Over the past couple weeks I’ve been pumping and storing some milk for when I go back to work. I haven’t gotten very far as it seems we have endless doctor appointments or other items popping up and making it a bit difficult to take 20-30 min to get myself situated to pump sometime in the earlier part of the day. I do it earlier for a few reasons: Nolan is more likely to doze off after eating, I have more milk, and I don’t have to worry about my boys already being home. The one small issue I had was I wasn’t sure exactly how much I should be storing at one time since I have these awesome Playtex Breast Milk Storage Kit drop-ins where they go from pump, to freezer, to bottle, but had no idea how much this kid was drinking. I wanted to freeze about how much he was drinking to keep waste down to a minimum, cuz with as hard has I’ve worked to get a decent supply, I go absolutely bonkers when any breast milk gets sent down the drain.
I finally to spit in the face of conventional science and put in several variables into a test. So I (1) gave Nolan a bottle when he hadn’t had one in a few weeks, and (2) only put formula in it. I still have all these Good Start 3oz nursettes from my Trip of Panic at 37 weeks, and figured I’d be able to see how much he’d drink, and if he tolerated the formula, both drinking it and digesting it, since once I return to work, I might not be able to pump as much as he’ll be eating and will need to supplement with formula.
Results? He tolerated the bottle (he was a little annoyed, but drank suspiciously once he realized it was squirting something in his mouth when he bit down), he didn’t seem to mind the taste of the formula, he drank all but a few swallows, he didn’t seem overly gassy or grumpy, and a few hours later he had a pastier poop. I call that a success!
After he finished his bottle, I pumped what I would’ve fed him: 4.5 oz…whoo-hoo! Take that you snotty LC that poo-poo’ed my non-Medela pump!
Sorry. That was my only negative encounter while staying at the hospital after Nolan’s birth: this rather snotty, self-righteous, If-It’s-Not-Medela-It’s-Crap lactation consultant. She tried to tell me my awesome Playtex Embrace Deluxe Double Electric Breast Pump was crap just because she had never tested it on the suction-meter and because it wasn’t Medela. You should’ve seen her hair stand on end when I told her that I found the Medela pump uncomfortable since it just seemed to tug on my nipples, whereas my Playtex pump did compressions about an inch up on my breast, about where a baby’s mouth would be. She also poo-poo’ed my non-lanolin nipple butter, asking me “would you feed your baby an avocado at this age? or an olive?”, to which I shot back, “would you feed yours some sheep wool?”
I will give her props for giving me some good info on treating and preventing thrush and the underlying yeast causing it, but beyond that, the woman really rubbed me the wrong way. So you can imagine how vindicated I felt when I pumped over four ounces in one sitting, when I used to only pump five or six total over the course of three 20-min pumping sessions at work. I can only hope and pray that I am able to continue pumping such decent amounts (and continue taking my More Milk Special Blend herbs).
3 Comments
Good for you. I was a medela user, but I wouldn’t dismiss another pump if I hadn’t used it before.
As for making time to pump, I used to get up and pump at the time the overnight feedings would happen (after the baby slept through the night). My body kept producing overnight and I had plenty in the morning for the first feeding.
Yes, it was harder to be sleep deprived a little longer, but after a bit, I pretty much did it in my sleep.
🙂
Yeah for pumping so much! Boo for LCs who aren’t being supportive!
Good luck with the bfing and pumping!
Gah, sounds like you need to find a new LC if you ever need another consult. Funny that the hospital I delivered in really pushed the Amada pumps (if you requested a pump in room, it was one of those; they handed out free Amada hand pumps; their little lactation store was chock full of Amada gear with only some Medala products off in the corner).
I really like the sound of the Hygia pumps, but they’re bloody expensive. I ended up using an old Medala from a friend (yes, that’s a no-no, but she doesn’t have any diseases and I bought all new parts), and am not in love with it. But, free is free. Glad to hear you love your Playtex so much!
As an aside, I have a pack of those 3oz Good Start bottles and a can of mix from the hospital. I haven’t needed any formula at all, and am getting ready to donate it to a shelter (along with the enfamil and similac samples that came in the mail). I’d be happy to pass anything along to you if you’d use it.
(holy long comment there, Batman!)