Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2

[TRR]

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?

[campbellchick]

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.

[shark]

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.

[kingteam]

Anyone here pump exclusively? I am HIGHLY considering it! Any thoughts?

[clh]

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?

[shark]

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.

[lidiayy]

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

[mum101]

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!

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

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.

[shark]

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....

[lidiayy]

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

[olkan]

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?

[shark]

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.

[olkan]

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?

[clh]

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.