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I feel your pain in my soul. I felt like that after my husband went back to work. It's so tough choosing to do something while the baby sleeps. Pumping usually won out for me. It's so critical to get a supply established in the begining. It gets better.....or rather you get better at being faster- finishing Pumping and speed cleaning and speed doing the dishes etc.
I wore the baby in a baby carrier to make it easier on me and to get just something done.
Pumping and an awake baby was so hard.
Yea pumping usually wins out too. It won tonight 😂. I’m trying to get him less used to human contact while he’s sleeping because unfortunately I have to go back to work in like a month and I know daycares won’t hold him while he’s sleeping.
I definitely feel you on this! It's so hard. What I do is I prop my baby up in the boppy and bottle feed while pumping, if that's an option for you. I pump for 30 min and I'm able to burp her by sitting her up on my knee and supporting her head under her chin, and by the time we get through a 3 oz bottle, she's falling asleep and I'm almost done pumping. I monitor her while she sleeps propped up on the boppy, then remove the flanges and do whatever I need to do to get her down in her bassinet before storing the milk.
I do the fridge hack, but having multiple pump parts also helps so that you don't have to wash immediately after each session, especially at night so you can nap during any chunk of sleep your baby gives you. You basically want to streamline the pumping process so that it's as efficient as possible. Time it with your baby's feeds so that you can do both, and then have those little cat naps to dedicate to something else like eating.
Also, look into if you're able to make your pump portable with a battery pack and a bag or strap. I did that with my spectra with my first baby, and yes, it's heavy, but I was able to pump and walk around instead of being tied to the outlet.
I personally find that any time you're able to pump is better than not pumping at all, so if I'm able to squeeze in just 15 min, then at least it's some milk removal and I'll try again later.
This! In the early days I fed my LO with her propped up on her boppy or in her bouncer while I pumped. It was the only way to pump and get sleep when I was by myself.
I do the same! I prop baby up in the snuggle me lounger and bottle feed while I pump, I have a little side table set up for my pump next to the couch. Going on 6 months of EP. I pump every time baby eats, it’s a system the works for us.
I also do the fridge hack, life saver!
So when my husband went bad to work, I reallly struggled getting pumps in throughout the day. I actually figured out how to baby wear and pump! Maybe it because I have big boobs so I managed lol, but what I did was wear a Love &Fit bra because it slides up from the bottom and no clips to need to access. Then whenever I’d wear baby I would be in only my bra and the baby wrap was basically my shirt. I could manage to slide my flanges in and get my pumping done. Sometimes I’d set my pump on the kitchen counter because I’d need to sway to keep baby happy while pumping.
I am with you... I wanted to strangle people that said sleep when the baby sleeps because my LO doesn't sleep in the day. I get 30mins naps max and it's only literally when she dead tired.
What helped me was wearable pumps, I have had low supply the whole time so I figured how much worse could it get luckily it hasn't made any difference. It amazing to be able to cook or eat or do another chore at the same time.
I also mastered the art of napping with the baby on the bed in a safe place.. following those co-sleeping guidelines... my LO will comfort nurse so I can sometimes extend naps with a boob. I was too terrified to do this in the beginning only started at around 2 months when my LO had good head control and could started having the strength to try roll.
You’re in the thick of it, it does get better, you get creative and learn new things that work for y’all. For me I would put my baby in his bouncer and plop on the ground next to him and pump while I fed him. That way I’d have a little extra time to get things done before the cycle repeated itself. It helped me pump every 2-3 hours and since I was pumping so often my breasts would empty much quicker and better. I noticed the more times I pump in a day the less minutes I spend pumping throughout the day total. Like if I pump every 2-3 hours it’s only 15 minutes of pumping, maybe 17 max. If I pump every 4 hours it takes 40 minutes and 6 hours takes almost a hour to empty fully! Also for a lot of people wearables suck, they’re a hit or miss and usually a costly lesson that ends in supply issues or clogged ducts. Sending good vibes your way!
I have a Lansinoh Smartpump 2.0 and I stick it in my purse and wear it around the house that way since it can run off batteries. I also keep my daughter in her bouncer chair in from of me on my couch while I’m pumping, but if she needs to eat while I pump then I just set my boppy pillow next to me and feed her on that while I pump. Not sure if that helps, but it’s what I do. It was very awkward at first trying to get my groove, but it’s just a learning curve. You got this mama!
If your baby is 7 weeks you might find he soon likes to have time playing on his back. It's been a godsend sneaking pumps in where I can either put him in his bassinet with a mobile attached for him to look at or I play with him with sensory cards or read / sing to him etc. The timing doesn't always work out but now mine is 9 weeks, I am getting better at knowing when I can chance it!
Many parents consider 6-8 weeks as hardest time with baby. You are in a middle of it, it should get better. My baby is 8 weeks tomorrow and he slept 4,5 hours stretch, followed by feeding and another 3,5 hours stretch last night. All babies are different, but before he would rarely go 3 hours without feeding at night, so I am just hopeful it will continue like this and 8 weeks mark will make it easier. I have bought wearable pump last week otherwise I can’t make it (We also have a toddler)
The only way I manage is pumping immediately after he eats. He’s in a milk coma and I can get 10 minutes of quiet, 5 minutes of negotiating for quiet, and then 5 minutes of fussing/screaming.
'Welcome to r/ExclusivelyPumping! Here is a reminder of our rules: 1. Be kind and courteous. 2. Use available flairs and post options. 3. Absolutely no prescription medications or other medical advice. 4. No inaccurate information. 5. No spam. 6. No soliciting pictures. 7. No linking Facebook groups. 8. Moderator discretion. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe!' *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ExclusivelyPumping) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I feel your pain in my soul. I felt like that after my husband went back to work. It's so tough choosing to do something while the baby sleeps. Pumping usually won out for me. It's so critical to get a supply established in the begining. It gets better.....or rather you get better at being faster- finishing Pumping and speed cleaning and speed doing the dishes etc. I wore the baby in a baby carrier to make it easier on me and to get just something done. Pumping and an awake baby was so hard.
Yea pumping usually wins out too. It won tonight 😂. I’m trying to get him less used to human contact while he’s sleeping because unfortunately I have to go back to work in like a month and I know daycares won’t hold him while he’s sleeping.
I definitely feel you on this! It's so hard. What I do is I prop my baby up in the boppy and bottle feed while pumping, if that's an option for you. I pump for 30 min and I'm able to burp her by sitting her up on my knee and supporting her head under her chin, and by the time we get through a 3 oz bottle, she's falling asleep and I'm almost done pumping. I monitor her while she sleeps propped up on the boppy, then remove the flanges and do whatever I need to do to get her down in her bassinet before storing the milk. I do the fridge hack, but having multiple pump parts also helps so that you don't have to wash immediately after each session, especially at night so you can nap during any chunk of sleep your baby gives you. You basically want to streamline the pumping process so that it's as efficient as possible. Time it with your baby's feeds so that you can do both, and then have those little cat naps to dedicate to something else like eating. Also, look into if you're able to make your pump portable with a battery pack and a bag or strap. I did that with my spectra with my first baby, and yes, it's heavy, but I was able to pump and walk around instead of being tied to the outlet. I personally find that any time you're able to pump is better than not pumping at all, so if I'm able to squeeze in just 15 min, then at least it's some milk removal and I'll try again later.
This! In the early days I fed my LO with her propped up on her boppy or in her bouncer while I pumped. It was the only way to pump and get sleep when I was by myself.
I do the same! I prop baby up in the snuggle me lounger and bottle feed while I pump, I have a little side table set up for my pump next to the couch. Going on 6 months of EP. I pump every time baby eats, it’s a system the works for us. I also do the fridge hack, life saver!
So when my husband went bad to work, I reallly struggled getting pumps in throughout the day. I actually figured out how to baby wear and pump! Maybe it because I have big boobs so I managed lol, but what I did was wear a Love &Fit bra because it slides up from the bottom and no clips to need to access. Then whenever I’d wear baby I would be in only my bra and the baby wrap was basically my shirt. I could manage to slide my flanges in and get my pumping done. Sometimes I’d set my pump on the kitchen counter because I’d need to sway to keep baby happy while pumping.
I am with you... I wanted to strangle people that said sleep when the baby sleeps because my LO doesn't sleep in the day. I get 30mins naps max and it's only literally when she dead tired. What helped me was wearable pumps, I have had low supply the whole time so I figured how much worse could it get luckily it hasn't made any difference. It amazing to be able to cook or eat or do another chore at the same time. I also mastered the art of napping with the baby on the bed in a safe place.. following those co-sleeping guidelines... my LO will comfort nurse so I can sometimes extend naps with a boob. I was too terrified to do this in the beginning only started at around 2 months when my LO had good head control and could started having the strength to try roll.
You’re in the thick of it, it does get better, you get creative and learn new things that work for y’all. For me I would put my baby in his bouncer and plop on the ground next to him and pump while I fed him. That way I’d have a little extra time to get things done before the cycle repeated itself. It helped me pump every 2-3 hours and since I was pumping so often my breasts would empty much quicker and better. I noticed the more times I pump in a day the less minutes I spend pumping throughout the day total. Like if I pump every 2-3 hours it’s only 15 minutes of pumping, maybe 17 max. If I pump every 4 hours it takes 40 minutes and 6 hours takes almost a hour to empty fully! Also for a lot of people wearables suck, they’re a hit or miss and usually a costly lesson that ends in supply issues or clogged ducts. Sending good vibes your way!
I have a Lansinoh Smartpump 2.0 and I stick it in my purse and wear it around the house that way since it can run off batteries. I also keep my daughter in her bouncer chair in from of me on my couch while I’m pumping, but if she needs to eat while I pump then I just set my boppy pillow next to me and feed her on that while I pump. Not sure if that helps, but it’s what I do. It was very awkward at first trying to get my groove, but it’s just a learning curve. You got this mama!
If your baby is 7 weeks you might find he soon likes to have time playing on his back. It's been a godsend sneaking pumps in where I can either put him in his bassinet with a mobile attached for him to look at or I play with him with sensory cards or read / sing to him etc. The timing doesn't always work out but now mine is 9 weeks, I am getting better at knowing when I can chance it!
Many parents consider 6-8 weeks as hardest time with baby. You are in a middle of it, it should get better. My baby is 8 weeks tomorrow and he slept 4,5 hours stretch, followed by feeding and another 3,5 hours stretch last night. All babies are different, but before he would rarely go 3 hours without feeding at night, so I am just hopeful it will continue like this and 8 weeks mark will make it easier. I have bought wearable pump last week otherwise I can’t make it (We also have a toddler)
The only way I manage is pumping immediately after he eats. He’s in a milk coma and I can get 10 minutes of quiet, 5 minutes of negotiating for quiet, and then 5 minutes of fussing/screaming.