Working moms/mums - come and share tips and support!

[joannaw]

Hi and thanks for all the replies.  No it's not a problem me bfeeding in public - have got used to doing it anywhere.  We're going to France by boat anyway.  The problem is that i normally express on the days i'm not with Lo and i don't have any reserves (he's a big drinker - 8 ozs per feed with a bottle!).  We will have one day in France where my mother in law has said she will mind Lo whilst me and DH have a day out.  Only thing is i won't have any reserve milk for him. We go the day after we arrive and so i won't have chance to express.  I don't want to stop b feeding though and for the sake of one day i'm questionning it.  I know you're right about so much formula at the start in one day - asking for trouble.

[MJMom]

WTF!!!  Just pumped a whole whopping 2.25 oz!??!?

Monday morning is almost always my best yield for the week!!!

Does ovulation bring down your output?  Never noticed it before, but I'm just looking for something.

All I gotta say, is if I'm only pumping 2.5 oz at this point, there better be a darn good reason!  And I'm OK if it's cause I'm PG and just can't do it any more.   

[marcimommy]

I am having supply issues too! 
Strange thing that for me usually Monday is worse and than as the week progresses it gets better. I think it's b/c I don't pay attention to eat and drink right over the weekend. Also it seems that M eats less than what I would pump b/c if I BF him over the weekend my out put goes down and than it goes back up as I pump more over the week. I wonder why did M cut back on BF-ing  He's almost 9 months old. Do you think he is getting ready to go down to 3 feedings? During the week in the daycare he sucks down his 8 oz bottles without any problem      I am confused!

Alissa - I hope you're PG! that'd be AWSOME!!! 

[lyndsy_p]

Well I've done it. I have eliminated the morning pump! I have 250oz in the freezer and really, my supply for my pumping sessions is staying constant at 7-10oz when I'm at work. I even got 7.5oz last night at my 7pm pumping session thanks to Emma's help. She advised me to pump the breast after it was dry for another 5 mins and it worked. Thanks Emma!

We are on day 2 of no pumping and I'm a little sore and engorged (one side only, ugghhh). I'm hoping it'll be over soon.

Lyndsy

[MJMom]

WOW!  I have boobie envy!!!!

I am very proud of my 40 oz in my freezer!  I worked hard for that.  Out of two pumping sessions today I got 5 oz. 

How long did you do the extra 5 minutes?  Just the one pump session?  I tried that for a week straight on all my pumping sessions.  All I got was sore nipples.   But REALLY glad it worked for you!

Incidentally, the thought occurred to me the other day.... Our LO's drink a Big Gulp of milk a day.  You know, the 7-11 Big Gulps?  That's a LOT of liquid!!!

Oh, funny story I meant to tell you ladies.  Not sure if I mentioned before, but my boss is also still nursing her LO who is 3.5 months younger than mine.  We are the only ones sharing the Mother's Room right now aka. the pump room. 
Tuesday we both had really busy days.   She ended up walking in on me!  We both had a good laugh about it!  Knew it had to happen eventually. 

[lyndsy_p]

Alissa, I pumped on an dry boobie for about 3 pumping sessions, combined with breast compressions. I thought I didn't know how to do them, but apparently they work (I saw more milk going into my bottles). I also used compressions with Grae when I was home with her for that feed time, and I saw her change her sucking pattern as the milk started to flow again. When I did pump "dry" I lowered the suction a tad to compensate...try that. My nipples were a touch sore too! It took about 1 week for me to see results.

Walking in on you...funny! Don't you lock the door? I am paranoid!

Lyndsy

[MJMom]

Alissa, I pumped on an dry boobie for about 3 pumping sessions, combined with breast compressions. I thought I didn't know how to do them, but apparently they work (I saw more milk going into my bottles). I also used compressions with Grae when I was home with her for that feed time, and I saw her change her sucking pattern as the milk started to flow again. When I did pump "dry" I lowered the suction a tad to compensate...try that. My nipples were a touch sore too! It took about 1 week for me to see results.

Walking in on you...funny! Don't you lock the door? I am paranoid!

Lyndsy

Where did you learn breast compressions?  I like to think I"m doing them now... but am willing to make sure I'm doing it properly.  I really have no idea.

The door is always locked.  But we both have an electric pass key that gets us in.  No locking from that!    At least the only people who have access to the room are other moms who have used it.

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

Glad you had a good laugh about it Alissa.  The place I am auditing doesn't have a spare room so I have to lock myself in their server/storage room.  But hey, at least it has a lock 

[Bryony]

Lyndsey - 250 oz!!!!!   

I have about 15oz in the freezer and worked really hard for it 

Bryony

[marcimommy]

I don't have any stock in the freezer    I live from day to day (from pumping to pumping LOL  )

WOW Lyndz, very impressive. I had to add the morning pumping session last week to raise my supply a little bit. I have done that for about a week now and just starting to see the result. I still have to supplement about 3-4 oz formula per day though. I am not worried about it, M still gets more than 80% EBM.

I never heard about this "pump for 5 min on the dry boobie thing" Can you explain?

[lyndsy_p]

Suzanna...you just keep pumping past the point that milk comes out. Really it's quite simple. Sometimes when I do this I will get a 2nd letdown, so I keep pumping until the milk stops from that. Then I start counting the 5 mins from when it stops the 2nd time. Maybe that's the secret now that I think about it!

Alissa...Think "squeezing a water bottle with a sport top spout". That's the best way I can describe it. Don't roll your fingers down or anything. Just squeeze, keeping pressure constant until you see the long suck start again (when baby is latched), or until milk starts flowing again (when you are pumping). You can do thumb on top or the underside of the breast, I don't think it matters. I was doing it this way before, but wasn't pressing for long enough...so I didn't see a result.

Thank you all for the comments on my freezer stash <bowing>
Lyndsy

[Bryony]

Thank you all for the comments on my freezer stash <bowing>
Lyndsy

Well all I can say - is that you must have a much bigger freezer than we have!!!  DH is now having to limit his pizza stash to make room for the MILK!!

B

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

Thank you all for the comments on my freezer stash <bowing>
Lyndsy

Well all I can say - is that you must have a much bigger freezer than we have!!!  DH is now having to limit his pizza stash to make room for the MILK!!

B

LOL...we have a deep freezer in the garage that was supposed to be for deer meat....I kinda took it over with all my milk    Now dh complains to his friends that there is no room for his meat... LOL

[momnew]

Hello all!!! I hope you don't mind me jumping in here! I was reading through some old posts. Here is my problem that I was hoping to get some advice on....

DD is 10 weeks old and I will be going back to work in 3 weeks. I am really nervous about how the pumping thing is going to work out.

I am trying to get the boobs prepared for what is to come and maybe built up a supply to stash along the way. I am a one sider when actually bf the lo. So here is the schedule I was thinking of establishing...

When I go to work and have to pump I will be pumping both breasts. So while I'm here at home should I just pump the other breast that she doesn't feed on at my 6,9,12,3, and 6 feedings?

I am so confused and feel like this is a stupid question.

[MJMom]

That is a great plan.  You get more when you pump when she is on the other side, and that way you can kick up production on the other side!!

Good luck!!!