from DD would have to happen at some point and I just need to work out the plan and accept it, I guess the first time is tough on everyone. She's generally not a mommy-clinging baby, and it looks like DH is more than willing to step in. My MIL has gone back home already to renew a visa, and was refused one, I'm on vacation now to look after my lo, but then it runs out and if my MIL cannot get a visa on a 2nd attempt, we'd have to look for a nanny on such crazy short notice, so bloody travel is such wrong timing rrrr. My DH is really against nannies or daycare, he even spoke about him quitting the job to be at home with the DD, so I'm just keeping fingers crossed MIL will be able to get a visa on appeal.
Lidia, IKWYM on being jealous with MIL cuddling my LO. With my MIL actually looking after DD all day past months, she was probably more mommy to her then I was, but I just kept reminding myself that my DD needs a happy, fulfilled, easygoing mother, and it's great for her to have an opportunity to interact with different people, she learns communication etc.
On pumping Tessa is 7 months, and I guess with a 10 month old baby your body reacts differently, but when I see my milk supply going down, I start adding extra pumping session during the day or at night and pump right after the feed, even for 5-10 ml, whatever I can get out, drink lots of warm tea and eat more. When you say your can't get more than 20 ml, are your breasts empty, or is it you can't get a let down? If I can feel there is milk in my breasts, I will not quit until I pump it out all to the last drop, and after a few days I have much more milk again - so for me the key was to always make sure you empty the breast fully. I've also managed to learn to trigger the let down reflex, so the milk actually pours out like crazy, so when I need to increase, I go for 2 let downs per session, which takes long, but helps a lot.
In any case, you are already BF to 10 MONTHS! so even if you have to go on formula now, you've done such a great job for your LO already! My mom was telling me when she had me everyone routinely weaned at 8 months and this was considered "long BF".
Wish it works for you, sorry I don't have any tips on formula yet.
I was hoping to have a beach vacation when DD is 10 months, so now reading about how your DD loved water, can't wait to get my chubby sweetheart there 8)
Hugs to all!
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Hey there, Lidia great to hear from you :-*. I used to be totally obssessed with Holly's routines etc. too since she was such a high maintenance baby and any time she didn't get a regular sleep, we would pay for it big time, but when I went back to work, I eventually overcame that. Well, I have to admit, I am still a little obssessed, just no where near as bad. I am glad you are getting some help and advice, it sounds like it is doing the world of good for you. Now for the formula - when I first started mixing BM and formula with Holly, I started adding it to her bottle slowly. She was really really sick just before she started daycare and my milk dropped dramatically. I didn't realise until it was too late and I had to supplement her. I was worried about it, so thought I had better get her used to formula just incase. I originally started by adding 1/3 to 1 of her bottles. When she didn't even seem to notice a difference, I added slightly more and went 50/50, sometimes on both bottles, depending on how much I could express. I didn't usually have a problem expressing, but the formula actually seemed to help sleep and she started waking for only 1 feed through the night, so I kept the formula in her bottles at daycare ever since then. When we went away in mid-November, it was the first time I had to give her a full bottle of formula without any BM. I wasn't sure how she would react, but DH gave it to her and she just looked at him, then kept right on drinking 8). If you are worried and want to use formula, I would start mixing it in slowly to see how she goes with it. You have done such a fantastic job getting this far - especially on only BM and working too - you deserve a medal!!! The other options are you could try taking fenugreek or eat oatmeal etc. and see if this helps your supply get back up if you don't want to wean.
Unfortunately I think I need to wean completely :'(. As I've said previously I have been really struggling for the last 2 months expressing enough milk and have only been getting 2oz at the very most, but usually around 1oz. So I've felt that Holly is barely getting any BM in her daytime bottles. Even the morning and evening BF's I've been topping her up afterwards most times. SO, I made a decision last Wednesday that I would wean her daytime feed and just put her onto formula until she can go to cows milk but I would try to keep up the morning and evening feeds for a while. Then, I got really really sick I think with a bacterial infection and I think dehydrated because I couldn't even hold water in for 3 days and now I don't think I have much milk. I am not sure. She also seems to be losing interest in BF'ing anyway because she just wants to get up and look around. It is like she almost prefers the bottle because she can crawl around with it when she gets bored of laying there drinking... But last night I just gave her a bottle of formula before bed, then I expressed around 9pm and got 1oz out. Then this morning I tried to feed her after she woke up but she wouldn't even eat from either side for longer than about 2 mins :(. I thought maybe there wasn't any milk coming out because the morning feed is usually always our best feed!! SO as I have been tossing up whether to wean her or not, I think I have made my decision finally and will call it quits. It is probably mainly because I think she would be happier having a bottle. When I get the bottle out and fill it with water - she just has the hugest smile on her face and gets so happy, so I can't deny that sort of happiness now can I... It is still pretty sad though, but I am happy that I have almost reached my intended goal of 12 months...
Anyway enough about me, onto you Olga - I hope your MIL has some success getting her visa renewed and things go smoothly for you. But I have to say from experience, daycare really isn't all that bad. My kids absolutely love it because it is so social. They both learn so much there (not always good though), but it really does help their development. Of course, it is hard to find a daycare that you are really happy with too. My kids just love the centre they go to and even when I pick them up after a 10.5hr day there, they are still smiling and happy. Unfortunately we are moving and they have to switch centres, but thankfully we found one that we really like. But, I know how stressful it is having to sort everything out last minute - that has been the story of my life in the last year - so I really hope it all works out for you. And I hope your trip away goes well too - it is never at good timing when you have LO's.
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Hi everyone, I'm going back to work this week, but only for 2 days a week. We feed 3 times a day (7, 11, 7) and they are all BFs. I was planning to switch the 11am feed to formula all the time (she happily takes whatever she's offered!) but I've changed my mind and really want to keep her on breast milk as much as possible. My question is, if she has formula at the 11am feed for the 2 days I'm at work, will it really mess up my supply, or will my boobs cope?! There's no chance of pumping at work as I'm a teacher and don't get 2 minutes to myself all day!
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Hi All,
I'm so pleased to say that milk came again! ;D
I had to "force" a letdown but it came. Last week I was getting around 70 mL and yesterday I got 60 mL, can't complain.
I made a promise that I will only pump until my frozen milk stash runs out so only a few days to come (that was my deal for the letdown to come... :P)
Kerrie - thanks for the tip. Sounds a good idea to start mixing BM with formula. Better start tomorrow as I won't have too much time to adapt her to it. And I really feel for you about weaning. And as we are all at the same boat, I hope you don't suffer too much and if you need a shoulder to cry on, please be welcome. :-\ In my case, I still BF DD 1st and last thing and my guess is that I'm not producing enough milk for her first nursing session. At night, it's been two nights that she starts to bite my nipple because she lost patience to wait for the letdown. >:( Anyway, as you said, your goal was to reach 12 months and you did it, so congratulations. My first goal was 6 months, than 9 and now I have 10, so now I just need to wait for the moment to come. Big hugs to you!
Olga - you are right. What happened on sat night is that I didn't have the letdown. I could introduce another pumping session if I wanted to because I know my body would respond to it but the fact is that I really need to make some decision in my life. IMHO, BF is the most special way to show the purest love to someone and I really wanted to postpone weaning DD but it's not going to be a good decision when it regards to my relationship with DH.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for your MIL to het the visa this time! ;)
Munzle - Sorry I don't have experience on this. When DD was away from me during week days, I used to pump at lunchtime so that my body would produce milk for the weekend sessions. Since you don't have too many options, I would give it a go and try to feed her after those 2 days and see what happens. Hope you have success!
XOXO
Lidia
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Hi Munzle, I also don't have much experience with this, but I would think that if it is only 2 sessions per week that you are missing, you should be okay. If you start to do this and find any sort of dip in your supply, you could always take fenugreek to try to bring it back up again - eat oatmeal etc. etc. all the regular advice for trying to increase your supply.
Lidia - YAY on your supply coming back in - that is fantastic. Well, I thought we were officially done BF'ing dd, but I need to feed her when she wakes up this morning. I thought I didn't have much milk left, but as I haven't fed her since yesterday morning (when she didn't eat much anyway), I can feel my boobs are quite full this morning. So I guess I'll keep the morning feed for the next day or so and hope she is more interested if there is enough milk. Holly also bites me when she either doesn't get a letdown or is running out of milk ::) They get mean when they are hungry don't they :P. But thank you for your offer of a shoulder to cry on :-*. I may need it in the next day or two. At least I am doing this now before we move house, daycare centers etc. in the next few weeks. It is probably a better time than right in the middle of all that. PS - can I be nosey and ask what you mean by BF'ing Milena affecting your relationship with your DH? You really don't need to answer that if you don't want to though....
Had better go anyway, Holly has just woken up!
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I really just breast feed at night and force the lo to be on his own during the day. Maybe that is why is is so grumpy. I love breastfeeding though My dd loves it too
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This is my first post, I have been lurking and learned so much. I am posting b/c I am torn over whether or not to continue bfing.
I teach and have been pumping since October. I had a lot of milk stored up in the freezer but my son hit a growth spurt and went through it all and we had to start formula. I'm on vacation until the end of the month and going back and forth whether to continue to pump when i return, it is terribly difficult and cuts me off from my grade level team as well as accomplishing anything - as a teacher, you need every minute to prep.
When i first went back I would get 6 oz in 15 min, at the end it was more like 3 to 4 oz in 25 min. and to top it off my son went from 4 oz feeding to 8 oz feeding in the time I've been working. It felt like the perfect storm of him increasing demand right when I was with him the least.
I was totally ready to call it quits when after nursing in the am he would still take a 6oz bottle right after - I felt like I had no milk! He often bobs on an off when nursing is very distractable, while on a bottle he goes full force. It makes me wonder if I am even producing or if he is not patient with let down, so then for peace of mind I just offer a bottle, which probaby just perpetuate the problem - ugh! Anyway, we had a check up today and doc said I need to increase solids in the am, that prob why he wants more milk. I am trying to offer the breast at every feeding to increase supply, and then just follow with formula.
Gosh - I am going on and on! He is 7 months old so I feel okay about going to night time nursing only but I am afraid I will totally loose my milk.
Any advice or encouragement is welcome - thanks!
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Hi there luvingjack - you sound like you are in the situation I was just in recently, but my dd is almost 12 months, so I felt okay to give up now - plus she lost total interest in my boob and much prefered the bottle as of just recently! I have been in a similar situation to you at work, but I teach to adults, so I just didn't have the time to keep up the pumping this year. We only have 15 min breaks morning and afternoon and I couldn't maintain my supply on just 1 pump a day at lunch-time. But, if you want to continue BF'ing, it sounds as though you are doing the right thing with trying to get him to BF as much as possible, even if you are topping up afterwards. Personally as much as I loved feeding dd, I felt a big stress keeping up the pumping - but it really depends on how you really feel about giving it up. I definitely know if I had given up any earlier, I would have regretted it (know that from experience the first time around), so I was pleased to continue to pump until my intended goal of 12 months. Do you think you would be able to maintain your supply with a morning and evening feed only? Have you tried any supplements as yet to increase your supply (e.g. fenugreek, oatmeal etc.)? I was just thinking if they work, then you may still be able to maintain your supply, taking supplements, with just 1 feed a day....
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Hi luvingjack
My DD is also 7 mo and I have a very similar issue with her being really distracted at the breast and nursing really short time, but then taking a decent amount in the bottle. My guess to a big extent it's the bottle is easier to suckle and she's impatient to wait for the letdown (she nurses fine at night and for the bedtime when she's sleepy and calm). I however was lucky to end up being extremely efficient on pumping - strangely enough my milk supply dips when I'm just BFing, so I pump even on vacation a few times a day. So even though I tend top up nursing with the bottle with my BM (or often I'd pump out and give it to her in the bottle), I always check how much she takes in the bottle, and then pump out exact amount or more. I also keep pumping at 11 pm before going to bed, which gives me an extra 9 oz every day just in case.
As Kerri said above, it's really about how you feel about continuing or giving up. If you want to continue or gradually try to build your supply back, you could try:
- working on making pumping more efficient, learn to force a letdown and see how much you really produce.
- other way to get a peace of mind is to check wether your LO is actually swallowing and count it. They normally take 2-3 grams per swallow depending on the strength of your letdown (which you can see if you force one during pumping). Very often the issue is: they become lazy, they'd nurse only the initial letdown, and then if you don't empty the breast, your supply is going to be gradually dipping. The key to maintain it is to fully dry out the breast after the feed, so if my LO is not nursing well, I top up with the bottle, but I'd always then pump out whatever she has left in.
- get a smaller size teat for the bottle, my DD tends to nurse worse when she's on size 3, so I kept her on newborn size teat until 6 months, she really had to apply effort to suckle from the bottle and therefore was happy to be on the breast. Now she's on size 3, but if she starts going closer to nursing strike (and she does sometime), I put size 1 teat on the bottle, and after a few times she's back on breast happy.
- use weekends to increase the supply: you can pump fully before the feed and then feed from the bottle. If you LO ends up taking less then you pumped (which is your goal), that means you are producing more then he needs.
- add extra pumping session when you don't expect to BF for the next 3-4 hours. I tend to do it at night, even if she wakes at night and I just pumped everything out, she's normally happy to suckle long enough for the new milk to be produced. This really gets your supply up.
- maintain night feeds. I maintain 4:30 am night feed even though I know she she can easily drop it, I just know it really helps the supply.
But most importantly, do what you feel you will do happily or at least with understanding that you are doing the right thing. LOs do not need our sacrifice, they need a happy mom:)
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Good advice Olga.
You know what - you just reminded me of something too so thanks for that ;D. Now that I am finished BF'ing dd, I have forgotten to put her on a faster flow nipple. she is still on a size one :-[. Oops, so glad you mentioned it - I think I'll put her on a size 3 now and she'll finish her bottles a lot faster ;)
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Olga, you said it all... The last paragraph shows that you have found the secret to keep nursing your LO. ;)Confidence is the key to have a letdown, to show your LO that he/she can be comfortable to nurse as much as he/she wants, it's a virtuous cycle! The more you express, the more confident you become, then you can face LOs nurse strike or distraction without affecting your milk supply!
Kerrie - didn't understand... So Holly really quit or you're still BFing her in the morning?
Good luck luvingjack. I hope you find a way that suits both your LO and you. In my case, when DD was 7 - 8 mo, she had my milk 3 times a day (2 nursing sessions and one bottle at midday) and it was when I got my biggest output. I think it only dropped because I caught a tummy bug and lost 2 kg. Stayed in bed for 2 days. At that moment, I could get around 3 Oz per side, after being sick, it dropped to half the amount. :(
Hope you all have a nice weekend.
xo
Lidia
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Hi Lidia, we are done with Bf'ing altogether now :'(. I also had a tummy bug last weekend and lost 3kg in 3 days, and consequently I think my milk dropped big time, so that is when I decided we were over it. Holly is far more interested in the bottle than my boobs these days anyway. So far, it has been 3 days since no bf'ing and she doesn't seem to miss it at all. I had to bf her a few more times earlier in the week just to the milk out, but since then I haven't had to pump or anything. I mustn't have had much milk left :-\. It's all a bit sad, but overall I am happy we made it this far ;D
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{{hugs}} Kerrie. I know weaning for whatever reason is a bittersweet time, but I'm glad Holly is handling the transition well. & that overall you're happy. :-*
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Thanks Candice - Holly seems escatic with her bottles, so that makes me feel a lot better (but a big dejected too :P). I have still been really sick lately, so am happy that I weaned as I really think I would have been struggling with my milk.
Anyway, hope you are doing well and feeling well too :-*
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Hi Lidia,
Are you really saying July 28??? It's just seems like a bit early planning for July unless it's a typo.
Couple of points - I noted that once you reduce the number of pumps, the supply falls gradually within a few days, so I wouldn't that worry about engorgement - at least for me it's never been more than 1 day and then the body adapts. Plus I've always felt safer overpumping (I still pump out 8 oz more a day than my baby consumes and it's relaxing to know I always have a backup). So if at some point you would have to go from 10 & 5 pumps to just one pump at 11:30, your body should adapt, but I think overall supply will dip. That said, your baby will probably be consuming less anyway by then.
Other thing that I found useful in terms of scheduling the pumps is pumping slightly before when I normally would feed. For example, I need to pump at 11 and 3 to replace the missed feeds, instead I pump at 9 right before work and then 1:30-2:00 - so only one pump at work, and then I get more milk between 2 and 7 pm (as I'd normally have less milk coming in the afternoon, this extra hour helps to ride it out for me as my DD does love to eat A LOT in the afternoon and little in the morning.
I then keep Friday, Saturday DF pumps to cover for Monday and then back on track.
Hope this helps, wish your daycare adaptation goes smoothly and you both enjoy it!
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Hi Olga,
Sorry, I didn't understand your post. I tried to read back and I didn't find any clue to July 28 thing ??? :P
I tried to introduce formula gradually as you suggested, Kerrie. We just went it cold turkey, though. Daycare girls said that they have once tried to mix formula with BM and it wasn't accepted by a LO so she made a suggestion of offering a bottle with formula and if DD refuses, then try to gradually mix. Milena is a happy eater and she didn't refuse. I have only got two 6Oz bags of frozen milk, but still BF'ing DD first and last thing.
Hugs to all
Lidia
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Lidia - that is sooo fantastic, I can't believe you have almost used your whole frozen supply ;D. I am glad she didn't refuse the formula, Holly also took to it quite happily, but then again, she will eat or drink anything... How is your supply going with just bf'ing morning and night? I am so pleased it is all going so well for you :-*
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Sounds like good news all around, Lidia! :D
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Lidia, disregard - I had a really weired thing, I believe you 6 month back post came up as a new in my list and I've responded without looking at the date and realized only when posted.
Crazy ;D
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Hi ladies
Thanks for the support. So far things have been great here. I got my period again (still a mess, as it's been 40 days from the last one, though :P) and my supply dipped a little, but I think now it's back to normal again. I don't feel my boobs really full, but as DD isn't hungry after feeds, my guess is that we're doing just fine! ;)
Hope you all are Ok.
XOXO
Lidia
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Lidia, so pleased to hear your supply is doing so well. That is great news. Fingers crossed it continues going so well xoxo
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Sigh,
DS is one. I made it to one year of BFing. Am down to freezer supply of milk. I pumped for what I think will be the last time ever this morning. Also. 1st day back at work. I cried when I left DS at daycare this morning.
I just need a hug.
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Really really big hugs to you - you have done such a fantastic job getting to a year ;)
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thanks
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Big {{HUGS}}. It's so hard, I know - you've given your lo an amazing start to his life.
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Thanks for the hugs! This site is amazing.
Just wanted to let you know what happened...
I managed to make it throught the day without crying (though I had my facebook open to baby pics on my computer all day). Picked up DS from daycare and was told he had a great day. 2 good naps and very smiley all day. I was so proud. Got home and had a bit of playtime. I guess my maternal feelings were bubbling over because I started leaking all over my shirt! I managed to wait until I but DS to bed then I just had to pump again (I got 3oz...not bad for someone who thought she was empty). The mind-body connection is astounding.
Anyways,today I managed to not cry when I left DS at daycare but the first thing I did today was open my facebook to some baby pics....
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{{HUGE HUGS}} Shark... :-* You've done SUCH a great job for ds!
I cried for a long time when I'd drop ds1 off at daycare. So glad your ds had a great day. Nothing wrong with pics of your lo around you at work. When I weaned ds1, I found I had to do *something* a couple days after I thought I was "done." Sounds like you're doing well.
More {{hugs}} cause I know from experience you need them. ;) :-*
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Hi Shark and everyone,
First of all, big hugs to you, Shark. You did a great job with your LO and be sure that he'll be proud of you later on. DD will be one next month and although I'm still BF'ing her I know it won't last too long. Couldn't come up with a plan to avoid crying but I know it will happen, so be brave because you're not alone.
Good to hear that your boy is doing well at daycare. They always surprise us because they're so adaptable! DD stayed home for 2 days due to a bad cold. The carer said that when she returned last thursday, she was sooo happy to see her friends!
It's Carnaval here in Brazil so she'll be staying at home with us until next thursday. Time to enjoy playtime with her.
Big hugs and nice weekend!
Lidia
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Well ladies, DS brought home his first case of gastroenteritis (stomach flu) from daycare this weekend. The whole family spent the weekend puking and ...well you get the picture....and so the fun begins!
On the positive side, I think the mild dehydration helped dry up the last of the breastmilk so no more pumping...I think.
Thanks again for all the hugs and support!
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Hi everyone,
Lidia - I hope you have a really lovely week and enjoy your time with Milena. That would be such a great holiday, the most we get during the year is a 4-day Easter weekend!!!
Shark - sorry to hear about the gastro bug. Daycare is the worst for bringing home all sorts of things unfortunately. And usually they are great about passing them onto you as well :P But on the upside, great news about the no more pumping hopefully. It makes life much easier to finally move on and you'll find yourself with a bit more time on your hands.
Hi Candice, I hope you are going well - how are you feeling these days?
Hugs to everyone else.
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Hi, Kerrie-- Doing decently well most days. And then I start to freak out a bit. Otherwise I'm OK. ;)
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Well, glad to hear you are good for the most part! I have to admit, I would also be freaking out too - but probably ALL of the time, not just some of the time :P. Good to hear from you anyway :-*
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I am now back at work full time. I breast feed my baby in the morning before he goes to nursery and send him in with two 125ml bottles (and he drinks it all). However - I am expressing at work twice a day and only getting out 80ml so having to express again in the evening to make sure I am getting enough for him to go to nursery with the next day. Is this right, or am I doing something wrong? Alex is now six months old - I know that is a good start but I would like to continue supplying him with breast milk until he is a year old.
I think he has taken a liking to being bottle fed - he seems to get frustrated that my breast doesn't supply him instantly!
To be honest, I am feeling a little depressed about it. Any advice / suggestions / comfort appreciated!!!
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Welcome Gaynor! :) Good for you, continuing with the bf'ing!
Do you mean you get out 80ml each pumping session? (I think I'm interpreting that right.) Anyway, it is really common to have to pump more than once for each bottle. When I was in the thick of it the most recent time, I did like you: pumped 2x @ work & once more at home (3x total) to make 2 bottles to send into daycare.
I don't think you're doing anything wrong. The pump is just less efficient at getting milk out than your lo (little one) is. That also means that you can't rely on pumping output to tell you about your supply. With my ds1 (dear son 1), I struggled to pump enough for him, but if I nursed him directly from the breast, he came off happy & satisfied every time. :)
About the bottle... I'd stay on the lowest flow nipple they have. It helps a bit. There are also bottles that better mimic bf'ing itself. I think there's the breastflow bottles & the medela special needs feeders. They make the baby suck more/harder to get milk out, rather than just letting it drip in their mouths like "standard" bottles.
You're doing a great thing for your son! ;D
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Hi Girls,
GaynorWoods - by reading your post it was like looking back to myself... I started working when DD turned 4.5 mo (months old) and also had to pump loads of milk to get enough for her feeds. At that time, I would pump 3 times, just as you said, to get 2 bottles - so it's normal. As your LO (little one) gets older he tends to reduce the number of bottles he gets as you're probably going to introduce solids and then you can reduce a pumping session. My DD (dear daughter) is turning 1 next week and I'm still breastfeeding her (in the morning and before going to bed). I started giving formula to her when she turned 10 mo. I just wanted to share my experience for you to know that it can be done.
Oh, one more thing: if you could use newborn nipples it would be nice. I used Breastflow bottles until she was 9 mo. HTH! ;)
Candice - good to hear that you're doing well. I admire you because you're always so nice to people by sharing your experience! :)
Kerrie - it's a shame that my holiday went to pot. DD got a bug and has mouth, hands and feet disease >:( She had fever last sunday and monday and still has her hands and arms plus feet and legs covered in tiny red spots. It's not itchy though. The doctor examined her and told us that her throat is sore as well. :( The good thing is that even being sick, she's not refusing to eat / drink and always comes back to my boobs! ;)
As a friend of mine said, daycare is very good for kids' development but it has a cost, they'll get sick, no matter how hygienic or clean it is.
Hugs to all
Lidia
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GaynorWoods - hi there and good job in getting your lo take the bottle on the first place - took me 2 weeks of painful screaming to teach her, but I have the same thing now: she only nurses well at night or before bed, and takes the bottle during days, so I pump even on weekends before giving her the bottle.
I can tell you you are lucky she's takng 2x 125 ml bottles - my lo was taing 230ml at the age of 6 months from the bottle and that was a pumping challenge. I reallys struggled pumping to begin with, but it's a learned skill, it took me probably around 1 - 1.5 months of regular pumping to learn how my breasts respond to stimulation, and what works for them. For instance, they always say "concentrate on your baby", but for me it worked the other way around - the more I concentrated, the less I could pump, and I found out if I start thinking work and other stuff, just totally distract from the whole pumping goal, I get the letdown. And I learned to get 2 letdowns per breast later on, first took me 40 min, now about 15 to get the same 180-200 ml. My DD is almost 9 months now, I've been working full time since she was 3 mo, so 6 months of daily pump - still going for it. So hang in there and it will all fall into places.
All - great to see everyone doing well, Lidia congratulations you've made it to a year and happy coming birthday to your DD, hope she gets well soon!
As for me, I had been ill for a week and my supply dipped for the first time and I'm producing only 160 ml per pump with DD needing 180-200 ml, so I had to get into the DF pump which I always used to put in the freezer. I know I can't complain really, but will see if I can get it up. DD is turning 9 months shortly and doesn't drop the EBM consumption really. She still wakes up for BF once a night around 3-4, I hoped she'd drop when I was travelling, but she didn't. Anyway, I guess she will eventually at some point.
I struggled to find a daycare and just yesterday finally found a nanny both me and my DH adored, so I'm quite relaxed DD will have someone to take care of her when my MOL leaves end of March. We are in the middle of separation anxiety, she is again pretty hard to put down to sleep or leave to play, + learning to stand up, or well, it's just a phase. Hope she'll be alright as I have to travel again next week for 3 days. Ok have to run she just realised I wasn't by her side for 30 seconds:)
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Olga, in my case, when DD was 7 mo I got sick and my supply dipped too and as you said, I had to start using the dreampump to send to daycare and I gave up freezing. I could only freeze a bag or two on weekends when she would have her lunchtime milk from me :P ::).
But you've being doing a great job! No doubt she'll drop this night feed soon. The thing is once you get used to STTN yourself, it's just sooo annoying when they have NW... :(
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I just found this thread by accident and have started reading from page 1 :P ;) :)
Wow, I wish I'd had this support when I went back to work after Nicholas :'(
And very happy to see you are an expert, Candice ;D I'll be PMing you all the time in November ;)
Lis :-*
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Thanks for all your comments and advice ref expressing milk. Definately makes me feel better and my determination to continue hasn't wavered at all. It seemed so much easier with my first baby (who I breastfed until he was a year old). Alex is doing well though and seems a happy boy.
Work have been really supportive - equipped the sick room with a changing mat, and put a fridge in there where I can put my expressed milk. Had a few interesting situations though. One time I had locked the door and was mid-flow when the maintenance guy decided to unlock the door to let a couple of people in there. Didn't seem to matter that the sign on the door said the room was in use, and that the door was locked!!! Got me very flustered and needless to say the 'flow' stopped instantly and I had to come back later on and try again. Just thought I would share that little gem!
With my first baby, I was travelling around the country alot. Expressed in train stations, stationary cupboards, store rooms - but always drew the line at toilets. Why do people always offer that? Would they make their lunch in there??!?! Generally, people were very supportive thankfully. I did have to explain in detail to one guy what I meant when I talked about expressing milk. He thought I was going to pump it and then get a courier to take it to my son in nursery! THAT really is a gem of a story...
Thanks again folks.
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Hi girls - just wanted to say hi and that I've missed you all...
Gaynor - sounds like you have some great advice and I'm really pleased it has lifted your spirits. It isn't easy working and feeding a baby so it is such a fantastic thing when you can do it. I did it until dd turned 11 months at the beginning of the year. I travel for work too so often (almost every fortnight) and had very limited time to express during my training sessions, so my milk supply took a big dip, but I am so happy I made it so far and that was only with the support of my work too. They also built a mothers room for me out of an old kitchenette. WOW on your story of being walked in on though. I was so paranoid about that happening so I could only imagine how you must have felt!!! I would not have been very happy at all.... PS - I also only used a stage 1 flow nipple the entire time she was bf'ing so she wouldn't have any trouble going back to the breast. It didn't even seem to phase her, then when we gave up bf'ing I put her on a stage 3 and she quite easily took it.
Olga - so happy to hear from you and that it is all going well. Sorry to hear you have been sick though. It sounds like overall it is going really well for you, so I am so happy about that. How have you been coping with being away from your dd for work? I still struggle going away from mine even though she is on the bottle now. Thankfully our company is currently working on a new global strategy for training and most our our training delivery will be put on hold until the end of May so we will be mainly doing project work during that time for the new strategy. Which means - far less travel until almost mid-year for me!!! YIPPEE, I am so happy because over the next few months I had a trip planned every fornight, which I wasn't looking forward to. Anyway also glad you found a good nanny that you liked. That is hard. We switched daycare centres recently after moving and I was very stressed finding one that we liked. We finally did and it seems to be working out really well. The kids just love it there and they love the kids and we are happy too as they all seem quite switched on there, so all good so far. I hope your new nanny goes well when she starts in April.
Lis - I know what you mean about this support during the first lo. I wish I had known about BW in general let alone BF'ing support. It would have been great. Good luck with your pregnancy and hope the bf'ing & expressing goes well for you..
Lidia - that is such a shame Milena got sick on your holiday :(. I do hope she gets better soon though. On a positive - at least you didn't have to take any time off work to take care of her since you were already home. She would have really needed you with all of those fevers. xoxo
Hi Candice - hope things are going well for you...
As I said, Candice, Lidia & Olga, have been missing you all - so nice to see a bit of chatter on here
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Lis - I know what you mean about this support during the first lo. I wish I had known about BW in general let alone BF'ing support. It would have been great. Good luck with your pregnancy and hope the bf'ing & expressing goes well for you..
Oh Kellie, I totally agree with you there! I could just weep when I think how I struggled with BF and expressing and a load of other stuff in general with Nicholas :P If only I'd known about BW :'( :'( I only found BW when N was 13 months :'(
Before that, II spent most of my days on the phone to NCT at great expense since we live on a little Greek island ::) :P
Still, this time I am so confident that everything will be a piece of p!$$ ;D
After all - I have you lot ;D ;D :-*
And well done to you Kellie for making it to the 11 month mark ;D
I'm really going to try for longer this time. I had to go back to work when N was 2 months (great maternity leave here ::)) and only managed 7 months BF :( N started to refuse the breast :'( and I knew nothing about Breastflow teets then :'( :'(
Anyway, Going back to re-read this thread. I only mananged until page 5 last night ;)
Lis
:-* :-* :-*
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Lidia - IKWYM about annoying, Tessa used to STTN at 3-4 months, just 11 hour stretch no probs, but then came some developmental stuff, turning, waking, - that was annoying really, and I was too tired to do any sleep training and just nursed to sleep, so here we go, totally habitual waking well into the 9th month and no sign of relief. I'm not too desperate though as long as we stick to once a night (recently again had these 3-4 NWs nights), it keeps the supply up.
Gaynor - lucky you having the room and the freezer! I do have my personal office with 4 glass walls ha-ha, so I'm doing toilets and toilets all over the globe when I travel, those in the restaurants are which I hate most:)) I even fell asleep for the short nap once right after pumping sitting there, not sure whether it's funny or pathetic though::)
Kerrie, great to hear you've found a new daycare you like and you los enjoy it! I wasn't that lucky, I guess the culture of daycare here in the UK is so different from what I'm used to, I don't think I'll do it till Tessa is at least 3. Talking about leaving her - that's the whole story, I think I've got a little witch out there. Imagine: I waved her goodbuy, took to airport, then sat on the plane for 5 hours, after which the flight was cancelled, waited in the queue for 2 hours to rebook, booking system went down, then the shift was over, so I stayed in the hotel to catch the early morning flight, then London was notoriously hit by the snow, spent further 2 hours trying to get to airport, then 2 flight cancellations, then 4 hours getting home had to cancel the first part of the trip. Went in 2 days later to catch up on the second part, got the flight cancelled, spent 5 hours waiting, ended up flying an awful overnight flight so no sleep at all and off to work - really felt my little girl is getting even on me for leaving her :o Had same luck on the way home + waited 2 hours on the plane after it landed, taxi broke down on the way - you name it.
Have to go for my next trip the day after tomorrow, the MET said snowstorm is likely to come ;D I'm not surprised any longer and actually not even count much on being able to fly out :o
On a side - very happy for you for less travel, we also had some cost cutting on T&E so all had been advised to cut travelling a lot, suits me well - love this credit crunch!
Great to hear from everyone!
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Olga, it definitely does sound like Tessa was getting even with you for leaving her :P Glad to hear that you will also be travelling less too ;D
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Lidia, thanks for the compliment. You made my day! :) I know how hard it can be, so if I can help even a little, I'm glad to. And so many congrats on making it to a year! ;D You've put in a lot of hard work. ;) So sorry dd got sick on holidy. :( How is she now?
{{hugs}} for you, Olga. I hope your nanny works out well. (And I, too, had to ignore what I was doing when I was pumping. Otherwise, I'd be too uptight about what I was doing & hardly anything would come. ::))
Any time, Lis! ;) :-*
Missed you, too, Kerrie! :-*
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Hi!
DD's viruses cleared up but she's not eating that much as she used to. I don't know if she's teething as her first bottom teeth came without any problems. I'm getting a little worried as it's been almost three months that they came and no sign of her top front... Does anyone know if it's normal to have this space between the bottom ones and the top ones?
Well, I have to say that I'm very happy that I made it. I really didn't believe that I could come this far. I know that it won't last long as short trips are on my way (opposite to you, Kerrie and Olga). I'm not pumping anymore as DD is only having 3 milk sessions a day (first and last thing + lunchtime feed) but I've been thinking whether it would be better for me to carry my pump with me so as to keep my supply up.
I took her to the doctor and he said that we can start with cow's milk to see how she gets and DH got really excited as he'll be able to have a moment with her :-[ So, not sure what to do.
Now onto personals:
Candice and Lis - good vibes for the babies! Hope everything is ok with them. DH and I think that Milena will need a brother or sister to play but not planning to have another LO for the next 2 years to come, as we are still learning to deal with 1, let alone 2. :o :P
Kerrie - missed you too. I've been very busy and it's been so hot in here so sometimes I just don't have energy to come home and turn the computer on... :P Good to hear that you'll be able to stay more with your kids. Enjoy them a lot!
Olga - IKWYM - when DD had NW and I BF'ed her part of me said that I shouldn't be doing that as she would get used to nurse to sleep. The other part said: at least, my supply will increase... Can't be too rational when you are sleep deprived and behave as a night zombie, though. :P
Gaynor - I remember when I was pumping at work and there was no special room for that, I tried to do it as fast as I could because I always wondered that someone could enter the room, even with the sign on the door and keeping it locked.
Have to go now... DD is napping for almost 2 hours and I have to wake her up otherwise she won't sleep at night.
XOXO
Lidia
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Hi Ladies
I have not been on in a while. Crazy busy. I am just wanting to say how happy I am almost to 1 year of breast feeding. I was not sure for a bit that I was going to make it. I had a few dips in supply and had to use up a fare amount of my freezer stock nut things appear to be getting better. One year on the 26Th! Hoary! I had made the commitment for a year and have almost made it. What has really helped is getting her of the dreamfeed. 4 days so far and no major night waking. But gives me the extra pump to supply her the next day. I have been trying to introduce a tiny bit of cows milk but she is getting very windy with so have been doing it very slow. Any suggestions on the introduction of cows milk, best ways, best times of day, amounts so forth?
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Hi TRR - My dd used to have a lactose issue and I couldn't even drink cows milk etc through my diet otherwise she would get very windy. I ended up pinning it down to a 'lactose overload' issue. Thankfully she must have grown out of it (which I've read is common) as by the time I introduced cows milk (and was very nervous about it since she still had these issues at 10 months old), she coped with the cows milk just fine (she also didn't really like it at first, now she loves it and can't get enough - now I myself have a major lactose problem and I still can't drink cows milk anymore ::))... However - Just your response about her wind concerned me a little. Have you been giving her any dairy since she's been on solids? Has she been fine with that? Has she had any exposure to cows milk prior to the small amounts you've recently given her? The other thing it could be is her stomach just trying to get used to it. Some people/babies also experience a bit of issues with dairy, but then get over them as their body gets used to it... I hope that is the case for you (otherwise if her wind continues, I would wonder if it is a lactose or MPSI issue).
But as for introducing it - have you been giving it to her straight? I found with both of my kids I had to mix it in with their other milk before they would even touch it. I started off with 1 bottle at at time - but only put maybe a 1/4 cows milk to 3/4 their usual milk, then after a while, I kept uping the quantity in the bottle to half, then 3/4 until they were on a full bottle. However since I gave up bf'ing dd right before her first birthday, I lack the advice on how to introduce it while still bf'ing - if you should be giving her full bottles of it or just using it in foods etc. for now until you give up bf'ing. You may even choose to replace one of your bf's with a bottle of milk? I'm sure the girls will give you some great advice anyway, I just wanted to pop in with the brief info about looking for a lactose or mpsi intolerance if the wind continues or gets worse!!! Good luck.
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When ready to wean, DS was on 3 x 5oz bottles per day. Since DS is all pumped bottles anyway, what I did was this:
Day 1,2,3 cut each bottle with 1/2 oz of cows milk so each bottle contained 4.5oz pumped milk and 1/2 oz cows milk
Day 4,5,6 cut each bottle with 1 oz of cows milk so each bottle contained 4oz pumped milk and 1 oz cows milk
progress every 3 days by adding 1/2 oz more cows milk and less breast milk.
We're on day 12 today and he hasn't even seemed to notice a difference.
As an aside, I planned this back in January so I made sure to freeze bags of exactly the right amounts for complete weaning from cutting by 1/2oz to full bottles of cows milk. I think it's something like 27 days worth of milk. So now all we have to do is thaw the days worth of milk the night before and presto!
I stopped pumping about 6 weeks ago. I first used my 'regular' freezer supply and now I am down to my 'weaning' supply. Kind of sad it's coming to an end....
There is no scientific or other reason for what I did, I just wanted a nice gradual weaning.
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Anyone here pump exclusively? I am HIGHLY considering it! Any thoughts?
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I know some have done it successfully, but I can't remember who. A post on the main bf board with a title about exclusively pumping would probably get you more hits than on this thread. (Of course you're welcome on this thread! I just think an independent post would get you more "traffic" & more answers. :))
Why are you thinking you want/need to?
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I pumped exclusively from 3m-1yr...glad to help with any questions/concerns! You can PM me too if you want.
There is another woman whose handle is flutie who also pumped exclusively...haven't heard/seen any posts from her in a while though.
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Hi All,
Crazy busy around here. Last Sunday was DD's 1st B'day party and we were very busy preparing it. We all enjoyed a lot, it was nice as DD is walking perfectly and could play independantly! My LO is growing up so fast.
So after seing the Dr he said that she could start with cow's milk and we're going cold turkey from formula to cow's milk for the lunchtime bottle. Let's see how it works and I'll let you know. She's probably going to take it next wednesday. I'll keep BF'ing her first thing in the morning and before going to bed. I just hope my supply helps me achieving it, though.
Shark - you've come up with a nice plan to wean. Hope everything goes smoothly. I'm dreading the day my supply dips to a point that I'll have to top her up with cow's milk.
Big hugs to all
Lidia
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hi all,
I'll be returning to work in a couple of weeks, fortunately starting doing 2 days a week, but they will be long days away from DS who is still having 4 feeds a day (and sometimes wakes at 4-5am for a 'half-feed') ::)
I'm hoping the separation doesn't mean and end to BF, although he quite enjoys bf, so I imagine he will be keen when he sees me.
Does anyone else feed their baby just before naps and sleep at home and combine it with not doing that on work days? When I can I try to feed him quite a bit before his sleep, but lately it has coincided often with just before naps. I'm hoping it doesn't make it harder for the carers to put him down at day care, esp as he has pretty much refused anything but water from a sippy cup.
Anyone here pump exclusively? I am HIGHLY considering it! Any thoughts?
I haven't personally, but a couple of mums from mother's group did (one due to a separation from her baby due to him being premmie). Both did end bf by about 4 months. One was very upset because she had planned to continue but lost supply around 4 months, no-one had told her that if you aren't pumping overnight issues with supply can result. The other lady found it too time consuming to pump.
I would guess though, armed with great advice on supply, and pumping schedules etc, it can be done and done well!
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Does anyone else feed their baby just before naps and sleep at home and combine it with not doing that on work days? When I can I try to feed him quite a bit before his sleep, but lately it has coincided often with just before naps.
Well, I did it just AFTER naps and sleep at home on the weekends, and not during week days, even when I stopped pumping at work. She probably didn't get tons after her afternoon nap, but it didn't seem to bother either of us. :)
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lidia: Happy b-day to your DD! So far the weaning is going really well. DS's bottles are now 50/50 cow's milk/breastmilk and he hasn't even seemed to notice the change...so far so good....
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Hi
So DD got her first bottle of cow's milk last tuesday at daycare and drank it all without any problems. I didn't see any changes on her BM either, so I just think she's so adaptable!
I still have some formula at home and I gave it to her today and she had it too. She's still accepting my milk so I don't really have nothing to complain about!
I think that DD finds it nice to have skin to skin contact with me! (and I obviously love it! ;))
Lidia
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Hi Everyone,
Haven't been here for a while - we are doing great, DD is crawling and standing and trying to walk, pumping worked well with the travel, so apart from still 1-2 times a night BF NWs, it's all cool.
I had a question if anyone had been in the similar situation. I currently pump 7-8 oz at 9:30 and around 14:30 at work, and before going to bed at 23:30. So I altogether get 21 oz a day of pumped milk. DD used to take 7-8 oz twice a day (+ BF before bed + BF at night/early morning). So I'd have around 7-8 oz a day extra which I'd freeze.
She started dropping daytime consumption lately, with taking only 3-4 oz per feed, so I'm having around 15 oz extra a day, which is way too much.
I wanted to drop one of the pumping sessions, but not sure which one. Naturally I'd prefer to drop either the early morning one (and then move the 14:30 to 12:30), or the one at 14:30 - as doing it at work is a hassle. What would you do considering we don't have BF upon waking, so last time I BF is around 4 am.
What do you think?
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I would keep pumping and freezing. It's never a bad thing to have a good freezer supply, that way, when you eventually decide to stop you can continue to have BM to give baby. Besides, 3-4oz per feed sounds like too little, if it's just a short phase and you decrease your supply you will be in trouble if her appetite increases again.
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Thanks for your advice Shark! Thing is I got about 20 litres in the freezer and I had to throw away already around 10 litres total, no storage space. With the DF pump I produce steadily more than she needs every day, so even if she gets back to her previous consupmtion level, I'd still be having 7-8 oz extra a day, which is one pump, that's why I thought of dropping it.
She also takes around 7-8 oz at night and before bed, so altogether she's taking 20-24 oz per day, which I think for a 9.5 month old is more than enough... am I wrong?
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I think that sounds OK for a total. It seems as though she's making do during the day & waiting for the source at night. :) As for which pump to drop... It sounds like you have a plan for combining the 2 that you have been doing into a single pump at 12:30 or so. That sounds as good as anything. I will warn you that sometimes when you drop a pump, the quantity during the remaining pumps also goes down. (Like you might not produce 7-8 oz in the one remaining pump. That qty could decrease.) It doesn't always happen, but it can. It sounds like you have enough stashed to make up for any drop, though. ;)
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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!
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:-*
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Yeah, long weekend!
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;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.
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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
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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
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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
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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! :)
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I have my own office too, with 3 glass walls though lol:)
On the pump side, I think it really depends. I read all the recommendations and bought the double electric £200 Medela, and it only gave me bruises and got as much as 1 oz out of me. I now pump twice at work + before bed and during weekends too, so LOTS of pumping, and really love my simple £20 manual Avent, I'm getting 9 oz in 15 min with it no probs.
Suggest you try the simple one, if you don't like it, you can hire the expensive electrical, and see if it works better for you.
Tessa wasn't keen on the bottle in the beginning, and I had really tough time getting her to learn to take it, she loves it now, so that I actually pump and give her bottle on the weekends instead of nursing, so it will take some time and practice, but you lo will get there. Also, Tessa used to take about 80 ml right away, then refuse it, so I'd walk with her till she burps, and then she took same amount again. She's also very conscious on the tempreture of milk, it has to be almost hot, she wouldn't take the lukewarm. See if any of these might work for you.
It's always tough to leave them at first, but they are really adaptable, so it'll get easier as time passes!
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Anybody else jealous that their daycare providers get to spend more time with your kids than you do?
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Can't believe I've missed these last posts. How is it going, Viktoria? BTW, the same antibacterial properties that allow ebm to be ok for periods of time also apply to your pump parts. If you're pumping multiple times at work, you can pump, put in a zip top bag in the fridge, pump again & just wash when you get home. :-*
And yes, Shark... I always have been. :'(
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Shark - the worst part is when DH comes to tell that DD "refused" to come home with him and preferred to stay with her daycare provider... Although she's only 1y2mo, it seems that she loves her a lot... ::)
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I have a question. I breastfeed once in the morning and then again at night. I pump once at work and then again at home before going to bed. I am getting exhausted and all this sitting around to pump is causing me to loose time. My LO is 24 weeks (5 1/2 months) and I was wondering if it would be okay to supplement a night feed with formula. Any suggestions?
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A question first... Am I understanding you correctly that you stimulate your breasts 4x/day: bf in the am & pm, and pump in the day & pm? Do you feed at night in addition to that?
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No, the last time I BF is at around 7 p.m. then pump. After that the breastaurant closes down! (Well, unless there is a growth spurt, but I haven't fed in the middle of the night for a while. )
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LOL @ Breastaurant! :D
Honestly, I'd be hesitant to stimulate less than 4x/day at this point. :-\ But I'm always paranoid about supply.
How long do you pump for? Manual or electric? How many sets of pump parts (flanges, valves, etc) do you have? And what exactly do you mean, "lose time"? And the pm pump... is that at around 10 pm or directly after the bedtime feed. I pumped seemingly forever (although I know others have done more) so I'm just trying to figure out how to work it into your lifestyle in an acceptable way.
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Oh- yes, breastuarant- I have many more......my friends and I have too much time driving home from work!
Well, I pump with an electric, one valve, so that I can do what I am doing now :-) type and respond to e-mails. It takes me 30 minutes each time. Let's see, I pump at 11 a.m and then again around 9 p.m. (I try to get into bed around 9:30)
I guess I mean loose time because there are days when I am sooooo busy at work, that to stop for 30 minutes and pump can be a pain, but I am like you, always worried about supply, so I do it.
So, maybe I would still pump, but would it be okay to do formula or just add cereal to the bottle? She is eating a lot more, almost 6 months, so I'll be starting solids this weekend. Carrots first I think....
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Definitely don't add solids to the bottle. That can actually be a choking hazard. Plus cereal has very little nutritional value and doesn't really add that much extra in the way of calories. If you really needed to, you would do better to use formula.
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Thanks! I'll try formula....and she hated the carrots, but liked applesauce.
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If it were me, I'd prefer the applesauce too! ;)
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Hi mloveday: I just loved the expression "Breastaurant"... Hahahahaha! Never thought about it! It always surprise me when I log on to BW web site and read all those posts, really pays off!
Now regarding adding cereals to her bottle, I second what Erin has said, I wouldn't add cereals because most of the times it contains sugar on a higher amount that is necesary to your baby at this moment. If I were you, I'd try formula, the taste is closer to your milk and I believe it wouldn't lead to an early weaning. You've been doing so much effort to keep your supply up that it would be unfair if your child starts to prefer milk+cereals from the bottle, wouldn't it?
HTH ;)
Lidia
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Thanks! I gave her formula last night before bed and she drank about 4 oz. When I went to do the DF, I tried formula just to see, and I couldn't believe it, but my LO didn't take it!! While she was sleep turned her head away!!! lol.... however she might have been full though because we left her alone and she slept until 4 a.m. (Normally she sleeps through the night) So Obviously, the formula fills her up! I'll just have to cut back on the Oz before bed so I can do the DF. Thanks ladies!!
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Wow, I can't believe I JUST found the the working moms support thread! I didn't even realize it existed, but how helpful.
Well, anyway, hello all. Just wanted to stop by and add that I work full time and I sometimes feel as though it's a juggling act. Hope you are all doing well.
Speaking of work, I need to go get lo ready to go to Grandma's for the day so I can get to work on time.
Have a wonderful day!
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Welcome, Nicole! It IS a juggling act, but you're doing a great job for Ava! :)
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Thanks!
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Hi
I went back to work at the end of March and although I am managing to pump once at work and feed my 9 month old myself twice, things still haven't gone quite to plan! My LO refuses the milk when she's with the childminder. I have tried giving her a bottle and a cup (both of which she is able to drink from) she just chooses not to. She shakes her head and doesn't want to know. On days I am not working I feed her myself in the afternoons but when I am at work she turns it down. At the moment it feels such a waste of time and milk to carry on pumping and trying it on her but I don't know what to do for the best. Should i just give in and not bother pumping or would this seriously reduce my milk supply at other times when I need it?
Any thoughts?
Many thanks
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{{hugs}} It's an awful feeling to watch that un-drunk milk go down the drain. :-* How many times are you stimulating your breasts per day (feeds + pumps)? If she's still taking it when she's with you, I'd be hesitant to drop it, but she/you may be ready for that. Kind of depends on the how many times/day question...
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Hi All,
Welcome Nicole! This thread is very useful indeed. When I look back I remember myself with so many doubts! And yes, it IS possible to BF even working full time, I can assure that!
Elizabeth's mummy - your baby is cute! I can imagine how awful is to pump and see all the effort going down the drain. When you say that your LO is able to drink from the bottle, who gave it to her? Have you tried to offer the bottle with your milk? I've read somewhere that babies sometimes refuse to drink from the bottle because they prefer to have it from mummy. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, honey! Good luck.
Candice - wow! 26 weeks have gone! Is your baby another boy or girl? Hope you are all ok.
See you
Lidia
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I am sad, actually that my BFing did not continue well when I went to work. For a variety of reasons, not knowing what I know now, DD having preference for the fast flow and instant gratification of the bottle and then fighting me during feedings, etc. But if I could do it again, I think I would have tried to stick it out longer. I regret giving it up so young.
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{{hugs}} Nicole. I'm sorry I don't understand... Are you mixed feeding? Is there anything in particular we can help with?
Thanks, Lidia! :D 29 wk today, this time with a little girl. :) We weren't trying for one, but God decided to give us one anyway. We're very excited to meet her at the end of July. ;D
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Oh.......No, at this point I have been solely formula feeding since about 4 months. A few contributing factors to my stopping the BFing. One was, I didn't realize how much I should have pumped at the beginning in order to build up a suppy for when I returned to work. Two, I had trouble consistently pumping midday at work (a coworker does really well and does 2 midday sessions, but she came back after me and I never got into a good routine with it). Lastly, after drinking breastmilk from a bottle during the day at my mom's, DD stopped wanting to nurse. First it turned into a preference for one side. Then it turned into a preference for ONLY wanting to nurse lying down, then it turned into not wanting to nurse at all. She grew very impatient I guess and as soon as I would try to sit down and nurse she would arch her back and scream and push away and carry on, but would take breastmilk from a bottle. My suppy dwindled and I didn't have enough to keep sending to my mom's during the day and I essentially gave up with her fighting against it so hard. We switched to formula which she has done really well with, but for future children, I think I would try harder to stick with it even after returning to work.
I was just saying.....makes me sad to think I might have been able to work out a combination of the two if I had kept at it, but it was frustrating to see her so upset every time I tried to nurse, it wasn't a nice bonding time anymore for us.
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Sorry I didn't understand. And I apologize if I was insensitive. :-[ I'm glad you found this thread for next time around. :D {{hugs}}
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I feed in the morning after breakfast, pump or bf in the afternoon and then feed just before bed at 7. If I am home then I bf in the afternoon and if i am at work then i give the childminder milk to give her. Usually my milk but formular hasn't been any more or less successful. Firstly we tried the bottle which she has been really against from the word go. Eventually she would (very occasionally) drink from one but never very successfully (tried all the tricks!) eventually on advice from the health visitor we gave up on the bottle as she's now 9 months old and concentrated on a cup. She drinks water (and even weak decafenated tea) very well out of it but is not interested in drinking milk in any way other than bf'ding. To top things off she's now suddenly (about 2 months ago) developed reflux and is sick on her night feed 7 out of 10 days. I don't know if i should keep up pumping at work to keep my milk supply up even if she wont drink the results. I guess i could always help out the local milk bank though i would rather Elizabeth would drink it! I was planning on stopping bf when she is 1 (2 and a half months) so don't know if that changes things at all. I miss her such a lot at work I love being able to come home and bf her. It's going to be strange when we don't do that anymore :(
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Nicole - My apologies, I think I misunderstood your post, just as it happened to Candice. :P Don't push too much on you because there will always be different ways to deal with the same situation. It's part of the learning of parenting and if BFing wasn't meaning a bonding time for you both, there was no sense continuing to force her. Hugs!
Elizabeth's Mummy - DD dropped from 4 to 3 "bottles" a day when she turned 8 1/2 mo. At that moment, I was pumping twice a day (midday and dreampump) and when she dropped 11am bottle, I just stopped pumping and also quit BFing her at that time on weekends. I got engorged for a couple of days but soon after my body adjusted the amount of milk to 2 BF'ing sessions (7 am and 8 pm). I've been following this "routine" since then. I don't know how long my supply will last, though.
HTH
Lidia
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Elizabeth's Mummy, if I'm reading you right, you're at 3 feeds/day? I probably wouldn't decrease just yet. You can always use your pumped milk in her cereal or to thin out table foods, if she won't take it in a bottle.
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Do you ladies find that it is difficult arranging/changing nap times with the nursery/daycare/grandparent or wherever your los are during the day? My mom watches DD everyday and I have such a hard time with routine b/c my mom does things differently than I do and as DD gets older and things need to be adjusted my mom doesn't understand the BW way....she's read some of the threads/book, but just doesn't "get it". I guess it's a generational thing.
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Hi Nicole,
What I could figure out by DD's behaviour is that once I've stabilished a routine at each place, she'll follow. I find it very hard to follow Daycare routine on weekends as we tend to have breakfast later, lunchtime is later and so forth. Even though the time when each activity (eating, playing, napping) changes a little, I try to be consistent so that saturday and sunday times and sequence of events are quite the same for both days.
My suggestion is to ask your mother to stabilish a routine that fits to her dynamic but try to be consistent and repeat each thing everyday so that Ava can get used to it.
Due to a bad conjunctivitis DD had, she had to stay with MIL for 10 days without going to daycare centre. MIL understood that routine makes things easier, though. Try to explain to your mother that when she follows a routine, baby will get used to it and kind of expect the next event to come. Napping is the best example of that.
HTH and I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Lidia
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I 2nd that. The boys know that home routine is different than daycare routine, just like they know you are different than their carers. I like Lidia's suggestion here:
My suggestion is to ask your mother to stabilish a routine that fits to her dynamic but try to be consistent and repeat each thing everyday so that Ava can get used to it.
Let us know how it goes. :)
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We're getting better at it. My mom is a "spontaneous" flighty type. She is trying hard to stick to a routine b/c she knows it really helps me out with having to work and also that DD happens to do really well with routine. I do think my mom, who tends to be more carefree and whimsical just doesn't think in a routine type way naturally, so she has to really remind herself to follow the same structure each day. I don't mind if she does some spur of the moment things, obviously (walks to the park, run out to do errands, play in the yard, whatever) but the eating and napping I really like to be a little more consistent and that's what I try to encourage her to go with.
Thanks for the advice. We're getting it, I think.
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Hi Nicole,
Glad you're making it!
And don't worry too much because Ava will adapt to this scenario changes, you'll see.
Keep us posted on how you go!
XOXO
Lidia
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What Lidia said. ;) {{hugs!}}
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A few tips that have helped me and now I have an ample supply (thank God) is to pump after each feeding to empty yourself out so that your body thinks to produce more and also an old wives tale of drinking a cup of tea (not to dark) with milk and a little sugar.
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Things are going pretty good right now. I think overall I am jealous that my mother gets to spend more time with DD than me or my husband. You miss so much, you know?
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I know, hun. {{hugs}} Treasure the time you DO have. :-*
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Hi Nicole,
IKWYM by being jealous. I'll tell you what my therapist use to say when I tell her that I'm jealous about DD staying at MIL's house: the love that your baby has for your mother (her grandma) doesn't exclude the love that she feels for you. ;)
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Thanks Lidia and clh......
Trying to remember to think that way does help me to feel better.
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Hi Ladies,
It's been a while since I last posted here, DD has turned 1 year and learns to walk, and I need guidance in terms of next steps. Currently she takes my milk in the bottle before bed (I switched from BF to pumping and giving bottle here as she takes more and sleeps longer). She still wakes up at 5 - 6 am (a progress from 3-4 am) and I BF her back to sleep. I recently moved the last day bottle at 2 pm to cow's milk, she took it right away. I took the pumps down from 4 to 2 times a day, midday and night, still produce more than she needs, and have 2-3 months supply in the freezer. Not sure what are my next steps:
- how long do I maintain morning and bedtime feeds in general ? Should I work on changing the bottle to a cup for milk as well?
- do I maintain 1 day bottle or rather switch it to solids?
- do I switch the remaining feeds to cow's milk at some point as well?
If so, I'd probably stop pumping, have her take the frozen milk till it lasts and then give cow's milk. Pumping works great, but quite tired of doing it and started feeling hair and nails are getting worse, so I wouldn't mind stopping, although can easily go for few more months.
Thanks for sharing, for some reason I struggled finding info on 1+.
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Congrats on a year! You've done a great job! ;D
As for what's next, that's kind of up to you. Do you want to wean completely? Do you want to wean to just the morning/night bf's? Or maybe just the morning? Do you want to continue pumping? (Sounds like no to the last one.)
I can give you my experience. (As best I recall them; it's been a while. ;)) When I decided to wean, I cut out pumping sessions first. I just picked one and started reducing the number of minutes. You won't be "empty" like when you're pumping for quantity. Lots of people say that you can drop one every 4 days or so, but I think I did one a week or so. (Paranoid of clogged ducts & mastitis.) I enjoyed the actual nursing experience, so I held on to those as long as my supply held out. If you want to drop them sooner than that, I'd probably switch those to a bottle, & then pump (just a little) if you need to for engorgement reasons.
As for dropping the nighttime milk, Isaac is 2 & still has a sippy of cow's milk each night. And the bottle/sippy, I think I went to sippy when I went to cow's milk. James may have even continued his nighttime (cow's) milk in a bottle for a while because I was afraid to change.
I didn't have a stash with J (struggled with supply all thru with him), but with Isaac I did what you're thinking: use up the ebm & then go to cow's milk.
HTH & BTW, you have a cutie! ;D
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Hi Olga,
Congatulations on a year too!!
I echo what Candice has said and I can also give you my experience: i'm still BF'ing DD (she's now 1y3mo) when she wakes up in the morning (6:30 - 7:00 am ish), she has a bottle of cow's milk at 1 pm and then I would BF her at 8:30 pm (bedtime).
I dropped pumping sessions when she turned 9 mo due to a nipple bleb (and also because I was getting tired of pumping). My frozen stash was enough for DD until she turned 11 mo.
I know I'll have to wean her next month as I'm going to be working like crazy and may not be at home for bedtime. I'll go cold turkey as I can't predict when I will be and when not... Not happy with this situation, but I can't complain as my first goal was to achieve 6 months of exclusive breastmilk!
Whatever you choose, take into account that I year is fabulous and it's not easy to get this far. Be proud of you (I am! ;))
HTH :-*
Lidia
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Thank you Candice and Lidia - as always right to the point, exactly what I needed:) I missed the day pumping session today, wasn't really engorged, just full, so pumped 12 oz in one session, but I know it will get back to my standard 7-8 oz pretty quickly.
So I will continue pumping for her bedtime feed, and will add with the frozen EBM, as she takes 9 oz for bedtime, cow's milk for the day bottle, and BF for the morning feed till I feel like it.
We are also thinking of moving DD to the separate room (as her cot was in our bedroom), maybe she will FINALLY move her 5 am feed to after waking up. In which case I'd have to wean anyway, as she doesn't nurse when she's not sleepy, so will go with the flow.
For now, we are struggling for the 3rd tooth for 2 weeks, walking her first steps and transitioning towards 1 nap, so never a dull moment as you can imagine :P
Lidia, hope the weaning will go smoothly, Tessa didn't have any problem switching for the bottle for the bedtime, though I dreaded it, but it went no probs at all.
Candice, good luck to you and your little one, hope she arrives smoothly and on time!
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Hi ladies - long time no talk ;), sorry I've been MIA from this website for quite a while now!
I just wanted to pop on to say congratulations to both Olga and Lidia for both making over a year on the BF'ing. You have both done such a great job and worked so hard to keep it up.... Best of luck on the weaning - great news if your dd's like the cow's milk, so you shouldn't have too much trouble by the sounds of it. I know Holly just loves her cows milk and is still taking 3 bottles a day :o and it definitely doesn't affect her appetite. I can't get enough food into her :P.
Candice, best of luck with the new bub too - I can't believe how soon you are due now. It feels like you were only just telling us you were pregnant recently. Let us know when the bub arrives.
Kerrie xoxo
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Kerrie!! :D :D
I missed you so much! :o You know that a few months ago, when I heard about that hurricane (or something similar) in Australia, I really thought about you and your family (please don't misunderstand me, I didn't think of bad things :-[)
Glad you came back. How's Holly? And Hunter? Milena is ok, each day with something new....This age is so cute! ;)
Olga - thanks for the words, now that it's getting close, I don't know how I will react when DD quit having milk from my boobs. :-\
Candice - Hope everything is ok with you and your family. Big hugs to you, dear.
XOXO
Lidia
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Hi Lidia - I've missed you so much too! I have thought about you lots over the last few months and was wondering how you and Milena were doing. Holly is doing great - just like Milena, something new every day. Hunter too - he talks NON STOP now, it can drive me insane some days (and I am a big talker too...), but it is fun! I totally agree about the girls ages being so cute. There is not one time that I don't look at Holly and think (or usually say) how cute she is. I love it. Thanks for thinking of us in the hurricane - thankfully it was not near us. I am so proud of you too making it this far with feeding Milena. I remember when you just wanted to make it to 6 months and look at you now. It will be hard quitting feeding her, but you have done such a wonderful job to this point and should be so proud of yourself - especially working and feeding.
Olga - your avatar of your dd is gorgeous. She is beautiful and looks like she is growing up fast.
Candice - good luck again - let us know when the big day finally arrived.
xoxo
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Hi Kerrie,
Yeah, I remember myself with all those fears of weaning DD prematurely, crazy pumping to have enough BM to my DD... ::) I know that she doesn't actually NEED my milk as she's consistently on solids and cow's milk for a few months, but when I think that I'll have to wait some years to come to have this great feeling that is nursing.... ;)
LOL on Hunter talking non stop. I can imagine and keep myself wondering if Holly understands and replies to her older brother, don't they have a chat sometimes? ???
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Hi
need help on info on expressing breast milk
1.what is the ideal time?
2.how to store it?
3.how to warm it?
Will be getting back to work in 3 weeks
don't want to give her formula
TIA
richa
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Welcome Richa! I'll try to answer, at least for some things that I did. How old is Jashn?
In general, I have found these sites helpful:
http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/for-expectant-mothers/tips-and-solutions (especially http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/11/breastmilk-collection-and-storage for info on storage)
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html
1. Varies on the woman... If you're single-side feeding, a lot of women have success feeding lo on one side while pumping on the other. Takes a bit of coordination, but baby being AT the breast helps with letdown. If you can't do that (I never did, as I always double-side fed), then try maybe an hour after lo feeds. That'll give you plenty of time to get ready for lo's next feed. Also, at work, I always started by pumping every time lo would be having a bottle (so every time I would have nursed at home). And a good "catch-up" time for me was the dream feed time after lo had gone to bed for the night. This was after they were sleeping longer stretches & didn't take the dream feed. I pumped essentially right before my bedtime, and that really helped make up anything I was lacking.
2. This is what I did: I'd pump into bottles at work & use ice packs to keep the bottles cold thru the day. Then at night, I'd make up bottles for the next day. If I had extra, I could leave that in the fridge for a day or 2, but any longer than that you need to freeze it. I would pour it into storage bags in 4ish oz quantities. (Lots of companies make bags especially for this. I used these: http://www.lansinoh.com/index.php?src=directory&view=Products&category=Breastmilk%20Storage&query=category.eq.Breastmilk%20Storage&refno=23&srctype=Products_detail) Freezing the bags flat (the frozen milk ends up in a kind of thin rectangle) helped both with storage space and makes thawing quicker.
3. Daycare put the bottles I made in a bottle warmer with no problems. At home, we would heat a bowl of water & set the bottle in that. That worked for both warming from the fridge and for thawing frozen milk. You can use the microwave to heat the WATER, but DO NOT use it to heat the milk directly. The microwaves kill a lot of the good "active" cells that are in the EBM.
Hope those things help. Keep coming back with questions, & we'll try to answer. It CAN be done. I started back to work when each of my boys was about 4 months, and they weaned at 14 and 16 months. :-*
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Hi ladies,
Thought I'd let you know I stopped pumping finally, took me about 2 weeks by cutting pumps to 2 only first, and then pumping for just comfort, and then 3 more days on 1 pump, and then it was it. DD still has about 2 months worth of frozen milk supply in the freezer. I offered her cow's milk at day's bottle, took it right away the whole bottle, so didn't have to go slow route. So she now has cow's milk for her 2 pm bottle, and my milk for the bed and in the morning. I'm currently swithcing the morning one.
She has also switched for 1 nap, too early for her as she isn't yet able to go 5.5 - 6 hours, and she never takes longer than 1.2 h nap, so tough times. She also walked, so now she's officially a toddler!
As I went back to work at her 3 months full time, never thought I'd make it to 6 months, and ended up making 13. Could go longer, had no issues with supply whatsoever, just grew tired of pumping. Still very happy I did it, was worth every second!
Will still be checking out from time to time, Candice, best of luck and warmest wishes on your new arrivial!
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Hi Ladies,
Where are you?
Hope everything is fine to you all.
A quickie update on us: I quit BF'ing last sunday. Not exactly super happy with my decision but it seems that everybody is happier with it. DD hasn't asked for it since then and DH seem to be happy to have his "wife and girlfriend back" :P ::)
Hope to hear from you all
Lidia
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Hi Lidia
Congrats on making it as far as you did! You gave your DD a great head start in life! How are you doing emotionally? I remember when I quit I felt a big sense of loss. We're here to comisserate if you need to!
PS "wife and girlfriend" = lefty and righty?
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One of the best things we did was DH took my first week back to work off to stay with DD. We were able to determine how much she needed at each feeding and get a feel for how she would handle receiving a bottle only for the whole day.
Another tip - I found a trick for no-hands double-pumping where you use two hair bands looped together and one end goes around the pump shield and the other loops over the tab of your nursing bra. Voila! Now, I can type and pump at the same time with the production benefits of double-pumping.
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Hi working mamas..!
I have a 6 months lo, who's started solids with two meals.day.I'm due back to work in a few weeks & was initially planning to drop the midday feed, as I won't be around, but have finally decided to do my best to keep this feed till @ least 9 months... :-\
I am now trying to pump as much as I can to have a stash, but will need to probably pump @ work. Problem is there isn't much space there & I won't have loads of time, so was thinking of getting a battery operated pump, anyone tried that before?
Thanks,
Adam's Mom
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The Medela PISA has a battery pack. I used it a couple of times when we were on the road and it worked well but it sure did drain a lot of batteries! I could only do 3-4 pumping sessions (~20 min each) per set of batteries. If you are going this route you might want to invest in some really good rechargeable batteries that you can charge overnight as needed.
I would strongly encourage you to pump at least once in the workday (if not twice) for both comfort and supply. Plus it will be virtually impossible to build up a big enough stash I think.
Good Luck!
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Hi, thanks for the rechargeable batteries idea, love it..:)
I was thinking of getting the Medela swing pump, have you heard about that one..?
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All the Medela pumps are really good. As far as a I recall the swing pump is a single pump. If you have limited time for pumping, you may want to consider spending the extra $ and investing in a double pump so you can get more milk for whatever time you have to pump. Just a thought.
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Hi Adams mum,
You might really want to try (if funds permit) different ones. Everyone praised Medela so much and I bought their fancy backpack electric 2xpump, and it only bruised me though I tried all regimes . I ended up going though 14 months with my DD full scale (with full time work as well) and pumping up to 20 - 30 oz a day with Avent manual, it was so good and easy, and fast. I also have limited space and time at work, as all our offices are clear glass, so I ended up in the toilet 20 min for both breasts, going from 3 times a day to 1 time later. Also found the manual one much easier to carry around, I travel a lot, and used it in airport toilets, restaurant toilet - clean and fast and no noise.
So, hire if you can to try, but I think it's important to find what suits you.
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You definetly have a point...!...& u might actually be the first positive review abt the avent pump....thanks for the advice,will keep u posted as to what I end up doing.
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Hello Ladies!
I've been EBF my very-soon-to-be-11month old son and I will be heading back to work at the end of January and have a few questions and was looking for some advice.
Currently he always feeds in the AM when he wakes and before bed in the PM and depending on his day, sometimes once or twice during the day. He hasn't had cows milk yet - but I plan in the next few days to introduce it in a sippy cup (he's had since 6mths). For the ladies that have done this, do you warm the milk? or offer it cold? I want to keep the AM & bedtime feeds for now - but do I need to worry about the daytime feeds? I mean if I'm not around do you think DS will miss the feeds? He's going to daycare fulltime. I can't pump...I'm a terrible pumper...have been from day one!
Aside from introducing cows milk before I go back to work, is there anything else I should be doing?
Any advice is appreciated!!!
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Hi there..!
Am in the same boat, about to go back to in a couple of weeks, but my lo is 6.5 months, so I don't have much to say about cow's milk, however my advice would be prep your ds for not being with you, is he ever without you? Are you planning to be with him for the first week of day care.
Something else that I've found useful is to try & simulate what his feeding routine is going to be like & start practicing early on to handle any unexpected surprises...!...that might actually give you a clear idea about what can be done when he wants that midday feed.
Goodluck..:)
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Hello girls :)
I went back to work on Friday (little Leo is 5 months) and I have to leave 2 feeds of about 4 oz (5 would be better :P).
I'm a teacher and the lessons are 2 hours long so I can only pump in between lessons - so at 5.30pm and then at 7.30pm.
I only managed to get a total of 5 oz on Friday :( Only enough for 1 feed. What, how and where can I get another 4 oz from?
I finish at 9.30pm and by the time I get home it's 10.15pm and Leo wakes at 11pm ish for a feed (he's still waking 2x a night to nurse ::)) so I can't really pump when I get home as I have to feed him.
Any advice would be great for the other 4/5 oz!!!!!!!
TIA
Lis :-*
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Have you tried pumping an hour or two after his morning feed?..I always get a good amount when I pump @ that time..!..also are you working on upping your supply with water, oats & the likes?
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Thanks, Yazzie :)
Yes, I am eating porridge every morning and trying to drink a brew of Fenugreek (can't get tablets here) when I can brace myself - it tastes FOUL :-X And I have always drunk loads of water.
I'll try pumping in the morning tomorrow but when I 've tried before I wasn't very successful :-\
I'll let you know how I get on. I suppose it doesn't really help that DS still only goes 3-3.5 btw feeds ::)
Thanks again :-*
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Yeah, I totally understand about the issue with feeds being very close..!
One thing I've learnt, is that even if you don't get much milk in the beginning, like 1 or 2 oz only, you're body would eventually start learning to make milk @ that time of day..:)
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HI,
I went back to work last week and I am the same, have to leave 2 4-5oz feeds, I am pumping at 10ish and 1ish and struggle like crazy to get home for the other feeds in between school pick ups etc....
LO is 13 weeks and only goes about 2.5 to 3 hours between. When she gets up for her 3-4AM feed I only give her one side and pump the other to make it to the 8-10oz mark for the following day...
I also stock pile fridays pumps and the middle of the night pumps over the weekend in the freezer or for dreamfeeds that DH will do.
Have I mentioned I am EXHAUSTED!!!!
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Richelle, here are loads of hugs for you, it's tough, but u're doing the best you can for your lo, u're a wonderful mum... :-* :-*
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
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I am going to join in here ladies as I am planning to go back to work in 2.5months and hoping to still feed my 13MO. Already worrying about it. Hopeing by then he will be drinking from a significant amount from a cupas he doesn't take a bottle anymore. I am hoping I can feed him am and pm before bed. Not sure what else he will need at that age??? I am not pumping at all at the moment as he is still having 4 feeds a day and since he won't take milk in a bottle or cup it isn't desperate. Guess I could start stock piling though. May have to check with work about a time and place to pump. Am I right in thinkng in the uk the only have to offer you these under one year old? Think they will be ok though.
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khalam's mom , dont worry, i have a 13 month old , who is managing perfectly well with am pm feeds , she does not take any milk through cup/bottle, but the ped isn't worried as long as she is eating enough and gaining weight.
good luck on getting back to work !
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That is good to hear Jashn's Mommy. Thanks
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Hi There. I returned to work when my little guy was 5.5 mnths and was frantic about pumping and supply as you are...totally normal. I had a lot stored in my freezer but wanted to be able to feed on wknds etc and not lose supply. Very hard to pump at my workplace. I started by pumping after the morning feed and then at noon and I would either bfeed when I got home or pump again at home if i was too late for afternoon feed. Pumping at work became way too stressful and I was driving myself crazy. I now pump after the morning feed and that's it. So most days I bfeed 2 times/day only when i'm working...but I have found that I am able to feed more frequently on days that I am home with no supply issues at all. A colleague mentioned that she was able to do a similar thing with her baby.......the babe seems to be able to get the supply going easily on days that I'm home. Hope this helps!!! My babe is now 8 mnths and things are still going well with only one pump per day!
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Excellent. That is good to hear. we are TTC again so I can't relly be pumping now so I am hoping 2 BF on work days and maybe 3 feeds on weekends will keep up the supply.
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Hi ladies, I am going back to working more regularly next month and I wondered if its possible to sustain your supply on one BF a day but some days no BF. I will be working in the evenings and this will cut out his BF before bed since I won't be home until after 9pm so DH will have to give a bottle of regular milk (if he will even take it).....not sure what to do?
Kim
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Kim having the same issue I travel for work and there are days I won't be home till mid night so j just misses the bf instead she it's a bigger dinner
but I do see my supply dip after travel and the pull it up ovr the next few days
but bf and work are really stress ful
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Can you pump when you get in on those days to keep your supply up?
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I never had much luck pumping. I only have a handheld one though and could only get an ounce from each side :( I tried numerous times and it took all day to get a bottle....very frustrating.
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Ah thats a pain. Is it worth keeping doing it to get the 2oz even if you don't end up with a bottle just to keep your supply up a little? You could always put it in food?
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Ladies I go back to work in 2 weeks when DS will be 13MO. I have left an approximate schedule and a list of food ides for the person looking after him at their request. Anything else I need to think about putting down on paper?
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Medication and ped's no. A second no other than yours in case of emergency
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Thanks. We don't really have peads routinely over here but we all share a GP so that is good. Do you mean like pain meds or regular one? We don't have any regular but I will mention some fr teething etc. Thanks.
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any advice on why feel depressed having stopped BFing?
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Did you want to?
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Hiya! I thought I'd join in early, I'm going back to work in April and Lucy will be 10 months old. I'm really panicking,. I know i've got 3 months to get organised but... she will not and has never taken a bottle. We tried so so hard to get her to take it when she was younger but was so stressful I just resigned myself to not going anywhere without her ::) .
She'll take a beaker of water ok at mealtimes (we're BLW) but still dribbles a lot of it down her chin! I've been too nervous to try her with a beaker of milk yet. We're leaving her with my mum for a bit of a trial tomorrow so finger crossed, she'll attempt a feed then a nap, if its a disaster then we're not far away.
I'm a nurse and will be going back doing 1 night shift a week and a short day at the weekend. At 10 months will she likely need a feed in the middle of the night? My OH is worried, she usually sleeps through most nights nowadays but occasionally she'll wake and the only way to resettle is to feed her. Also, I'll be able to do her last feed and get her to bed before I go to work, but will miss her morning feed, and won't have a chance to pump on time. Would I be better off expressing that am feed in the early hours (about 1 or 2 hours early) or when I get home which would be 1 or 2 hours late? It'll only be 1 (sometimes 2) nights a week and don't want to muck up my supply too much. I really need to get exressing regularly again, and stockpile!!!
Please also I want to hear success stories!! I'm looking forward to going back to work, will actually feel like an adult again! But I'm so nervous I don't think I've left her for longer than 2 hours her whole life!
xxxxxxxxxxxx
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I was really nervous going back to work when I had never left K but went back at 13mo and it has been fine. We are still BFing morning and night when I am working FT at 19mo.
She shoudln't really need the BF in the night at that age from a nutrient POV but it would be worth getting her used to settling without it asap so she isn't expecting it if she does wake. Personally I have never been able to pump since about 9 or 10months as the milk is made more on demand the older they get and I haven't ever worried too much about timing but that may vary with the individual so not sure about whether early or late pumping is better. Let us know how you get on.
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Hello!
I've been on this thread for a while with my DD, and then supporting other moms. I've BF DD until 14 months old, and I poured 30 litres of frozen excess milk at the end. I always managed to get 8 oz every 4-5 hours, so as my daughter was eating more and more solids and taking less milk, I just kept pumping. DS is 8.5 months old now, I work for 2 months now, exactly the same pumping routine. Recently we all had a flu and DS was refusing to take a breast at night, sometime took bottle. Anyway, maybe because of illness, or overall fatique, my supply visibly dipped, and I can only get 5-6 oz every 5-6 hours. In the morning breasts feel soft and I can't get the full 12 oz as I used to if he wasn't eating much. I hardly make it for his day and I'm close to start defrosting some of the milk. This scared me hugely, as I'm about to go on 3 different business trips, and my frozen supply is not huge, I was hoping to at least keep adding to it, not taking from it. I do not want to put him on formula.
Never thought I;d ask the question (never had supply issues whatsoever), I'm drinking plenty of fennel tea and eat a lot, I pump until breasts are really really soft, and now they are just soft, they are not getting full if I'm late for pumping time.
Do I force him to eat at night? What else can I do to get my supply back?
Thanks all!
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What else can I do to get my supply back?
You could try Fenugreek :) Info here: http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html
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Bexandlucy - HUGS. I know it is so hard to think about leaving your lo. You wanted success stories so I thought I'd share mine. I've been back at work full time since my lo was about 6 months old, he's just now 9 months. It took us a good long while to get him on bottles, and everyone kept telling me that it would have to be someone other than me to train him on bottles I found that was not the case. About a month before I went back to work I strated replacing one of his daytime feeds with a bottle, it was SLOW to make progress but eventually he got it. I often had to remind myself to just stay calm, my mantra was "it's no big deal it's just a bottle, you can do it", had to say that to myself and sometimes to my lo!! During that time I was pumping after his morning feed since I always seemed to have more milk to pump at that time and was able to freeze some too. So don't give up on the bottles, or if you think your lo will transition to beaker or cup than keep trying that. I've found that I have try things many more times than I think to get it to stick :)
I'd also never left my lo for more than a shower when I went back to work so the first day was really hard! It gets better and easier each day. As one of my friends likes to say, Mom's have a love hate relationship with working, you love to get dressed have a reason to brush your teeth and talk to grownups, but you hate being away from home and not getting to snuggle your lo all day.
Good luck! Oh and ENJOY your time at home. I know it's hard not to think about working but just enjoy it!
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Olkan - I've had 3 bouts of plugged ducts and mastitis and each time I've had to struggle to get my supply back up. What I've done is for 3-5 days I've pumped every 2 hours all day and I've pumped atleast 15 minutes each time (I have a double electric pump). This has always worked for me to get my supply back up, oh and I drink lots of water. I was also told by a lactation specialist to keep pumping as long as you're getting little dribbles, hence the 15 minute pump sessions. I hope that helps. I've take 2 busincess trips in the last 3 weeks and it was hard to fit in pumping at a hotel but it was well worth it!
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Bexandlucy - I am in the same boat - going back to work in May when my LO will be 10 months. I will have to travel for work but I am trying to put off my business trips until she is 12 months old so she can settle into her new routine with the nanny before I go away. My little girl is also EBF and I never gave her bottles but I have recently been teaching her how to use sippy cups. I use the Nuby straw type and she caught on really quick. At the moment I just give her 30 or 40ml every second day at the start of a feed from the sippy cup, then finish her off on the breast. I think I will start replacing daytime feeds with the cup a couple of weeks before I go back to work. I'm nervous too but reassure myself by telling myself there are thousands of women who do it and make it work - when their LOs are much younger than ours too! Let me know how it goes for you in April.
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I am sooooo stressed! DS is 5 months old and I have been back to work 2 days a week for 2 months for financial reasons. DS is EBF and I pump ton leave bottles when I'm gone. I feel like I spend my life either nursing, pumping or washing my pump! DD is 4 and I feel like she isn't getting the attention she needs. On top of that, DS's EASY is all messed up and it is so difficult to get him back on track when I am away from him. It is my sister and his godmother who care for him when I'm gone, but neither of them have kids and I'm sure they do their best to stick to the routine, but I'm not sure they are completely comfortable with my methods for sleep training. (If he wakes early I go in and put my hand on his back, only if his cry is "real". Sometimes this takes a while to get him back to sleep, and there is crying involved. I have found that pu/pd is way to stimulating for him). I feel like they may not spend the requisite amount of time to get him back down or maybe even go to him too soon and reinforce the behaviors I'm trying to change. I know I'm rambling, but I needed to get it out! I'm also so sick of people suggesting that maybe he's hungry every time he cries (which I know he's not). I am also frustrated when people suggest I switch to formula (there is nothing wrong with my supply). I intend to breastfeed for the first year, and people (including my mom and MIL) seem doubtful. It is annoying that people would suggest I switch to formula because it would be easier and "more convenient". Since when is raising a family about my convenience? I understand that a happy mom makes for a happy family, but I enjoy bfing and don't want to stop. The problem is every time I express my frustration to anyone (including DH) they make the suggestions/comments above. Why can't anyone just listen to me without offering unsolicited advice?!
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When you are at work and away from him can youpump then and not waste time you would be with him? Do you have a freezer stash? Have your caregivers seen you working on his sleep so they get a good idea of what you do/don't respond to? Any chance they could/would read the Bw books? If you want to continue BFing then all the power to you. Many mum's do it. Esp when it is only 2 days a week. Maybe it will be easier when he is on solids as he can have that if he is hungry between feeds.
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Does anybody want to join me to reactivate this thread?
I am going back to work on the next 23rd and would appreciate to talk about it to someone who has BTDT.
This thread was a good support for me when I went back to work first time, after DD1 turned 4 months old.
I am finding this time harder than the first one. Has anyone felt the same? Is it harder to leave the second LO at daycare (or wherever you left yours).
Thanks
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Hi I'm going back to work may 15th. I am leaving ds 1 and 2. I don't know. If it is harder this time or not. Dh and my mum will look after them. I am only doing 3days this time. I am not looking forward to it. I am still bf and getting many nw. Ds1 was sleeping through by the time I went back so would Luke to work on those.
How old is your Lo? What sort of work do you do?
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Hey KM!
You're lucky to be going only 3 days/week. I am going to work full time. I am still BF'ing too and I plan to go on until DD2 turns 1 1/2 yo, just as I did with DD1. I hope she listen to me and don't wean before that. :-X
We still have 1 NW, usually to feed. At the same age, DD1 was already STTN. Actually, at that moment, my maternity leave was only 5 months. This time, I could get almost 7 months. I don't know if DD2 will suffer from SA :'(
DD2 is almost 6 mo now.
I work for an ice cream factory. The new flavors/products that the researchers develop on a laboratory scale, I bring to the factory and run trials and follow the first production run to check if they meet the standards. I love what I do, but I would also love to find a part time job. I don't think I would be 100% happy to be a SAHM right now, I need my work to have other subjects in my mind rather than just naps, bf'ing, night wakings and so on... :P
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I know what you mean about needing something. Last time I went back FT and hated it. I was already pg with ds2 so it was better financially for mat leave. This time I am hoping 3d will be the happy medium. At least with B being 1 I can bf am and bt without having to Express or ff. He barely eats now but I am hoping he will eat more when he hits 1 and when there is no daytime milk. Last time I did not have to pump at work either tg. Will you?
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What is "tg"?
I used to pump at work once/day. Before she turned 6 mo, I pumped at around 10 am because I was feeding her at 1pm ish. When we started on solids (around 6 mo), I could no longer leave work to go feed her at 1 pm, so I would pump instead. I 'weaned' from my pump when she was 8 mo. I am planning on pumping this time until DD2 turns 8 months or so... I don't know if I'll be strong enough to keep pumping at work. :-[
When DD1 was little, I had to pump in a meeting room, I used to lock the door and pray that no one would come until I had finished. I was quick at pumping, but even so I didn't like the rush. Besides, I have a lot of friends (men) who 'knew' what I was going to do, so you know when you have the feeling that they're backbiting or making fun of you?
On top of this I am dreading giving DD2 a bottle because I am so afraid of nipple confusion. I gave her a bottle of my milk last wednesday and she downed it in few minutes! :o I was shocked because with DD1, we struggled a lot, it was one week before starting on daycare and she just refused! DD1 was younger than DD2 when she first got her bottle and I don't know if that has any influence. Having said that, I am only offering another bottle when we are closer to her start at daycare. :-\
I was thinking on starting a new topic to 'invite' other moms to join us, what do you think?
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Great. Tg is thank goodness, sorry. B has always had a bottle no problem switching. Ds1 refused after 4mo when I didn't give one for over 4w. Oops.
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HI,
I went back to work FT when my DD was 6 months old. She then stayed home with DH until she was 16 months and went to a Montessori school where she still attends now (she's 4). This time with DS I will go back FT in September when he's 9 months (he's almost 4 months now).
With DD, I continued to BF when I went back to work. I pumped at night and in the morning to get the two additional bottles required for her during the day. I did not pump at work at all since I was so busy I knew I wouldn't have the time and get too engorged. I started weaning the two day feeds about 2 weeks before I went back so DD could get used to the bottle and not BFing during those times. My body adjusted quite easily and I never had problems with leakiness during the day. I continued to BF her for her early morning and bedtime feeds only until she was 1. DF was done by bottle until she was about 7 months. She was a great sleeper and slept about 11-12hrs at night by the time I went back without waking for NFs.
This time around I will likely wean entirely before I go back to work not because the pumping was a hassle (although sometimes it was and I'd be late for work in the morning trying to get enough out), but because of DS' intolerances, I'm off dairy and wheat and I'm having a hard time keeping healthy through the BFing. I will likely start the weaning around the 6 or 7 month mark when he starts solids and move him to Alimentum formula.
What I found really hard about being a working mum was:
1) Feeling guilty that I chose to go back to work rather than be a SAHM when people would make comments about how they quit their jobs because the life of their LO was so much more important than any job. My colleague wisely told me that she was a much better mum when she was fulfilled and happy. I feel the same way. I wish I was cut out to be a SAHM but I honestly love working and would be very unhappy to lose that. I deeply admire and respect any woman who choses to be a SAHM like my own brilliant mother was for 13 years for the sake of my sister and I.
2) I was exhausted all the time. On top of the stress of having young children who may still possibly be waking at night for various reasons, you have to be alert enough to function at a high mental level for work next day instead of having a nap while your child naps (which I did for a few months before I went back to work). I was very tired during my usual nap time for a long while until I readjusted to having to stay awake all day.
3) The daycare drop-off. I do not look forward to that. On top of the SA for both mum and baby, DS will be much younger than DD when she started. He'll be the youngest one there, pretty much. I feel sad thinking about it but I know they will help stimulate his social and emotional growth. It's still heart-wrenching to leave them though.
All that being said, while I love my DS, I am really counting down the months until I can go back to work. I just miss the mental stimulation and creativity of my job and having to think about something other than buying diapers, extending naps and dream feeds.
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Hi ladies! Just joining in :) I am not sure how much longer I will be working as originally, I was supposed to quit at the end of this month...but it's hard giving up the insurance and the pay and the bonuses...we're trying to see if we can find somewhere for the kiddos to go 2-3 days/week so that DH can focus on work. Right now he and my MIL split up watching the kids, but she's moving to Australia in a few weeks so we have to work something out.
What I am hating right now is how utterly exhausted I feel all day long, even though DH gets up with DD during the week. I just have to wake HIM up because he sleeps through her fussing ::)
And I hate that no matter how much I pump, DD can't be exclusively bf. I get about 9-15oz a day, but have hardly anything at her BT. I'm not really sure what to do to increase my supply as I can't step away from my desk anymore than I already do, iykwim.
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Hey Jennifer and Sara! Welcome.
I am happy that you've joined us because keeps my sanity to think that I am not alone.
Jennifer - thanks for sharing your experience re pumping. I keep thinking about it all the time, whether or not to pump at work. Actually, I am planning to do so while she's still on 4 daytime feeds (7, 11, 3, 6). I think that when we are full established on solids and she switches the 11 am feed for solids, I can stop pumping at work.
I also feel guilty for going back to work and leaving them at daycare. It's a mixed up feelings thing. Part of me says that I need to work because it's my ME time. It's when I think about myself and what I can do except from feeding, sleep training, changing diapers or dealing with tantruns. It's the big people world which I would like to be sometimes! On the other hand, like you, my mom was SAHM and would take us to ballet classes, swimming classes, languages, lots of activities and playing time that I miss doing with my LOs. *sigh* :-\
Sara - If I want help from my DH, I need to wake him up too... LOL. I think that's why women give birth and is in charge of feeding LOs...
And I was surprised to see that you pump that much! 9 -15 Oz is a dream to me... If I could pump this much, I wouldn't have stockpiled my milk! I hear you about having anything at BT. When I wake up, I have big mommy boobs, as the day goes through I end up with a young teenager boobs. :P
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So glad I don't need to pump as I hardly get anything these days. 6w until I go back. Ds has major sa so I am really hoping this has calmed down by the time I return.
How are you organising your routine to fit in with your new Wu? I need to be up 6.30 but ideally I want 30mins to get ready before Lo gets up. Hope I don't wake them.
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And I was surprised to see that you pump that much! 9 -15 Oz is a dream to me...
LOL, and see, I just see that amount and get frustrated that it isn't a few ounces more. Ideally, I'd like to get 15oz between 3 pump sessions at work every day. Most days I end up with 10-12: the first AM pumping yields about 7-9oz; the others I'm lucky to get 3...which I KNOW is not enough for DD as she's eating 4.5-5oz at each meal while I'm away from her, and sometimes DH has to supplement with a few ounces of formula. I do have a small freezer stash (like a couple day's worth of feeds), but I don't want to dip into that too often, just in case.
I hear you about having anything at BT. When I wake up, I have big mommy boobs, as the day goes through I end up with a young teenager boobs.
LOL! I just get old lady ones by the end of the day ::)
How are you organising your routine to fit in with your new Wu? I need to be up 6.30 but ideally I want 30mins to get ready before Lo gets up. Hope I don't wake them.
Mine hasn't changed at all from what it was before my maternity leave. I wake up at 6ish, am gone between 6:45-7. DH gets up with the kids in the AMs, except for Wednesday when he out of the house by 6am. Not normally a problem, but today DD decided she wanted to eat at 6:20 ::)
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I thought it was only by DH who could sleep through absolutely hysterical wailing. LOL. It happened the other night. He was giving me a break by dealing with DS's NWings during his 3-4 months sleep regression. He was sleeping in DS's room and I was in our bedroom. I woke up when I heard DS wailing away. I go in and find DH fast asleep and DS unswaddled and hysterical flailing around. Men obviously got the night deafness gene that women don't seem to be born with.
Lidia - I'm determined not to feel guilty this time around. I was Jennifer long before I was Jonas and Sophie's mother. It's important that I be happy so I have the energy and ability to make them happy. Don't let other people make you feel bad either. We all have to do what is right for us. It's not right for anyone to judge our decisions.
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Hi there. I'm a working mom of two who made it work twice over! With ds 1 I went back to work at 6 mnths. I had a frozen stash but I was obsessed with pumping at work as I was worried about supply. It made life very stressful as I work in an operating room and often get only very short breaks or none at all. Anyway I finally talked to a colleague about my stress with pumping and she told me she never pumped at work and she was still able to feed on days off and weekends. So I gave it a try and sure enough no problems. I didn't give my breasts enough credit. So now on round two I've been back tonwork for 5 weeks with ds2. I feed him before I leave for work and then pump a bit too. I bring my pump with me but only pump if I really really have time or I'm working really late. So most days I don't pump at work. When I get home I feed him if the timings right or I pump. And on weekends or days off I have no problem feeding him during the day. So bottom line I'm way way lesser stressed this time and my supply is fine. Hope this helps.
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I also found with ds1 I could not feed or pump and still feed on my days off.esp as they get older it is produced more on demand than routinely.
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So we've started at daycare two days ago. DD2 is doing fine, except from the naps, which have been ridiculous. She took 2x 30 mins naps on monday and tuesday. Today she had 3 naps (30, 30 and 45 min). Oh, how I hate short naps... She's miserable at the end of the day, almost begging to be put down. She can barely nurse properly as she's so tired! Tomorrow I'll try to ask the caregivers if they can resettle her(they don't know anything about EASY and I felt it was pointless to start explaining as they won't follow it anyway :().
I've been pumping once a day, at midday - 1:00 pm, same time as I am planning to pump when I go back to work on next monday.
I am not looking forward to go back. Seriously. If only she would nap properly, I would be happier. I feel sad. :'(
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I think Lo often start napping longer once they get used to sleeping at daycare.
I go back in 4w. We are still bf 3 or 4x a day but he is 1yo on sat so I will drop the day feeds when I am at work. I don't get anything pumping now anyway.
He is still waking to feed at night. I can settle him without but he wakes 30 or 60min later so I don't know if I should just feed. I can't be doing that when I have to go to work the next day. Ebt for me I guess.
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I spoke to the caregivers when I dropped DD2 off a few minutes ago. I told them that I want them to try extending her naps. And I told I'll go back to see how they go. They kept looking at me as "What will it change if you come? We got it..." :(
Anyway, I've said that I'll go, then I'll go... For my sanity, that I've done everything I could do to have her adapted, but I agree, KM, they should sleep better as soon as they get used to the new environment, it's just that I am anxious about it, and it's been 3 days, and I won't have any other opportunity to be there in the middle of the day as I'll be at work, so the time is now. :P
The interesting is, she's been taking a bottle of my milk (6 Oz) :o This is a lot to me, I thought she would be taking 4-5 Oz! When I pick her up and come back home, I feed her and then again around 2 hours later, at BT, so I think this is helping her tank up as she's not waking in the MOTN for a feed. She's been EW, instead. Yesterday it was 5:30 am and this morning 5:15 am. I wonder if she could be less tired by BT, she could have a full feed and STTN making until 6 am, at least.
Well, let's see how we go.
KM - I had made my mind that I would feed DD2 in the MOTN, as she was having 1 NF at around 1 or 2 am, but like you, I would be a zoombie at work. Maybe EBT would help, but until I have everything prepared for next morning (baby and toddler bags ready), I can't sleep. :(
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They do eventually start napping properly at daycare. DD had a few no naps days (YIKES!) when she first started at 15 months. Those were brutal because she would fall asleep on the way home and not want to go to bed. Anyway, it took her a few weeks and she started napping the same as at home. Just takes some adjustment, like how we feel when we sleep in a strange bed for the first few nights.
Good luck to you both when you go back to work. I remember spending most of my time during the first weeks worrying about how she was doing. It was like living in a haze. Not very productive, to say the least.
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Hi ladies, Lidia is in WAY better shape than I am. I'm curious what you all have found with how big of a stash you need.
I am heading back to work in 2 weeks. My DD is 6 weeks, so she'll only be a little over 8 weeks when I go back. My office has a BF'ing room (it's a law in Oregon), so I know I'll be able to pump during the day. I usually have very busy days, but my plan is to block out 30 mins every 3 hours to pump (not sure how well this is going to work or not) to be on about the same schedule as she is now nursing. I started building up my stash, but my DD has taken more than I expected and it ate into what I had frozen. I have my DH giving her a bottle each night so she gets used to it (and I get a break). My bags usually vary between 3-5 oz, and right now I only have about 6 or 7 bags in there. I've been pumping at least once a day, and I'm trying to do 2 a day moving forward.
How much of a stash did you all have when you went back to work? Did you find it was necessary or how much do you think you needed? I will nurse in the morning before I leave (around 6:30) and then cluster feed when I get home (around 6).
Also, how much did you leave with the daycare/nanny/sitter? Since my DH gives one bottle in the evening, I don't know how much she'll take during the day when I'm at work. Fortunately, my daycare situation is just a sitter watching my DD and her three older kids, so she can accommodate any schedule I want, just about. Worst case, she could bring her to work for me to nurse, but that's not a good option on a daily basis. Thanks so much!
-Kirsten
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Kirsten,
8 weeks old! :o. So interesting to see how different maternity leave can be from country to country. I am glad to know that you have a plan and if you can, stick with it (pumping at the same time she would be nursing). I know life can be very busy at work, but think that your LO is this little only for a (short) period of time, so maybe you could agree with your boss that you'll need some 'me' time at work? It's just a thought...
Regarding your question, with dd1 I started building up a stash when she was 2.5 mo and I went back to work when she was 4.5 mo. I could pump a bag of 4-5 oz/day and I was feeding her, so she only started consuming the frozen milk when she was at daycare. With dd2, I could stay longer with her. Started pumping to freeze at the same age, so this time I had a huge stash. I am still pumping at 1 pmish at work and started to 'dream pump' at 11 pmish (pumping at dream feed time). What I pump during the day plus dream pump, I send to her for the next day bottle to be mixed with frozen milk. This is a way to have my mind at ease that the milk composition is not too far from what she has now, as I know that the milk that I pumped few months ago is different from what she has now. :-\
She has two bottles of 5-6oz each/day while at daycare. I send 2 bottles of 3 oz each (fresh milk) and they thaw a bag of 3-4oz/each to complement the bottle.
If the caregiver can bring her for you to nurse it will be good to help keeping your supply up because what I've found is that sometimes my supply dips because I am only pumping and the pmp is not that effective as dd2 is.
HTH!
Lidia
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Ugh, don't get me started on the maternity leave, or lack thereof, in the US. It's a sore subject for me! I can probably get in those nursing times each day. I just have to block out my calendar at those times just leave meetings if I have to. A woman I work with who does the same job as me was able to BF her kids both for a year, and she was pumping at work pretty often. I'll have to ask her how she did it.
Thanks for the tips and letting me know what worked for you. I'll keep trying to pump at least twice a day and build up my stash. Do you still pumping on the weekends when you're back at work? I was sort of thinking that I may not need a huge stash since what I pump each day at work can pretty much be the next days bottles. I'll take to the caregiver about bringing her to my office each day to nurse. That's good to know about a supply drop because of pumping!
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K,
During the weekend I offer her the breast and only pump at night (at 11 pm).
Actually, I pump during on week days to guarantee that I'll have the milk for her during the weekend, does it make sense? :P And, as a result, I send the milk I had pumped to her next day bottle (as you intend to do with your milk).
I am sure you'll be able to do it, you seem to have all sorted out! ;)
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Hi Everyone!
Time to join this thread. I'm back to full time on Monday. My DS is 4 months old, and I will be leaving him at a day care center. I'm really stressed about how this is all going to work out. I work 2x11 hour days and 2x9 hour days. I've changed my schedule a bit to allow me to work M/Tu, off on Wed, work Th/F. I'm planning to offer breast only over the weekend and on Wed, but I'm worried my supply is going to suffer with such long days. I will be able to pump 3 times a day...do you think that's going to be enough for so long?
Unfortunately, my days also will mean either leaving before he wakes up or coming home after he's down for the night...so I'll have to pump then too. I'm so not looking forward to this. :(
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Hi MummaB,
First of all, big hugs!
DD1 went to daycare first time when she was 4.5 mo so I know what you mean about being stressed to know how is this going to be.
Regarding to your question, how many feeds are you offering to your LO? I would try to keep the pumping closer to the time you would feed him (as much as you can). The good thing is that you'll have the opportunity to feed him in the middle of the week, so that your body will understand that the milk is needed for that time of the day.
Enjoy the weekend with your LO as much as you can and on monday, before starting take a deep breath and think positive. You'll be fine! ;)
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Than you Lidiayy! I need those hugs! Just the thought of returning makes me teary.
I work off of patient appointment times, so I had to schedule my pumping breaks to allow enough time for appointments. So I tried to get things close to when I feed him, but its not always possible. My work hours are a little different each day, so that throws things for a loop too. He was on a 3.5 EASY, but he started a growth spurt and we're back to 3hr. That makes about 3-4 feeds, and I'll only be able to pump 3 times. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes...
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Hugs MummaB. I know it's hard. Enjoy the weekend together.
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I have another question for those of you that have already gone back to work...do you or did you have your care provider follow your routine?
I haven't exactly mastered the nap situation yet with my LO, and it seems like everyday something different works might or might not work to get her down for a nap (bedtime is not so much of an issue). So it seems silly for me to tell the babysitter to stick to a routine that I have never gotten to work consistently, but rather have her work off a routine that works for her (she has 3 older kids, so I trust her judgment). Thoughts?
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K,
In our case, DD2 stays at a daycare center, so there is an average of 18-20 babies for 5 ladies to take care of. Although I would love them to stick to my routine, it's quite impossible to ask them to read sleep cues or even to follow EASY, so we always end up with poor naps at daycare and DD2 making up for them during the weekends.
With DD1, she got used to th place and their routine faster than DD2 and could have long naps there as well. I don't know, maybe I would tell the lady about the routine and how/when you try to put her down, but from what I have experienced, LO adjust themselves to different scenarios, so maybe she will find what suits best for your LO and her?
Sorry I don't have a clear suggestion, it's just that I've given up trying to explain the routine and everything and i've realized that it's not going to be done, not that they don't want to, it's just that they can't do, kwim?
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Thanks again, Lidia! I think I'm going to just let the sitter figure out what works for her. Since she's the only child she's taking care of, except her own kids that are all in school, I think she'll figure out whatever works. In fact, she might find a routine that works better for naps that I can use on weekends!! :-) I just wanted to make sure you ladies didn't find that it totally screwed up things for you on the weekends or at night.
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It's sometimes amazing how LOs will adapt to daycare napping much better than even at home. Don't know why that is, but maybe it's the peer pressure? Everyone else is napping so they do it to. My doctor told me she could never get her DS to nap at home but he went to daycare at 4 months and they taught him to nap properly. It's also consistency. They will likely put babies down around the same time every day for the same length of time and in the same crib. Whereas with us, we're more likely to be out and about or have some variations on nap times and length each day.
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I hope you all are right about our LO adjusting to daycare. First day in daycare...2x40min naps over a 9 hour period. We carefully explained our routine, which of course they could not follow. But I couldn't believe they actually kept him up for 3.5 hours at one point! He's only 4 months and was majorly overtired. My anxiety just went through the roof when I saw what they did with him.
I was also surprised to see that he ate less at daycare. Does he just need some adjustment and he'll start eating more again?
Work went ok. I had a really busy schedule between appointments and squeezing in pumping times that I barely had time to worry. I'll probably worry more tomorrow, knowing how badly things went today. The logistics of pumping so much was certainly putsy. I work mostly with men, so the idea of walking around with bottles of milk is a bit uncomfortable (on both sides, I'm sure!) I kept transporting multiple cooler bags to the fridge - moving them into a drawer of the fridge to be discreet. My door is a bit thin too, and I was getting self-conscious of the dying cow sounds my pump was emitting into the clinic. I think I need to start playing music on my phone or something. Hopefully I get a more seamless routine down soon.
I keep telling myself, "this will get better." Boy, I hope I'm right. :-\
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Just giving you encouragement MummaB. It WILL get better. It'll take some weeks of adjustment for you DS and you. Not too impressed with your caregivers keeping him up that long! Being professionals, they should really know better. Are you happy with the place otherwise? You may need to re-evaluate if they don't respond to your requests.
Good for you that you've continued pumping at work. I didn't do that with DD, just BFed first thing in the morning and bedtime. DS would give her formula for the other two day feeds. You're doing the best you can. I find men generally wish to avoid all knowledge of "women's issues" so even if they know you're pumping they don't want to talk about it and will just ignore it.
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Sending you loads of vibes MummaB - it DOES get better, I promise xx
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Thank you all for the encouragement!
We survived our first week. It definitely got better. After a lot of good conversations with the daycare, we got them to taper his A time to 2/2.5 hours. It's still a bit long for him, but he was getting at least 1 long nap by thursday and friday (1.5-2 hours). And best of all, he was less of a zombie by the time we got him home. Thankfully, he is still STTN as well.
Pumping has been interesting. My little guy eats a lot...usually 6oz a feed. I'm used to getting 6-8oz in my morning and evening pumping sessions, but during the day I'm only getting about 4-5 oz. My total oz with the AM and late night pumping is still a bit over what he is consuming, but it makes me a bit nervous that my supply will drop a touch and we'll have to supplement. I'm trying to get a pumping session for each missed feed, but sometimes timing just doesn't work when I come home so late and miss his last feed...I'd rather spend time finishing his night routine than pumping! Luckily I know that even if I end up supplementing, he's still getting some breastmilk, which is better than nothing.
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MummaB, i am glad you're feeling better with the situation. And the fact that he's taking one long nap is fantastic! I wish my DD2 could sleep longer at daycare. She is right now napping, making up for the bad naps she has on weekdays.
Regarding to pumping, ikwym by being feeling that your supply could drop. What I can tell you is that mine oscilates from day to day and I have roughly the same output and then I drink loads of water, fennel tea and eat oat to increase it again. :-\
Keep the positive thinking, You're doing a great job! ;D
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I am working 3 days a week and find after aong weekend my supply is up compared to when I have worked a couple days so I think feeding him extra on my days off is working to boost my supply.
What bras are you guys wearing to work? Not sure if I should buy some non nursing ones but I guess they must still be without underwire?
I was fiddling with the clasp on Friday while I was in a meeting and it accidently came undone so I had to finish with one savvy breast and one pert until I could rehook it. This is why I think I must get some which do not unhook. Lol.
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LOL! A bit awkward, but I love the autocorrect (presumably should've been saggy, but love the idea of savvy breasts!) ;)
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lydiayy - I forgot about fennel tea and oatmeal. good reminders!
I've actually been wearing some underwire nursing bras - my doctor said that they should be fine past 8 weeks.
LOL! I liked the idea of a savvy breast ;) That had to be a bit awkward!
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I've always worn the underwire nursing ones as the other ones are not supportive enough, in my opinion.
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Oh dear. Yes autocorrect but I like savvy better. I have never seen nursing with underside! Maybe I will just go back to my regular ones then if I don't have to avoid it anymore. The underwire is much better support for sure.
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They don't sell many of them here either, but the one I have is made by Playtex. The only thing I don't like is that when you unclip it, the clip is really close to the baby's eye. You really have to watch that you yank it all the way down and away from their face.
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ah autocorrected again! Underwire not underside. i have been wearing my old underwired ones and they are so much better and prettier!
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I thought i'd join in here too ladies- i'm back at work at my proper job next week. I'll be starting on a 5 day fortnight- 2 days one week 3 another- but then up to 3 days after a while.. not looking forward to it- but i am looking forward to the money. Mum will have hamish and he LOVES going to her house- he's been going a day a eek for about 4 months as i have been doing 1 day a week teaching at the uni- so there's not a problem for him- it's just ME that doesn't like it!!
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oh- crap- is this thread just about working and breastfeeding? I got confused and thought it was just about working... Although i am working and breastfeeding- .. I did LOL at the savvy breast!!
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Katy, I don't think this thread is about anything in particular - just working mums sharing their experiences, so welcome! Sounds like you have a great set up for returning to work, with your mum able to look after H. I really, really wish I had that option but alas my mum lives in Hawaii. My only option would be to hire a nanny or daycare. I guess I trust daycare more because it's a group environment rather than one on one.
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Welcome to the thread, Katy! It does sound like a good set-up...I'm a bit jealous of having family nearby. But regardless of who's watching your LO, it's still a tough transition. I'm only a week in, but I found physically leaving him was the hardest. Once I was at work, it wasn't as tough because I was distracted and enjoy what I do. I hope you have as much luck. How does your mom handle the EASY?
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She's great- i'm really very lucky and not complaining at all- hamish will be fine- it's me that's the problem!! Mum is right on board with everything which is great- it's scary i must say as in a way she'll be handling the rest of the 2-1 transition, funny how you can become a bit if a control freak!!
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I'm not entirely sure about WHEN I participated on this thread, but it will have been whilst about to return to work with Andrew in 2008, but as I see that this thread will shortly be locked and it will stop popping up as a new replies, I am sitting here looking at my 8 year old and my 5 year old playing a board games together and I am reflecting on what a journey breast-feeding is.
That's all.
Congratulations to you all and keep up the good work!!
Alex
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Aw Alex! Please continue chatting here:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=231400.0