pumping only need advice and tips

Hello ladies,
I am a 1st time mom with a 3 week old who had problems latching on and then i had issues with sore nipples and we both never got a hang of it despite spending money on 3 lac consults. I am wondering if there are any moms who have are just pumping. is it possible to pump for a whole yr straight? will your body produced that much milk as the baby grows because right now i get 4oz total. i pump very 3hrs do i have to store in order to feed him later on ( i am a stay home mom so dont have to worry abt returning  ) I want to be able to just pump and feed him. Also i brought medela pump in style any advice on the breastshield sizes. i swear i have brought all of them and can't figure out what size works for me they all rub the nipple on the sides  and leave a little ring followed the instr. on the medela site. the xxl seems to pull more than just my nipple so not going to use that it pulls it inside the funnel by more than 1/2 inch. How much is the pump suppose to pull the nipple inside? Any advice?

[tiredbuthappy]

I haven't forgotten you! It's the first week of school, with a very challenging class, so I don't have much time or energy again. So, some light reading from my past journals...

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/13089/Pumping-tips-and-info

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/13671/Freezing-Breast-Milk?personal_page_id=865620

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/14556/Breast-Milk-Handling?personal_page_id=865620

In addition to that info, here's a little more:
Go hands free, if you haven't already. It allows you to make pumping time "you" time- playing on the computer, reading, etc... You can buy a pumping bra, or get a regular bra and just cut slits in it. There is also a "rubber band trick for pumping" (google it and you'll find pics). When dd was little, i could lay her in my lap while I pumped or in a bouncy seat next to me and feed her while I pumped. This freed up time for other things.

use the fridge trick- after pumping just rinse the parts quickly and toss in a container or ziplock and toss in the fridge for the next use. Saves a LOT of time not washing each time. You can just wash once or twice daily.

If your nips are sore, apply a little olive oil to the base of the nipple to lubricate things. It's safe for baby.

Let me know if you get bleeding sores- I got those and found great ways to handle it and help it heal. Some blood in the milk is good for the baby.

As for which size, I can't say which is the best. I'd say use whatever is most comfortable since you have a choice. Although, i would definitely get the pumpin pals angled shields.

If you can, and are comfortable doing so, learn to multitask. One day I was able to pump while watching the girls eat dinner and washing dishes.

Get a good little manual for when you're on the go. It's great if you are running late or if baby gets hungry and you don't have any milk with you. I loved the medela harmony for this.

Pump in the car. If we were ever traveling anywhere (family, holidays, etc), I used the time in the car to pump so i didn't have to worry about it there. I did get the car adapter, but batteries work in the pump in style too.

Take advantage of the fact that EBM is good at room temp for several hours. Before going out to shop, I'd pump a bottle and take it along at room temp. It was ready whenever baby was. It is also great for not having to predict when the baby would be hungry. In the beginning I would try to pump before each feed, but had to worry about her unpredictable appetite. I quickly learned to feed milk (left out at room temp from last feed) and THEN pump. Much less stressful. Also great for those night feeds. If she sleeps a longer stretch, you can too. When she squawks, feed the milk left out from the last pump, and then pump.

[tiredbuthappy]

I have tons of advice and very little time this evening. So I will come back on tomorrow. But, I did want to say that many of us here pumped successfully for a very long time. I myself pumped 6 1/2 months with my 1st and had extra  2 months frozen to feed, and pumped almost 9 months with my second, and had some frozen to feed a couple feeds a day until she was over 12 months.

Things to look at tonight- do a search for "pumpin pal angled shields." They are a lifesaver. SOOO much more comfortable and more forgiving in fit. And you can pump while leaning back in bed.

I actually found my supply naturally increased with time. I do recall with my first I had worries about my supply in the first few weeks, as I was barely meeting her needs. However, I was super diligent about my pumping. During the day it was every 2-3 hours, and I only did one longer stretch of 4 hours over night. That was enough for me to build supply gradually. Many women do find they need to "power pump" to boost supply. You can look it up, or I can give more details tomorrow.

Like I said, I gotta run. But it CAN be done. I only stopped because I was working FT and going to grad school. But you have to maintain good habits. Later on, you can drop pumps. I'll be back....

[prosncons]

Thank you very much for your response looking forwards for more tips tomorrow. It is very comforting to know that it can be done.

[tiredbuthappy]

I haven't forgotten you! It's the first week of school, with a very challenging class, so I don't have much time or energy again. So, some light reading from my past journals...

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/13089/Pumping-tips-and-info

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/13671/Freezing-Breast-Milk?personal_page_id=865620

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/14556/Breast-Milk-Handling?personal_page_id=865620

In addition to that info, here's a little more:
Go hands free, if you haven't already. It allows you to make pumping time "you" time- playing on the computer, reading, etc... You can buy a pumping bra, or get a regular bra and just cut slits in it. There is also a "rubber band trick for pumping" (google it and you'll find pics). When dd was little, i could lay her in my lap while I pumped or in a bouncy seat next to me and feed her while I pumped. This freed up time for other things.

use the fridge trick- after pumping just rinse the parts quickly and toss in a container or ziplock and toss in the fridge for the next use. Saves a LOT of time not washing each time. You can just wash once or twice daily.

If your nips are sore, apply a little olive oil to the base of the nipple to lubricate things. It's safe for baby.

Let me know if you get bleeding sores- I got those and found great ways to handle it and help it heal. Some blood in the milk is good for the baby.

As for which size, I can't say which is the best. I'd say use whatever is most comfortable since you have a choice. Although, i would definitely get the pumpin pals angled shields.

If you can, and are comfortable doing so, learn to multitask. One day I was able to pump while watching the girls eat dinner and washing dishes.

Get a good little manual for when you're on the go. It's great if you are running late or if baby gets hungry and you don't have any milk with you. I loved the medela harmony for this.

Pump in the car. If we were ever traveling anywhere (family, holidays, etc), I used the time in the car to pump so i didn't have to worry about it there. I did get the car adapter, but batteries work in the pump in style too.

Take advantage of the fact that EBM is good at room temp for several hours. Before going out to shop, I'd pump a bottle and take it along at room temp. It was ready whenever baby was. It is also great for not having to predict when the baby would be hungry. In the beginning I would try to pump before each feed, but had to worry about her unpredictable appetite. I quickly learned to feed milk (left out at room temp from last feed) and THEN pump. Much less stressful. Also great for those night feeds. If she sleeps a longer stretch, you can too. When she squawks, feed the milk left out from the last pump, and then pump.

[prosncons]

Thank you very much for your wonderful advice and tips. I have already placed an order for the pumpin pals which come with a hands free band too. Cant wait till it comes.

[squirtatious]

A newborns stomach is the size of a marble. It doesn't take much to fill him/her up. 4 ozs, wow, that's good!!!! Remember, breastmilk is very concentrated so it doesn't take much to fill a wee babe up. 4 ozs is more than enough and  way too much for a 3 week old lol.  Your doing wonderful and I think you'll cont doing great to produce more than enough milk for a full year. Babies go through growth spurts at 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months so you can expect ur milk supply to go up in demand as ur child eats more. Take care

[BeautifulMistake2010]

You have to remember, that as long as your pumping or breastfeeding, your body will continue to produce a milk supply.