Expressing....

[JadeyB]

Hi there,

I'm finding expressing so difficult mostly in terms of fatigue and tiredness. I feel fatigued at the best of times but as soon as I start expressing I feel 100 time more tired.

Im at the unit most of the day because I'm miles away (plane ride away) from home, friends and family. I don't really have anywhere else to go.

It's lovely being able to be here, but i just feel like I can't think or trying.

I'm struggling to fit my 8-10 pumping sessions in. Usually manage 8 but there have been a couple of 7s. I sleep through my alarms so then feel stressed that I've missed pumping sessions. Although I'm getting a fair amount out, I'm not getting on with the pump that well!

I had a difficult recovery, 2 1/2 weeks bed rest and classical csection.

Anyone with any words of wisdom? Xxx

 

[25weeker]

It is so hard to try and fit in all the expressing along with trying to rest and visit your baby. Depending on what hospital you are at you get told different information. I was always told to express at least 8 times a day but they didn't have to be evenly split and if I needed to increase my supply then express 10 times for a couple of days.

I was getting very little in the beginning so I increased to 10 times but for the few days I done this I would express every hour for 4 hours then spread the rest out. After a couple of weeks like you I was exhausted so I expressed around midnight every night and then again at 7am so I wasn't getting up during the night. I still would try and express 8 times but just meant I done them closer together during the day and missed the one during the night. I never found it affected my milk and the bf advisor told me if it did just start introducing one around 3am again.

I was no saint expressing and looking back in my diary there were a few times I had only expressed 5 times but I always monitored my total daily output and if my supply started dropping I would work extra hard for a couple of days to increase it.

If I hadn't have allowed myself the flexibility I think I would have given up as it is exhausting but thankfully this worked for me and I was able to breastfeed until my daughter was 2 and self weaned.

Good luck

xx

 

[JadeyB]

Thank you for your reply, that is so reassuring. I'm getting plenty for her at the moment but so worried about future supply.

I'm going to try and relax a little more as I think the stress and fatigue is not helping and I have a constant headache.

I'm confused about how long I should express for?! The flow slows but there is nearly always some coming out?! When should I stop. I'm sometimes sat there for an hour (1/2 hour each side) and then it's almost time to express again!! Aaaarrrgghhh - so tired lol! If I don't laugh about it,I think I may cry... Xxx

 

[25weeker]

Are you using the hospital pumps?

I really recommend using a pump that allows you to double pump as it was a lifesaver for me as it cut the time expressing in half so I was only ever expressing between 20-30 mins. I was extremely lucky with the first NICU I was in who had a breastfeeding advisor and recommended double pumping and was happy to provide the parts to allow double pumping. The expressing room was a great place to meet other mum's and have a chat.

The second neonatal I went had an advisor visited once a week and they would only give you one pack with parts so no one got to double pump. The kit wasn't even in neonatal it was down in post natal and the day my daughter was transferred I had no expressing kit with me and had to ask them for a pack. The neonatal nurse had to go down and practically beg them to give her one for me and explain my situation. I found loads more stressed mum's in my second neonatal which I think is such a shame as the neonatal journey was hard enough.

Don't worry there will come a time you will laugh about it. When I think back to my husband chasing drops of milk to catch it in a syringe when I was hand expressing it still makes me laugh out loud

 

[toothfairyx]

I found the hospital pumps too vicious and preferred a manual, but either way I was very sore for the first few weeks. Using Lansinoh or the Avent cream helped . Also, I think the 8 x a day is peddled by the nurses and doctors on the units - who have most likely NEVER had to do it themselves and it is pretty unrealistic when you are to-ing and fro-ing from the hospital etc. If you think about it, a newborn baby may feed 8 x a day for the first couple of weeks maybe, then will reduce their number of feeds down. So this time I expressed 8 x a day for the first week then 7 for a week then 6 x day then either 5 or 6 depending on whether or not I was able to. My supply was the same at around 700-800mls after the first couple of weeks despite reducing to 5 x a day. And I still managed to produce this with a manual pump although I did start to get RSI by week 10! So my best advice would be, put the 8-10 x effort in for the first few weeks if you can, then you should be able to relax a bit!

 

[angelandbump]

I was expressing every 3 hours for the 1st few weeks but as suggested above, i used the hospital pump and managed to get milk from both breasts at once. My hospital was good in the fact that when i was due to pump, they would get me to interact with baby first just like if i was getting woke up by baby crying then try to get to latch on (he never did, it was mainly for stimulation) then i would pump. It would take me 40 mins a time to be with baby then pump but i would sleep during the day when my LO did. Make sure you are eating enought to support all your body needs.
Also don't worry if your not up every 3 hours religously, if you were at home feeding your baby, i bet only a rare few wake up at set times for feeds.

Just remember you are doing amazing and it is all worth it in the end.

I only managed for 8 weeks but with over milking and freezing milk, my son was bottle fed mummy milk for just under 4 months x

 

[Marleysgirl]

Quick response, I'll write more later.

Double pump
Consider going down to once every 4 hours
Remember that every little counts

 

[Marleysgirl]

I've a little more time to respond now!

I found a double pump a godsend - and the other godsend was a harness bra to hold the breast-shields in place while I pumped! Someone passed theirs onto me, and I passed it on again when I finished expressing. The harness meant that I could do something else whilst pumping - make phone calls to catch up with family, reply to emails, do online shopping. With regards to the double pump, once the Neonatal outreach midwives took away the loan pump, I managed to cobble a double pump from a Medela swing so that I could keep going (but I'd recommend using a proper double pump if you can afford to buy or rent one).

I had a very supportive OH, who would bring me drinks whilst I was pumping; he'd make sure that there was a mug of tea waiting for me when the 3am alarm went off for overnight pumping. He understood that what I was doing was important for our son's health. After we brought Andrew home, he would feed Andrew the EBM by bottle whilst I pumped.

I started 3 days after me c/s and a week later, I was really beating myself up emotionally because I couldn't get more than a few mils. A friendly midwife took me aside and explained that the stress wasn't helping, and suggested that I might be pumping too often for my body/baby as I was trying to maintain a 3hrly schedule. I switched down to a 4hrly schedule and things got much better - I had more time to think, the stress went down, and my milk production went up more than proportionately.

 

[Kywiki]

I have been pumping for 2 1/2 months now and will continue to do it for 9-10 more months. I know how hard it is to pump while visiting your LO in the NICU or when you first bring your LO home. There were days I just didn't want to pump and went 4, 5 and even 6 hours without pumping! Then I felt terrible and my boobs would be so engorged. Things do get better I promise! Is your little one home yet?

Some things that helped me was an app I downloaded that keeps track of my pumping times and amount (it also keeps track of diaper changes, medicine for LO and feedings/amounts). I love the double pump, it's is a time saver! Also once you get into a routine it will help as well. I pump after I feed my son. He gets up every three hours like clockwork day and night. Maybe once or twice a month he will sleep 4 hours (whoo hoo!). At 2-3 in the morning it is so hard to pump instead of going back to bed! So before heading to bed for the night I get all my pump stuff ready. I wash everything I will need for the night and get it all ready and set it on the table next to my pump, so all I have to do is turn the machine on and start pumping! That has really helped as well.

I was told that you should pump every time your LO eats. Also the lactation consultant said to pump 15-20 min at a time. Try massaging your breast while pumping, this helps get all the milk out quicker, so you don't have to sit there for 30 minutes! I start massaging at 10 min and massage each one for about 5 min. Sometimes if I don't feel completely empty I will pump for a little while longer but not more than 30 min.

Hang in there! Breastmilk is the best thing for your little one! Keep up the great job!

 

[25weeker]

I was told that you should pump every time your LO eats. Also the lactation consultant said to pump 15-20 min at a time. Try massaging your breast while pumping, this helps get all the milk out quicker, so you don't have to sit there for 30 minutes! I start massaging at 10 min and massage each one for about 5 min. Sometimes if I don't feel completely empty I will pump for a little while longer but not more than 30 min.

Hang in there! Breastmilk is the best thing for your little one! Keep up the great job!

Just wondering are you expressing and bottle feeding ebm or do you breastfeed and express?

 

[Kywiki]

I pump and bottle feed. I tried getting LO to latch on but he wants nothing to do with it! I have used the nipple shield but didn't have much luck with it. It kept slipping off and he was sucking in to much air.

 

[Kywiki]

Also another thing I do to help keep me awake during the late night pumping is to watch some of my favorite shows I recorded earlier on DVR/TiVo. Plus you can fast forward through the commercials!

 

[Marleysgirl]

Also another thing I do to help keep me awake during the late night pumping is to watch some of my favorite shows I recorded earlier on DVR/TiVo. Plus you can fast forward through the commercials!

I used to watch episodes of The Simpsons off t'internet - 20 minutes pumping time, no problem!

 

[JadeyB]

Thanks girls,

I'm not home yet, I think that adds to the mix.

I'm fortunate to have a little room on the neonatal unit. But I don't have any home comforts and no family or friends close by. My hubby comes over every at the weekend, but he's had to go home to work and look after our 20 month old. We are limited on overnight babysitters.

I think (hoping) once I get home it will be easier.

I just spoke to the breast feeding group here and they told me to express every 3 hours, not 2 hours but to keep it up in the night. Going to see if I find that a little easier, as if I have a bit more of a break in the day I may not be so tired at night?!

She also said to only pump 10 mins on each side. The hospital alone gives you so much conflicting advice. Anyone tried is approach? Is it realistic? Xx

 

[JadeyB]

Thanks girls,

I'm not home yet, I think that adds to the mix.

I'm fortunate to have a little room on the neonatal unit. But I don't have any home comforts and no family or friends close by. My hubby comes over every at the weekend, but he's had to go home to work and look after our 20 month old. We are limited on overnight babysitters.

I think (hoping) once I get home it will be easier.

I just spoke to the breast feeding group here and they told me to express every 3 hours, not 2 hours but to keep it up in the night. Going to see if I find that a little easier, as if I have a bit more of a break in the day I may not be so tired at night?!

She also said to only pump 10 mins on each side. The hospital alone gives you so much conflicting advice. Anyone tried is approach? Is it realistic? Xx

Ps thank you for all the advice, going to try them all if this doesn't help!

Was going to try the last feed at 12 and first at 7am but couldn't stay awake past 10.30pm. Epic fail. Lol! Xx

 

[Kywiki]

I pump every 3 hours day and night. For 15 min, or sometimes 20 if I just don't feel quite empty enough. The lactation consultant said that babies will nurse 15 min on each breast (1/2 hour feeding time total) so I should pump that long. And do not go more than 5 hours of not pumping! It is painful and really messes with your milk production.

 

[nineena]

Hi there , i exclusively expressed for just over 6 months. As others have said if there's facilities there for double pumping with a machine do that it really does make things much easier. I was told initially to pump every 3hrs but not more than 15mins on each side but within a few weeks I was so exhausted and dropped it down to about 6/7 expresses a day. Weirdly i found after about 4 months that the pump stopped getting a large quantity but if i hand expressed with a pump I could get it all out within 10 mins but prior to that the hand pump was more or less useless.

I stopped expressing by 7 months as I found my supply had significantly dwindled and the pain when i did try to express was unbearable however i'd stockpiled enough that Ella was breastfed EBM til she was 11 months old.

Remember ANYTHING that your produce for your lil one is like gold so well done you for doing a brilliant thing for your bubba.

xx