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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Expressing support thread

59 replies

pigletmania · 24/04/2012 22:28

After a rocky start ds was unable to latch on and 3 months later I find myself expressing for him for a number of reasons. Sometimes I feel like giving up so have started this thread to support each other. I know the benefits outweigh the disadvantages of pumping.

Are there any other pumpers out there Smile

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Gelsa · 24/04/2012 22:54

Well done you!!! yes i am pumping 8 times a day, it is hard work but i think it is worth it. my DS is now 10 weeks bless him. He is so gorgeous he doesnt mind what he has.

have been doin git for over a month now on and off kept thinking as he gets older may be able to latch better but then am in pain++ after 24hrs.I know though after a few weeks my supply might reduce but will see. I have got 3 pumps on the go and am becomign a bit of an expert. Once you get yourself into a routine its ok but it is hard work much more inconvenient to breastfeeding!

tell me what you are doing?
best wishes to you - happy pumping!!! :)

Original poster
pigletmania · 24/04/2012 23:15

That's fantastic gelsa, I never pumped that much but god on you, nice to meet some others out there

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Original poster
pigletmania · 24/04/2012 23:19

I have a spectra breast pump as recommended by a lovely mumsnetter, it's been a godsend. I. Pump 4 time a day 6.30, 11am, 4pm and 9 pm before bed. Usually get between 5-6floz each sessio, early morning one anything between 7-12floz. I was worried. Whle ack as my supply seemed to dip

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Gelsa · 25/04/2012 23:01

wow thats amazing you managed to get that amount off. When did you start pumping? How long have you done it for?

I had to start pumping when my DS was 5 weeks old then had a break of feeding him again for 1 week then had to go back to expressing. I only get 20oz off max. 5-6oz in am then 2-4oz each session, thats why I am expressing so much, I dare not reduce down sessions in case it reduces down quantity altogether, if it meant I could get more off doing less than would do that.
Has your supply been constant? Or has it increased slowly? If so how did you increase your supply ??

Original poster
pigletmania · 26/04/2012 21:57

i started to pump when ds was a week old and he is now 3 months old. i blame it on my wnderful hospital grade breast pump

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Gelsa · 26/04/2012 22:02

have you always got such volumes? what did you do to increase?

Original poster
pigletmania · 27/04/2012 12:54

I do yes, i only express 4 times, at first for the first month and a bit 5 times. I nvere express during the night. Drink well (not too much). there have been sometimes when i have expressed and its been about 4floz but i have been stressed at that time. i dont use suplements or medication, i guess its dwn to the pump its excellent really does the job well

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Needingsomeadvice · 28/04/2012 21:57

Hi - I don't express now (DS is 5 and DD 28 months) but I had to exclusively express for my DS and managed it for 6 months (introduced formula gradually between 6-7.5 months) and then mostly exclusively expressed for DD for the same (she would actually latch on but wasn't feeding effectively so mostly had bottles of EBM). I just wanted to offer my support to you both (an anyone else) for doing such a worthwhile thing, albeit hard work.

Gelsa you sound like me - I went up and down with DD trying to directly breastfeed her but each time she was drastically dropping weight. I managed about the same with pumping. The expressing 8 times a day will pay off when you reach the 12-14 week mark as you will then not be relying on hormones so much but on supply and demand. SO good pumping habits in the first 12 weeks can make a difference. I found something called More Milk + when I had DD and took it to revive supply after it was tailing off a bit and that helped a lot.

Original poster
pigletmania · 28/04/2012 22:41

thanks needing that is fantastic, well done you Smile. it is really hard though and sometmimes i feel like giving ujp

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KirstyDaisyBBandFifi · 28/04/2012 23:21

Please can I add my thanks for this thread - Expressing long term feels so stressful and wonderful at the same time - I know that when I improve my supply by 50ml every so often I get such a sense of pride.... I love seeing DD feeding from my milk. I am so envious of people who can BF "naturally" and feel a bit like a second class citizen - but realise that I am doing really well - DD is nearly 7 weeks old and it is great to hear that it is possible to keep going. My only concern is that my other two dds are doing impressions of me on "Ermintrude"!!!! - NOt sure how their helpers at preschool and school are coping with it.....

I will look forward to trying More milk +

I agree with the idea that I think about giving up at least three times a day - but also never want to give up......

Keep Pumping!!

chipmonkey · 29/04/2012 00:23

piglet, sadly not pumping at the moment as dd died.Sad but pumped for her for the seven weeks she was alive. You are doing amazingly well, you really are. I so, so wish I was pumping alongside you ( not literally, that would be weird!) but you are doing a wonderful thing.

mmgirish · 29/04/2012 05:03

Piglet, keep going! You can do it! I have to express exclusively as my baby has a heart condition and bfing is too much for him. It is hard. I have a double pump and pump anything from 60 to 120ml at a time. This morning though I pumped 200, was very proud of myself. I have started Domperidone to help with supply as I was just producing enough for my baby and no more. I'm now able to freeze about 100ml a day as well. It isn't much but I'm pleased with it.

Chipmunk, sorry to hear about your wee baby passing away. Xxx

Needingsomeadvice · 29/04/2012 12:14

I am so sorry chipmonkey to read about your DD Sad. My first DS was stillborn, and second DS was 2 months premature (which was the reason I started out pumping in the first place). xxx

chipmonkey · 29/04/2012 22:14

mmgirish, freezing 100ml a day is fantastic. At least you have something in the freezer to fall back. dd was tiny, born at 28 weeks, so I was pumping far more than she needed and had loads of milk left over when she died. Such a waste and I couldn't donate it as I had to have a blood transfusion when she was born.

needing so sorry about your ds1.Sad

My ds3 was born at 32 weeks and I pumped for him but he latched on a week later and ended up being a great feeder so I only had to pump for him when I went back to work. Which ended up being a waste of time as he never would take a bottle.

Original poster
pigletmania · 30/04/2012 08:23

chip big unmumsnetty hugs to you (((())))) Sad bless you. Thanks very much for your support. When did she die if you don,t mind my asking. Thinking of you, and i wll stop moaning when ds cries and wont settle

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Original poster
pigletmania · 30/04/2012 08:26

Kirsty I feel like that totally, its lovely pumping milk and watching it and knowing that my ds is thriving on my milk. That is what keeps me going, as well as being good for the weight. I know that pumping is seen by those who feed from the breast in a negative light, but it the only way to get our milk to your dcs if the cant or dont want to latch on.

Can I just say are we breastfeedign if we pump or artificial feeding, its quite confusing as the HV has said that i am breast feeding but giving it n a bottle

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Original poster
pigletmania · 30/04/2012 08:28

Yes i have felt like that, my friend who has a dd the same age as ds (3 months) came to see us and she started bf, I was like Envy at her. you are all doing really well, the time and committment that it takes to pump is really something

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Original poster
pigletmania · 30/04/2012 08:30

mmgirish that is great, i just produce enough for ds and nothing else, i should try domperidrone so i can bank some

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Original poster
pigletmania · 30/04/2012 08:35

needing I am so sorry Sad, i am glad that i started this board as its become really supportive. I love the Ermintrude impression Grin.

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tiktok · 30/04/2012 12:07

piglet, I have known many women in real life who have found themselves pumping long term - various reasons, none of them actually 'chose' to do it - and it is a massive thing to do. It springs from total love and committment, and those are both wonderful places :) :)

tiktok · 30/04/2012 12:09

needing and chip - so sad for both of you :(

chip, you expressed your love for your dd, along with your milk.

Shivs1974 · 30/04/2012 12:31

I've just seen this thread and had to post....
I exclusively expressed for dd1 for a year - she wouldn't latch despite many attempts! I posted some tips that I found in a book here

And needing and chip - echoing what others have written.

Just because one child doesn't latch, doesn't mean that you will be forever linked to your pump.....DD2 latched straight away - midwives were fully aware of my pumping history - and I EBF for 17 mths.

chipmonkey · 30/04/2012 13:04

Shivs, I remember you from our expressing thread, must have been 2005

dd was born last August and died in October. She was born at 28 weeks but did very well in NICU. She died unexpectedly of SIDS.

nannyl · 30/04/2012 13:21

Good on you

I expressed 3 / 4 times a day (to make just the 1 bottle) for 4 months (then got bored of it so fed her direct for that 1 feed)

I now express just once a day for the milk bank

keep at it Smile

nannyl · 30/04/2012 13:36

Good on you

I expressed 3 / 4 times a day (to make just the 1 bottle) for 4 months (then got bored of it so fed her direct for that 1 feed)

I now express just once a day for the milk bank

keep at it Smile

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