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Original poster

Positive 8+ month expressing stories needed!

10 replies

Blueeyes91 · 31/12/2018 15:06

Hey ladies! I need your positive expressing stories and any hacks you had to help!
I'm going back to work in a little over a month and my pumping isn't going as well as I'd hoped.

I'm using a manual tommee tippee pump. I have tried different electric ones and I honestly get more by doing it manually!

My LO feeds 4 times a day and I'm pumping before the first feed. After the last and in between. So 4 times feeding 5 times pumping.

First pump I get 3oz. Rest I get 1oz or just over if I'm lucky. I've only just started getting serious about the pumping because I didn't realise it would get so hard (hindsight... wonderful thing).

So please share postive stories and any tips you have. No negative 'this didn't work for me'. Sorry. I'm all about the positive!

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RicStar · 31/12/2018 15:12

Will you have somewhere to pump at work? It's much easier to pump a missed feed than pump and feed. If you have a normal 9 - 5 job 3 feeds a day why you are not there should be enough. You just need to build a little start off supply.

Original poster

Blueeyes91 · 31/12/2018 15:15

I will be able to pump at work. But 3 days a week I'll only be able to give 1 direct breastfeed as I work 1 to 9pm. And she's asleep by 8pm and doesn't wake till morning. Hence getting a little store.

Nice to know it's easier to pump a missed feed :)

OP posts:

JustBecauseYouAreUniqueDoesNot · 31/12/2018 15:16

I worked roughly 9 to 6 and had an hour long commute. I pumped three times a day at work for the first month, twice a day for four months and once a day for about 6 weeks. Throughout I pumped once in the evening too. I got so much more pumping a missed feed. Are you trying to build a freezer stash? I ended up throwing most of mine away. I went back to work at 6 months and we never needed to use formula. Stopped bf at 14 months. Good luck!

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JustBecauseYouAreUniqueDoesNot · 31/12/2018 15:18

Oh and I was doing one feed direct in the morning. Baby had 3 other feeds (big ones).

Hunkyd0ry · 31/12/2018 15:22

I pumped at work too. Found looking at photos/videos of my DD helped me express more when she wasn’t with me. I had a bit of a stash at home but would generally pump at work for the next day.
It was fine, within a few months DD was only feeding twice a day from expressed and saved the rest for when I was home.

Original poster

Blueeyes91 · 31/12/2018 20:48

I just want a stash in the freezer as a back up. Just in case pumping at the office doesn't get off to a great start. I'm hoping I won't need the stash. More a safety net!

For pumping missed feeds should I be expecting 5oz from that session?

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FTMF30 · 31/12/2018 21:34

IMO manual pumps are crap. I get milk out faster by hand expressing. Maybe that will help.

Mummymummymummmeeeee · 31/12/2018 21:47

I find it quite hard to get much pumping when I'm at home and feeding, but like others have said it's much easier pumping a missed feed so hopefully it will be much easier for you when you're back at work and you can get a rolling supply of milk going. Have you checked if your LO will take a bottle too? It didn't occur to me that this would be a problem with DS1 I just thought all babies would just know how to drink from a bottle! Both DS1 and DS2 only took a bottle on my first day back at work, partly because I didn't pump enough milk for there to be much spare for them to practice with - you sound more organised than me though starting a month ahead so you should have plenty of time to get LO used to it

Original poster

Blueeyes91 · 31/12/2018 23:29

I've tried hand expressing but it's never really worked out for me. Happy for some pro pointers though and I'll give it another shot!

My LO is fine with the bottle so I'm not worried about that. Just you know the whole expressing.

I have pumped 3 times today (got too busy to be able to so a 4th) but I managed to get 5oz!! That might not sound like much but I only got 3oz yesterday... so I consider today a win!

OP posts:

JustBecauseYouAreUniqueDoesNot · 01/01/2019 10:50

Well done! In terms of how much you'll get per missed feed pump, everyone is different. In my heyday I got 5-6oz from each side per pump, but if I was stressed or hadn't eaten and drunk well then it could be quite a bit less. I found eating and drinking just before or during pumping, eating oats (porridge usually) and using a good double electric pump the most helpful.

I never liked manual or hand pumping but I did always do breast compressions while electric pumping which also got me an extra oz or two. You can find a guide to that on kellymom.

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