Can anyone tell me about breast feeding/pumping?

Question

I don't know anyone who breastfed, so this is very new to me. I don't want to actually breastfeed, just pump my milk and feed through a bottle. Any advice or info you can give, I would love to hear it. My main questions are: If I pump a couple times every day, will my breasts still leak? Can I use pre-pumped milk at the hospital right after I give birth? I read that Medela is a good pump, is it very noisy/can I use it while I am in the same room with a sleeping baby? Thank you for all the help.

Answer 1

I went through this with my daughter ten years ago, and I had to pump milk in order for her to take it from a bottle, because she was premature, and in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It was several months before I could actually try to breastfeed her directly - and she always seemed to prefer the bottle anyway.

I went and bought an electric double breast pump (Medela Pump N Style), and a battery pack for the car. This was MUCH easier than trying to use the "hand pump" that the hospital gave me, and very portable and disreet. It was not overly noisy (slight motor sound, along with a whooshing pumping sound), I could use it whether or not I was visiting the NICU, in my office, at home, in the car, where ever.

I would pump four or so times a day when I was pumping. The first thing in the morning, I would pump, as I was really uncomfortable; I would then pump around lunchtime; just before dinner I would pump again; and then finally, just before I went to bed. The first pump would take me about ten minutes longer than the other three, and it was also the most productive one.

Be sure that you are in a comfortable spot before you start pumping, as it will help "let down" the milk. A picture of your baby may also help this process.

Your breasts MAY leak, even though you are pumping. I noticed that when I went to the NICU to see my daughter, I would leak a little bit. I got around this by wearing the breast pads that you see in the store, and it helped immensely (I didn't want to advertise that I had become a glorified moo-cow).

Right after you give birth (and you feel up to it), pump yourself, as you will be producing a substance called "colostrum". This is filled with antibodies and nutrients. Read about colostrum here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colostrum

A couple of other things to keep in mind are to sterilize all of the pieces and parts that you are using to pump and store your breastmilk; store your breastmilk in small quantities in the freezer (I froze mine in 2-4 ounce increments), and get clear nipples if you can find them (the regular ones would become sticky after a while).

I hope that this has been useful information for you, and that everything goes well with you and your new baby.

Answer 2

It is definately going to take more than a couple of pumping sessions a day to produce enough milk for your newborn. You will need to pump every 2-4 hours at first to establish a good milk supply (including through the night). Because even the best pumps are not as efficient as your baby is you might not get as much milk pumping exclusively vs. putting baby to your breast. It is your decision to make, but I think that you may find it is MUCH more convenient for you to feed to baby directly instead of pumping and washing and sterilizing equipment that many times per day.

I had a lot of success with the Ameda Purely Yours pump. It is very quiet and is a lot less expensive that the Medela. Some consumer ratings I read before buying it said they experienced a decrease in suction over time but I found that if I bought new valves occasionly it prevented that.

Good luck and remember that any breastmilk your baby receives will be beneficial!

Answer 3

My son could not latch on so I had to pump and feed him with a syringe for the first several weeks. I used a Medela pump and loved it. The only problem I had, which I guess is pretty rare, was that because it doesn't look like much milk, I pumped too much and wound up making 9 ounces per breast every 2 hours! So, there was a lot of leaking and pain, which inspired me to want to pump more. Once I got my flow sorted out everything was fine though and I nursed but continued pumping a bottle a day so that he could be bottle fed when need be.

Answer 4

You will want to pump more than a couple of times a day. Newborn breastfed babys will nurse anywhere from every hour to every four hours. You will have to have milk already pumped when your baby is hungry, if you are not wanting to nurse them, but to give them breastmilk in a bottle.
The first few days you will produce colostrum. This is perfect for your new baby and has lots of antibodies. Your milk supply will increase as you pump. Frequent pumping/nursing makes sure that you have an adequate supply.
When my oldest was born I used an electric pump that was rented from the hospital...he was born 5 weeks early and had to spend 5 days in the NICU, so I went in and nursed him every 3 hours during the day and pumped and left milk with them in the NICU. That pump was really loud and I thought it had too much of a suction. (OW!)
I have used manual pumps, and they worked really well, and were fairly quiet. I still might not use onewhile in the same room with a sleeping baby...if your baby is hungry, you will want to have milk already expressed, so that you can warm it up and feed right away, instead of making the baby wait while you pump for that feeding. At least that is my opinion.
HTH

Answer 5

i know from experience that if you only pump, your breasts will dry out and you will have to switch to formula. if you want to try it though, just make sure that every time the baby eats, you pump. your body produces milk by demand, so if you only pump a few times a day, you wont produce enough milk for your baby. its a real pain in the butt, but for some people it works. yes, your breasts will still leak. and about having pre pumped milk at the hospital, it probably wont happen, the your milk wont come down until the baby is born, before that it is called colostrum, i didnt get that until after my baby was born but everyone is different.

Answer 6

if you are only pumping you are going to have a hard time keeping up your milk supply and it will take longer to pump because the baby is not helping to open up the milk ducts. Your breasts will probably leak for the first few months but there are nursing pads for that. Lansinoh pads are the best. I have used i have used a lot of pumps and have found that Medela and Ameda purely yours pumps are the best. Ameda is less expensive but still as good and Medela is less compact.

Answer 7

Speaking from experience .. pumping those first few months .. it is SO much easier to just feed the baby at your breast if you can. No bottles to clean, instant access when the baby is hungry (no crying while you prepare a bottle), and not only does the baby get the most perfect food but the perfect amount . Plus being able to sleep while you nurse on your side is a godsend. It was like I found gold when we figured that out.

The best advice I can give you is visit www.kellymom.com - and read read read .. even better go to a leleache meeting (www.lalecheleague.org/)

Answer 8

Have you already started lactating? I would recommend trying to breastfeed at first, you never know... it might work for you. Medela pumps are very popular, and have a good reputaion. I knew someone who had an electric double breast pump, and she was able to get 12 oz. every 2-3 hours.... her freezer was full!!! I think everyones breasts are different, but I would expect to leak if you are still producing milk. It took 3 months for my milk to dry-up, and I wasn't able to breastfeed.

Answer 9

The medela I used was quick and easy. It worked very well. I felt like a cow but it got the job done. I think you would have to pump the same amount of times that he would eat so that your body wouldn't stop producing milk. Your body would adjust according to how much he's "eating". Let me know if you do well. I'm going to try that with my son.

Answer 10

I would suggest using the milk you secrete at the hospital its called colostrum. Its yellow and thicker and the most important.