Breastfeeding/Pumping HELP!

Hi Ladies,

I'm in need of some advice in regards to BF and pumping.  My son is currently 3 weeks old and i have been bf him exclusively but would like to start pumping.  As this is my first baby i'm not quite sure how it works.

First of all i'm not quite sure of what pump to get.  I plan to just introduce the bottle and maybe feed him once a day from the bottle and still keep him on the breast for the remainder of his feedings so this way he will get used to the bottle and i will be able to leave him for more then an few hours if i have to.

So as for what type of pump i'm considering just the mini electic medela, do you think this will serve this purpose?  Some people have told me they are useless and the only way to go is to rent an industrial type one (like medela's symphony) so i'm really not sure.

Also, if i decide to rent an industrial pump am i able to pump like crazy for a week and freeze it while still feeding my son or would this totally screw up my milk supply?

Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[ma2isiah]

I would suggest the medela double electric or single. I am not familiar with the mini you describe. I wouldn't pump like crazy as it will increase your supply. Just pump maybe once a day either after feeding or feed one side and pump the other. It may take a while to save up a supply, but that is a good idea to have some available. Try pumping in the early am if possible, most people have more milk in the am. Good luck!

[AndiJ78]

I think it would be good too wait about another week to start pumping if nursing is going well. Just give yourself a little bit of extra insurance as far as your supply goes.

I would recommend a good pump like a medela pump in style or double-ease. The hospital grade is a good idea as well.

But if it is just for an occasional thing, a simple electric should suffice.

[mlb1234]

I think the pump you mentioned should be OK for the once a day thing.  Pumping a lot would increase your supply and then if you stopped pumping you would end up engorged.  Not a big big deal but not pleasant for you either.  Your body constantly adjusts to the demand.
Also please take this advice - definitely give one bottle a day and keep it up!!  My daughter is 16 weeks.  We gave her one bottle a day around weeks 3-7 then we got lazy and quit...thinking she would remember what to do since she took it so easily.  Well now at 16 weeks when I returned to work last Monday she is refusing bottles completely.  She will not latch to them at all and is basically holding out for me to get home and feed her.  It makes for a very hard day for her and my husband (luckily I am only part-time now).  We both regret stopping the once-a-day bottle!!!!!  If only we could go back now!!!  Best of luck!

[Jane41]

I have had to pump for two children with medical problems.  The double pump is the best option.  Less hassle and quicker.  The best time to pump and not increase your milk supply terribly is to pump immediately after you feed your baby.  That way you are emptying out what is left and this milk is usually very fatty and will be good for your baby if you are away a little too long when the milk is needed (extra calories).  Also your baby is happy after feeding and you'll have the patience to pump while baby sleeps and\or is contented.  I would buy the storage bags that can be frozen so you can tuck some away for an emergency situation.  Just be sure to thaw it in the refrigerator.  One important thing to remember is that babies that are both breast and bottle fed tend to wean themselves from the breast early (usually at about 6 mos. when they find out that the bottle is easier to suck from).  So if you want to breast feed for a long time then I wouldn't bottle feed unless you have to.  Good Luck.

[tiredbuthappy]

jane had great advice! i agree the double pump is best. and even if you're only pumping once or twice a day, i would recommend a good pump. i see a lot of posts by frustrated moms who aren't getting good results with the pump, but aren't using good pumps. if you don't want to invest in a good medela pump in style, you can opt for the ameda purely yours (also expensive) or the lansinoh double electric pump, which is the same exact thing as the ameda but a different color and cheaper (i think it's exclusively at target). a lot of people get good results with that pump.

another option, if your baby tends to drain one breast at a time, is to pump and nurse at the same time. http://www.mother-2-mother.com/pumping-while-nursing.htm shows someone doing it.

pumping like crazy for a week will greatly increase your supply, but if you don't want to keep having to pump like crazy i agree that you should do what jane said and pump after feeding him. you can pour what you get into a freezer bag and put it in the fridge. you can add the next pumping session's milk to that bag after it is chilled.  here are some links

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html

this link has a great chart showing storing basics- http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html

[YoungMom130]

My La Maze instructor was also a lactation specialist that taught classes on breastfeeding. My husband and I decided that it would be best to bf our son. We were told that so not to confuse him I should only offer the breast for the first 6 weeks, then start pumping and introduce the bottle. Problem was, I had so much milk when it came in that I was choking him and had to start pumping earlier than 6 weeks before each feeding. I had the medela mini that you mentioned and burned it out in less than 3 months, it was a piece of ****. I looked up comments about it and talked to the lactation specialist and she said they are known for dying like that, and suggesting that I get one step below a hospital grade, but definately medela (others, like the ones you can get at walmart or target are made by formula and bottle companies that aren't concerned with quality pumping, according to the Lactation Specialist). It was a pricey investment, but it has a double pump and worked beautifully! I am pregnant now with our second child and this pump should last a number of years. I even took it with us on our summer vacation to the beach, so that my husband and I could go out and his family could watch the baby for awhile. So thankful my husband bought it for me! Good luck!

[YoungMom130]

BTW, I should have mentioned that the medela pump was a "pump-in-style". Not the prettiest model, but it gets the job done and does it well!