using a pump full time

[shell868]

im pregnant and decided i want to breast feed however i only want to use a pump, not actually feed the baby off my nipple. Is it possible to use a pump and store the milk in the fridge full time.

[molldoll26]

absolutely.  it might take some time to develop your supply - but stick with it.  you may want to take a breastfeeding class or meet with a lactation consultant for more help on properly using your pump.  good luck!

[peekawho]

It all depends. Some women can use a pump sucessfully, yet others have a difficult time producing much that way.  
In any event, you'll need a high quality pump.  

[ZevasMom]

Shell, I only pumped (she never "drank from the tap" as my DH says)... Peek is sooooo right, you definately need a high quality pump, I would recommend a Medela Advanced Pump in Style (around $300 new)... And you have to be religious about pumping, in other words, you HAVE to pump every 2-3 hours in the beginning to get your milk "in"... In the beginning I could NOT get my milk to come in enough to suffice DD, so I ended up on some herbal supplements that worked WONDERS!!!  Good luck... it really is best for baby! (breast milk that is)

[jenstam]

If I were you I would actually see if you can rent a Medela Lactina from the hospital for at least the first month to get your supply established. Then, after that first month you should be able to use something like a Medela Pump In Style. But to establish the supply I would highly recommend the hospital grade. I had to do the same until my son could nurse. My Medela Pump In Style just didn't do the trick until the supply was established. Good luck!

[kjbutcher]

i tried it and was not completely successful.  i nursed for the first two weeks then went to pumping 6 times per day.  i got 4 oz each time combined.  then it decresed to 2.5 oz combined then i started taking 3 fenugreek 3x per day and 3 milk thistle 3x per day...yes 18 pills per day.  i got 7 oz combined each time.  the fenugreek made me puke so i stopped taking it but continued with the milk thistle.  now i only get a half oz combined each time.  i am only still doing it because it is winter time and i figure every little bit counts and could help him not get sick.  my son is now  3 months old.  i definately recommend it as opposed to only feeding formula but definately count on supplimenting.  to be the most successful you may want to consider letting him feed for the first few weeks until your milk is completely in.  that seems to have been my problem that my milk supply was not completely in before i started pumping.  also---the first few times you pump you will barely get anything...it is due to the pump...you do have milk and it will start pumping better after the 2-4 times you try.  as zevasmom said you must do it religiously every 2-3 hours including at night time...you must wake up and pump at night or you will not do so well.  i'm definately not trying to deter you from it.  I am not sorry at all that I am still doing it...(i am sorry that i gave up nursing so soon due to the lack of milk now)  I just wanted to give you my story so you have an idea of what to expect.

[tmv]

Much easier to nurse the baby than stressing over getting enough pumped. The baby gets more than you can pump.

[tiredbuthappy]

it's possible- i've been doing it for 4 1/2 months. it's the hardest thing i've ever done. in the beginning, you have to pump 8-10 times/day to get your supply established. very exhausting, since you have to make sure you wake up to pump during the night if you want to maintain your supply. it's best to get at least one pump in between 1 and 5 am, since that's when your prolactin levels are highest. you have to keep up this regiment for 8-12 weeks (they say 12 weeks, but i was able to drop pumps at 8 weeks without it affecting my supply). For me it was very exhausting since DD would take an hour to finish a bottle, and then i'd have to pump for 15 minutes. since dd ate every 2 hours, i pretty much had 45 minutes btw feeding/pumping sessions. there are things you can purchase to make life a little easier. a hands-free bra will make it easier for you to enterain the baby while you pump. some people even try to feed the baby while pumping to free up more time. different sized flanges make it more comfortable, but i highly recommend the pumpin pal angled flanged. it allows you to sit back and relax while pumping. http://www.pumpinpal.com/New_HTML/breast_shield.htm
a car adapter for your pump will make help you have a little more freedom. a manual pump is good for an emergency. i have had success with the Medela Pump in Style Advanced, but many people also recommend the Ameda Purely Yours or the Lansinoh Pump.
I now pump 3 times a day. i am lucky because i produce enough to feed DD, and i can freeze some too. i highly recommend you look at the following site for advice on exclusively pumping:
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppexcluspump
Other sites:
http://www.mother-2-mother.com/ExclusivePumping.htm
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html

[Me2mommy2b]

I must admit that when I started pumping more and nursing less, my milk supply diminished.  Not to say that'll happen to you, just telling you my experience.  Good luck.

[Cheyenne_08]

I pumped for almost 3 months, but slowly lost my milk supply. I pumped on a hospital grade pump that I rented from the hospital my son was born at. THe ladies there told me that pumps off store shelves are only designed with the assumption that the baby is nursing 50% of the time from your body and getting 50% of their milk from the bottle. Therefore, it is really really hard to bring in your milk supply on your average pump.

[baby1234]

I definitely don't want to be the downer of the group, but I found that pumping exclusively did not work for me. I have twins who are in the NICU. I pumped (with the hospital grade pump I rented) 10 times a day, took fenugreek, and still had my milk dry up by the fourth week. I did everything I could think of to help my production but nothing seemed to help. I was pretty hard on myself when I could no longer pump milk, but my body didn't want to cooperate! (gave me my period the same week, too!)

[shell868]

Thanks for all your advise im really nervous and oly 20 its a big shock and just want to do everything right thanks again everyone!!!

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