Wasn’t sure I would even make (or get out) any milk since I was post breast reduction but I surpassed my personal goal of 6m and ended up being able to pump half of my daughters needs. Quite the journey with a handful of issues, but I am very proud of myself and so glad to be freeee!
Have you ever forgotten milk storage bags and had to find a makeshift container for your milk while at work/out of the house? I'm at work and only realized I didn't put any more storage bags in my pump bag after I had already pumped. Grabbed a water bottle, cleaned it out really well, and... well, the picture shows the result. I was just curious about what, if any, "emergency" containers any of you have had to use in a pinch?
Note- I get off work in 2 hours, so this won't be used for very long.
Pumped 6 months for my first and it took an extra 2 months to wean because I got so many clogged ducts even though I was an under supplier the whole time. I thought nursing was going to be easy, but feeding my baby became anything up easy. Triple feedings, tongue tie that didn't get released, and under supplier issues plagued me. I agonized over every pump and squeezed my eyes past DMER.
For my second I was kinder on myself and having a toddler around meant that I couldn't devote as much time to pumping as I was still an undersupplier despite LCs saying that moms usually make more the second time around. What I hoped would be a redemption tour led to EPing eventually anyway. My second latched but never emptied me completely, but I enjoyed the bond so much I took the hit to my supply.
I didn't make it to 6 months like I did for my first, but I'm proud of myself nonetheless. My last pump was on 5 months and 1 day. My toddler turned on and off my pump since she's learned to "help mama pump" and runs over to help me whenever she sees the pump. My baby sat between my knees playing with a crinkle book and drooling up a storm. My oldest ran around us dancing to baby shark. My husband sat nearby. Chaos as the new norm.
I'm signing off for the last time. I'm done having babies. I'm done sacrificing my physical body to provide for my babies. What a journey. I'm elated but also in mourning over what, I'm not sure.
Thank you to this sub for being there for the highs and the lows. May our nipples all shrink back to the size they were before we were pregnant and the sag be minimal.
Firstly shoutout to this sub for all of your help and guidance and to whoever had initially posted this meme that I stole for my cake.
My plan was to nurse and I tried on & off for the first 3 months of my sons life. So many visits with my LC & everytime ended in heartbreak as his weighted feeds showed he wasn’t transferring despite them saying everything looked fine with his latch. Grieving not being able to nurse has been really hard and makes me want to cry every time I think about it. I desperately wish it would’ve worked out for me. I know I tried so hard but I still feel guilty and disappointed in myself. Like somehow if I just tried harder I could’ve done it. My tailbone hurt from the amount of time I sat in my rocking chair latching & pumping what felt like nonstop all day.
So I turned to exclusively pumping. I pretty much was pumping 8 times a day plus latching when I could in those first 3 months then stopped bothering trying to latch and pumped only. At the beginning for the first 2 months I was an under supplier and eventually became a just enougher. Then ended up making a few extra oz a day and it was the most rewarding feeling. I have elastic nipples and let me tell you my nipples have been RAW and look terrible since the beginning. I even saw a breastfeeding medicine specialist & when she saw my nipples she looked taken aback and was like oh wow your nipples are blistered. I burst into tears because it had just been an incredibly painful process the entire time and her reaction made me realize just how bad they must’ve looked. I lived off of APNO to be able to tolerate wearing a nursing tank. All the professionals I saw said I was using the right size flanges and right settings. I was hoping they’d tell me I was doing something wrong & give me an easy fix to make pumping less painful. My nipples just suck.
Then once I became a just enougher I started getting incessant clogged ducts. I’d be crying in the shower trying to use the heat before a pump to get the clog out since I was swollen nearly to my armpit. I couldn’t believe how uncomfortable it was. I tried sunflower lecithin 3 x a day and did all the things and I just had them nonstop. Then around 4ish months I got mastitis and WOW. I felt like I had the absolute worst case of the flu. I was shaking so incredibly hard and the pain was unbearable. 10/10 would have taken the cervical dilation balloon again a million times over than the mastitis pain. It was unbelievable. Then I got my period. And it wouldn’t stop. My supply dropped by 5-7 oz overnight. I then had such a horrible milk bleb it was quite literally nearly the size of my nipple. It hurt so bad & I was at work in the hospital so I took a 24G IV needle and popped it myself. That’s when I decided I had to stop.
The amount of money I spent on supplements and flanges and pumps in general is nuts. My goal was 6 months but I just finished at 5 months. Still randomly getting engorged but hand expressing when it gets too uncomfortable. Haven’t pumped in 3 days and hoping this is the end. So much happened in these past 5 months that’s it’s hard to believe I only made it 5 months. It feels like an eternity. My body fought me every step of the way I feel like. I’m trying to be grateful that I pushed through and made it this far but I’m so emotional about stopping at the same time. I can’t believe this is it. And I can’t believe this experience has been this hard and painful. I envy those who can nurse and those who can pump without pain. I would’ve given anything to be able to have made this work. It is what it is and now it is time for me to move on. Sorry if there are punctuation and spelling errors. I’m just kind of letting it all out 😂 best of luck to everyone exclusively pumping. Y’all are incredible badasses. Peace out ✌️
I honestly don’t know how much longer I can do this.
I keep going back and forth in my head all day. Like okay, maybe I should stop. I’m exhausted. I don’t want to do another session. Then the next thought is, no, just keep going a little longer. And then I’m pumping again anyway.
It feels like I’m always waiting for the next session. I’ll finish one and think okay, I have some time now, and then somehow I’m checking the clock again.
Last night I finished a session and just sat there looking at all the pump parts in the sink. I was so tired I actually started crying because I did not want to wash them. It was such a stupid little thing but I just couldn't do one more task.
And I feel guilty because there are days when I’m proud of myself for keeping up with it, and then there are days where I’m honestly just angry at the whole situation.
I miss having a normal day where I don't have to constantly think about when I need to pump. I miss being able to make plans without doing the mental math first. I’m tired of looking at the clock.
I don't even know what I want right now. I don't know if I want to stop or if I just want a break from thinking about it all the time.
I think I just needed to complain somewhere where people actually understand why this is so exhausting.
And it was the largest pump I’ve ever done! 6 oz. I’m really proud. I’m FTM and 23 days pp. Typically I’ve averaged ~5 oz in the morning and then 2-3 oz per pump every 2.5-3 hours throughout the day. I’ve been drinking more water, drinking Body Armor, and eating lactation foods (oats, yeast, etc) this last week. I also added a 3am pump which I think had helped.
My baby started refusing the boob around 5 weeks and I have been in hell trying to get my supply to keep up with her increasing needs. She is 9w now. We are combo feeding pumped milk and formula since I am only making about 1.5-2.5 per pump on average (sometimes less 😣) and am pumping about 6-8x per day, getting 11-15oz total per day. She's feeding about 8-10x and is taking about 27-30oz in a day.
Are there any of you out there who can give me some hope about being able to catch up to her? And then maybe one day drop my number of pumps per day too? 😵💫😵💫😵💫
Just need a little encouragement and advice on how to make this happen.
I have an LC, have tried every flange size (plastic and silicone), I have rented the Medela symphony (my spectra was killing me), and have added a power pump as my MOTN pump session.
Helpppppppp 🤍🤍🤍🤍✨✨✨
Hello all! I am 6 mo PP and baby boy has been breastfed since birth. I never expected to pump but due to an unplanned c-section and difficulty positioning baby due to my breast size (J cups) I decided to pump. I don’t make enough now (supply dropped dramatically when I went back to work) and am pumping 16-20oz a day with 5 ppd and we combo feed. Baby gets 2 oz in each bottle (6 bottles/ day) of BM and the rest is formula.
My original goal was 6 months of breastfeeding, but I feel a profound sadness thinking about quitting despite knowing that it would be better for my mental health to not pump. My pumping journey was really, really tough. I ended up passing multiple large blood clots out of both breast’s and had to have a breast biopsy 3 mo pp due to the clots and a suspicious mass (benign thankfully but before the biopsy resulted I really thought I had cancer). I feel like since he had to be combo fed, I failed him. I’m struggling to stop and just need some support. Is the 2 oz enough for him to get any benefits? Idk what to do, do I keep going?
I just finished pumping with my Spectra S2. I almost always have the same issue of my left pumping less than my right.
Context for this pump: my last feed was about an hour and a half earlier on the left breast for about nine minutes, so I would expect it to be slightly lower.
The issue I’m noticing and can’t figure out is I hear air on my left pump every time I pump. I’ve tried switching which pump I use, replacing the tubes/etc, using a different flange, but it seems to keep happening. Any other ideas of what’s causing the air issue and also potentially the output?
Hi everyone! I am 4 weeks in to this journey with my baby who is struggling to latch to my breast, so I have been essentially exclusively pumping. I have the blue spectra and get around 30 oz a day, but I’m finding pumping and solo parenting during the day when my husband is at work to be completely unmanageable. Every time I try to pump the baby starts crying needing a diaper change or to be held, and I can’t manage with this giant pump. Plus, I have to massage my breasts to fully empty them so I really have zero hands when I am pumping. I need to get a wearable for a couple pumps a day when I’m solo.
I have large breasts (DD+) and was looking at Eufy S2 and the Elvie Stride 2 but can’t decide between the two. I’m also open to other options. Please let me know your experiences! I am really needing some advice here. Quite overwhelmed trying to do this solo during the day.
Note: we are working on breast feeding but baby has a tongue tie and isn’t efficient at the breast. We practice once or twice a day (which then requires triple feeding) because on a good day she can get an oz with a nipple shield. So unless I can figure the tongue tie out with the ENT (we have an appointment Monday) I will need to be an exclusive pumper.
Hello!
So woman who have gotten mastitis multiple times. Is there a pattern in which it came? Every 2 weeks? Every 3 weeks?
Did it start to occur in both breasts?
FTM and exclusively pumping. I'm just over 6 weeks postpartum and trying to figure things out moving forward. I've got a few questions that have popped up over the last few weeks if anyone has input.
When do you drop pumps and how? Im currently still at every 3 hours but hoping I can start to spread them out soon.
Thoughts on second hand pumps? I've realized I need a wearable option and it seems like most people buy new most of the time? I was planning to get an eufy but have seen a momcozy on FB marketplace so wondering the pros and cons.
What's considered an over or under supply? Currently, I'm able to freeze about 10 or so ounces each day as my little one is currently only eating on average 17-18 ounces a day and I've been pretty consistently pumping 34-38 ounces a day. I want to make sure I've got enough for when I return to work.
On that note of freezing, how are we freezing and storing? I had to get a small chest freezer to store the milk in but don't know how to get the bags to fit nicely.
I’ll start out by saying I am 6 months PP and I exclusively pump. I’ve always been a just-enougher with a slight oversupply at times. I have a small freezer stash. At the beginning of September my supply took a small dip with reoccurrent blebs/clogs. About a week ago, it drastically started dropping. My output is is half or even less than what it was. Originally I thought it was from my period returning but I never did get my period. I then took a pregnancy test to make sure that was negative. For the last week both me and my baby have been battling illness. Really my only symptom has been a fever once a day but I have maintained hydration so I don’t think that’s it. I only use my spectra and I have remeasured and made sure I’m wearing the right size flanges. Also all parts have been replaced. I read somewhere that spectra’s start to loose suction after 700 hours and I of course am at 700 hours. I have the pink spectra from my first pregnancy that only has 55 hours that I can use but do we think this could be the problem? Do we think it’s stress? My biggest stressor right now is the fact that my milk is dropping so drastically. I don’t have anything against formula but my baby is CMPA so I just really want to keep giving her my milk as I am dairy free.
I pump 7 times a day, one of those being a power pump. I pump at 4am, 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, then power pump at 11pm. I’ve been on this schedule for the last 3-4 months. I am taking sunflower lechitin daily and applying lanolin after every pump.
Any thoughts, discussions, questions, and recommendations welcome! Thanks in advance ♥️
Hello! I’m returning to work next month and am hoping to have my MOTN pump dropped by then. I’m 14 weeks pp and have a ~20/oz daily oversupply. I dropped one daytime pump about a month ago and it took me about 2 weeks to do so comfortably. I get insanely engorged and have a history of mastitis. Currently i pump every 4 hours at night, last night i pushed it to 5 hours and my breasts felt sooo full and uncomfortable. From your experience, is it easier to push the MOTN pump back or shorten it to eliminate it? I want to take a conservative approach as i dont want to risk mastitis again.
Hello,
I’m 7 days PP, and looking like we will be exclusively pumping.
I was so keen to breastfeed, but her latch is beyond painful. We’ve seen a lactation consultant who couldn’t really help (no tongue tie - baby gets so distressed whenever I try to fix her latch, and I then get very sad). I’ve tried again since and it seems to have got worse.
Pumping is working - touch wood my supply is fine, and no issues taking the bottle. We’ve invested in the Momcozy steriliser / washer / dryer which will arrive next week.
I’m just feeling very overwhelmed at the prospect of having to do this at least 8 times a day for months, along with the exhaustion of caring for her. Am also worried about feeling tied to the house to stick to the pumping schedule.
Really grateful for any advice for how to manage pumping on the go (for example - if we’re out for the day) - have a wireless double breast pump, but how do you keep things sterile if you’re out for multiple pumping sessions?
So grateful for any advice or survival tips to make this easier. Feeling horrible guilt and sadness at not being able to breastfeed, and just want this to impact our time together as little as possible.
I’m expecting my second child and will be delivering in about two to three weeks. With my first child, I wasn’t prepared for breastfeeding challenges at all. He wasn’t able to latch properly, and at that time, I didn’t even know much about pumping or the different types of breast pumps available. After about two to three weeks, I bought a manual pump and tried pumping for around two months, but eventually I gave up and switched to formula, and naturally my milk supply reduced. This time, I really want to be better prepared. My first preference is definitely to nurse my baby directly, and I’m really hoping he will latch properly and that breastfeeding will go smoothly. However, I still want to have a good pump ready in case we have any latching problems or I need to pump for any other reason. My goal is to exclusively breastfeed, either directly or with expressed breast milk, for at least six to eight months. I’ve been doing a lot of research, but I’m honestly getting more confused. From what I understand, it’s recommended to have a primary pump, such as a Spectra or another hospital-grade pump, while wearable pumps are usually recommended as secondary pumps. I’m personally much more inclined towards a wearable because I’ll also have my older child around, so it may be difficult for me to sit in one place several times a day to pump. I would really prefer something portable that allows me to move around while still giving me good output and helping me establish and maintain my milk supply. However, I keep reading that wearable pumps may not empty the breasts as effectively as pumps like Spectra, especially when used frequently, and that this could eventually affect milk supply. That’s what is making the decision so difficult for me. I can’t really justify buying two expensive pumps right now, so I want to invest in just one good pump. I’m more inclined towards a wearable, but I don’t want to spend a lot of money on one and then find that it isn’t emptying me properly or that my supply is dropping. I would really appreciate suggestions from anyone who has experience with this. Is there any wearable pump that is genuinely good enough to use as a primary pump and can perform close to a Spectra or other hospital-grade pump? Or, considering my previous breastfeeding experience and my goal of maintaining my supply, would I be better off investing in something like the Spectra or BabyBuddha and giving up some of the convenience of a wearable?
Has anyone use a bottle washer for cleaning the Momcozy air 1? I love that pump but hate hand washing it
I have the Eufy S1 wearables and am using it as my primary pump. I sterilize 1 time every 24 hours ...baby is 7 weeks. I use fridge hack for the full 24 hours.
I have a papablic sterilizer and dryer. The sterilization cycle is 6 minutes. EUFY states sterilization should be 5 mins. First month of using pump, I noticed a big drop in suction around week 3....I attribute this to sterilization. Second month, I got my insurance replacement parts and try to wash parts in a basin with soap and VERY hot water from the sink. QUESTION: can this count as sterilization? Still, I am about halfway through the month with these replacement parts and the suction has already dropped. Tonight i switched to the spare duckbills and will use that the next two weeks until I can order next month's replacement parts through insurance.
For those of you who use this brand....or I guess any breastpump really as sterilization can probably break down parts over time....are you noticing a drop in your suction? What do you do about this? I end up turning the suction all the way up to compensate for its weakness. Should i reach out to the company for guidance?
I am finding it extremely frustrating to have this drop in suction as I rely on yhis since baby is not very good at latching to mr and emptying me efficiently.
Please offer some advice, opinions, hacks, methods as to how I can avoid this warping to the parts and preserve the suction for the full month until parts arrive. Thank you!