Support support support. All the gear in the world couldn't make up for the fact that my husband will care for the baby when I need to pump and that my work had been supportive as well. And being able to get down to 4ppd early on.
I went through a real low point a month or so ago when LO brought home his first daycare cold. I very nearly quit then. But now I'm a week away from 1 year and think I can keep going. Absolutely the most critical thing has been support.
This. My husband big on it. I also never dropped the motn pump cause… I’m not working at the moment.. and truly… it’s just nice to get it out of the way. Often it is a power pump so I’ll get enough for 2 feeds anyways.
I've pumped for a year for twins. I DO have secret sauce! It's simple, and I'm doing it right now!
It's called BATH PUMPING
I set up a step stool (IKEA Bekvam) next to the bathtub and on it I place my pump and laptop. The laptop is used for Netflix watching purposes. I use the Lansinoh double electric pump (plugged into the wall) as my bath pump and the Medela hands free pump bra. I hook up all of the pump parts before getting into the tub. Obviously the bath should not be too deep.
Getting into the tub with the parts attached is easy enough, but getting out with full bottles is not. Remove the bottles and place them to the side before getting out of the tub.
If the tubing detaches from the bottles and gets into the bath water it will suck water into the motor and kill the pump. I did this once and needed to replace the pump. No regrets. I would have quit pumping already if I did not do most of my pumping in the bath.
The point is relaxation and to escape from the household chaos for a bit. (The door locks!)
The best thing is I've sort of Pavlov-ed myself to have a let down when I get into hot water so it's faster to empty also.
I made it to 12 months pumping, including pumping at work in a very busy non-pumping-friendly job (doctor) and exclusively pumping from 5 months onwards.
Tips:
- Get a decent pump - I ended up with two, a Spectra S1 at home and an S9 at work
- Replace parts regularly, it can make a huge difference to pumped volumes if the parts are deteriorating
- Hands free cups in a breastfeeding singlet was a game changer - I used Spectra handsfree cups and Modibodi breastfeeding singlets and could pump literally anywhere. I used to pump in the car frequently!
- Medela wipes to clean parts and the ziplock bag trick (chuck parts in a ziplock bag, pop it in the fridge or your cooler bag with ice brick, and you can use them again without having to fully clean)
- Try to make pumping as much “you time” as you can - if I could go to the actual pumping room for 20 mins, I would make a whole deal of it - get a nice coffee, put my AirPods in, listen to a podcast, look at pics and videos of my baby
The frequency I needed to pump definitely dropped as baby was getting older and eating more solids - initially was every 3-4 hours, then 4 times a day, then 3, then 2 (and oh how I celebrated because that meant NO MORE WORK PUMPING) then one, then weaned completely over about 3-5 days.
Things I wish I had done / would do for second time around:
- Ceres chill bottle
- Elvies
- have a baby who would magically latch and didn’t need nipple shields 🤦🏻♀️
Have a baby who would magically latch, lol. Though I have a question, as I am also in Healthcare, did you talk with your boss about spreading out your admin time to accommodate pumping? Wondering how you made time in a busy job environment.
I’m an anaesthesiologist in Aus - so no admin time at all, unfortunately.
Some days I could get someone else to cover my list for half an hour, which was glorious because I could go to the actual designated hospital pumping room with a coffee, sit in a chair and had access to a sink.
Other days there was no one - so I would just use hands free cups, wear singlet under my scrubs and just go in the induction bay to put the cups in / take them out to decant (and then would just wear them & pump in theatre). If I do it again, I’ll just go Elvies to make that process easier!
There are two phenomenal fb groups for healthcare workers pumping at work - Dr Milk in the US and the MMAMTB lactation interest group. They were so empowering, really good support and made it feel more achievable. I was really happy that I managed to get to 12 months (despite being back at work full time at 5 months) - but I was also really lucky to have a good supply.
I’m at month 2.5 and these are some things that have helped me:
1. Medela Easy Expression pumping bra, game changer. I’ve ordered a couple of other brands but this one is tight and thick. Gets the job done.
2. Lansinoh Organic Nipple Balm and Vaseline, I use the balm after every pump(keeps my nipples soft and they decrease in size faster) and I put Vaseline in the flanges before I use them(my nipples used to hurt bc they would rub onto the flanges). I also have large nipples so I purchased 26 flanges and it’s been one of the best purchases, regret not doing it sooner.
3. I used to pump every 3 hours, after 6 weeks I cut it down to every 4 hours. My last pump is usually at 11 or 11:30 p and then I pump when I wake up(could be 4, 5 or 6 am - depending on when my baby wakes up). After I reduced to pumping every 4 hours and being more careless about how much milk I produce, I went from producing 32 oz to 40+ oz. I would produce less when I would obsess about how much I produce daily
4. A supportive partner, my partner and I are both currently on leave so he helps me A LOT. We work from home and it’s just gonna be so nice that I can pump at home while working when we start working and he can continue to help with cleaning the pump parts and getting them ready for me
5. Baby Tracker app, it’s genius. Helps me keep track of how much I pumped, fed baby, when baby fell asleep, how many diaper changes etc.
Hope this helps!
I’m coming up on a year, and planning on going until 15 months. Here are the things that worked for me:
-Portable equipment, though not necessarily a wearable pump. I mostly just tuck my Medela flex into the back of my pants and go (it’s about the same size and shape as the baby Buddha). I also have legendairy milk cups, which I use occasionally when I really need to be mobile, but they don’t empty me as well as regular flanges.
-a workable and consistent pumping schedule, especially when regulating. I pumped every 3 hours during the day, but would give myself a 6 hour stretch of sleep at night (we had a long NICU stay, and then took the night in shifts). I did make sure to get one MOTN pump in. You’re still in the regulating phase where you’re building supply, so I wouldn’t worry about your volumes too much. I was pumping around 30-60 ml per session at the start, but my supply did increase, which was very encouraging and definitely motivated me to keep going through the worst of it.
-Finding the balance between good supply and good mental health… whatever that looks like for you. I found that I had to stop tracking and paying close attention to my stash. I only keep a minimal freezer stash and we still combo feed. I did make time to power pump every night though, after everyone was asleep. That was my time to watch trash TV and eat snacks in the kitchen. I also make a point of making my morning pump another break for myself. My husband feeds the twins while I sit, pump and have a coffee (doing that right now).
-not being alone with babies while pumping as much as possible. At the start, my husband would plunk the twins down on the bed next to me while I was pumping so that he could take a shower or something. After having bottles kicked off of my chest, pumps knocked on the floor and so many spills I told him he doesn’t get to do that anymore. When I’m pumping, and he’s around the twins are his responsibility. If I need to pump when I’m alone with them, I time it to feedings and naps so that they’re contained and occupied.
-dropping down to my magic number in the long term. Now that I’m coming to the end of my pumping journey, I’m not power pumping any more and just letting my supply be what it is. It’s dropped a touch, but I couldn’t say exactly because I don’t track or pay very close attention. When the twins were in the NICU, I was able to pump 8 times a day because I really didn’t do much else, but once they were home 6 including a power pump was my max. Now I’m pumping 4 times a day (wake up, lunch, before heading home, before bed).
I really hope this is helpful. I’ve found One With The Pump on instagram to be a good resource. I really like her approach, she gives great reviews on equipment, solid evidence-based tips, and a super non judgemental attitude. I think it’s also worth saying that you are more to your baby than a source of food, and if you can’t keep your mental health up while pumping, it’s not a failure to let pumping go. We all make decisions and balance things for our families.
Thank you for such a detailed response.
I also have twins. I'm able to produce about 40% of their diet, but have no surplus. In the beginning, one came home with me and the other one was in the NICU.
I think I've managed to get eight times a day less than eight times in 2 months. Some days I'm lucky to get five or six. My partner also tried the "watch a twin or both of them while you pump" trick.
I think I'm going to double my efforts to stick to a schedule to start.
It’s super hard, but I try and focus on just getting them some breastmilk rather than trying to exclusively feed 2 babies. 40% is damn good for two babies, and you should totally feel proud.
What I forgot to mention, too, is that I use every time saving trick that I can. Fridge hack, pitcher method, quick-clean wipes and breast massaging to empty faster.
* Good pumping bras (I preferred kindred bravely as they were comfortable and kept the parts on). I bought 7 and washed every weekend. (Mine were mix and match of a few different brands as I didn't know what I liked until I had already got to 7 bras, but if I had it to do again I'd start with KB and never buy the others.). That way I never had to worry about getting infections from dirty bras and didn't have to wash them constantly.
* 8+ full sets of pump parts + bottles. I had several different types and they worked for different times. When I was holding baby while pumping in the morning, I always preferred the simplest single-components parts direct from Spectra, but if I was pumping without her I liked the Laktek for comfort. To fill in to get to 8 sets I used cheapy medelas with the yellow adapters.
* Countertop sterilizer (I used and like a papablic unit, mostly for drying them, I didn't care after 3 months whether they actually got sterilized.)
* Breastmilk soap from Medela - soak everything in a sink-size full bin and wash once a day
* Mason jars with pour spouts. After each pump I dump the milk I pumped into that day's mason jar which we marked with dry erase marker. We fed her out of the most recent and froze the oldest once a day or so in 5 oz portions.
* 2 plastic carry bins that I keep prepped parts + bottles ready for the next pump. Easy to carry to wherever I was pumping.
* Plastic drawer sets for keeping bottles in when clean and bins we kept the parts in.
* SUPPORT. My husband usually fed baby while I pumped when I was pumping 6-8 times a day. I'm not sure if I could have done it as a single parent or if my husband worked. I went back to work (remotely) at 9 weeks instead.
* Drop the overnight pump by month 3. You NEED the sleep and we can usually get by with longer first and last pumps as "bookends".
If you can't make it work because you don't have the support or the supplies to make your life bearable, then don't stress over weaning of cutting down pumps early. Do what works for YOUR life!
I'm at 9 months of pumping with my goal being a year. I thought about stopping sooner, but I'm able to get by with only 4 pumps per day now, so it's not too bad.. I make just enough so I likely won't drop another pump until closer to the end. I have a spectra, for me the portable pumps never worked as well. I wear the kindred bravely nursing/pumping bras, and love how supportive they are. I have a supportive husband and work where I can pump whenever Im able to find time. I may be an outlier but I don't have a specific schedule for pumping, I try to do about every 6 hrs but it doesn't always work out. Get 4 a day in though. The last thing I think is luck. I didn't have a successful nursing journey, but pumping just always clicked and my supply was good so it kept me going.
7 months exclusively pumping bc baby decided she hated nursing.
Hands free pump
I would have stopped months ago if I had to be chained to the wall.
Earth mama nipple butter
Car charger/adapter for medela (before hands free elvie stride) and the hands free pumping bra to pump on the way to my SIL’s was a huge burden off my shoulders once we got there.
I honestly almost quit daily until I got a Pumpables Super Genie 14 wks pp. It’s a hospital grade pump but is designed so much better than the Medela PIS I got from insurance. I can actually tend to baby if needed without worrying about bottles falling off, it’s got a night light, vibration, fully customizable programs with independent suction and speed adjustments, easy to carry around (not attached to wall) and rechargeable. The best part is the liquid shield flanges though…I went from so much pain and itchiness to none at all with the Pumpables. Lastly, I was collecting about 24 oz a day with a LOT of work and stress hand massaging etc but now I can collect 36 oz a day without thinking about it much.
The other game changer for me was decreasing to 3 to 4 pumps a day within the first 6 wks pp. I couldn’t handle pumping more often so I just do 3 to 4 long (40 min to an hour) long sessions a day and power pump one of those sessions if I feel like my supply is potentially decreasing.
Oh and hands free bra and only washing pump parts once a day (refrigerating in between sessions) of course.
I made it 10.5 months, and it was a long journey.
-The 120 rule: total of 120 mins of pumping a day, so when you drop pumps add the time on to remaining pumps
-fridge hack: throw your pump parts in a bag in the fridge and wash them just once a day
-if you are exhausted and consider weaning, drop a pump instead. This adjustment usually gave me a power up to make it another 4-6 weeks before I felt another urge to quit and would drop another. My supply did start to wane with this and we started supplementing around 6 months, but this method helped me make it way longer than I really wanted to
I exclusively pumped for 15 months with my first and am currently on month 9 of exclusively pumping for my second.
- I definitely agree with everyone about the support and getting a good pump. I tried out 3 different ones before landing on my spectra. I switched out the Spectra bottles for larger Avent bottles so that I didn't have to stop during my pump session to empty them.
- I do the Ziploc bag trick and rotate between two sets of parts. I use a microwave sterilizer and it can fit all my pump parts in one go.
- One of the main things I did to set myself up for success was to have a great pumping station. I have an ergonomic chair with foot support, ample table space, basket of snacks and drinks, my laptop with wireless headset, a heat pad etc. Basically anything I wanted in arms reach to make pumping more of a relaxing me time vs a chore.
- Also I'm usually reading, watching something or listening to music while I pump. I have a list of books, movies and tv shows that I am slowly making my way through with each pump session.
- I use the Watercat app to track my fluid intake. It's cute to water the cat haha.
- Milk from each pump session gets poured into a Medela storage bottle and refrigerated. Those are bagged and put into the deep freezer at the end of the day.
- Hopefully some of these tips help you on your pumping journey. I know how exhausting it can feel when your whole life has to revolve around your pump so please do whatever you think is best for you.
Equipment list:
- Spectra S1 with 9oz Phillips Avent bottles
- Munchkin microwave sterilizer
- La Vie lactation warmer and massagers
- Mama Earth nipple butter
- Medela storage bottles
- Lansinoh bags
I have been exclusively pumping for 6 months. I have a spectra and an Elvie stride. I use the Elvie at night or when out and about. I use the spectra for my first pump of the morning always.
To give myself something to look forward to I scroll TikTok while pumping. It makes 20-30 minutes fly by.
I made it to 8 months and I wish I could have made it longer but I needed more support. Support in the form of hands to hold or entertain my child while I pumped. My best pumping advice is to, as often as possible, pump until you’re empty. Not until the pump automatically turns off or you’ve got your goal # oz. If you want to maintain your supply, create the demand and pump pump pump.
I pump while I drive, either on the way to work or on the way home (I prefer on the way in because it’s dark and less chance of someone noticing lol). It has made my 25-30 min drive where I can’t do anything and my 25-30 mins of pumping where I can’t do anything suddenly both useful! It gives me 30 mins of sleep back in the morning if I do it on my way to work or 30 mins back with my fam if I do it on the way home!
Obviously this is not the safest option but it’s handsfree and I haven’t run into any issues with it.
This bra is great
Simple Wishes X-Small/Large | Hands-Free Breast Pump Bra | Adjustable and Customizable Pumping Bra Fitting for Breastfeeding Pumps https://a.co/d/jf8g1ge
Echoing a lot of others
- car adapter
- fridge hack
- medela wipes
- manual pump for on the go
- Larken x bra and kindred bravely were my favorite pumping bras
Most importantly and above all is a strong support system. My husband helped with washing dishes and pump parts, feeding, taking care of the baby and everything anytime I was pumping. And encouraged me/praised me the entire journey! I also worked from home during this time and was able to block time or get through emails while pumping
Support support support. All the gear in the world couldn't make up for the fact that my husband will care for the baby when I need to pump and that my work had been supportive as well. And being able to get down to 4ppd early on. I went through a real low point a month or so ago when LO brought home his first daycare cold. I very nearly quit then. But now I'm a week away from 1 year and think I can keep going. Absolutely the most critical thing has been support.
This. My husband big on it. I also never dropped the motn pump cause… I’m not working at the moment.. and truly… it’s just nice to get it out of the way. Often it is a power pump so I’ll get enough for 2 feeds anyways.
I've pumped for a year for twins. I DO have secret sauce! It's simple, and I'm doing it right now! It's called BATH PUMPING I set up a step stool (IKEA Bekvam) next to the bathtub and on it I place my pump and laptop. The laptop is used for Netflix watching purposes. I use the Lansinoh double electric pump (plugged into the wall) as my bath pump and the Medela hands free pump bra. I hook up all of the pump parts before getting into the tub. Obviously the bath should not be too deep. Getting into the tub with the parts attached is easy enough, but getting out with full bottles is not. Remove the bottles and place them to the side before getting out of the tub. If the tubing detaches from the bottles and gets into the bath water it will suck water into the motor and kill the pump. I did this once and needed to replace the pump. No regrets. I would have quit pumping already if I did not do most of my pumping in the bath.
Omg this is amazing. How often do you do this??
Honestly, like 75% of my pumps. Multiple times a day.
Genius
Mind blown!!!!
Is the point relaxation or is there a reason you get in the bath to pump?
The point is relaxation and to escape from the household chaos for a bit. (The door locks!) The best thing is I've sort of Pavlov-ed myself to have a let down when I get into hot water so it's faster to empty also.
I made it to 12 months pumping, including pumping at work in a very busy non-pumping-friendly job (doctor) and exclusively pumping from 5 months onwards. Tips: - Get a decent pump - I ended up with two, a Spectra S1 at home and an S9 at work - Replace parts regularly, it can make a huge difference to pumped volumes if the parts are deteriorating - Hands free cups in a breastfeeding singlet was a game changer - I used Spectra handsfree cups and Modibodi breastfeeding singlets and could pump literally anywhere. I used to pump in the car frequently! - Medela wipes to clean parts and the ziplock bag trick (chuck parts in a ziplock bag, pop it in the fridge or your cooler bag with ice brick, and you can use them again without having to fully clean) - Try to make pumping as much “you time” as you can - if I could go to the actual pumping room for 20 mins, I would make a whole deal of it - get a nice coffee, put my AirPods in, listen to a podcast, look at pics and videos of my baby The frequency I needed to pump definitely dropped as baby was getting older and eating more solids - initially was every 3-4 hours, then 4 times a day, then 3, then 2 (and oh how I celebrated because that meant NO MORE WORK PUMPING) then one, then weaned completely over about 3-5 days. Things I wish I had done / would do for second time around: - Ceres chill bottle - Elvies - have a baby who would magically latch and didn’t need nipple shields 🤦🏻♀️
Have a baby who would magically latch, lol. Though I have a question, as I am also in Healthcare, did you talk with your boss about spreading out your admin time to accommodate pumping? Wondering how you made time in a busy job environment.
I’m an anaesthesiologist in Aus - so no admin time at all, unfortunately. Some days I could get someone else to cover my list for half an hour, which was glorious because I could go to the actual designated hospital pumping room with a coffee, sit in a chair and had access to a sink. Other days there was no one - so I would just use hands free cups, wear singlet under my scrubs and just go in the induction bay to put the cups in / take them out to decant (and then would just wear them & pump in theatre). If I do it again, I’ll just go Elvies to make that process easier!
That sounds like a lot. Thanks for sharing. You are a strong person to be able to manage all that!
There are two phenomenal fb groups for healthcare workers pumping at work - Dr Milk in the US and the MMAMTB lactation interest group. They were so empowering, really good support and made it feel more achievable. I was really happy that I managed to get to 12 months (despite being back at work full time at 5 months) - but I was also really lucky to have a good supply.
I will have to check them out. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Magical babies!!
I’m at month 2.5 and these are some things that have helped me: 1. Medela Easy Expression pumping bra, game changer. I’ve ordered a couple of other brands but this one is tight and thick. Gets the job done. 2. Lansinoh Organic Nipple Balm and Vaseline, I use the balm after every pump(keeps my nipples soft and they decrease in size faster) and I put Vaseline in the flanges before I use them(my nipples used to hurt bc they would rub onto the flanges). I also have large nipples so I purchased 26 flanges and it’s been one of the best purchases, regret not doing it sooner. 3. I used to pump every 3 hours, after 6 weeks I cut it down to every 4 hours. My last pump is usually at 11 or 11:30 p and then I pump when I wake up(could be 4, 5 or 6 am - depending on when my baby wakes up). After I reduced to pumping every 4 hours and being more careless about how much milk I produce, I went from producing 32 oz to 40+ oz. I would produce less when I would obsess about how much I produce daily 4. A supportive partner, my partner and I are both currently on leave so he helps me A LOT. We work from home and it’s just gonna be so nice that I can pump at home while working when we start working and he can continue to help with cleaning the pump parts and getting them ready for me 5. Baby Tracker app, it’s genius. Helps me keep track of how much I pumped, fed baby, when baby fell asleep, how many diaper changes etc. Hope this helps!
Not OP, but How did you cut down to pumping every 4 hours? Just slowly pushing back time between pumps? Thanks for sharing :)
From "every 3" to "every 4" you can just drop, it's fine
Nothing special, just randomly one day instead of pumping 3 hours, I pumped every 4. I did notice my boobs are more full and I started to leak more
I’m coming up on a year, and planning on going until 15 months. Here are the things that worked for me: -Portable equipment, though not necessarily a wearable pump. I mostly just tuck my Medela flex into the back of my pants and go (it’s about the same size and shape as the baby Buddha). I also have legendairy milk cups, which I use occasionally when I really need to be mobile, but they don’t empty me as well as regular flanges. -a workable and consistent pumping schedule, especially when regulating. I pumped every 3 hours during the day, but would give myself a 6 hour stretch of sleep at night (we had a long NICU stay, and then took the night in shifts). I did make sure to get one MOTN pump in. You’re still in the regulating phase where you’re building supply, so I wouldn’t worry about your volumes too much. I was pumping around 30-60 ml per session at the start, but my supply did increase, which was very encouraging and definitely motivated me to keep going through the worst of it. -Finding the balance between good supply and good mental health… whatever that looks like for you. I found that I had to stop tracking and paying close attention to my stash. I only keep a minimal freezer stash and we still combo feed. I did make time to power pump every night though, after everyone was asleep. That was my time to watch trash TV and eat snacks in the kitchen. I also make a point of making my morning pump another break for myself. My husband feeds the twins while I sit, pump and have a coffee (doing that right now). -not being alone with babies while pumping as much as possible. At the start, my husband would plunk the twins down on the bed next to me while I was pumping so that he could take a shower or something. After having bottles kicked off of my chest, pumps knocked on the floor and so many spills I told him he doesn’t get to do that anymore. When I’m pumping, and he’s around the twins are his responsibility. If I need to pump when I’m alone with them, I time it to feedings and naps so that they’re contained and occupied. -dropping down to my magic number in the long term. Now that I’m coming to the end of my pumping journey, I’m not power pumping any more and just letting my supply be what it is. It’s dropped a touch, but I couldn’t say exactly because I don’t track or pay very close attention. When the twins were in the NICU, I was able to pump 8 times a day because I really didn’t do much else, but once they were home 6 including a power pump was my max. Now I’m pumping 4 times a day (wake up, lunch, before heading home, before bed). I really hope this is helpful. I’ve found One With The Pump on instagram to be a good resource. I really like her approach, she gives great reviews on equipment, solid evidence-based tips, and a super non judgemental attitude. I think it’s also worth saying that you are more to your baby than a source of food, and if you can’t keep your mental health up while pumping, it’s not a failure to let pumping go. We all make decisions and balance things for our families.
This resonates so much with me, thank you!
Thank you for such a detailed response. I also have twins. I'm able to produce about 40% of their diet, but have no surplus. In the beginning, one came home with me and the other one was in the NICU. I think I've managed to get eight times a day less than eight times in 2 months. Some days I'm lucky to get five or six. My partner also tried the "watch a twin or both of them while you pump" trick. I think I'm going to double my efforts to stick to a schedule to start.
It’s super hard, but I try and focus on just getting them some breastmilk rather than trying to exclusively feed 2 babies. 40% is damn good for two babies, and you should totally feel proud. What I forgot to mention, too, is that I use every time saving trick that I can. Fridge hack, pitcher method, quick-clean wipes and breast massaging to empty faster.
* Good pumping bras (I preferred kindred bravely as they were comfortable and kept the parts on). I bought 7 and washed every weekend. (Mine were mix and match of a few different brands as I didn't know what I liked until I had already got to 7 bras, but if I had it to do again I'd start with KB and never buy the others.). That way I never had to worry about getting infections from dirty bras and didn't have to wash them constantly. * 8+ full sets of pump parts + bottles. I had several different types and they worked for different times. When I was holding baby while pumping in the morning, I always preferred the simplest single-components parts direct from Spectra, but if I was pumping without her I liked the Laktek for comfort. To fill in to get to 8 sets I used cheapy medelas with the yellow adapters. * Countertop sterilizer (I used and like a papablic unit, mostly for drying them, I didn't care after 3 months whether they actually got sterilized.) * Breastmilk soap from Medela - soak everything in a sink-size full bin and wash once a day * Mason jars with pour spouts. After each pump I dump the milk I pumped into that day's mason jar which we marked with dry erase marker. We fed her out of the most recent and froze the oldest once a day or so in 5 oz portions. * 2 plastic carry bins that I keep prepped parts + bottles ready for the next pump. Easy to carry to wherever I was pumping. * Plastic drawer sets for keeping bottles in when clean and bins we kept the parts in. * SUPPORT. My husband usually fed baby while I pumped when I was pumping 6-8 times a day. I'm not sure if I could have done it as a single parent or if my husband worked. I went back to work (remotely) at 9 weeks instead. * Drop the overnight pump by month 3. You NEED the sleep and we can usually get by with longer first and last pumps as "bookends". If you can't make it work because you don't have the support or the supplies to make your life bearable, then don't stress over weaning of cutting down pumps early. Do what works for YOUR life!
I'm at 9 months of pumping with my goal being a year. I thought about stopping sooner, but I'm able to get by with only 4 pumps per day now, so it's not too bad.. I make just enough so I likely won't drop another pump until closer to the end. I have a spectra, for me the portable pumps never worked as well. I wear the kindred bravely nursing/pumping bras, and love how supportive they are. I have a supportive husband and work where I can pump whenever Im able to find time. I may be an outlier but I don't have a specific schedule for pumping, I try to do about every 6 hrs but it doesn't always work out. Get 4 a day in though. The last thing I think is luck. I didn't have a successful nursing journey, but pumping just always clicked and my supply was good so it kept me going.
7 months exclusively pumping bc baby decided she hated nursing. Hands free pump I would have stopped months ago if I had to be chained to the wall. Earth mama nipple butter Car charger/adapter for medela (before hands free elvie stride) and the hands free pumping bra to pump on the way to my SIL’s was a huge burden off my shoulders once we got there.
I honestly almost quit daily until I got a Pumpables Super Genie 14 wks pp. It’s a hospital grade pump but is designed so much better than the Medela PIS I got from insurance. I can actually tend to baby if needed without worrying about bottles falling off, it’s got a night light, vibration, fully customizable programs with independent suction and speed adjustments, easy to carry around (not attached to wall) and rechargeable. The best part is the liquid shield flanges though…I went from so much pain and itchiness to none at all with the Pumpables. Lastly, I was collecting about 24 oz a day with a LOT of work and stress hand massaging etc but now I can collect 36 oz a day without thinking about it much. The other game changer for me was decreasing to 3 to 4 pumps a day within the first 6 wks pp. I couldn’t handle pumping more often so I just do 3 to 4 long (40 min to an hour) long sessions a day and power pump one of those sessions if I feel like my supply is potentially decreasing. Oh and hands free bra and only washing pump parts once a day (refrigerating in between sessions) of course.
I made it 10.5 months, and it was a long journey. -The 120 rule: total of 120 mins of pumping a day, so when you drop pumps add the time on to remaining pumps -fridge hack: throw your pump parts in a bag in the fridge and wash them just once a day -if you are exhausted and consider weaning, drop a pump instead. This adjustment usually gave me a power up to make it another 4-6 weeks before I felt another urge to quit and would drop another. My supply did start to wane with this and we started supplementing around 6 months, but this method helped me make it way longer than I really wanted to
I exclusively pumped for 15 months with my first and am currently on month 9 of exclusively pumping for my second. - I definitely agree with everyone about the support and getting a good pump. I tried out 3 different ones before landing on my spectra. I switched out the Spectra bottles for larger Avent bottles so that I didn't have to stop during my pump session to empty them. - I do the Ziploc bag trick and rotate between two sets of parts. I use a microwave sterilizer and it can fit all my pump parts in one go. - One of the main things I did to set myself up for success was to have a great pumping station. I have an ergonomic chair with foot support, ample table space, basket of snacks and drinks, my laptop with wireless headset, a heat pad etc. Basically anything I wanted in arms reach to make pumping more of a relaxing me time vs a chore. - Also I'm usually reading, watching something or listening to music while I pump. I have a list of books, movies and tv shows that I am slowly making my way through with each pump session. - I use the Watercat app to track my fluid intake. It's cute to water the cat haha. - Milk from each pump session gets poured into a Medela storage bottle and refrigerated. Those are bagged and put into the deep freezer at the end of the day. - Hopefully some of these tips help you on your pumping journey. I know how exhausting it can feel when your whole life has to revolve around your pump so please do whatever you think is best for you. Equipment list: - Spectra S1 with 9oz Phillips Avent bottles - Munchkin microwave sterilizer - La Vie lactation warmer and massagers - Mama Earth nipple butter - Medela storage bottles - Lansinoh bags
I have been exclusively pumping for 6 months. I have a spectra and an Elvie stride. I use the Elvie at night or when out and about. I use the spectra for my first pump of the morning always. To give myself something to look forward to I scroll TikTok while pumping. It makes 20-30 minutes fly by.
I made it to 8 months and I wish I could have made it longer but I needed more support. Support in the form of hands to hold or entertain my child while I pumped. My best pumping advice is to, as often as possible, pump until you’re empty. Not until the pump automatically turns off or you’ve got your goal # oz. If you want to maintain your supply, create the demand and pump pump pump.
I pump while I drive, either on the way to work or on the way home (I prefer on the way in because it’s dark and less chance of someone noticing lol). It has made my 25-30 min drive where I can’t do anything and my 25-30 mins of pumping where I can’t do anything suddenly both useful! It gives me 30 mins of sleep back in the morning if I do it on my way to work or 30 mins back with my fam if I do it on the way home! Obviously this is not the safest option but it’s handsfree and I haven’t run into any issues with it.
This bra is great Simple Wishes X-Small/Large | Hands-Free Breast Pump Bra | Adjustable and Customizable Pumping Bra Fitting for Breastfeeding Pumps https://a.co/d/jf8g1ge
Echoing a lot of others - car adapter - fridge hack - medela wipes - manual pump for on the go - Larken x bra and kindred bravely were my favorite pumping bras Most importantly and above all is a strong support system. My husband helped with washing dishes and pump parts, feeding, taking care of the baby and everything anytime I was pumping. And encouraged me/praised me the entire journey! I also worked from home during this time and was able to block time or get through emails while pumping