Likelyhood of sucessful breastfeeding the 2nd time around

[DollChina]

I am 28+ weeks pregnant now and I am wondering about this.  I had a WONDERFUL and the GREATEST nursing experience with my son.  He had no problem what so ever latching on or getting enough milk.  I went back to work full time at 8 weeks and nurse him exclusively until he was 7 months.  
Now, I have this fear that my baby Hayden will be a complete opposite.  Do you moms have any advise for me?  I plan on going back to work after 6 weeks this time since my parents will be around to help me.  A friend of mind just gave birth and she said to go ahead and pump along with nursing once my milk comes in.  She had like 30 bags saved up when her son was only 1 week old.  I was so jealous.  Do you think it's a good idea to pump so early to get extra?
Thanks!
Dolly

[mum2beagain]

Well I did and had no supply problems, infact I over produced really. Only thing I would say is pump after nursing. And if you are going back to work after 6 weeks I would introduce the bottle a couple of weeks before you go back.

Best of luck!

[DollChina]

Mum, I hope that's the case for me.  Do you really think I should start pumping when my milk comes it base on the supply demand rule

[rubyolivia]

I think it is fine and agree with mum2...you will probably over produce as your body will think baby is needing more per feeding.

[DollChina]

So, do you pump right after nursing to et whatever it's left or pump after a while.  The baby will eat every 2 hours, so I will be nursing and pumping every hour?

[rubyolivia]

I'd pump right afterwards, that way you're making plenty per session.

[DollChina]

Ok, that'd be better.  Has any of you just pump and feed with a bottle?  I totally enjoyed nursing but my friend said she likes feeding pumped milk from a bottle instead.  What do you all think>?

[kellym]

I have to pump in the morning. About an hour after my little man eats I shower and then I pump and still get a good 4oz. I only pump once a day because something about the night he doesn't seem to drain them very well. So, I get 1 bottle a day. This is my second, he is 3 weeks and my dd is 20 months.  Second time around is just as easy.... I say that now, ha ha... after the first 7 days my nips got realllly sore, I mean I thought about quitting. I'm not the quitting type, plus the thought of bottle preparing daily made me push through it! Get a tub of lansinoh (sp) and keep lubed..The pain only lasted 2 days but was pretty intense.  I find that the babies drink faster on the breast than the bottle and they get less air, just my thoughts!! Good luck :)
Kellie

[meiram]

Not getting a backup supply in the freezer before I started back to work is the one thing I regret.  I ended up having to work really hard to keep up with growth spurts when I went back.  If I had extra in the freezer it would have been a whole lot less stressful.  I highly recommend squeezing in an extra pumping session or pumping right after to get the left overs.  I sure wish I would have :)  Good luck!

[mum2beagain]

I would say yes, as soon as you get that engorged feeling when your milk comes in you can start to pump once or maybe twice per day.

I would nurse, burp and change Sam, settle him in his crib and then pump. I usually did it after the first feed in a morning and then once his sleep routine got a bit better and I could pretty much guarantee him sleeping for 4 or 5 hours at night I would pump about 1 hour after he went down to sleep.

I would also recomend you nurse her on one breast until it is completely empty and then offer the other right from the start rather than equal min's per side, that way you are sure she has always drained the hind milk from at least one breast per nursing session and she's not just getting fore milk and then you get all the hind milk with the pumping session. Doing it this way though you need to bear in mind that the breast she drained will yeild very little milk at your pumping session but it's worth pumping just to encourage your body to produce more, you will of course get more from the other side. When she nurses again be sure to start her off on the side she didn't drain the last time that way both breasts get the stimulation from her suckling they need to build a good supply.

I had 4 super size huggies boxes filled with 6 oz bags of milk in my chest freezer by the time Sam was four months old doing it this way and they lasted him nearly 6 weeks after I quit nursing altogether at 10 months. (I had NO room for food in my freezer for a long time!)

[energy_train]

My little guy had very poor suck so he would nurse, I would let down and he would swallow and then I had to pump after every feeding- I pumped every 3 hours 24/7 for the first 6 months and then just every 3 hours from 5am until 11pm.  It totally works to pump AFTER she nurses.  I would still get 10 oz after he nursed so I was over producing however, since he had no suck, he couldn't empty my breasts.  I had no problems with engorgement or drying up.  I had an entire deep freeze so full of milk that I started pumping and dumping so if you choose to go this route, you will get a lot of milk but it's worth it if you are going back to work and want to keep her on breast milk.  Good luck.

[DollChina]

OM ladies, thanks so much for the great ideas.  I will def start pumping after nursing at the beginning.  Since I am going back to work in 6 weeks, I will for sure need the extra.  Last time I went back, I was so stressed that it hurt my milk supply for a week or so.  
I have a Medela Pump in Style, can you pump then keep the bottles in the fridge then use the same half full bottles the next time you pump within the same day?  

[Me2mommy2b]

What I did this time around (b/c I wasn't experienced the first time), I told the nurses at the hospital that he'll be exclusively b/fed.  I put him on my breast right after he was born and he latched on great and was on the breast a good 30 minutes.  He enjoyed it greatly (me, not so much) but it helped my milk come in faster, I think.  I did pump after nursing him b/c I made more that he could handle.  12 weeks later, he empties them pretty well.  I still pump as much as my crazy life allows me (it's tough with a 20 months old running around and a 12 week old screaming wanting to be picked up).  I'd say it's much easier the 2nd time around but make sure you're consistent with the pumping when you go back to work.  Good luck, you're almost there.

[DollChina]

Thanks.  I am not too worry since nursing Gavin was so easy.  Just thought that I won't be so lucky wiith Hayden this time.  It will be fine since my parents will be here to "handle" Gavin.  I will have time to pump after I nurse, hopefully.
I have been babying Gavin like crazy.  I think I feel bad that I know I won't have my 100% attention for him after she is born...