r/HumansPumpingMilk

I’m two weeks pp from a C-section. My poor baby is tongue tied so he can’t latch properly. I feel like it’s my fault. I can even hold him right to breastfeed him. It’s always an awkward position for me. Milk took 3 or 4 days to come in.
Anyway, I gave up on that and switched only to pumping. Everything was going great until two days ago. Suddenly my supply just took a massive dip. I was making 120mls per pump (he’s eating 80ml right now) now I’m only making 40-ish per pump (15mins every 2hrs)I’m supplementing with formula right now. I feel horrible and just useless. Is this normal?
I’ve only got him to feed ONCE from the nipples and that was because I went to a lactation specialist and she held him for me. My husband is being very supportive but I can’t help but feel awful and cry. I feel like I’m letting my baby down and can’t give him the best or what he needs. I’m also not doing skin to skin right now because all of a sudden I have this weird rash under my boob that started when I was a few days ago. Appeared when I first started pumping. And I’m afraid my baby’s gonna get it somehow.
Thanks for any advice.

I'm planning my back-to-work routine, and feel like I don't find a good way to do so.

1.I have these equipments, but planing to only keep those really work for me:

Spectra S1 Eufy S1 Hakka Pump Hakka Ladybug Medela Hand Pump Momcozy Cooler Bottle 12oz

2.I worked as a store manager / front staff, 9am-5pm, mostly it is just me at the store. When it's peak season, there will be another staff, but basically we don't have time to chill. I have a small office to provide me quick privacy, and there is a big sink for me to wash stuff. During the day, I only have 30mins break for lunch.

In this situation, Eufy seems the best option, but I don't think I'd able to wash all parts, let them dry and reassemble them for the next use during my shift. People mentioned about putting the parts in the fridge (or freezer?), but it doesn't not make sense to me.

For this reason, Hakka + Hand Pump seems the most easy to clean and dry option, but that means I must be station at one place for pumping. I may pump right before 9, then during lunch at 13:00 (meaning I'll have to eat and pump at the same time, or request to eat in between helping customers), and after work, but I wonder if the time interval works cause I usually pump every 3-3.5hr. This option also requires for longing pumping time.

I could bring my spectra, but for obvious reason, it's just to bulky to bring in and out office.

Is there any hand-free pump that has very little parts to be washed and easy to assemble?

3.I think of getting a cooler bag to work with my Momcozy cooler bottle. I don't think the larger option for the Momcozy bottle make sense. I think a better design would be one larger + one smaller bottle for that version, I wonder if anyone resonate with me. For this reason, plus the size of the bottle is so big, I'm sticking with the one I have now, and perhaps getting a Medela cooler big?

Thank you for reading that many words from me, and I hope I could inspire some new inventions if not receiving some cool solutions.

I pump 1 oz on both sides no matter what. My “letdowns” are like 3 minutes tops. And then the rest of the pump time is just pulling on my nipples. I’ve tried warming my boobs, I have the correct flanges, I’ve tried different settings on my pump. No matter what it’s just the same. I use the spectra s1. I’m so tired. Only 7 weeks in and it’s so disappointing when all I get is 2 oz a pump

I was pretty nervous about going back to work at 8 weeks postpartum. I have been exclusively pumping since day 3 and my schedule has a lot of consecutive meetings. My manager often adds last minute calls to my calendar and since we only have one pumping room that you book on Slack it can be hard to find an open time slot.

A coworker mentioned she pumped during meeting with a eufy S1 Pro. I actually bought it before but never used it so i decided to bring it to work to see if it would help.

The feature that really helped me the most is the phone app. You can change the suction levels on your phone under the table. When someone asks a question during a meeting you can just tap your phone and people just think you are looking at a notification. It feels a lot more comfortable then reaching into your shirt to press buttons in front of everyone. My cubicle neighbor hasn't noticed any noise either which was a big relief.

The main downside is that it is definitly a bit tedious to clean. There are more parts to wash compared to my Spectra pump. Trying to wash all the small silicone pieces in the office breakroom sink while talking to coworkers made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

I ended up buying a second set of cups. I just change them at lunch and put the dirty ones in a bag to wash at home. It costs a bit extra but it made my day go much smoother. It does take about 10 minutes longer to empty out compared to a wall pump but my milk supply stayed the same even during long meetings.

If you are heading back to the office soon I hope this helps a little bit. How are you all handling the logistics of pumping at work?

I’m a second-time mom, and I’m currently trying to figure out a better pumping setup for my upcoming postpartum journey. With my first baby, I had a traditional wall pump and I mostly did a combination of direct breastfeeding and pumping into storage bags. It worked, but honestly the whole process of constantly adjusting latch position ended up being really exhausting for both me and my baby, and I don’t really want to go through that again this time.

I’m planning to transition to bottle feeding with expressed milk. I do still plan to keep my wall pump because it has strong and reliable output, but I’m looking for a wearable pump as a secondary option for when I’m out of the house or pumping at work. Ideally I’d love something convenient. One of my biggest frustrations with my current setup is dealing with all the cables and being tied to one place, so I’ve been really interested in pumps that supports wireless charging. I recently came across the Mom cozy Air1, and I was intrigued that it comes with a charging case which sounds suitable, but I know little about its other features. I also like the idea of a pump that has an smart app where I can adjust suction settings without taking it out of my bra in the middle of pumping, since doing that at work feels a little awkward.

I would really appreciate any real-life experiences from moms who have used wearable pumps!

I did a pre-order April 12th because they said they were expecting them to start shipping mid-April. Then I got an email on April 15th that they’re “preparing my order” and it should ship in the next 3 weeks. Then silence. It’s now a month later, and I contacted support to see if they had any updates, and they just said “We recommend viewing the estimated shipping date from the order listing page for more details about when your order will be shipped.” which would have put shipping at around May 15th-ish, but still I hear nothing…. Anyone else in the same boat?

Hello!

I'm due in September and am wanting the Spectra S1 (preferably with the tote and cooler bag). I have Surest/UHC insurance and was wondering where the cheapest/best place to order from!

Thanks!!

I am about 5 weeks PP and have been struggling with low supply slow increase and I think that the main culprit is be fact that I have elastic nipples (I just found out), but they get more wide with pumping vs longer and I haven’t read of many people experiencing the same. I measure 16mm before pumping and I have just received the pumpin pal flanges, but I am not sure if the XS is really the size I should use? I keep reading that people with elastic nipples see a big change with pumpin pals in how much they pump but how soon after is that? Should I be seeing an immediate increase? Or is there something better I can use to empty out better? I really want to do all I can to make breastmilk for my baby girl. This has not been an easy journey and would really love to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I know it doesnt matter how much you get out before baby is born but it seems like my body isn't responding to the pump what so ever this go around. I can hand express but its literal drops im trying to collect some for the hospital. Does this mean I wont respond well to the pump this time? Or is it still just because im pregnant?

edit: this is my 3rd time with pumping/ breastfeeding. with my other 2 I was able to get milk out by this point if that matters

Hello all I’m in dire need of help and wondering if anyone is in the same boat.

For the last two days I’ve been horrifically ill with an almost constant headache, chills, and I’m nauseas anytime I stand up. I caved and went to the hospital today after finding out it wasn’t my blood sugar or iron levels. They essentially told me I have some infection they cannot find where.
Here’s where my problem comes in, I feel so much worse every time I pump milk for my baby. I’ve been pumping for 10weeks now and haven’t experienced anything like this and it hasn’t gone away. I don’t want to stop proving milk to my baby but I feel as if I can’t properly take care of him feeling like this.

Any advice is appreciated, tyia

hi all! my LO is 10 weeks old and in 10 more weeks i return to work so wanted to start working on a freezer supply for my husband to feed while i’m gone, and also to make sure i know what i’m doing so i don’t stay engorged while at work. i’ve never pumped much because in the newborn days it just felt impossible to find time, so i’ve just always put baby directly to breast. this week i’ve added a pump session in the evening and want to incorporate at least one overnight. but this week yielded very little milk.

i have the motif aura glow wearable pumps, and a medela harmony manual pump. the motif is what i used all week. my nipples measure at 15mm so i use a 17mm flange, i use a little olive oil for lubricant, and i’ve played around with different settings to see what gives me more output, but both breasts barely gave me 1oz each. any tips/tricks that may help? is there something i’m missing?

Hi everyone - I wanted to see if anyone is having/has had the same experience because I’m feeling pretty down and unsure what to do.

My supply has dipped over the last 2 months (I‘m pretty certain my cycle has returning but isn’t back to normal yet) and I pump 3x a day at work. Lately I’ve consistently missed at least 1 letdown a day…I’ve tried meditating, relaxing, distracting myself, breathing exercises, videos of rain, videos of my baby, and I can’t find a consistent way to get a letdown every time. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, and there doesn’t seem to be a common thread. I’ve missed them sporadically over the last 2 months, but now it’s becoming more frequent…

It’s a very frustrating cycle of trying not to stress about it, getting stressed when it doesn’t happen and trying not to, but it’s hard to not let it get to me. I wish there was a surefire way to letdown, but I can’t figure it out and it’s really discouraging. Obviously it leads to bigger stress about my overall supply and it just snowballs from there.

Any advice or experience would be much appreciated! I’m grateful to have made it this far and have no objection to supplementing with formula - it’s just the financial aspect that I’m trying to avoid if possible!

Just in case anyone is looking for help and googling things.
When I came home from the hospital I was sent home with a dental symphony. I was still waiting on my spectra. I got to use it for 3 months then had to return it.
Since then I’ve been trying to make the spectra work for me. I was getting maybe 2oz total. I felt I was doing something wrong. I got all size flanges, kept resizing myself, I was 15 so I sized up, down, same. Got adapters to use madela flanges. Got the silicone lacteck flanges. Got the legendairy cups. Tried madela cups I was gifted with spectra. Got a hand pump and got better output but it wasn’t sustainable. It would give me hope and I would get a bit more output with a new fix just once then back to low output.
I was scared I had low supply. Baby was gaining well and was mostly breastfeeding.

Went back to work where I could try a symphony again in our pumping room. I got 6oz. I finally got a spray! Nothing like spectra.

I found a used symphony and I’m buying it. So much money on all of this, sigh.

I’ve had issues with supply since day one pp. I got induced 42 weeks pregnant on 4/28 and had a very normal and straight forward labor experience but once transferred to postpartum area it was a nightmare. I spent time with the lactation consultant and decided to breast feed in hospital to get supply going and pump at home so I would have milk for when I return to work or need rest for my partner to feed with-and only got baby to latch with a nipple shield. Once lactation consultant left nurses were coming in every hour for 2 days straight asking if she’d eaten yet waking us both up constantly, unswaddling her every time so she because frustrated and tired and wouldn’t latch anymore. Anytime I’d almost get her to latch or had her latch with nipple shield the nurses would come in and flip her around in a bunch of different holds trying to “teach me more ways to feed” which frustrated her more. So she lost weight and at her first appointment 3 days pp they had me supplement formula. By 4 days pp I had entirely no sleep between the nurses keeping me awake in the hospital then first 2 days home trying to breast feed with no supply. By day 5 I started pumping with my hand pump and was getting 1 oz combined her session but day 6-7 my supply completely tanked to a few ml each. Then by day 10-12 it was barely drops. I was using both my spectra and hand pump and trying to get her to latch and still my supply completely tanked. Day 12 I got the eufy wearable pumps and now at 14 days postpartum I’m getting almost an ounce combined after a day of pumping, which is more than just drops combined but still discouraging. I’ve been supplementing formula while I try to fix my supply and make a small stash so my partner can feed while I rest and she can gain weight. So I’m pumping through the day, getting more rest now, and eating/ hydrating properly but my supply is still so incredibly low. I know fed is best but it breaks my heart my body can’t produce for her, especially when I’ve invested so much financially in pumps, coolers, and other pumping supplies. not sure when to give up or what to do at all. I don’t want to have to meet with another lactation consultant because my insurance won’t cover it outside of the hospital and I get unpaid maternity leave so things are already tight as is.

Hi there! Quick summary: I have been doing a form of triple feeding since baby was 5 days old, we are currently 7 months postpartum. I have found after trying the Medela Symphony, my OG Spectra 2.0, the momcozy m5 and the eufy s1 that Spectra works best. However, I'm on a new insurance so I have the opportunity to get another pump through insurance. I was doing some late night Gemini research (my current favorite thing) and it seems I may get more bang out of something stronger than the Spectra. I say that because after I pump even if I'm getting nothing, I can still get sprays hand expressing. I have very large breasts so wearables just might not be the thing for me.

AI suggested using a pump with a double motor, like the Synergy Gold or Umimom Opera. It also suggested Motif Luna. Just looking for suggestions for anyone who has had a similar path as me. It seems like the milk just gets stuck at the base of the nipple and it would be nice to get the last few sprays out, might even help my supply!

I am a FTM who is exclusively pumping. My baby is 4.5 weeks old and her wake windows/sleep schedule/feeding schedule are starting to shift. Up until her 4 week mark, she was pretty much on an exclusive 2.5-3 hour sleep/feed cycle. She has always been a heavy sleeper and we have almost always had to wake her up to feed. It was easy to plan pumping while she was sleeping. Since her weight gain has been good, our pediatrition is now telling us that it is safe to let her sleep/eat/and stay awake on her own schedule instead of waking her up and basically forcing her to eat. While I love this (because it might mean we get to sleep longer at night and I HATE forcing her to eat) it is also making it incredibly difficult to pump since this also means her wake windows are much longer and it overlaps with my pumping schedule. I purchased a Eufy S1 wearable pump last week so I can wear it while taking care of my baby, but it still is not the easiest to hold/play/change her, let alone make myself a hot meal. I am also worried that it will end up tanking my supply if I use them too much.

I am working so hard to establish my supply. I am currently pumping about 33% more than what she needs daily so I can build a small freezer stash and I would hate to ruin it by using the wearable too much or not being able to pump so often.

I'd love and appreciate any advice on this! I really don't want to have to give up pumping becuase I can't figure out how to take care of my baby (let alone feed myself) while pumping at the same time!

For some extra information, I pump 6x per day (5x between 7am and 8pm and once between 1am and 3am). I have been wearing my wearables for my MOTN and first morning pump, and then using a spectra 1 (blue) in the evening when my husband comes home from work and I can sit and massage my breasts while pumping to prevent clogged ducts. The other daily pumps depends on if my baby is sleeping or not (if awake, I will wear my Eufy).

I finally have a decent freezer stash (only took 3 months of power pumping lol) and just realized i have no real system for thawing it. Warm water bowl takes forever and baby is SCREAMING while i wait. do you guys thaw in the fridge overnight then warm? or is there a breast milk warmer that goes straight from frozen to ready? honestly just need something fast because the current situation is not working