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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

The expressing clique

455 replies

popsycal · 11/09/2005 20:22

I'm Popsy and I am a pumper

DS2 is 6 months and i am bac at work 4 days a week mon-thurs. I express and lunchtime and get around 5oz.......
He needs 2 7oz feeds during the day but i am hoping to reduce his lunchtime feeds as his solids increase.
BEen back at work properly only one week but am having to express during every feed and every time on my day off to get enough.
my boobs hurt

Who else is in my gang

OP posts:
creepmonkey · 07/10/2005 21:31

LadyLazarus and mummyhill, you could also try Domperidone, available over the counter as Motilium. I know several MNErs have successfully used it to increase supply. LL, it does sound as though you're not getting letdown though rather than not producing milk. The breast compression does seem to act as a "fake" letdown so might be worth a try. LL don't give up. I had to exclusively pump while ds3 was prem and it really was worth it.

jabberwocky · 08/10/2005 00:50

LadyL and MH, so sorry to hear you're still having problems. You do have to relax to pump more imo. Maybe some silly sitcom on TV? or relaxing music? I used a fairly low cycle speed but gradually increased to a fairly strong suction (although you do have to be careful not to go too far). I pumped every 3 hours round the clock for the first few months. It was exhausting, but it really got my milk supply established.

LadyLazarus · 08/10/2005 09:07

had a nice bath last night and managed to get 60ml afterwards! probably a one-off, as overnight I only managed 30ml again. Will keep trying, think I was just having an 'off-day' yesterday!

Bubblesmum · 14/10/2005 19:24

Any one still expressing after 12 months ? I'm working full time and I express milk so DS can have it at nursery... just wondering if I should stop the expressing once he's a year old and just feed night/morning feeds. And move him to cows milk for daytime ? Any one have any views on this ?

He has been so healthy for the last 6 months or so on ebm... that I am worried if I switch to cows milk by day, will he loose some of the bm health benefits and begin to get sickly. That and the winter round the corner ....

He'll be a year old mid Nov.

Thanks for any advice!

creepmonkey · 14/10/2005 21:49

Wondering about this myself Bubblesmum! ds3 was 2 months prem. I bfed his brothers till they were 12 months old so really would like to do the same for him but he will in that case be 14 months old counting from his birth date. I think I will have to cut down on expressing from twice a day to once a day when he is 12 months old as this is what I have promised my boss but he drinks very little at nursery anyway so this shouldn't be a problem

creepmonkey · 14/10/2005 21:52

Bubblesmum, I think any breastmilk they get offers them some protection even if its not 4 feeds a day. Even now I don't think ds3 drinks much of my milk by day even on my days off. He likes his solids!

fuzzy · 14/10/2005 23:16

Bubblesmum,
What about goats milk if you you arent sure about cows milk. A lot easier to digest. My 3.5yr still drinks about 20oz of the stuff a day.
Expensive habit though!!
Or try mixing a little with breastmilk.

Fond memories of lunchtime pumping in the local pub loos!!
My office was full of blokes and the toilets beside the front door !! Bit conspicuous.

Mind you the bar staff must of been getting suspicious of the lady who kept disappearing into the loos everyday for 30mins and never buying a drink!!!

Anyone else having to pump in strange places??

alux · 15/10/2005 07:10

"Anyone else having to pump in strange places??"

already said here that i pumped in an executive box at Newcastle United's football ground.

also been walked in on by the head of yr 9 who had a pass key to the office i was designated to pump in

karmamother · 15/10/2005 17:08

Bubblesmum - I think it's a credit to you that your LO hasn't picked up any bugs from the other children at nursery. I'm sure he will still get lots of immunity from just morning & night feeds. I think it's a question of how much time does expressing take up & what do you want to do with that time? I fed my ds for 17 months & I really enjoyed the morning/bedtime feeds as I loved the "cuddles", as well as the benefits to ds. Sadly, I had to stop as I was given ulcer meds which weren't compatable with bf. Looking back, it was probably the right time to stop...I enjoyed my new-found freedom.

I haven't pumped in strange places (unless you're talking about farting) but I answered the door to my window cleaner & paid my bill whilst ds was having a good chomp!

fastasleep · 15/10/2005 18:25

Hi, can I join in? I don't have time to read all the messages well good excuse really - 11 day old DD and 19 month old DS and expressing keeping me nice and busy (typing with one hand and feeding atm lol)...

I exclusively pumped for DS for 9.5 months, he had jaundice, kidney problems and no sucking reflex...nightmare! I went through 3 mini electric medelas, one double medela in a backpack thingy and finally settled on the good old avent isis and RSI although I used it so much that I kept snapping the handle through wear!

This time DD's early, tiny, jaundiced... can't for the life of her latch on to my huge flat nipples and is now scared of them! So started a routine at about 4 days in, am currently pumping 7 times a day, one at 3am so getting no sleep... and my wrists ache! What'sw my fridge/freezer going to do though - I'm getting 7 ounces 7 times a day and she's drinking 3 ounces 5 times (although spread out)

Runs off after mammoth post to try and read all the messages

alux · 15/10/2005 18:34

fastasleep, did you know that you can donate ebm to a milk bank? liquid gold for scbu units. they want milk from mums with babies under 3 mo. old

i admire yr dedication and congratulations

fastasleep · 15/10/2005 18:36

on the weird place thing - last time I pumped in so many loos it got that I would be like 'ooh ooh can we go to such and such, it has nice toilets'... must say it made me feel like a freak and people often commented on the weird noise or got a member of staff to check I wasn't shooting up or something .. I've pumped on beaches, in parks, at every relative's...in village halls at parties.... soon to be getting em out at various mum and toddler groups all over Merseyside... might start charging admission

EW little one's just gone splat anyway so couldn't read the whole thread... hope you're all doing ok and not getting sore nipples... I swear exclusive pumping is madness - it's impractical, boring, time consuming... soul destroying... completely illogical, no one should feel bad about giving it up, or at least hating it with a passion..

fastasleep · 15/10/2005 18:36

I think I'll ask my midwife about milk banks

savanna · 16/10/2005 10:37

I haven't pumped in strange places - not yet anyway. I think I would find it difficult to keep all of the parts of my Ameda pump clean.

Fastasleep, I would like to know how you manage to hold on to the pump and the rest of it when you're at a park or beach. I really admire your dedication. What type of pump do you use?

Bubblesmum, I'm impressed that you are still expressing after 12 months. I also work full time and am currently expressing twice at work so that ds can have ebm while he is at the childminder's. I haven't given conscious thought to how long I will carry on expressing but I would like to keep him from having cow's milk for as long as possible, especially as he had an allergic reaction to cow's milk. I would like to learn from you, Bubblesmum, how to express while working full time so is it OK if I CAT you?

Bubblesmum · 17/10/2005 14:37

Hi Savanna, Yes, I've no problem if you CAT me ... Do I need to do something from my side for this ? dunno, as I've never done it before

Original poster
popsycal · 17/10/2005 21:38

I work 4 days a week and am managing to express and give breast milk exclsuivily.....

alux - where do yo live.....your newcastke executive box had me wondering...

OP posts:
alux · 17/10/2005 22:12

I live 8 miles east of Durham city and 8 miles south of Sunderland. (I made the sign of the cross before entering St James' )

Original poster
popsycal · 18/10/2005 19:40

oooh...not far from me....I am half way between newcastle and tynemouth....but am originally from south of the water though i am NOT a mackem!
ahem!

OP posts:
karmamother · 18/10/2005 22:37

popsycal & alux....I'm from newcastle too! Tynemouth to be exact. I thought everyone on here lived south of the Watford Gap! Having said that, I've recenty moved to York but I'm regularly back up in Newcastle. In fact, I shall be waiting till I'm back up there to get my BFing bras from John Lewis's. Much better than M&S, IMO. The only good thing about M&S is the feeding room is clean!

Oh God, just remembered, got all that to look forward to again. Shall have to find good places to feed in York...Might give the blue-rinse old biddies heart attacks if I bf in Betty's.

Sorry for the hijack!

savanna · 18/10/2005 23:07

Hi Bubblesmum
I tried to CAT you but the message was returned because you have chosen not to receive emails from mumsnet. You will need to log into your account on mumsnet and change your settings to say you would like to receive emails.

alux · 19/10/2005 04:22

excellent popsy and karma! now we have an excuse for a little meetup

Shivs1974 · 19/10/2005 08:22

All this talk of the Toon makes me think of my student days (I studied at the poly). I love Newcastle - but get up there once every 2 yrs on a reunion!
I've just emailed work (going back 4 days a week from mid-Jan) to find out whether they have any rooms set aside for pumping. Really don't fancy doing it in the loos or the carpark. Does anyone know what they legally have to provide, or should I try the Maternity Alliance?

alux · 19/10/2005 13:24

legally they have to provide a clean, private room and a place to store (ie fridge) look at the nct website. i think its there or get a leaflet from them

Bubblesmum · 19/10/2005 16:28

Sorry Savanna - i've updated my profile so it should work now if you want to try again.

savanna · 19/10/2005 20:59

Bubblesmum
Thanks for updating your profile. I've CAT'd you so please let me know if you don't receive my msg.

Shivs
I researched this subject quite a bit when I was pregnant and I recently spoke to an adviser at the Maternity Alliance and was told that it isn't exactly a legal requirement for employers to provide a room for expressing, but rather it is a guideline. They are legally obligated to protect the health and safety of new mothers and to provide a suitable room for expectant and nursing mothers to "rest", but not necessarily to express. That didn't stop me from challenging my employer to provide a place for me to express - apparently, no other woman had requested such a room. I had to keep on at my employers before they said I could use the first aid room which is not "suitable" in my opinion, but I'm having to use it while I continue to pressure them to provide better facilities. I think more of us should ask our employers to demonstrate good practice.