Pumping advice - I'm a naughty breast feeder I know

[knk2011]

I just gave Reuben his first bottle of breast milk. I loved it. It felt so much more comfortable for me.

My questions are, am I meant to pump both breasts in one go?

Also, he didn't finish the bottle, am I right in thinking I can leave it on the side for a few hours to use later, and then fridge for a couple days?

 

[Hannah11]

I have been pumping since Arthur was born as I have been having latching on issues. Depending on how much milk u have you need to pump every 2-3 hours to keep supply up. Also between 2am-5am I believe as this is when milk production is at its highest. Good luck it is very time consuming. I am the other way to you and am desperately trying to get him to BF we are getting there slowly but if its not going any better this time next week u shall try and pump exclusivly or even go on to formula. A double

 

[knk2011]

I have been pumping since Arthur was born as I have been having latching on issues. Depending on how much milk u have you need to pump every 2-3 hours to keep supply up. Also between 2am-5am I believe as this is when milk production is at its highest. Good luck it is very time consuming. I am the other way to you and am desperately trying to get him to BF we are getting there slowly but if its not going any better this time next week u shall try and pump exclusivly or even go on to formula. A double

How did you build up a supply of bottled milk?
It seems as though every time Reuben wants feeding I only have one bottle ready and by time I have another ready, he wants that one too.

Think I might need to combine breast and bottle for a while?

 

[optimistic1]

If its a freshly made bottle it can stay good in room temp for about 6-8 hours then you can refrigerate for up to 6-8 days then freeze up to like 6-7 months.

Idk nothing about the routine ive only ever pumped the occasional bottle..

 

[Katteh]

If you give him a bottle, you can't keep it beyond a few hours at room temperature, it's better to put just a couple of oz in the bottle and top it up if he finishes it otherwise you will end up with wastage.

When you pump, you need to keep pumping for 10 mins or so after the milk has stopped flowing and that will encourage your body to make more milk, then gradually you'll be able to build up more of a supply. Your body has only needed to make enough for your baby before, so you can't expect it to start creating more without additional stimulation.

 

[Angelica]

You cant put a bottle back in the fridge ince baby has drunk frim it but its ok to leave out & re use up until 2 hours after.
Read this on breastfeeding network site

 

[knk2011]

Hmm, I am wondering if it would make more sense to pump the occasional bottle so that when we go out I have a bottle ready - I'm an awful public feeder.

Do you think this is doable? He seems to switch between breast and bottle just fine.

 

[TheNewMrs]

Hmm, I am wondering if it would make more sense to pump the occasional bottle so that when we go out I have a bottle ready - I'm an awful public feeder.

Do you think this is doable? He seems to switch between breast and bottle just fine.

Absolutely. Lots of Mums bf from tap at home and bottle feed out and about.

Breastmilk can stay 5 days at the back of a very cold fridge. -not in the door, not at the front.

Breastmilk that has been warmed up cannot be refrigerated again.
Breastmilk that has been at room temp can be used for up to 5 hours as long as it hasn't been refrigerated or warmed.

Warmed, refrigerated milk must be disposed of within 2 hours.

It is always best to use milk in 2oz measures at this stage to learn how much milk your baby is taking per feed. If feeding from a bottle out and about make sure to express every 3 hours at least.

Hope this helps.

 

[Fortune Cooki]

I started introducing the bottle at 3 weeks so DH could feed LO. It is nice for the times when I need to nap and DH can take care of her. However, if I'm feeding her I just give her the boob. Even though I've suffered from a lot of nipple pain, it has gotten better and the boob is just way more convenient. When I'm out and about I have LO in a carrier (Ergo) and she can feed from the boob any time she wants. I've always loved multi-tasking, so being hands free is nice. Dealing with bottles is just a pain in my rear. That being said though, I think it's good to have a baby who doesn't mind bottles and doesn't have nipple confusion, because you can let others feed LO. My parents started feeding her at 4 weeks and she just accepts anyone who has food. LOL. So it's nice for me since I can get some sleep in.

 

[knk2011]

I started introducing the bottle at 3 weeks so DH could feed LO. It is nice for the times when I need to nap and DH can take care of her. However, if I'm feeding her I just give her the boob. Even though I've suffered from a lot of nipple pain, it has gotten better and the boob is just way more convenient. When I'm out and about I have LO in a carrier (Ergo) and she can feed from the boob any time she wants. I've always loved multi-tasking, so being hands free is nice. Dealing with bottles is just a pain in my rear. That being said though, I think it's good to have a baby who doesn't mind bottles and doesn't have nipple confusion, because you can let others feed LO. My parents started feeding her at 4 weeks and she just accepts anyone who has food. LOL. So it's nice for me since I can get some sleep in.

This is what I want! A nice long uninterrupted nap lol!

 

[firsttime83]

I pump and bottle feed, plus breast feed. Like the others said, sometimes I need a longer nap or want to go out and about. What I have been doing has worked for us, whatever she drinks from a bottle is the same amount I go pump once I can (minimum). In the morning if she is bottle fed it's usually not nearly as much as I have built up so I get the most milk then and freeze whatever excess I can get.

 

[catty]

I was like this, I breastfed for 3 weeks but knew it wouldnt work for me long term as I cudnt feed in public at all, hated when he wanted fed if I had visitors and felt anxious when we were out and it had been more than an hour just incase he got hungry. I started combi feeding and he took the bottle and breadt no problem at all - it was perfect. As the days went on he realised how easy it was to get milk from the bottle and started rejecting my boob he would claw, scream and become so upset. I gradually stopped breastfeeding and now give him a few bottles of breastmilk a day and the rest formula, im happy with this. Iv had the formula in the house for 13 days now and can get another few days out of it so money wise its good to have a few expressed bottles too. I pump in the morning (takes 15 mins whilst eating breakfast) lunch time if im not going out and when I am watching tv at night time I squeeze in a bottle or two. Downside is my boobs are like painful rocks by morning. Soo I guess what im trying to say is just because he is combi feeding well at the moment he may srart rejecting the boob so be careful, if your like me and dont mind too much then it should work fine

Also I already had a pretty good supply I can get 4oz every time I pump sometimes more so not sure if you have a small amount of milk or not if so you may have to pump more for this to work