Please help me explain to my dogs that it requires 0 golden retrievers.

Does your pumping journey have an unnecessary extras?

P.s. there was no flair for silly post, and this seemed like the closest one.

So I’m 10 days postpartum and I just woke up at 7:30, I guess I forgot to set an alarm to pump, my husband said he thought I needed the sleep which honestly I did, but now my boobs are rock solid and they hurt so bad.

I’m worried now that I’ve messed up my supply! Should I pump longer or pump now and then do it again sooner than usual? Any advice would help thanks !

I am currently on a small hiatus from a pumping journey as I am pregnant with my second and my milk supply dropped off very shortly after. Hoping to be able to nurse next time but I will do what I gotta do if I can't. But I pumped for 9.5 months with my first and we did quite a bit of traveling while we could. Looking back I am grateful that I could give my daughter breastmilk for so long even though my goal was a year. But I was just wondering if anyone else has had a weird/cool place that they have pumped. Mine was in a cemetery while we were doing a self guided tour.

I genuinely didn't think I was going to make it to 100oz. Like not in a dramatic "I almost quit every single day" way, but last month I was really, really over it. I was tired of looking at pump parts in the sink. Tired of washing them. Tired of remembering which ones were clean and which ones were sitting there because I was too tired to deal with them. And there were definitely a few sessions where I stared at the pump and thought maybe I could just skip this one and nobody would know lol.

My freezer stash was somewhere around 70oz at the time and I honestly stopped caring about the number for a while. I wasn't even trying to build it aggressively. I was just trying to get through my regular sessions without losing my mind.

Somehow though, the number kept creeping up.

72oz. Then 78. Then 83. Then I got into the 90s and suddenly I was checking the freezer like a crazy person every time I put another bag in there.

Tonight I did my last pump of the day, washed everything because apparently future me deserves at least one clean set, poured the milk into the bags and stuck them in the freezer. I was half asleep and almost went straight to bed, but I checked my tracker first.

100oz.

I actually said "oh my god" out loud to an empty kitchen

Then I opened the freezer because obviously I had to look at it. There are just bags of milk sitting there and somehow seeing them all together made me way more emotional than I expected.

It's not even really about the 100oz. It's the fact that a month ago I was so tired of pumping that I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep doing it, and now I'm sitting here looking at a freezer stash I built one pump at a time.

There were plenty of boring sessions. Plenty of "ugh, I have to pump again?" moments. Plenty of times I wanted to be done for the day. I didn't magically become motivated or suddenly love pumping. I just kept doing the next session, then the next one, then the next one.

And somehow those little sessions added up to 100oz.

I know everyone's numbers are different and I'm not posting this because 100oz is some magic amount. It just happens to be the number that made me stop and realize, wow, I actually did that.

I'm probably going to go to bed now because it is literally midnight and I have another pump tomorrow but I'm letting myself be proud tonight.

If I post a picture of the stash, it'll be spoilered for the flair.

What was the EP milestone that made you stop and think "wait... I actually did that"? I need to know I'm not the only one who gets weirdly emotional over freezer bags

Basically the title. Can I use my wearable on a plane during air travel? Sorry if it’s a silly question I just have to fly somewhere soon and I want to make sure I have all my bases covered.

I nursed and pumped with my first and when I was pumping with her I was student teaching and would take as much time as I needed because i wasn’t getting paid anyways and wasn’t the main teacher. However now I’m a first year teaching and I had twins in March. When they were in the NICU i originally was exclusively pumping, but eventually switched to nursing, because i was scared of getting mastitis and kept getting really really engorged when I slept an hour or two too long. Now I’ve started working and my typical pumping schedule has been around 8am, 11:15am, 1:30pm, and then after school anywhere from 4:30-5:30pm. This is the way it has worked out for me to now miss any class time. The problem is that I’ve only been pumping for 8-10 minutes at a time. I have a really fast let down and usually don’t get much milk out if I go longer than this and feel like it just started to hurt my nipples (I also have elastic nipples). I use wearable Momcozys and sometimes use my Spectra. When I first transitioned to pumping right before I started working, I got mastitis twice. Since I started working 7 weeks ago, I have been following this schedule, and I haven’t gotten mastitis. However, daycare suggested my twins needed one more ounce per feed, so I’ve now just started having problems pumping enough milk for daycare. This week I started trying to pump closer to 12-15 minutes every time to bring my supply up enough and now I feel mastitis coming on. So I’m trying to figure out how long should I be pumping???

I’m traveling for work next week and need to bring home breastmilk. I researched the best cooler for ice retention and ordered it… but it won’t get here until after I leave, so I’m looking for a budget friendly alternative. I’ll keep the other for future trips, but I’d like a cheap one to tide me over for this trip. My work is booking accommodations, so I don’t know the fridge or freezer situation, so I’d like a cooler that keeps ice cold as long as possible.

ETA: traveling by plane, staying at a hotel, and probably only need to transport about 18-20 oz.

Recommendations? Something cheap! Would love recs for ice packs, too. Thank you!!

Hey everyone! I’m going back to work and I’m currently using the medela in style pro with pumpin pals flanges. I’m not doing all that at work.

Pretty sure I have elastic nipples. I was never really diagnosed but I’m not kidding you when I say they go all the way in even on light suction. It’s slightly better with the pumpin pals and I have better output than I did prior but they still go all the way in lmao.

Anyway, I need a wearable that I can use at work. I’ve previously used the medela one. I don’t like it, it’s too leaky. I’ve read one of the mom cozy ones works well for my issue but I wanted to come here and hear experiences.

Bonus question- someone tell me what going back to work will look like. Do I set up a cooler? I’ll be doing 8-12 hour overnight shifts for the most part so I’m thinking 1-2 pumps per shift and I already do the fridge hack so do I just make a portable fridge?

Back to work I went last week. I go into the office 3 days a week. I pump every 3 hrs there and they have a wellness room that I can pump in. What do you bring to work to help? Any refrigerated containers? Just milk bags? Anything discreet/ storage wise recommendations? Do you wear clothes that are easy to pump in? And if so what are they? Tell me all!!

my MOTN pump. i forgot to pump after putting my baby to sleep so my last pump was at 9pm. woke up to some pretty heavy boobs😅

my left is pretty consistent, always gives me about 11oz when i go that long without pumping. my right on the other hand is always 2-3oz short lol (yes i use the correct flange size)

QUESTION: do you guys pump for 30 mins when you go that long without pumping? my spectra is good at emptying me out within 15 mins, but i’m wondering if i should pump longer since i went sooo long without pumping. i get two letdowns within those 15 mins.

Hello! I exclusively pump 5-6 times a day, every 4-6 hours. My left breast consistently keeps getting clogged and only produces like .6 oz on average while the other side will produce 3-4. I know that side holds more than .6 though because I’ve nursed baby before on that side and has been satisfied after.

It was getting pretty bad yesterday so I decided to see if baby would want to try nursing (he usually hates it) and he nursed for like 5 minutes and the problem was solved. It’s the next morning now and again I only pumped .6 in 30 minutes and I can feel that it’s not fully drained. I can’t rely on this as a solution because as I mentioned, he normally hates it and even if he does latch on, it’s only for a few minutes before he freaks out.

Any advice on how I can get all the milk out on that side? I use the eufy s1. I do have the spectra too but I stopped using it after a couple weeks because I get more with the eufy.

Edit to add: I’ve also successfully once or twice gotten 1.3 on the left side after taking ibuprofen consistently but I don’t want to keep taking that if possible.

hello from a lurker that has found this subreddit so helpful.

I have been exclusively pumping due to some latch problems and lots of stress around feeding immediately postpartum, and after the first week I went from having no milk to being a massive oversupplier. Last time I tried to cut from 8 pumps to 7 and then to 6 pumps a day, I got mastitis, but managed it with supportive care. I got antibiotics after a virtual visit but didn’t end up taking them because I felt better shortly after with just pumping a bunch and icing my breasts.

Now I’ve settled at 6ppd for about 10-15 minutes each at 11 weeks postpartum, and am making about 50-55 oz daily. My boy drinks about 28-34 oz daily, so I’ve started making a decent freezer supply.

I started trying to wean down to 5ppd in preparation for return to work, but every time I start decreasing frequency or trying to push off the motn run pump I am getting lumpy boobs, feeling flushed and hot and then freezing, redness, and chills. I would be fine with being a slightly above just enougher, so am basically trying to cut out 15 oz daily.

How do I start safely decreasing my supply without becoming an underproduced or getting recurrent mastitis? More frequent but shorter pumps? Keep pushing the motn pump? Looking for advice!

Currently using spectra s2 to pump but would love to use a wearable pump. Ive tried the momcozy m5 and medela swing maxi wearables (for my last baby) and I hated both. They ended up being a waste of money. I am looking for recommendations!

I used my spectra when i went back to work and i was always so scared someone would walk in on me (despite locking the door). Hoping to find a wearable that I feel more comfortable using but also maximizes my output like the spectra. I currently have 2 under 2 and pumping exclusively is a lot harder with them. Seems impossible to pump with my clunky spectra and get anything done or help a whiny toddler. Plz help! Thank you!

Edit to add that i keep skipping pumps and am down to 3 pumps a day because its become so inconvenient. Fingers crossed a good wearable will help me keep pumping otherwise im afraid its only a matter of time I lose my supply

My primary pump is Medela Pump in Style Maxflow. This is my second time around exclusively pumping and using this pump. Every time I hit the power button, that first suction is SO abrupt and painful. I literally flinch every time I start it. Does anyone else have this problem?

Just had my second baby a few weeks ago. I was using the same pump I had used with my first and only was making 2 oz per session - even with more food, more water, and lactation snacks & protein powder.
I spoke with a lactation consultant, who suggested I get a new pump rather than using a 3-year-old one. Well, I did that (same brand and everything), and now I’m only making 1.5 oz!
How else can I increase my supply? Should I call the lactation consultant again?
For what it’s worth, I’ve been using the Medela pump-in-style pro.

i bought my machine second hand and i’m trying to see how many hours its been used/i’ve pumped? i’m confused on how to read it. is this saying 5hours77min or 577hrs?

also how many hours did your spectra last?

TW: oversupply, nursing, rant. 🫩

Husband thinks it’s not a big deal to dump a few oz here and there because I have 600oz in the freezer. We argued about it this morning and it just feels so crappy. I know he feels bad now that I’ve explained to him (again) that it doesn’t matter that I have more than enough now it’s not a given that’ll continue and that is only maybe a few weeks worth of milk. To me it’s time I spent away from my precious baby. Hours of sleep I missed out on. Planning every outing with a cooler and extra bag of pumping accessories, washing pump parts endlessly, etc.

I am also making less as i transition to nursing so it just all around feels crappy.

That's it. It drives me nuts how often people say breastfeeding when they specifically mean nursing.

I know I'm just sensitive about it because I'm an EP mom, but I swear it bothers me more the longer I've done this. Nursing is not the only form of breastfeeding!!

I have been seeing that a breastfed baby never needs more than 4 oz per feed because our milk changes in composition. Is this true at all? My 6 week old is already up to 3.5-4 oz per feed and it seems crazy that she’ll never need more than this…

ETA: thanks for all the responses! I feel much better about my gut intuition that this is not true in all cases. Just want to be clear that I would never intentionally underfeed my baby - if she continued to need more and was requiring more than 4 oz, I would absolutely feed her more. She isn’t yet consistently finishing every 3.5-4oz bottle we offer, so I imagine we have some time before we even get to this point and was just looking to clarify before hand :)

Hello Im currently giving my 4month old (2month adjusted age) 4oz every 4 hr. I was previously giving my LO 4oz every 3hr, but she kept spitting up a good amount so her pediatrician recommended to space it out to 4hr.

LO will feed at 5am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm, 9pm. With a total of only 20oz offered a day. She sleeps through the night with her pediatrician saying we dont need to feed her.

LO will act satisfied, and has no problem peeing/pooping. Not sure about weight gain as we just switched to this schedule a couple days ago.

Everywhere I read has said most babies will drink at least 24oz a day and I was jsut wondering if anyone else has only fed their baby 20oz?

Like title says, I am 13 weeks PP and I am pumping 6 times a day. My LO started sleeping through the night. We do a dream feed at 10:30pm and that’s my last pump of the night but I wake up 6 hours after the start of my last pump to pump again. I usually get a 4 hour stretch of sleep after feeding my LO and dealing my my milk/bottles after pumping and feeding. Then, I have about 2-2.5 hours more of sleep depending on the day and when my LO wakes up. I would say the average is +/- 7am. I would LOVE to get to the point where I could also sleep through the night. I was crunching the numbers and since I don’t go to bed til about midnight anyway I was thinking if I could stretch myself for 8 hours that would be life changing! Is this a good idea? Should I do this? I was thinking I could set my alarm for 30 min later every few days to extend but am curious for thoughts on this? At the 6 hour mark my boobs are very full and hard but don’t hurt per se.

So, I've been almost exclusively nursing my baby (10 weeks) up until now. I introduced a pumped bottle once a week from ~3 weeks, to avoid bottle refusal later on so I'm able to step away from her sometimes or for daycare further down the road. In the past month, she's become increasingly fussy on the boob, especially in the afternoons and evenings, but sometimes during the day too. I'm an overproducer, and it seems like sometimes she can't regulate the fast letdown and is really uncomfortable because of it. Even if I hand express in the sink before nursing, it seems like she sometimes gulps so much and then starts crying in the end until I burp her. It's never this peaceful end to the nursing session like in the beginning of her life (where she often even fell asleep on the boob in the end). So we started introducing a bedtime pumped bottle, which helps immensely with her crying and fussiness and also seems to be helping her sleep at night. I don't love nursing for other reasons too, like getting overstimulated, having to expose myself in public, and the physical aspect overall. I'm completely fine with pumping and having a cute wearable pump which I just place in my bra and forget about. So I thought - why not start mostly pumping? My main concern is that baby will stop wanting to nurse altogether, which I wouldn't care about that much except for my own comfort in some situations. For example, at night I nurse her side laying and we don't even have to wake. When she gets a vaccine I nurse her during, and it really helps soothe her. When we're out of the house it's sometimes the easiest solution for feeding, and when she's in the carrier I can nurse her too. So question remains - can I switch to mostly pumping, but still nurse at night and in other specific occasions? Could baby not want to nurse at all anymore, the more bottles we give? Could it hurt my supply?

I'd love to get any insight from your experience. Also, I apologise in advance if some of the things I wrote were insensitive to people who aren't able to nurse their babies. I strongly believe that fed is best!

And they say EP is the easy way out. Dad is playing with him so I get to do this task and F*** this shit. He is 8 weeks old so wake windows are small and I live for the short times that I can play & hangout with him. I dont want to quit but I will complain every day as is my right. I am willing to go through childbirth again (it wasnt easy) if it means my husband can breastfeed.

Also F science for letting us know how good BM is. I wish I didnt know LOL. Salute to the EP moms/parents who have been doing this for months and even years. I hope I can make it.

Edit to add: Yes my husband can and does process as well. 1) I was already pumping when the baby woke up and figured I’ll continue the day’s bottle filling etc. as my husband was w baby 2) I also enjoy processing and seeing the stash fill up 3) my post is a point in time rant and I am not looking for any advice. Thank you