Pumping advice

[teddytoo95]

My little one is 3 months old and after doing everything in my power to successfully breastfeed it just didn't work out for us. I had a low supply from the start but I started to pump when we quit BF at around 7 weeks. I currently pump around 6oz of milk a day. I pump maybe between 4-6 times per day as that's all I can manage with baby and also DS who is 5. I'm finding it so much work for the sake of 6oz a day, but equally I love to be able to give baby 1 bottle a day of my milk.
I don't know where to go from here, I had a LOT of guilt about not breastfeeding and I'm so scared that if I let my milk dry up I will regret it forever, but I do not enjoy pumping at all and feel that it takes time away from my baby. Has anyone been in a similar situation and what did you do?

I think on your shoes I'd talk to a BFC on one of the BFing Helplines. She will be able to talk to you about your feelings about your BFing journey coming to an end

Are your flanges the correct size for your nipples, so that your pump is working most efficiently?

@Garman yes they are the correct size. To be honest we were set up for failure from the start and in those first few days things happened that completely ruined my supply I think.

@MargoP18 how many times do you pump a day?

Are you eating and drinking enough? I had a prem baby who never got the hang of latching on so I exclusively pumped. I could see a huge difference in what I pumped if I ate a bit less to try to lose the baby weight or had a busy day and hadn't drink as much as usual.

Some days more than others but generally I feel like I do!

We couldn’t establish breastfeeding and I exclusively expressed for DD for a year. I had a good supply (had to pump every 4 hours to keep it up) and looking back I have absolutely no idea how or why I did that!

@GCWorkNightmare wow a year? That's incredible. That's the thing I some days have no idea why I carry on because all it does is interrupts my day. Yet everytime I say that's it I end up waking up and pumping and thinking 'well I may aswell just do today'

What do you want out of this, honestly I was in a similar situation. I kept pumping for 6 months but looking back I wish I gave up much early. My advise would be to stop and enjoy more time with your baby but if that doesmt work for you...

You are not pumping oftern enough. To 5-6 times a day was only enough for me to mention supply. To build it I needed 7-8 times. There will be a tipping point when you body starts increasing supply. It also really helped me to pump at least once in the middle of the night around 2am. In the night helped build supply more

Have you found this website it has loads of info: https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/#:~:text=When%20you're%20exclusively%20pumping,or%20increase%20your%20milk%20supply.

I couldn't breastfeed my first. I managed to pump (and used formula too) for 6 months. I rented a hospital grade mendela pump and pumped every few hours. However it was lockdown so nothing else to do and I had a furloughed husband to hold the baby. Even so, it was so hard and demoralising, my supply was just never enough and I was really heartbroken about the whole thing. When I made the decision to stop pumping at 6 months, I felt so relieved. Glad that he had had some of my breast milk for his first few months but glad for my sanity that I called it a day at that point. And actually the guilt I had at not being able to breastfeed lessened as well.

I've had another baby since who I have been able to breastfeed and there is no way I could have pumped with an older child around so hats off to you.

Everyone is different, it's really tough. Best of luck whatever you choose to do.

@Sandcastles24 honestly I don't know. One half of me wants to give up and never look at a pump again, the other half feels devastated at letting my milk dry up.
I know I'm not pumping enough but I just don't seem to be able to manage pumping more than I do already 😔

Could your baby latch? If so why not mix feed? Let them get what they can from the breast a couple of times a day, otherwise bottle feed.

@eurochick she won't latch anymore

Can you get in touch with a lactation consultant? Your baby could maybe manage to latch with support and that would be a great solution.

Do continue to express if possible. Your baby is getting a benefit from any breastmilk you can get into her.

Hand pumps are often more efficient than electric ones. Maybe try a different model?

@Redebs we already tried relatching after a 2 week break and it just didn't happen. She would get so angry at the low milk supply and we would both end up in tears. I wish she would because I miss it. I have 5 different pumps and all of them seem to give me the same amount

Have you tried an SNS, could give her formula through it but would stimulate your supply?

Supplementary Nursing System

Awww, there's nothing like an angry baby to put off your let-down reflex!

Best time to try for a latch is when she's had some ebm already, so she's not hungry, but will suckle for comfort. That 'butterfly' sucking is what you're after. Remember not to use a dummy.

You're aiming for a not-too-hungry baby on a not-too-full breast for optimum latch. Gently pull her bottom lip down to get right on. Don't let her keep sucking hard if she's not on properly. She should get the hang of it.

The supplementary nursing system is what I was thinking of, thanks @garman

I resented pumping a lot less once bought a hands free pump. It saved me so much time and meant I could be up and about. I use Elvie but hear great things about Fraupow. Good luck OP

One other thought, have you tried getting her to latch using nipple shields? A friend of mine used to do this and it extended her bfing journey significantly. Might be worth a try

Hi op, I have a nearly 8 month old and I have had almost exactly the same experience as you!! You are doing so so well pumping so much with another child too I struggled so much with just my baby!

I wanted to stop pumping from the start but kept on telling myself just one more week, I'll get him to 6 weeks I'll get him to two months etc and I actually managed to keep going till 6.5 months!

But by then I was only doing 3 time a day (once first thing while he played on his mat, once during a daytime nap and once just after he went ot bed) so i got a total about half a bottles worth from 4-6 months. I read online that even a table spoon a day is really good for them so I felt like it was worth it (and I had all the same guilty feelings about not being able to breastfeed).

I was considering stopping before my abroad holiday this summer but was feeling guilty like you, I felt it wasn't a good enough reason to stop, but a couple of weeks before that on a remote Uk holiday my breast pump broke...I got a manual one from boots to tide me over til I got home as I had a holsital grade one there but didn't get much milk out and when I got home I could only get 20ml out when I pumped so I called it a day there.
I have that last 20ml in the freezer I'm planning to have it made into breastmilk jewellery as a memory!

My advice to you if you're going to stop is first of all build up a freezer bag stock of breastmilk, this is what I had planned to do and didn't manage- you can save this for when your baby is unwell or for when they start nursery and they will get all the food immune antibodies to fight those germs then. Or you could give baby one bottle a week etc for a while, so you can spread out that goodness.

You also have the option to just cut down gradually and do it 2-3 times a day then 1-2 (supply will drop but you'll still get some)

Now that I'm not pumping omg I feel like a whole new woman again I can actually do stuff when he naps other than pump or clean pumping parts, I'm able to do my Physio exercises, he did not notice any change he's now eating solids so getting extra nutrients from there- you deserve this freedom too op especially after doing so well for three months ! I don't feel guilty - the pump breaking kind of saved me from that - but equally I COULD have gone onto a mega strict schedule of pumping 8 times a day to get supply back up but I chose for me and baby to enjoy summer exploring our world and playing together instead and I don't regret that at all x

Ps I think you might be looking for sometime to give you permission to stop pumping as it's hard to give it to yourself. You can stop when ever feels right for you you've already given baby so much goodness x

Pps 'I really miss it' sounds strange but keep offering the boob. My baby did latch on a few times around your baby's age randomly (like 1/15 times, when he was feeling cuddly). Just for a snack not the whole feel and the latch was pretty nipple crushing but it was
So nice getting a couple of extra breast feeding moments x

@Mumontherunn that's a good idea, thank you, I'll certainly give this a go!