Breastfeeding and pumping

DD Is almost 3 weeks old. I am exclusively breastfeeding right now but I need to pump and introduce a bottle bc I'm heading back to work in a few weeks.

When the heck did you have time to pump? I feel like she's eating all the time! I can't figure out a time to squeeze in a pumping session.

How did you guys do it?

TIA!

Breastfeeding and pumping

I started pumping around 4 weeks and always did it after her first morning feeding. She slept pretty well at night at that point so she took a good feeding that usually held her for a while and gave me time to pump. Also, supply is typically highest in the morning so it's a good time to pump.

Re: Breastfeeding and pumping

It's hard to pump in the beginning because like you said, they eat all the time! My DS is 12 weeks and I really didn't pump as much as I intended before going back to work because there really wasn't a lot of time and I felt like my body was trying to regulate how much milk to make without getting engorged.

I find pumping in the morning is the best though. I only pumped once a day before going back to work, and that stash along with what I now pump at work has given me a nice freezer stash because I produce more milk during the day at work than DS currently consumes while he's away from me. Just start small with pumping once a day- especially when you feel engorged. You will see how quick your freezer stash will build. Good luck, you're doing a great job!

Breastfeeding and pumping

I usually pumped right after his morning feeding. In the beginning I wouldn't get much but slowly I got more and more.

Having a little bit if a back up is definitely a good idea. Most days I pump exactly what DS consumes; some days ( like today when ds was up all night) I do not.

Message edited 9/22/2014 8:28:24 PM.

Breastfeeding and pumping

I would feed her, make sure DH could help keep her calm, and pump for no more than 10 minutes at a time, and the majority of it went to the freezer.

I went back at 6 weeks and was a bit worried too, but someone reminded me that once you start working you'll basically use what you pump at work for the following day..so while it's good to have milk saved, you really only need to make sure you can get enough for the next day.

Now, I generally only pump once at work (I'm gone for 6 hours), and sometimes once in the morning. Weekends/days off I do one quick 5-10 minute pump in the morning when she's still sleeping and throw it in the freezer

Breastfeeding and pumping

Literally there were times when she was nursing on one book and I was pumping the other one!

Re: Breastfeeding and pumping

It's tough to start pumping so early because, like you said, baby is always on the boob. But if you have to go back to work so soon you have little choice. Unless you will be gone days in a row for business trips, you only really need a daycare day's worth of milk stashed and then you pump each work day for the following day. Once my LO started giving me longer stretches at night from like 7-1am, I added in an evening pump around 10pm. I actually kept this up for many months just to make sure I always had enough to replace the day's feedings.

Re: Breastfeeding and pumping

DS is 5 weeks old - so I've had very limited experience but I try and get in one pumping session in the morning. Usually it's after he goes down for the morning nap, and he's been fed, I then pump. During the day, I haven't been able to do.