The ins and outs of exclusively expressing

[Hit Girl]

Been a while since I posted here.

I expressed for about 4 and a bit months almost 5. In that time I managed to freeze over 200 litres. At one point I was producing 3 litres of milk a day. I felt determined to produce enough to get him to (at least) his first birthday. I decided to start the weaning process one day when my spirits were really low. Honestly, I didn't know what I was in for and I should have commenced that process a month earlier.

It took me about 6 weeks to wean from expressing. I did it very slowly but still got engorged almost every day and got a really awful case of mastitis. There was about a week where I just cried constantly, I was that uncomfortable. My dr recommended cabbage leaves but they did absolutely nothing. In fact I think they made it much more uncomfortable. I ate sage a lot. Sage sandwiches with peanut butter and sage powder in orange juice. Don't really know if that worked either but it didn't do any harm. Also took a full course of the proper sudafed (which was VERY hard to get my hands on). I remember not even being able to hold my son because he would automatically trigger a let down and that was physically extremely painful and uncomfortable. I don't think any of those 'remedies' were effective for me as I had a mammoth supply.

To be free of lactating boobies is amazing. I feel human again. Having gone through that whole experience has really changed my view of breastfeeding/lactation/feeding/lactation consultants etc. I went into this thinking that I'd be able to breastfeed my son, no worries. Hell, my mum did it. I figured that if there were any bumps in the road, a lactation consultant (the 'best' in town) would fix the problem. I actually took it on board when the lc's in the hospital/on the breastfeeding helpline said that under no circumstances should I give my baby formula.

I should have listened to my obstetrician. I should have listened to our paediatrician. They both saw me several times in hospital and saw how distressed I was. They both said that as long as my baby's tummy is full - that's what matters. And I completely, wholeheartedly understand what they were saying now. At the time I thought they were just wanting me to 'give in' and that made me more defiant. In actual fact, they wanted to make sure I was a happy mum with a happy, fed baby.

I built my supply up to the point that it made me miserable. I had oversupply which is why I was given milk bank donation forms in the hospital by the midwives. I was so determined to never give my baby a drop of that 'horrid' formula that I pumped far too much. If I had done things differently, I could have been a more present mum for my little guy when he was a teeny baby. I could have had more sleep. I had it in my head that in order to be a perfect mum I had to suffer. I wish I could go back in a time machine and sit myself down and let 'new-mum-me' know that providing my baby with breastmilk does not 100% define me as an amazing mother. There is so much more to it than that.

I can't even begin to tell you how much my blood boils when I think about my lactation consultant sessions in hospital and out. The way the latching issue was handled and the advice to keep trying at all costs was just ridiculous. I was so scared, hormonal and vulnerable... terrified of doing anything even slightly wrong that would harm my baby in any way.

If we are lucky enough to have another one my husband and I will be A LOT more selective about the advice we take on board. My case was an odd one. My dr has told me to never do that to myself again. I must agree with her. I don't think I could handle it.

I once had an appointment with a male midwife/lactation consultant. I wasn't expecting anything miraculous as I had only ever encountered the militant types. He was the most amazing person I had ever spoken to. He said that he hated the term 'lactation' consultant and believed that they should be called 'feeding' consultants. If only more people in his field could be as open minded.

Expressing can be hard and it can be easy for some. Keep doing it but if you feel like it is dominating your life too much or it's making you miserable, it's totally okay to stop. You are not being irresponsible. A happy baby needs a happy mum. Life does not have to be that hard. Enjoy your beautiful baby and enjoy being a mum.

 

[DragonflyWing]

Wow, Hit Girl, 200 liters?! I bet you have enough to get him through to a year even though you stopped expressing. It sounds like stopping was truly the best thing for you and your family, I'm sorry you had such a hard time!

I hit my 8 month pumping milestone today (I can't believe the twins are 8 months old!). Around 6 months, I got two bouts of mastitis that really took a toll on my supply. By 7 months, I had gotten it back up to around 50 oz a day, but pumping 6 times a day was really starting to wear on me, and I dreaded every session. I decided that I had to drop my 3am pumping session...and I thought my supply would drop by about 20%.

However, I found that it didn't drop at all...in fact, it increased by up to 5 oz a day! I have no idea how it works, but somehow I get more milk in the morning than I would have gotten between both pumping sessions. When I pumped at 3am and 7am, I would get about 8 ounces each time. Now, I skip the 3am and I get between 17 and 21 ounces at 7am!

I also found that even if I only pump 4 times a day (meaning I skip 2 sessions), I still get the same amount per day. My supply used to be so sensitive, and would drop at the slightest change in routine...it seems like it's set at 48-52 oz now, and no matter what I do, it just stays there.

Anyone else experience anything like this?

 

[ThunderPearls]

So I am relactating and expressing around 8 times a day, For around 20 minutes each time using the medela symphony double pump.

In the morning I can get between 4-6oz but then all of my other sessions throughout the day I can only manage 1.5-2oz :/.

It is gradually creeping up but it is so disheartening as I get so happy in the morning when I express that much and then at my next session I just feel like a failure

 

[Emerald87]

Been a while since I posted here.

I expressed for about 4 and a bit months almost 5. In that time I managed to freeze over 200 litres. At one point I was producing 3 litres of milk a day. I felt determined to produce enough to get him to (at least) his first birthday. I decided to start the weaning process one day when my spirits were really low. Honestly, I didn't know what I was in for and I should have commenced that process a month earlier.

It took me about 6 weeks to wean from expressing. I did it very slowly but still got engorged almost every day and got a really awful case of mastitis. There was about a week where I just cried constantly, I was that uncomfortable. My dr recommended cabbage leaves but they did absolutely nothing. In fact I think they made it much more uncomfortable. I ate sage a lot. Sage sandwiches with peanut butter and sage powder in orange juice. Don't really know if that worked either but it didn't do any harm. Also took a full course of the proper sudafed (which was VERY hard to get my hands on). I remember not even being able to hold my son because he would automatically trigger a let down and that was physically extremely painful and uncomfortable. I don't think any of those 'remedies' were effective for me as I had a mammoth supply.

To be free of lactating boobies is amazing. I feel human again. Having gone through that whole experience has really changed my view of breastfeeding/lactation/feeding/lactation consultants etc. I went into this thinking that I'd be able to breastfeed my son, no worries. Hell, my mum did it. I figured that if there were any bumps in the road, a lactation consultant (the 'best' in town) would fix the problem. I actually took it on board when the lc's in the hospital/on the breastfeeding helpline said that under no circumstances should I give my baby formula.

I should have listened to my obstetrician. I should have listened to our paediatrician. They both saw me several times in hospital and saw how distressed I was. They both said that as long as my baby's tummy is full - that's what matters. And I completely, wholeheartedly understand what they were saying now. At the time I thought they were just wanting me to 'give in' and that made me more defiant. In actual fact, they wanted to make sure I was a happy mum with a happy, fed baby.

I built my supply up to the point that it made me miserable. I had oversupply which is why I was given milk bank donation forms in the hospital by the midwives. I was so determined to never give my baby a drop of that 'horrid' formula that I pumped far too much. If I had done things differently, I could have been a more present mum for my little guy when he was a teeny baby. I could have had more sleep. I had it in my head that in order to be a perfect mum I had to suffer. I wish I could go back in a time machine and sit myself down and let 'new-mum-me' know that providing my baby with breastmilk does not 100% define me as an amazing mother. There is so much more to it than that.

I can't even begin to tell you how much my blood boils when I think about my lactation consultant sessions in hospital and out. The way the latching issue was handled and the advice to keep trying at all costs was just ridiculous. I was so scared, hormonal and vulnerable... terrified of doing anything even slightly wrong that would harm my baby in any way.

If we are lucky enough to have another one my husband and I will be A LOT more selective about the advice we take on board. My case was an odd one. My dr has told me to never do that to myself again. I must agree with her. I don't think I could handle it.

I once had an appointment with a male midwife/lactation consultant. I wasn't expecting anything miraculous as I had only ever encountered the militant types. He was the most amazing person I had ever spoken to. He said that he hated the term 'lactation' consultant and believed that they should be called 'feeding' consultants. If only more people in his field could be as open minded.

Expressing can be hard and it can be easy for some. Keep doing it but if you feel like it is dominating your life too much or it's making you miserable, it's totally okay to stop. You are not being irresponsible. A happy baby needs a happy mum. Life does not have to be that hard. Enjoy your beautiful baby and enjoy being a mum.

Hey hun!

Long time no talk. We're still going over here LO is now in daycare because I'm back to the hospital full time (and then some) and I pump 3 times a day to keep her stocked up - once in the morning, once at lunch at work and once at night before bed. I BF when I'm home.

I have about 120L frozen but for some insane reason I can't trust my stash and continue to pump. I guess I'm freaked out that something will happen and I will lose it all and have nothing left for her. I also am worried that without pumping, my supply will crash and I won't be able to BF when I'm home. I look forward to the pump-free days!

My peak was 2.5L a day. I'm down to about 1.5L a day pumping plus whatever she takes directly. I still donate.

What you've written could have come from my mouth. We just think "we'll be able to do it" and crucify ourselves to the point of torture if we can't. I still hate my pump. I hate my boobs. But I love my daughter and am still too scared to change anything at the moment. I keep telling myself - only 2.5 more months!

As for cutting down my supply - I think I should be ok. On the weekends I don't do the midday pump and soon after I get a supply crash. Hopefully if I just drop the midday one, then the morning one, the evening one should come about easily.

Hope you've been well xxx

 

[Emerald87]

So I am relactating and expressing around 8 times a day, For around 20 minutes each time using the medela symphony double pump.

In the morning I can get between 4-6oz but then all of my other sessions throughout the day I can only manage 1.5-2oz :/.

It is gradually creeping up but it is so disheartening as I get so happy in the morning when I express that much and then at my next session I just feel like a failure

Toooooooooooootally normal! My morning pump is HUGE but my dailies are small in comparison. It's been like that since day 1 all the way to almost 10 months now. Good luck hun, keep at it.

 

[ShelbyLC]

Hit Girl - You did an amazing job!

DragonflyWing - Yep, same here. I recently dropped to 3 pumps per day and still get 55-ish ounces.




AFM - My twins turned 9 months old yesterday. I am still pumping 2-4 times daily, averaging 3. I am producing just enough at around 55oz, with each girl taking about 25oz daily, give or take.

OH and I have recently decided to TTC #3. We suffered a chemical pregnancy in June/July (unplanned) so I know how my supply reacts to pregnancy. (In case anyone is wondering, it increases dramatically! I went to 75-80oz per day!) I'm not sure what I'll do about pumping when my girls hit 1 year corrected (February 2014). My plan has always been to stop pumping at that point and switch them to cow's milk. But if I'm pregnant, I don't know what I'll do. I would love to breastfeed the next baby, but I'm worried that

1. Since pregnancy causes a huge supply increase for me, I won't be able to quit pumping, and I'll have a full supply when the baby is born and it will be too much. I'm terrified because I have fast/heavy letdowns and I don't want it to cause problems with nursing baby #3. Also,

2. As much as I want to breastfeed the next LO, I do love the freedom I get with bottles. Now, the babies hold their own bottles, but when they were tiny, OH was able to help out if I needed to rest/take a shower/eat/etc.


Anyway, sorry for rambling. I'm not sure if I had a reason to be posting! OH is a great listener but is no good at giving advice on things like this. He always just says, "Whatever you feel is best/Whatever you want to do/Whatever you decide is fine with me."

 

[seaweed eater]

Sorry if this has been asked already. I'm new to the thread, just started EP after LO stopped nursing last week.

I'm curious, when are you all planning to stop? Or when did you stop, if you already have?
Seems like 12 months is a big milestone. Anyone gone past that?

 

[DragonflyWing]

I'm not sure. I plan to go to at least 1 year, but I might go a bit past that if I can stand it. Maybe 14-15 months.

 

[ShelbyLC]

I'll be going until 1 year at least. If I get pregnant soon, I'll keep pumping until that baby is born and then try to breastfeed him/her. If it doesn't work out, I'll EP until that LO is a year.

 

[Emerald87]

Although I'm not strictly EP'ing any more I'm still pumping for her for daycare (3 times a day) plus nursing and I am counting down for 12 months. I'm in the final stretch! It's so bitter-sweet.

 

[seaweed eater]

Thanks

Related question...can I maintain a reduced supply for a long period of time? Like several months? I've read that the immunological benefits of BM require only a small amount. I'd like to provide that for LO through the winter to help deal with cold/flu season, but I'd rather pump only once or twice a day and not have to maintain my full supply. That should be possible, right? I am guessing that's what toddlers do when they continue to nurse so it should be possible with a pump...

 

[Emerald87]

Thanks

Related question...can I maintain a reduced supply for a long period of time? Like several months? I've read that the immunological benefits of BM require only a small amount. I'd like to provide that for LO through the winter to help deal with cold/flu season, but I'd rather pump only once or twice a day and not have to maintain my full supply. That should be possible, right? I am guessing that's what toddlers do when they continue to nurse so it should be possible with a pump...

Yep, you should be able to. Especially with an established supply. While we don't respond to the pump as well as BF'ing it's similar to a mother BF'ing a toddler twice a day. She can still maintain this small supply, so I believe a pumping mum can too. If that makes sense? Sorry, long day lol.
My supply has dropped since I've reduced pumping and has stayed there, with the occasional dip.

 

[seaweed eater]

That's exactly what I figured/hoped! Thanks

 

[missbabes]

I'm so glad to have spotted this thread. I've been exclusively expressing since 4 days pp. DS and I were having such a hard time latching that it was causing a great deal of stress for us both. Started out with a Tommee Tippee hand pump which we had bought for later on as always intended to express for evening feeds once beyond 6 weeks, then got a Medela Swing 4 days later which I absolutely love.

Did feel a little strange to be pumping at first, but it's been a relief to be able to continue to feed DS breastmilk. Both midwife and health visitor have been completely supportive of the decision. Also both are impressed with how well I've taken to it, as I'm currently expressing about 30oz a day, which has gotten me well ahead of his feeds.

I'm hoping to get to the 6-9 month milestone, so fingers crossed.

 

[DragonflyWing]

I'm still going strong at 9.5 months...I've gotten my pumping sessions down to 3-4 per day, and I'm still getting 45-50 oz a day.

It has been over two months since I dropped from 6 sessions a day down to 5 and then 4...and the past week or so I've had a few days with just 3, and thankfully I haven't seen any sustained dip in supply.

At least 2.5 months left to go!

 

[seaweed eater]

:wave: missbabes, well done getting 30 oz a day at 2 weeks pp!! Your supply will only continue to increase if you keep pumping consistently. It seems like the first several weeks are the toughest part. I'm sure once you get through those and your supply is established, it'll be smooth sailing.

My update is that I'm dropping to 3 ppd this week...I started yesterday. LO is increasingly taking cow's milk so 4 ppd is exceeding his demand right now. I'll be able to freeze some milk! Naturally AF just arrived so I won't have any idea how dropping the pump would have affected my supply without that...I just knew this would happen. But my goal is to drop to 2 if I can produce at least 5 opd. I've also ordered some Mrs. Patel's fenugreek bars and tea so hopefully that will help.

 

[spunky84]

Do any of you work full time? If so, how did it affect your supply once you returned? What was it like prior to returning and what was it like after returning?

I'm really worried that mine will take a severe hit once I return back Oct 25. My supply right now is okay. I feel like it's still borderline.

Over the last few of weeks:

(September was with Medela Freestyle. Half of Oct 1 was freestyle & rest of Oct is Medela Symphony)

09/24: 17.75 oz
09/25: 19 oz
09/26: 18.75 oz
09/27: 20 oz
09/28: 22 oz
09/29: 18.75 oz
09/30: 26.25 oz


10/1: 25.75 oz
10/2: 22.75 oz
10/3: 25.5 oz
10/4: 23 oz
10/5: 29.5 oz
10/6: 25 oz
10/7: 23 oz
10/8: 30.5 oz
10/9: 26 oz

I'm only getting these new numbers because of the Symphony & I have to go 45 minutes each double pumping session. If I went half an hour only, I'd probably have 1/2 to 1/4 less. When I'm at work, I only get 2 - 30 minute pumping sessions during 8 hour work shift. I'm going to try to do some during my lunch, which I only get half an hour which will mean only about 20 minutes pumping.

I'm worried that my supply is going to drop by half & that I'll have to go back to supplementing (I only just stopped supplementing since I started using the symphony).

 

[DragonflyWing]

spunky- how many times a day have you been pumping? If you see a supply dip when you go back to work, can you add an extra session in another time when you're home?

I went back to work full time at 8 weeks, and I actually saw an increase in my supply because my pumping schedule was much more regular. Before I went back, it was kind of haphazard, and I didn't always pump at the same times, sometimes I missed a session, etc. Once I was back to work, I had to pump right on time (our mother's room schedule is very full, so you can't go past your time slot), so it helped me stick to the routine.

Good luck!

 

[spunky84]

I'm averaging 8 sessions right now. Usually 8 sessions @ 45 min/session, I usually get a least 25oz w/ the symphony.

I'm already planning to pump with my freestyle on my way to work so that I can get a session in (since I get to work a little early, it'd be easy as far as sitting in the car for a little extra time/having time to remove pump/clean up). Can't really do one on the way home as it'd be too hard with picking LO up from daycare - though I may give it a try just to see. Though I don't get as much with the freestyle (I will be taking the symphony with me to work though).

I just did a rough estimate for times to pump to get in 8, which will be rough, but if I have to I have to. I can throw in an extra, but it's really hard to say as it will leave me with very little sleep. I'd have to see how it all pans out. I'm not really sure what to expect yet, but my guess is:

2:30 AM
5:45 AM
10:30 AM
12:30 PM
2:00 PM
5:00 PM
7:00 PM
9:00 PM
11:00 PM (extra)

I'm thinking maybe I could give this a try before I go to work just to see how it feels rather than throwing my body into shock with returning to work. Thankfully my first day back is a Friday. It'll be overwhelming enough, so I'm grateful for that.

I do need to find a way to keep a good stock of my lactation cookies (I rarely have time to bake - I'm hoping to get a chance and make a few batches to freeze).

So I figure if I can eat a couple of lactation cookies a day + drink mother's milk while I'm at work, hopefully that'll help? I also saw seaweed eater mentioned fenugreek bars in her most recent post. I checked them out and ordered some this morning, so if I think they do well for me, then I'll probably keep ordering them.

Right now I'm making my mother's milk tea by the batch since I don't have time to make individual servings (though it'll be easier to individual servings once I go back to work).


Btw, based on your above post, it looks like you have a great supply! How long did it take you to get that much? Or was it pretty close to that from the beginning? I would love it if I could even get a little bit close to that so I can get a good freezer stash going.

 

[DragonflyWing]

Btw, based on your above post, it looks like you have a great supply! How long did it take you to get that much? Or was it pretty close to that from the beginning? I would love it if I could even get a little bit close to that so I can get a good freezer stash going.

It took me roughly 2 weeks to build up to 55-60 oz per day (I was exclusively pumping right from the beginning). I don't know if my body knew I had twins, or if I am just really lucky, as I never really stuck to 8 sessions a day...more like 6-7 in the beginning. I took a supply hit in February and dropped down below 40 oz, but I built it back up to 50 by April using fenugreek and a regular pumping schedule. Now I'm down to 3-4 sessions a day and I get 45-50 oz most days. It seems like my supply really became established after about 5 months...after that, it didn't seem to matter how often I pumped, I would get the same amount without damaging my supply.