Help needed from a newbie to be... How frequent pumping/nursing in first two months?

[qwerty310]

Hi ladies,

I know I am putting cart before the horse but I need some advice from women who are gng through this.

I'm currently pregnant and need to plan a course that I am teaching 4 weeks after my due date. This is my first baby so I have no clue... Sorry!

It is luckily only a month long that I will be teaching. I have to decide this week if it should be twice a week for 3h 15min or three times a week for 2 h and 15 min. I want to avoid this being a problem for breast feeding and pumping as much as possible. I really want to breast feed at least for a year and worry if I am gone so soon away from baby, even for a few hours, that it will affect my supply.
Would you advise twice a week a bit longer? Or three times a week a bit shorter? Hw long can you go between pumping or nursing?

Thank you!!!

 

[fieryphoenix]

I'd do three times a week, 2.25 hours. If you really have to do it. I personally was in no shape to be doing extra stuff a month in, when my lo was that young he had no schedule and was all over the map in terms of how often/long he would nurse for. I definitely wasn't together enough to be pumping

 

[seaweed eater]

Definitely 3x a week and shorter. Even 2.25 hr is a long time between feeds at that age. And it will actually be longer than that since you count from the start of a feed/pumping session -- probably closer to 3 hours.

Standard advice is not to pump until 4-6 weeks but I actually would start as soon as you are able. And freeze what you pump instead of feeding it to LO; it should be extra. Starting off with a bit of an oversupply may be a good idea in your situation as long as you can pump the extra every day. And make sure to wear pads in your bra when you teach!!

 

[kassiaethne]

I had to pump in the beginning to build up my supply because my LO wasn't latching and I was making very little milk. I had to pump every 2 hours to get the supply up. My LO has only recently started eating and latching well 3 days ago and able to feed from me exclusively.

I don't know about the teaching, depends on your LO, mine sleeps like the dead and for long periods of time (I have to wake him up every 3-4 hours sometimes because he'll just sleep through a feeding if I let him) Other's I've heard are up up up. I agree with pumping first thing to get a stash going. I would also think about the every 2 hours in the beginning so you can build a good stash for when you're away (but that depends on when you're milk comes in, if it's not that much so you can't build a supply after feeding LO or not. some women start off with lots and some like me couldn't fill a thimble)

Downside to pumping so much...is you can get an oversupply going like I'm having atm lol. But personally I'd rather have to much then to little. Feel a little meh about spending so much money on some things to help with lactaction now but I will keep em around just incase my supply starts to drop anytime later.

 

[qwerty310]

Thank you for your help. It's certainly not an ideal situation but my husband and I both are losing our jobs in a few months so I won't have maternity leave and this will really help financially. Part of me was thinking oh just do it twice a week so then the rest of the week is undisturbed time with baby... But sounds like shorter more frequent times is the way to go for nursing.

 

[kassiaethne]

Thank you for your help. It's certainly not an ideal situation but my husband and I both are losing our jobs in a few months so I won't have maternity leave and this will really help financially. Part of me was thinking oh just do it twice a week so then the rest of the week is undisturbed time with baby... But sounds like shorter more frequent times is the way to go for nursing.

honestly I am kinda against the grain on that one. I'd just do the two days a little longer, your'e gone anyways and someone is there to feed your LO anyways. and one feed is one feed. regardless if you're there 2.5 hours or 3 hours. I'd make the feeding halfway through when you're gone so you can gain 4-6 hours. you can feed right before you leave, so there is 2-3 hours, then they feed him, and you gain another 2-3 hours to get home to feed when you get home. (rather then having them feed him when you leave, then you only have 2-3 hours to be gone till the next feed)

that way you only have 2 days to be gone and you get to spend the whole third day with your son instead of having to be away from him for that day.

 

[NoodleSnack]

if your baby feeds from a bottle i would choose 2 days, but if you want to feed from the breast, choose the shorter time period. Be aware that some baby refuses bottle, so make sure you get yours used to it if you plan to bottle feed.