The ins and outs of exclusively expressing

[Emerald87]

I pump 20oz every morning, usually after LO has had her feed. The rest of the day isn't nearly as impressive lol

 

[Emerald87]

Pumped again and it was a disappointingly low amount, but then I realized I didn't eat a very good dinner. Less calories in = less milk. Tomorrow I need to be sure and eat!!

Always the same for me. I haven't eaten today and my boobies don't feel very full. Time for lunch!!

 

[LilMrs224]

I'm kind of frustrated. I just had a really disappointing pumping session. Only 2oz out of rightie (normally get 3+) and just 1.25oz out of leftie (closer to normal, usually get 1.5-2). Then I managed to knock the bottle from the right side off the coffee table, spill all over the couch, the floor, the coffee table, and my rented hospital pump. At that moment, DH came home from work. Fun.

first time i spilt a pumped bottle of milk i cried! literally sat there and cried even though i had more then enough to feed LO. Actually come to think of it i have cried every time i have spilt some milk or leaked every where lol

 

[DragonflyWing]

I wish I had that kind of supply! The most I can get in a session is maybe 9oz. I believe I only get about 34 oz a day. I just started adding it up over the day. This is not enough to feed the girls. That's pumping every 2-3 hours as well. Any advice on how to increase my supply? It probably doesn't help that I've already started getting af.

I decimated my supply back in February by being lazy and only pumping 4 times a day for about a week...went from 60oz a day to 30 . I actually had to break into my freezer stash because I ran out of milk for the babies! I got it back by sticking to a strict schedule pumping every 4 hours (My work schedule doesn't allow more than 6 sessions a day), plus I started taking fenugreek and eating oatmeal every morning. It took about a month, but I've gotten back up to 50 oz a day. I only take the fenugreek occasionally now, and it doesn't seem to drop my supply when I don't take it. I still eat oatmeal every day, but that's more because I developed a taste for it than for it's galactogogue properties . Sometimes at my last pump before bed, I wait 10 minutes and pump again, and I usually get another 1-2 oz. I think that helped my supply, too.

I got AF back 6 weeks after the twins were born, and again 4 weeks after that. It sucks! I wish it would have stayed away until I stopped BFing.

Oh, and that issue I had a few days ago with low supply on one side seems to have been a fluke...everything is back to normal now.

 

[beautifulpack]

Happy pumping ladies!! 6 1/2 months and counting....Sometimes, I want to give up!!! But, I've been doing it for so long, dont know what life would be like when I finally do stop LOL

 

[alaskagrown]

Happy pumping ladies!! 6 1/2 months and counting....Sometimes, I want to give up!!! But, I've been doing it for so long, dont know what life would be like when I finally do stop LOL

CONGRATS!


I'm at the 11-month mark and am beginning the weaning process. I should hopefully be close to done by 12 months....and can I tell you the weaning process is WONDERFUL!?!?!??! I feel like the pump is my "ball and chains" and I'm finally breaking free :')

 

[Emerald87]

Happy pumping ladies!! 6 1/2 months and counting....Sometimes, I want to give up!!! But, I've been doing it for so long, dont know what life would be like when I finally do stop LOL

Happy pumping ladies!! 6 1/2 months and counting....Sometimes, I want to give up!!! But, I've been doing it for so long, dont know what life would be like when I finally do stop LOL

CONGRATS!


I'm at the 11-month mark and am beginning the weaning process. I should hopefully be close to done by 12 months....and can I tell you the weaning process is WONDERFUL!?!?!??! I feel like the pump is my "ball and chains" and I'm finally breaking free :')

Congrats to BOTH of you!!

Wow, Alaska, almost 12 months of being tethered. Hats off, lovely! I am coming up to my 6 month milestone and I'm so proud of myself. Those initial few weeks/months were killer and I honestly NEVER thought I would get this far. While I'm not EP'ing, I'm still pumping 5 times a day, so essentially I feel like I'm pumping full time plus BF'ing. Needless to say, time to myself is minimal lol. However I need to do it so I have enough milk for when I go back to uni.

How did you go applying for your world record?

 

[Cherrybump]

Hey ladies, Pretty much a newbie here lol.

My lo will be 2 weeks tomorrow. I breastfed her the first day but i couldnt get her to latch on right and had a melt down so i choose formula but then day 3 my milk supply came in and my midwife said i could express aswell.

I started off pumping once a day because i had a manual pump and i was pumping for at least half hour each boob and my had was pretty sore. I just bought a electric pump on monday there and have so far start pumping little more each day. ive gone from having 4oz on tuesday to nearly 8oz today so far. First pump of the day i get 2oz out of each boob and the 1oz from each everytime after. sometimes like bit more.

My health vistor told me to try again with get paige onto the boob. so i got some nipple shields and so far today she latch a little better than she had done yesterday without the shield. but she doesnt last that long before pulling of and fussing over.

Anyways i just thought id pop in a leave a little comment (sorry for the story) hopefully i dont give up to easily lol xxxx

 

[Noelle610]

Happy pumping ladies!! 6 1/2 months and counting....Sometimes, I want to give up!!! But, I've been doing it for so long, dont know what life would be like when I finally do stop LOL

CONGRATS!


I'm at the 11-month mark and am beginning the weaning process. I should hopefully be close to done by 12 months....and can I tell you the weaning process is WONDERFUL!?!?!??! I feel like the pump is my "ball and chains" and I'm finally breaking free :')

You have done such an amazing job alaska!!!!! And you too beautifulpack.

I weaned from the pump at 7 months... While I'm thrilled my baby got breast milk, man is there a new freedom awaiting both of you!

 

[misspriss]

I have gotten waaay off on my pumping schedule and I'm worried my supply will go way down. I am "rooming in" with LO at the hospital to BF him as much as he will take, so he is BF'ing a lot (although he doesn't take much and uses a shield so doesn't stimuate breast as much) but since he spends so much time on the boob, I quit pumping every 3 hours and try and do every 6 hours or so instead. I get really engorged, I have started leaking on the boob LO is not eating on, etc. I get a ton when I pump now as well, since it is less often.

I don't want to lose my supply but I do not have the time or the energy to pump every 3 hours, AND feed LO every 2-3 hours. He takes ~30 to eat, plus changing, temping, and weighing before and after, it takes at least 45 minutes for him to feed, usually closer to an hour. Then pump and wash my pump parts - that takes a good half hour or a little more (takes less time at home, but I'm not at home!).

I just feel so screwed up and off schedule right now.

 

[alaskagrown]

Happy pumping ladies!! 6 1/2 months and counting....Sometimes, I want to give up!!! But, I've been doing it for so long, dont know what life would be like when I finally do stop LOL

Happy pumping ladies!! 6 1/2 months and counting....Sometimes, I want to give up!!! But, I've been doing it for so long, dont know what life would be like when I finally do stop LOL

CONGRATS!


I'm at the 11-month mark and am beginning the weaning process. I should hopefully be close to done by 12 months....and can I tell you the weaning process is WONDERFUL!?!?!??! I feel like the pump is my "ball and chains" and I'm finally breaking free :')

Congrats to BOTH of you!!

Wow, Alaska, almost 12 months of being tethered. Hats off, lovely! I am coming up to my 6 month milestone and I'm so proud of myself. Those initial few weeks/months were killer and I honestly NEVER thought I would get this far. While I'm not EP'ing, I'm still pumping 5 times a day, so essentially I feel like I'm pumping full time plus BF'ing. Needless to say, time to myself is minimal lol. However I need to do it so I have enough milk for when I go back to uni.

How did you go applying for your world record?

I applied and although they guarantee a response in like 4-6 weeks I never got one...so oh well :-/

 

[LadyBug183]

This made me smile so I thought I'd share

https://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q593/sarahcarter318/Snapbucket/C825FA23.jpg

 

[Twinkie210]

Happy pumping ladies!! 6 1/2 months and counting....Sometimes, I want to give up!!! But, I've been doing it for so long, dont know what life would be like when I finally do stop LOL

CONGRATS!


I'm at the 11-month mark and am beginning the weaning process. I should hopefully be close to done by 12 months....and can I tell you the weaning process is WONDERFUL!?!?!??! I feel like the pump is my "ball and chains" and I'm finally breaking free :')

You have done such an amazing job alaska!!!!! And you too beautifulpack.

I weaned from the pump at 7 months... While I'm thrilled my baby got breast milk, man is there a new freedom awaiting both of you!

I second that! I just finished weaning myself off of the pump last week and I am still a little sentimental, but not having to lug a pump around everywhere is AWESOME! Now I am just counting down the days until LO is a year old and off of formula

 

[ShelbyLC]

Firstly - 5 month milestone! I am so proud of myself for making it this far. I'm an so looking forward to the 6 month milestone and every month after that! I was very close to stopping around 2 weeks postpartum due to pain, but I'm very happy that I kept going. It's definitely hard, it's ruined OH's fun with my boobs haha, and I have to protect my nipples from the water spray in the shower, but all of that is so very worth it. I plan to keep going until at least 1 year, but possibly until 14.5 months (1 year corrected age), depending on my pediatrician's recommendation. I won't lie, though - I already told OH that as soon as I stop pumping, the first thing I'm doing to going to to Victoria's Secret and getting new bras.

Anyway! I also have some questions:

1. How often do you replace pump parts?

2. Kind of a TMI sex question - related to pumping! I will place it under a cut so as not to offend anybody.

Spoiler

I read somewhere that the problem I'm having is sometimes caused by breastfeeding/pumping, which is why I'm asking here. I'm not sure if that's true, but if it is, I'm hoping some of you can give me hope that my problem will eventually go away!

I'm having a lot of pain during sex. My cervix is very tender and everything feels sore inside. My doctor has checked twice and said my cervix looks normal, so I know there isn't any (visible) damage. Are things still healing in there at this point? Is it possible there is leftover bruising, 5 months later? Or is it just a hormone thing possibly? Any advice is very appreciated! I just want to know it won't be like this forever.

 

[Emerald87]

Didn't want to R&R but I'm on my phone. When I'm on my lappy I'll do a big post.

Congratulations on 5 months!!! Tomorrow is 6 months for me and 4 days after that my 6 month anniversary of being introduced to the pump (I hand expressed for 3).

 

[MrsC8776]

I'm wondering if any of you have experienced this. My boobs are constantly hurting. Like the insides, my nipples have always hurt so thats nothing new but this just came on today. It's like an aching feeling. I pump and it doesn't help at all. My supply has dropped a horrible amount as well. I was looking at stopping but haven't started the process yet so I'm still pumping the same. I just don't know whats going on or why I'm hurting so much. Any ideas or what to do?

 

[AC1987]

Sorry I can't offer any advice. I noticed I can't pump nearly as much as I used to be able to. Prehaps because my LO is less and less interested in nursing. I have a feeling she'll wean herself before 1 year.

 

[Emerald87]

Firstly - 5 month milestone! I am so proud of myself for making it this far. I'm an so looking forward to the 6 month milestone and every month after that! I was very close to stopping around 2 weeks postpartum due to pain, but I'm very happy that I kept going. It's definitely hard, it's ruined OH's fun with my boobs haha, and I have to protect my nipples from the water spray in the shower, but all of that is so very worth it. I plan to keep going until at least 1 year, but possibly until 14.5 months (1 year corrected age), depending on my pediatrician's recommendation. I won't lie, though - I already told OH that as soon as I stop pumping, the first thing I'm doing to going to to Victoria's Secret and getting new bras.

Anyway! I also have some questions:

1. How often do you replace pump parts?

2. Kind of a TMI sex question - related to pumping! I will place it under a cut so as not to offend anybody.

Spoiler

I read somewhere that the problem I'm having is sometimes caused by breastfeeding/pumping, which is why I'm asking here. I'm not sure if that's true, but if it is, I'm hoping some of you can give me hope that my problem will eventually go away!

I'm having a lot of pain during sex. My cervix is very tender and everything feels sore inside. My doctor has checked twice and said my cervix looks normal, so I know there isn't any (visible) damage. Are things still healing in there at this point? Is it possible there is leftover bruising, 5 months later? Or is it just a hormone thing possibly? Any advice is very appreciated! I just want to know it won't be like this forever.

OK baby brain is my excuse that I forgot to reply...

I told DH when I'm done BF'ing I'm getting a boob lift. I miss my perfect, perky boobs.

I haven't replaced my pump parts, but I do have two sets meaning they'll last twice as long. I'm also not an EP'er. So I'd probably recommend every 6 months. I HAVE replaced the little valves every month or so though.

I'm not sure it's pumping related or just post-partum. If I recall correctly, you had cervical incompetence, yes? (I was in that thread). Perhaps your cervix is a little more sensitive. I also get pain when DH "bashes" into it but it was a little worse PP. Seems to be back to normal for me these days, though.

 

[ShelbyLC]

Yes, I did have IC. Or, we think I did. It was possibly just preterm labor causing my cervix to change; I started contracting around 17 weeks, so we really don't know what it was.

I did also have a Mirena for about 3 weeks (after my twins were born; it was placed 4 weeks pp) and I had a lot of pain during sex when that was in. I do wonder if it caused some damage to the internal portion of my cervix/uterus. My doctor checked after it was removed (since I pulled it out myself ) to make sure I "didn't tear anything" and she didn't see any damage to the outside of my cervix.

 

[Emerald87]

Yes, the internal os could have been damaged. How is it feeling these days?