Exclusive pumping

[mummy_smurf2b]

Hi everyone,

I'm lookin for a bit of advise, I'm currently 25week almost 26 so wanting to start getting things ready for baby.
Iv decided I want to exclusively pump or a mix of breast and bottle (bottle mostly when I would be out) but if I ended up deciding bottle only then how would you go about the 1st few feeds, formula or pump some milk prior to labour around week 38?

 

[Bittersweet]

They say you shouldn’t pump unless you want to induce labour before birth not sure exactly why think it sends some message to your body to begin labour or it can do. The first few days it might be really hard to express because it’s only colostrumz around day 5 when your milk fully comes in it is easier but it’s alsp then important you don’t over express as thennyou can become engorged or at risk of mastitis.

 

[Bonnie11]

You won't be able to pump any milk before birth, your body will only produce colostrum till baby is born, milk starts about day 3ish. You can try to express some colostrum before if you want and then start pumping when your milk comes in. To be honest pumping exclusively from the beginning is tricky, it's not as easy as breast feeding and then moving on to pumping as baby is best at getting your milk going. You would need to make a plan for pumping with your lactation consultant is probably your best bet, I think you would be pumping every 2-3 hours for the first few weeks which can be quite hard on you and keeping up with baby's demands might be tricky but maybe combination feeding, half formula and half breast, in the beginning might be easier till you get going with the pumping. Personally I would breastfeeding for the first week or two and up your pumping while you're still feeding and then switch over to exclusive pumping. But to maintain your supply you will need to likely pump every 3 hours for a good few months to keep up which is why combo feeding might be easier. I would def speak to a lactation consultant as they will have a ton of advice for youandbe able to make a plan for you and if you over pump initially you can get engorged and end up with mastitis so it's important to do it with some kind of supervision x

 

[BrendaJ]

Hello, I may be of some help and offer some insight on this subject as I have been able to successfully pump; or at the very least I’m able to offer some encouragement!

Firstly my daughter is 9 weeks old.

At the hospital I combo fed formula and breast. I did not pump before I had my baby and only began pumping when my milk supply came in 3 days after her birth. I did offer a bottle of formula here and there at the beginning when I felt overwhelmed, but I still pumped my milk even when I offered formula so that my body could adjust to her feeding schedule. In other words, I pumped every time she ate or shortly thereafter. I currently pump every 3 hours and rarely when busy I’ve gone 4-5 hours. Again, that’s very rare as by then you’ll be really uncomfortable, but it happens, especially at night when exhaustion sets in. This brings me to my next point, I pump around the clock!! Every 3-4 hrs even at night. It’s very important you do this if you want a good milk supply! It’s tiring but well worth the sacrifice !

This helped establish my milk supply as I mentioned earlier and now I have a very nice milk stash. I rarely offer formula as my milk is plentiful. It’s great not having to buy formula, as I have formula fed my first baby and know the costs. Best of luck on your breastfeeding, pumping journey!!

 

[noon_child]

You can hand express colostrum while pregnant as long as you aren't at risk of early labour. Ask your medical professional when it is safe to do so. Having syringes with frozen colostrum can be very reassuring if you are worried that breastfeeding wont go to plan as you know baby is getting their digestive tract lined with all the good bacteria. Babies want small amounts often so you may not need any formula if you do manage to hand express colostrum and feed directly from your breasts. Bottle feeding colostrum is not recommended as it is thick which means it sticks to the bottle and teat. Also artificial teats can cause preference for bottles which can make establishing breastfeeding really hard.