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

[lidiayy]

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!  
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...   

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  

HTH

Lidia

[campbellchick]

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'...

[clh]

WOW!    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.

[shark]

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?

[clh]

I'm pretty sure Emma says not to rinse.  Breast milk has antibacterial properties that protect it for a while. 

[campbellchick]

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!

[liacarmen]

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.

[campbellchick]

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.

[clh]

{{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. 

[mamitica]

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.

[lidiayy]

Hi to all

Mamitica - welcome to this board. And WOW    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...    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

[mamitica]

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. 

[lidiayy]

Mamitica

But what happened? What makes you conclude your milk is bad?
Isn't it frozen?

[campbellchick]

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?

[mamitica]

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.