"Casual" pumping questions

I EPed with DD and the only thing I know is 'round the clock pumping every 2-3 hours, never skipping a session in fear of messing up my supply.

DS is two weeks old and I've been committed to nursing and so far, so good, but I daydream of allowing DH to feed him a bottle once in awhile or going to run an errand and leaving DS behind. I read that I should wait until 3 weeks to introduce a bottle, but I can't find answers to so many other questions I have.

1. When should I be pumping? DS is constantly eating, I fear pumping away milk that he'll need an hour later.
2. Can I just pump here and there on some days or do I have to be consistent about this schedule?
3. On the day he gets a bottle, should I make sure to add in a pump session to not ruin my supply? Does it matter what time of day I add in the session?

Thanks!

Re: "Casual" pumping questions

Congratulations on the new baby!
1- Lots of people say right after the first nursing session is a good time to pump. I usually did mid-morning while baby was napping when I was home with DC.
2- You can pump here and there. You would get more on a consistent basis if you pump at a dedicated time though, and it might help to do it regularly if you find that you aren't getting enough.
3- If it is only once in a while, I wouldn't worry about it. But you may find you are engorged, so you may want to pump.
HTH!

Re: "Casual" pumping questions

I was definitely no more than a casual pumper, lol. I did it 2-3 times a week at the most. I would pump 30-60 minutes after her first nursing session so that I knew I should have an hour before she nursed again. Worse that can happen is the baby is unsatisfied and you give the milk you just pumped. That only happened to me once and it was the first time DD actually accepted a bottle so I'm glad it did!

I'm sure if I was more consistent about doing it daily I would have gotten more but I usually pumped 3-4 ounces and DD drank 5 when she took a bottle. I was always stressed about missing a nursing session so she didn't get too many bottles and it worked out fine for us.

I usually did pump on days I knew I was giving her a bottle but not always. I definitely wouldn't stress about missing a feeding. Your body is constantly adjusting to the demands of your LO.

Re: "Casual" pumping questions

Ok I am going to try to help…I remember feeling the EXACT same way you did!

1. When should I be pumping? - What I did was pump right after DD's feedings..did this for 1-2 days. It was a lot of work and I would only get .5-1oz after she ate but after 2 days it added up to 3 ounces and was enough to give to her in a bottle. Once we gave that bottle I would try to pump and replace it. After a few weeks of doing this on and off, I had about 20 oz in the freezer. Sometimes I could not pump to replace - there just wasnt time because I was out for 3 hours or whatever. So I just BF and that was that. My supply was ok but I did not make a habit of it, esp in the beginning! OK also DD also used to sleep very long. I remember I would stare at her and wonder if I should pump. So a few times I did pump and was able to stash that and just bf her when she got up.


2. Can I just pump here and there on some days or do I have to be consistent about this schedule? - Another good idea is to try and pump in the morning after his first feed. I always found I had a lot of milk then but I was too tired and too lazy to pump. However I had a friend who would religiously pump after her morning feed and that is how she started a stash. So if your DS sleeps from 3-6am, pump right after the 6am feeding. you can do it every day or every other! If you are awake and feel devoted to start a stash then go for it!

3. On the day he gets a bottle, should I make sure to add in a pump session to not ruin my supply? Does it matter what time of day I add in the session? - I would try to pump as soon as you get home or right after his bottle, unless he is due for a feeding. Again I did not make a habit of missing a session, esp in the first 8 weeks. I feel like that is when you really establish your supply! So if I wanted to get out I would shower and get all ready. Then I would BF DD And leave. After 2-3 hours she would get a bottle and I would be home right after that so I would pump!

Also side note - if you are feeding him 8-10x a day and one day you happen to only get in 7-8x I think you will be fine! But I would not do that every day…maybe 1x a week. That is what I did at least! But again my DD slept alot so she was eating 8x a day even as a newborn!