Expecting a Baby in 7 Weeks and Planning to Pump Exclusively

I pumped almost exclusively when I went back to work and I noticed that my supply started to go down after doing so.... I would do everything possible to keep up a good supply.

Hi T.,
I am a mother of 2- a 4 1/2 yr old daughtr and a 3 year old son. I was so excited to read a little something in common with someone...
I also breastfed and It is easier the second time cuz you already have some experience. You do not go through the soreness(at feedings cuz they've already been there) as much although you will have strong uterus contracting pangs. I was told that right in the hospital and they initiated some pain meds to help. I am also a child care provider in an infant room. I have had many moms continue breastfeeding through support of they're jobs-providing obvious need to pump. You can do it!! At home just make sure you set up your daughter with whatever might help her keep busy before you sit with some water and nurse your newborn. although she is probably very independent at this age. My daughter was 16 mths when my 2nd was born...oops birth control was waiting at CVS!! good luck L. H.

I am a stay at home mom with four children. My last one is now 6 months old. The disicion to stay home came with me finding out I was pregnant. I tried brestfeeding my first and couldn't handle it, I gave up after 3 weeks. With my second two I never gave it a thought and went straight to formula. With this last one I knew money would be tight and if I could breastfeed then why not. I origanally wanted to pump exclusively but thought when it came down to being in the hospital brestfeeding would be easier. This one took to it a lot faster then the first. I would breastfeed and pump in between. When it came down to it, it was easier to pump and bottle feed to that is what I did. To get to answering your question, my advice would be, be dilegent. I had all the mil coming in and I would get tons. As the weeks and months went by I would say oh I don't have time for this pumping I'll catch up later. Well that caught up to me and before I knew it there wasn't much coming. I tried everything for it to come back but couldn't produce enough. But I do know that I have given my son the best for 6 months. The rest formula will have to do. Hope this helps! Good luck.

Congratulations !

I am a Mom of 2 a 4 year old girl and a 21 month old boy. Both were breastfeed and I pumped but not exclusively. It definitly can be done, I know Mom's who have done it. I personally felt like it was more work for me, adding another step into the feeding process. First pump and then feed. I could never get enough to store up on a regular basis to be ahead of it. I also felt like the pump caused me more pain then the breastfeeding.I went back to work after my 12 week maternity and my comapny has a room for nursing Mom's to pump when needed. It made it possible for me to continue to nurse for the full year. Its such a personal choice and you have to do what is right for you AND your family. Once you establish your routine it will all fall into place no matter how you do it. I commend you for wanting to breastfeed exclusivly even though your first time wasnt easy, a lot of Mom's might not even give it a second chance. So you should be proud.

This is only my story and I know everyones is different. I will say that I was able to rent a pump for free, a hospital grade pump, through a company called Cambridge Medical. My insurance was Blue cross blue sheild of MA. I got a perscription from my OB faxed it to them and gave them my insurance info. I am not sure where your located but you might want to look into that. I only had to buy the kit for the pump with the tubes and bottles etc.

Best of luck to you and your family!!

Hi- congratulations on the impending arrival of your baby boy! That is great that you plan to provide your new baby with breastmilk, it really is best. Have you ever pumped? or own a pump? Luckily, I was able to get a pump via prescription from my baby's pediatrician- that was convenient and saved a lot of money. So if you don't have one, I recommend trying that (but I got it a week after my baby was born so if you need something sooner, you might have to get one beforehand). I pumped while on maternity leave to start my baby on the occasional bottle (and to prepare when I had to return to work). It was great at work (it keeps up my milk supply- but I recommend doing it often- it is easy to skip it, but since it isn't as efficient as baby nursing, I think you need to do it more often), but not that convenient at home- (my baby would want to feed and I would have to wait until I was done pumping)! I often used a small medela handpump, which was great, and I even could pack it (unassembled in my purse- I have pumped at several weddings, thanks to that little thing!). I had a friend who pumped exclusively throughout her leave, and honestly found it a challenge (she looks back and doesn't know how she did it). She is pregnant with #2 and is really hoping this one latches well and she doens't have to pump. Someone I know even said that during the night when she was pumping, she was so tired she swore she heard the pump "talking" to her (that rhythmical noise)! Personally, I think that having your baby start and establish your milk supply might be a good first step. Then once you are in a routine, use the pump. But a lactation consultant might be best for help with this. I do recommend buying many pump attachments (breastshields)- it was always a chore to wash all the pieces! When I nursed, I suffered horrible latch pain for 3 months, so in one way I know what it is like to wish I was exclusively pumping (it did give me some nice breaks to heal). But I didn't estimate how much I valued nursing time with my baby. The bonding has been amazing. I know my advice is somewhat mixed, but you will figure out what is best! Good Luck.

Hello, Congratulations first and foremost....I am a new mom of 4 month old twins and exclusively pumped for 3 months....well, I had to supplement formula here and there cause it was hard to pump enough at times for 2.

I used the Medela electric pump provided for me at the hospital. Then I rented one from Keene medical supplies in Burlington. You should rent it before you give birth so you are all set. You can buy the packet that goes along with it with all your attachments from them also and bring everything to the hospital with you.I was pretty successful pumping only. I would pump every 2-3 hours for about 10-15 min. and pump enough to feed both most of the time..Just make sure you drink alot of fluids. With one baby you should be fine and may be able to freeze some too. I would check with a lactation consultant and see if you can begin to pump before baby comes..I'm not sure.:o) But just a warning, they will try everything to get you to put them on breast. It was a little overwhelming at times constantly pleading my case.Just stick to what you feel you can do and everything will work out. It was a great decision for me and my family and allowed people to help me feed them during those late night hours. Because I was worried about nipple confusion and them not taking a bottle if I did both. Congratulations again and lots of luck to you.
A. R

Use a hospital grade pump and begin pumping as soon as you feel up to it. Soon after you deliver if possible. I'm currently pumping (exclusively) and feeding 9 week old twins. I pump for 15-20 min. before or after each feeding to build up and maintain my supply. My girls eat every 3 hours. Doing this, on top of feeding both girls, I've been able to freeze 2-5 5oz bags of breast milk every day.

I have 2 kids my first is almost 3 and the second is almost 10 months. I nursed both of them exclusively for the first 5 months. With the first I returned to work and it worked pumping and nursing I was able to continue until I introduced whole milk at 11 months. With the second I didn't go back to work and nursed more mainly b/c it was so much less time consuming. When he was 6 1/2 months old he got teeth and decided to use them! Ouch! Anyway I had no choice but to switch to pumping, and I have to say that since doing that my milk supply had deminished so much. I was able to produce 6-7 ounces at a time and now struggle to get 3-4 ounces. I think it is definately much better for your supply to be able to have the baby nurse, that way they can establish the amount they need as opposed to you trying to establish it with a pump.

You may want to get a "professional" opinion to clarify what I'm about to say, like from your OB/GYN, Lactation Consultant, Midwife/Doula, LeLeche League.... whatever... I have had trouble nursing for my sons whole life (which is only about 5 months) so when I was frustrated with nursing I asked my nurse midwife about pumping only she said pumping alone will only work for 5-8 wks and then you'll start to dry up. Pumping doesn't go as deep as a baby can suck and eventually your supply will dwindle in that time. Also a pump doesn't stimulate the way a baby does and so I was told to let my son suckle for a few minutes (5-10) in addition to each pump session so that my breast would get that natural stimulation absent in pumping. If you're good with prividing breastmilk for only the first 30-45 days, then I guess it won't be an issue.
Perhaps nursing when you are with the baby and pumping when you are away will extend your supply for as long as you choose to give your baby breastmilk. I suppose that's how working moms do it for so long.

Hi T.,

I am also expecting my second in about 6 weeks. I plan to pump and breastfeed. I did both with my first since I went back to work. My suggestion is to be flexible with what you can fit into your schedule. Pumping is great but you need to be able to devote some quiet time to it. I believe that may be challenging with two little ones. If you have not already purchased a pump, talk to your doctor. Some insurance plans cover the cost. I mentioned it to my doctor and one was delievered to my room before I checked out. It was great. The Medela Pump in Style is wonderful. You can pump both breasts at one time, a real time saver. Make sure you have electric, again faster and easier if you need a free hand. Keep in mind that you will have a lot of pieces to clean. This part can be a real pain. The Medela steam cleaning bags are a real life saver. I highly recommend them. The
Lansinoh Breast Milk storage bags are also great. Well, I could go on, but my best recommendation is to be flexible. Your experience will depend greatly on your body and your schedule. Good Luck. Feel free to write back if you have any questions.

I breastfed both my boys. I also breastfed them as well as pumped so as to not have formula at all. I worked full time with a 1.5 hr commute to my work in Boston, for the first one. The second I worked much closer to home and worked part time.
That being said:

When it was the long commute:
I got up in am 1st thing I pumped. got showered, got out of the house then got to work 20 min early, and pumped again before start of work. I then took break at 10am and pumped. Pumped again at lunch time, and to tell you the truth 1/2 the time I just wanted to get home so the afternoon pumping (after the first two months back at work) where on and off. Then nursed as soon as I got home.
Yes a lot of extra work, but worth every second to be able to 'breastfeed exclusivly' and it slowed down and changed as he grew and I just adapted, the above is really only several months

Short Commute:
Pretty much drop a pump in am at work 1st thing, able to do at home. And keep to the schedule and it worked. I did have a harder time the 2nd one but you have more going on with #2 period.

I did achieve the desired result (to have no formula fed babies) so it is possible. A few other important tips;

1. Get a Medelia (sp?)double breast pump.
Pump right into the baby bottles and put the bottles in a fabric cooler, they'll be fine till you get home. (if you don't have a refrg close by) Less clean up too and that is what you send to the daycare as well. I sent what I pumped on Mon I Tues and so on

2. Freeze a days worth at home before you go back to work and then take it out and replace with new after a little while of working. (Good to have back up and you can always add to it)

3. Keep a pic of you little one and that will help with the flow in your in your office and having a hard time stating 'let down'.

4. Remember why you chose to do this, it's not forever but the benefits last a long time!

Good luck and all my best wishes to you and yours!

Hello,
If you're planning to pump exclusively, you'll definitely need to rent a hospital-grade pump. Even something like the Medela Pump in style doesn't have a strong enough motor. That being said, when I had my daughter all of the lactation consultants told me that without actually breastfeeding, I would not be able to build up or maintain my milk supply. This is by no means an attempt to pressure you to breastfeed -- I think everyone needs to do what is best for them -- but I don't want you to be disappointed if exclusively pumping doesn't work out and you have to go to formula. Ultimately, you have to do whatever is right for you. Best of luck to you, on congratulations on your son!

I think that having practice in sucessful breastfeeding will really help. I exclusivly pumped for seven weeks for my one and only, since he could not / would not latch. It was really hard at first to come up with a rhythm and I felt like I was glued to the house to pump every two to three hours. Everything I read said I needed to pump at least eight times a day to get my supply up. But hopefully you will be able to mimic what you remember from the early days with your daughter. The hospital was great (Womens and Infants). They brought a pump to my room and I pumped there.

well, i breastfed both my children exclusively.I went back to work nursed during the day and pumped at work. my son went on a nursing strike for a week, and in that week of just exclusively pumping-to make up at feedings i could not produce the amount he needed after about 7 days. i was only producing about 2-3 oz, he was eating about 6oz and i had the big medela pump. its always worth the try though.

I wanted to pump with number with my babies for similar reasons, but found I just couldn't. Baby one: the milk won't come and I gave up trying after many tears. I didn't want to give her formula at first and then when I tried she wouldn't take the bottle.

My midwife said I tried to start pumping too late, so with baby two, I started trying on day one, but my milk supply and the baby syncronised so quickly that there wasn't really any excess supply. I tried hospital pumps, looking at the baby, warm towls, etc.,etc. The milk just would not come out, except when he was breast feeding. I was really tired dealing with him, a two year toddler and a husband away from home most of the time and maybe that had something to do with it. midwife said , that's just how it is for some people.

So, start early (earlier than 3 weeks if you can), try all the tricks you can to get your milk to flow, get help from a professional if you can and use the best pump you can afford. But, the moral of the story is: don't feel bad if it doesn't work out the way you want. Sometimes it doesn't and it is not your fault. In that case, breast feed for as long as you are able, then put the baby on formula and DON'T feel guilty about it. My baby two turned out to be allergic to milk, so the 10pm formula feed I gave him to get him used to the bottle (so I could give up breast feeding)turned out to be a disaster. He is still on Soya milk at age 6.

Good luck, what ever happens.

Hi, I had to exclusively pump as my son never latched well. I must say it is the hardest thing I've ever done. to estabblish a supply you have to pump every 2 hours and you still obviously have to feed your baby too and wash bottles. I found a great support network on ivillage.com they have a board for mom who are exclusively pumping. make sure you have a good quality double electric pump. you may even want to rent a hospital grade pump from the hospital. It is a big commitment but if your prepared and have a good support network it can be done. good luck!

Coming from someone who has pumped out of necessity:

Can I ask why you think pumping will be easier?

Quite honestly, it's a LOT more work. Not only do you have to spend time you could spend doing other things attached to the pump, the pump is just not as efficient as a baby. If you aren't nursing, you are going to have big supply problems. The pump is a poor second to a baby's suckling.

Pumping is absolutely exhausting. I see you work full time. Assuming you plan to return to work, I strongly, strongly, strongly recommend that you plan to breastfeed when you're home, and pump when you're not.

Get a good pump (like a Medela Pump-in-Style) for work. And also a hands free pumping bra!

I had a horrible time breastfeedidng my son and my daughter who is 2 weeks old wasn't gaining weight by me breastfeeding. I was able to get a pump threw my insurance and plan on using it all the time to give her breastmilk, and give her formula when needed. You have to do what is best for you and if you're more comfortable pumping and knowing how much she is getting at each feeding then go for it.
After having all the trouble with my son and it starting again with my daughter I plan on pumping all the time too. Don't let anyone try to "bully" you into doing something that you don't want to do. My ped. even said breastfeeding isn't for everyone and that there are other ways to make sure you child is getting everything he needs.
As far as the hospital goes they might try to make you breastfeed to get the milk production going but if yuo pack your pump with you they can't really tell you what to do. It could actually benefit you because you could pump and then have them feed the baby so yo ucan get some extra rest.
good luck with your new baby

I can't say I only pumped, but I pumped A LOT. I was home the first three months. At about 6-8 weeks, I started to pump, in order to get ready for returning to work full-time. It's been a long time since I did that (our son is now 11 and I'm home most of the time now), but I seem to remember doing it 3-4 times a day. It gave us plenty to freeze for night feedings by my husband. And it got our son used to using a bottle at various times of the day, in preparation for daycare.

I also breastfed at various times throughout the day--first thing in the morning and in the evening, once I returned from work. That little boy had NO shortage of mommy's milk, that's for sure!

Once I returned to work, I was fortunate to be employed by a company that had a medical room where I could have some privacy for pumping and had a sink right there for cleanup. I also had a boss who was understanding and let me pump during my breaks. So, I pumped mid-morning, at lunchtime, and mid-afternoon while at work. I got to be a pro at doing it and cleaning up in just 15 minutes!

It got to the point where we ran out of freezer space for all of my little milk packs. When the daycare said they had plenty of freezer space there, I brought a paper grocery bag, filled to the top edge, of freezers packs to them for our son to have whenever he needed it. They joked with me that I was producing buttermilk for him!

FYI--Buy the plastic liners for baby bottles (Playtex or whatever), if they still exist. They're a lot cheaper than the Medela ones, they are sturdy, and they won't break. I would just fill them with enough room at the top (4-6 oz?), fold it down a few times, and then tape the top. Then I laid them flat in the freezer so they would stack easily.

Anyway, the point is, pumping worked great for us. I did a mixture of in-person breastfeeding and pumping. It gave us a lot of flexibility. Others were able to feed him and to have the closeness of doing so. If we were at my in-laws, who were a little squeamish about breastfeeding, I had options if I wanted to be part of the conversations and still feed our son. (They subsequently got over some of the squeamishness because I was able to be discreet with a blanket. I'm very comfortable with breastfeeding, but was respectful of those who were a little freaked out with it.)

I even had to go to England for work for a couple weeks and pumped while there to keep my milk flowing. I just dumped it, but at least it helped me to not dry up. Although, I must admit that our son decided to wean himself shortly after that, just shy of being one year old.

I can't say enough good things about the Medela In Style double breast pump that I used. It was a nice leather case, compact, and very easy to use. My only regret it that I didn't have it from the very start when he was born. I was so engorged at the beginning that it would have been a great relief!

Best of luck in your pumping endeavor!

P.S. In the beginning we were so lame about breastfeeding. We had more arguments about the right way to do it...it was actually comical, in retrospect. It was also very painful in the beginning...I thought I'd never get the hang of it. But we figured it out and I learned to like it. I have many fond memories of me sitting in a green leather chair that used to be my husband's grandfather's chair. It rocks and was wide enough to comfortably place a pillow on my lap for our son to lie on as he nursed. I used to do verbal letters on tape to our son while he nursed so that he'd have some fun stories to listen to when he got older. We have him cooing and gurgling at times! Personally, I hope you'll do some regular breastfeeding, too, to build your own special memories. But not everyone is able to, and of course, that is entirely your decision.

Enjoy!

Hi, I gave up on nursing and pumped exclusively with my first because it was so painful. At first I did it every three to four hours during the day but eventually scaled back to four times a day. When I did pump, I would go for 25-30 minutes and was getting 12-16 oz. I was able to not only keep my son happy but I stored up about a months worth of milk in the freezer. I was lucky enough to work for a company that had a lactation room so I could continue pumping when I went back to work. Best of luck!
B.

I had a very difficult time pumping with my second when i went back to work. After a check up which had her barely on the growth chart i had to suppliment with formula. My doctor told me that its very difficult to pump the ammount of milk a baby needs. I was nursing her when i was home and it seemed like she was wanting it every hour! Good luck and just be carefull...you may need to settle for doing both.

I had to pump exclusively with my daughter because she never latched on right. So, from 1 week old until a little after a year old I pumped. The most important advice I can give is to invest in a GOOD pump! I bought a Medela double and it worked wonderful and wasn't painful either. Plus, you can pump quicker with it too! I believe it took me about 20 minutes. Also, just like with breastfeedng try to stick to a schedule so that your body can produce enough and all. Good Luck!

Hi - you CAN do it - I did it for 14 months with my first - but it wasn't easy, that's for sure. I rented a pump from the hospital - I had the Medela pump in style at home and it was good enough for traveling but not good enough for the every day. I did get a car adapter and while I could not pump and drive I could pump while my husband drove and it saved a lot of time. Because bottom line, it gets very old, very fast to pump as often as your baby eats and at least for awhile that's what you have to do. I would have the most milk during the early hours of the morning (like 5 am) and I would have to wake up even when she was still sleeping to pump so as not to lose that one since it provided enough milk for two feedings and the other sessions only provided one.
Also - keep in mind that pumping and feeding takes at least twice as long - you have to do all the pumping stuff (and cleaning and all of that) and you still haven't fed the baby! So if you CAN breastfeed some (I couldn't) I HIGHLY recommend it. Also it is so much harder to tend to an older child when you are attached to a pump. And lastly, there are certain benefits that your baby only gets from actual mouth/breast contact - such as "transfer" which is when there are germs in the environment your baby actual passes them to you through the mouth/breast contact, then your body develops the antibodies to them, and passes them back through the milk. Just something to think about - regardless you are doing the right thing by giving the baby only breastmilk. With my second I did a combination and it was so much easier. Good luck!

I would check with a lactation consultant to get an idea of your chances of success. It seems like in the reading I have done about breast feeding it might be hard to keep up your supply if the baby never nurses. I pumped during the day for my first son when I went back to work and started getting less and less milk as time went on. I hope it works for you and an curious to read what others have said.