if you strictly pump, do you produce the same?

momma_tiffaymomma_tiffay
edited April 2011 in Breastfeeding
I'm not sure if the title made much sense but I really would like to breastfeed this baby. However, I have two other children to tend to, as well as our home so I feel that pumping would be easiest for me. If you start pumping since the day or day after birth, frequently, do you produce just the same as someone who nurses off their breast?
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Comments

  • blissmarie23blissmarie23
    My lactation consultant says no...she said that when ur baby hits growth spurts they need to be able to nurse so they can drink more milk and build up your supply. The pump doesn't know your baby wants more milk. She said its one of the reasons babies stop nursing around four months because they have a growth spurt around then but if they are drinking pumped milk the supply doesn't neccesarily increase to meet their needs.
  • Mnbaby3Mnbaby3
    This is just my experience but my first din was a preemie and I had to pump milk for him...i dried up by four months. They said its because baby stimulates more then a pump. My second son nursed and I had enough milk for him until he weaned himself right before he turned one. Good luck! :-)
  • Momma_luvz_her_4Momma_luvz_her_4
    Nope
  • momma_tiffaymomma_tiffay
    Gahhh, now idk what to do. I really want to give this baby breast milk, but idk how it's going to work out. Plus I want my husband to do feedings as well, so a pump would most def guarantee that. & what if we need a sitter at somepoint? How will it work then?

    @Mnbaby3, how often were you pumping? Honestly if I could pump for atleast 4months, I would be so happy.
  • kalasthenamekalasthename
    I pumped with my son because he would not latch on no matter what I tried...even the lactation specialist couldn't get him to...so I pumped until about 3 months because I had to go back to work and couldn't take breaks
  • Momma2joeMomma2joe
    I have breastfed all 3 of my other kids. Pumping will definitely not produce as much as baby will. I would suggest you start out just letting the baby nurse. You will most likely be right there with baby in the first 6 weeks anyway. You could always pump between feedings to let your husband feed. It doesn't have to be one or the other. In my opinion it is much easier and more convenient to nurse. I think pumping is more time consuming than just nursing. Either way good Luck
  • momma_tiffaymomma_tiffay
    @kaylasthename, wow that's odd. But I will be at home, I'm a stay at home mom, only problem is that I have two other children & do all of the housework myself.

    @Momma2joe, if I fed off the breast for the first few weeks do you think I would produce well enough to pump for a while? & if I pump inbetween feedings won't that make me very sore? I know that breastfeeding is supply & demand though.
  • Brooke3705Brooke3705
    I strickly pumped with my oldest daughter and she was fine. You just have to keep pumping even if there is nothing coming out so your body can get use to it. I would pump, and then would nothing else would come out go an extra 3-5 minutes so that way my body could begin to recognize "ok I need to make more". I was up to 8 ounces in about 2 months, although she wasn't eating that much!
  • momma_tiffaymomma_tiffay
    @Brooke3705, how often were you pumping to build your supply? I tried to pump with my oldest while he was in the nicu but it wasn't working out very well, I blame it on the stress & poor diet. 8oz in 2months is great! You can freeze it can't you? It's good for a while as long as it's frozen.
  • Mnbaby3Mnbaby3
    @momma_tiffay seems like all the time lol I would pump at feeding time then in between to try and build up supply but didnt work for me. Everyone is diff though. You can pump after a feeding or in between if you start nursing and freeze that milk for sitter or hubby to feed. Like mentioned above keep pumping after milk stops coming to try and stimulate more. It didnt work for me but did for a friend. Another option that my friend used was supplement with formula. When hubby was feeding him or she got a sitter she used formula. Most important thing with pumping is u cant skip. Have to get up every couple/ three hours to pump just like baby feeding schedule. When you have to pump plus feed baby a bottle it can leave u with even less sleep. I used lansinoh cream for when I got sore. For me I was more sore pumping then nursing..but again this was just my experiences. I plan to nurse this baby and I have same concerns as you. Im a sahm as well..this is my third baby plus I watch my nephew. Should be interesting lol I hope this helped and good luck whatever u decide! :-)
  • Momma2joeMomma2joe
    @momma_tiffay I have never tried to switch to pump only. So I'm not sure but I would think you would have enough for the baby. It has been my experience that pumping is more time consuming and painful than just nursing. I'm sure its different for everyone. If you start out just nursing you might find that you don't to switch to solely pumping. There is a great bond built with baby while nursing. I used formula as a supplement incase I was not with my son when he got hungry. I kept a supply of the 2oz similac bottles like they give you in the hospital. We used those to feed if I were someplace that I needed a quick fix for him bit was unable to nurse. They work awesome!!!!! Then I didn't need to worry about preparing a bottle. Just open and feed. Of course my son wouldn't take the bottle from me for a long time. He knew I had the good stuff!!! Someone else had to give him the bottle.
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  • okmomokmom
    I'm glad u asked this? Cuz I'm debating of breast or pump probably both. Just want to know does it hurt more to do both??
  • Brooke3705Brooke3705
    @momma_tiffay I was pumping every 2 hours. Yes u can freeze it but I had to throw a lot away because I was making to much lol I used the medela double electric hand s free breast pump. it was great!! Expensive but great. I did notice my supply slip down if I was not eating right but it always came right back.
  • momma_tiffaymomma_tiffay
    @Mnbaby3, I know pumping can be painful, I tried it before with my 3yr old, it just didn't work out with all the stress I was under from him being in the nicu. I thought it hurt either way though? Because breast stimulation causes uterine contractions doesn't it? I plan to keep some formula around, I just really want to breast feed this time. I've wanted to with my past 2babies, now it's my time to actually do it.

    @HomeBirthAdvocate, yeah that's what most of you ladies are saying. I just don't know how I'm going to do it. :/

    @okmom, a lot of us women think alike! That's why it's nice to have forums & message boards to communicate on! :)

    @Brooke3705, every 2hrs is 12 times a day. That doesn't sound too bad in my opinion, you just have to make sure you don't miss any feedings. Oh my goodness though, I could only hope whatever I do will make me produce such an amount! I would love not to spend over $100 in formula a month! & thanks for the pump suggestion! I started looking at pumps a couple days ago, & I didn't even know where to start... all I knew was that I definitly wanted an electric one lol.
  • lilbabythreelilbabythree
    @momma_tiffay I have 2 other kids and plan to breastfeed my third. I do all the house work myself as Im a single mother. The house work will be there when I get to it. It isnt going anywhere and I would rather be holding my baby any day rather then doing dishes or laundry. haha Ask your husband to step it up a little bit for a little while so that you can feed the baby. You have to feed the baby either way why not spend it close to the baby. If you have time to pump why wouldnt you have time to feed the baby. I plan to breastfeed the baby as much as I can. If it is in front of my kids so be it. It is normal and healthy. I guess that depends on how comfortable you are. My other children are 4 and 2. So for me this will be my third child under the age of 5. I plan to pump in between feedings as much as I can starting shortly after my milk comes in so that I know that I have enough for the baby when I return to work full time. I did this with my now two year old and by the time he was nine months old I have enough milk supply frozen that I weaned him off the breast by 10 months and had enough milk supply to last him until he was 1 year old. Then he went from breast milk to whole milk. My nipples got sore so I used the breast cream. I pumped while I was on my lunch break and while others were taking smoke breaks I would pump. Even though I never smoked. It worked out well for me. The medela double electric hand s free breast pump is AMAZING. Yes pricey but amazing. Breast milk is good if stored correctly in a deep freezer for up to a year and in a regular freezer for 3 months. Also if you have more milk left after you have weaned the baby off...call local hosptials and clinics and they may be able to take your extra breast milk. I know it sounds gross but they may use it for premature babies or babies that are ill and their mother is ill or cant supply the baby. Check out nationalmilkbak.org. Very cool idea though. If you need a sitter or something that is when you use the supply that you have frozen.
  • Mnbaby3Mnbaby3
    @momma_tiffay I only got sore with nursing when I first started until nipples got used to it. If he was latched on correctly it didn't hurt at all. I had a lil bit of uterine contractions but it actually helps the uterus go down quicker. That only happened in beginning though and wasn't horrible. I tried upping my supply so I would pump after he was done or in between feedings and that made me a little sore but used the lansinoh cream and it did wonders. I also reccommend the medela double pump. It's pricey but worth it in my opinion. :-)
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  • momma_tiffaymomma_tiffay
    Thank you @lilbabythree, @Mnbaby3, @HomeBirthAdvocate, & everyone else who has given me their experiences, knowledge & tips. After reading all of your replies I am highly considering feeding from the breast & pumping in-between for dada & sitters. Anyone who could give me additional info on best care during breastfeeding & tips would be greatly appreciated as well!
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  • felicia89felicia89
    @homebirthadvocate how can I help my milk to.not dry up if I pump. Do I have to pump every 2 hours or just let him latch on at night and during day just pump?
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  • momma_tiffaymomma_tiffay
    @HomeBirthAdvocate, I have not breastfed at all before. I only tried to pump while my toddler son was in the nicu, it was an epic fail I was not producing even a quarter of what I would have needed to feed him even after taking fenugreek. So any & all tips & information you could give me from your experience will be great. I will most likely be feeding from the breast & using a pump on the side between feedings. So basically what I've gotten from all of this is feed the baby, pump in between, & use lanisoh cream for pain.

    Does breastfeeding make your nipples chapped? How do you cleanse your breast while breastfeeding? When does your milk supply usually come in?


    I know my body produces milk, with my first son & my youngest, my boobs leaked so much it was ridiculous. I would go through pads like they were just napkins, it was only my middle child I had trouble producing with, but as I've mentioned the nicu stay affected my nutritional intake, affected my sleep, & was a very stressful time in my life.
  • txmoorekattxmoorekat
    I used the Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle supplements after my second pregnancy and it did help with supply after I went back to work. I got to where I was pumping 20-24 ounces every 3 hours.

    But I agree with everyone about starting out with the breast. After nursing I would pump for 5 minutes, then gradually increased to 10 minutes and was able to build a decent storage supply for others to help with feedings. Good luck!
  • momma_tiffaymomma_tiffay
    @Brooke3705, @lilbabythree, @Mnbaby;

    http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/178-6275579-3833958?asin=B0013O9RX8&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B0013O9RX8&CPNG=baby&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B0013O9RX8&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

    Is this the pump you wrre talking about?
  • Brooke3705Brooke3705
    Yep that the one, u'll want to buy a bra to go with it too
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  • lilbabythreelilbabythree
    That is the one......go to the manufacture and see if they have coupons or other websites to see if u can get it cheaper. It will still be pricey but it is worth it.
  • Mnbaby3Mnbaby3
    @momma_tiffay yep. Just a tip..i found out when my baby was in level 2 nursery that if you need the pump for medical reasons, like I needed to pump milk for him since he couldnt nurse, insurance will sometimes help cover the cost. I know you mentioned nicu with your son. I hope everything goes ok this time, but thought i would throw that out there just in case. Another thing to consider if you are worried about nursing and issues with it is to talk to a lactation consultant. The hospital I deliver at has classes you can take before going home and a lactation consultant that visits you to answer any questions and to make sure baby is latched on correctly. a good latch will take care of a lot of your concerns. Good luck and hope we all helped :-)
  • momma_tiffaymomma_tiffay
    @Brooke3705, okay thanks! :)

    @HomeBirthAdvocate, thanks! I porbably will pick up a book or two, I want to go to breastfeeding classes too but my clinic says you can't go til like your third trimester. So you can use soap as usual? Just wondering because I wasn't sure if you should just rinse because sometimes soap coule leave residue? So until milk comes in you give formula right? But won't that cause nipple confusion as some have mentioned above?

    @lilbabythree, okay thanks! I will def try to find something to help out with the cost if I can. I showed my husband lastnight & he was like wow use your friends pump. No offense, I trust that she is clean & all, but I really want my own pump. I read online you cannot clean inside of the machines? Please tell me they come with cleaning instructions.

    @Mnbaby3, I will be getting my pump before the baby is born, so I don't think they'll help then? Anyways besides that fact I have tricare through the military because my husband is a marine & they seem to only cover the bare minimum of things unless more is medically necissary. I do plan on getting ahold of a lactation consultant & going to a breastfeeding class but I have to wait until my third trimester I guess. :/
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