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(breast) milk bank

  1. #9
    mummybee is offline Registered User
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    babi77, to get a good freezer stock, I pump right after baby has first feed in the morning when my breasts are the fullest and milk the creamiest and baby only empties one boob. I pump again after baby takes last bedtime feed at 9-10pm (ie baby feeds at 8pm, i wait 1-2 hours letting boobs "fill up"). IF I FEEL LIKE IT, I would pump 2am (not much milk) and/or 5am. Do be relaxed about the whole thing. I have tiny breasts (really) and can only pump 30-100mls total per session. Constantly worry that I don't have enough milk for my baby and look what happens - still have plenty to THROW away at the end of the day!?
    If $ is not too big an issue, I recommend you getting the double Lactina Medela pump. I used to use the single electric pump which only draws out measly 20-30mls pooled from both breasts. The trick, i find, is the double pump. during a letdown, pumping both boobs at the same time can really extract far more milk than if you use single pump.
    If I can do it with my teeny bitsy boobs, so can anyone! Good luck!!


  2. #10
    babi77's Avatar
    babi77 is offline Registered User
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    mommybee, thank you., I'll try, regarding the double pump, some people said hand manual one is okay too....currently I'm using the Avent Manual Pump, but I've never try the double pump... I'l lconsider that...thanks.

    regards
    Babi


  3. #11
    kellyst is offline Registered User
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    Hi babi77, i'm a working mom too. the trick i think is basically to pump more frequently, which is tough in an office situation. but sticking to a schedule works. it's very true that the more you pump, the more you get. you might get less each time with less hours in between, but as your breast is stimulated more, the total output/day is definitely more.
    with working, i try to structure the day so that i pumped 2X before i leave home for work, so one early morning, 5ish and then another just before i leave at 8am, 1-2 times at work, and then 2 times at home. i'm weaning her off breastmilk now so i do less now.
    also, be sure to empty out your breast, i pumped until the breast is drained (to get more milk), if you don't want to increase supply, you can just pump until you get enough. At work with the manual pump, switching between the two breast helps too, let's say i start on the right breast, i pump until it slows down, then go to the left and then back to the right, so on and so forth for a couple of times until nothing comes out, i think that helps with really emptying the breast at each pump.
    i use a combination of electric (double pump) at home and Avent Isis manual at work. for me, the Isis works just as well if not better than the electric, so i think it differs from person to person, you kind of have to 'mesh' with your pump.
    fyi, if you want to consider the electric pump, i rented mine from Annerley Midwives. so you can 'try it out' without investing a bunch into it.

    Last edited by kellyst; 06-09-2006 at 02:27 PM.

  4. #12
    babi77's Avatar
    babi77 is offline Registered User
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    kellyst,

    thanks a lot, my pumping schedule is now like this

    morning 6am - feed my baby directly
    8am - feed him again
    then 11am pump in office
    2:30pm pump in office again
    5:00pm pump in office again
    then go home and then breastfeed and breastfeed.
    then sleep at 12 midnight
    wake up at 3am or 4 am to pump..

    yes you're correct, everytime I pump the milk is just 2oz to 3.5 oz... but my baby is still 3 months old, so I hope later when he sucks more and needs more, I hope I can pump out more.

    Give me comments and thanks a lot.

    Regards
    Babi


  5. #13
    joannek is offline Registered User
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    babi,you are working very hard at maintaining your supply! well done!

    I also notice that when a letdown happens, it happens on both sides, so in order not to waste any milk, i started pumping both breast at the same time (i used the avent ISIS, before i master hand expressing).

    your schedule sounds pretty good. but i find it quite difficult to tell whether the breast have really been emptied. if you empty your breasts very frequently, your supply should go up in about 2 days.


  6. #14
    LLL_Sarah is offline Registered User
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    Dear Babi,

    You wrote, “yes you're correct, every time I pump the milk is just 2oz to 3.5 oz... but my baby is still 3 months old, so I hope later when he sucks more and needs more, I hope I can pump out more.”

    Please remember that a three month old fully breastfed baby drinks about 750 mls in 24 hours and that a six month old fully breastfed baby also drinks about 750 mls in 24 hours.

    This is the biggest difference between breastfed babies and formula fed babies. Breast milk changes, it changes from the beginning of the feed to the end of the feed, from the beginning of the day to the end of the day and also as the baby grows. So at six months you will be feeding different milk to your baby than you are now – but not a different quantity. If your baby was formula fed the quality of the milk would always be the same and so the only way to get more calories in to your baby is to give more and more milk.

    So if you have enough milk for your baby now don’t worry about the future. Being able to express 2 to 3 oz each time is a reasonable amount. If you need more try pumping more often and adding the milk together.

    If you get help with the let down you usually get more milk. So try direct breastfeeding on one side and pumping on the other. This way you baby makes the let down happen. You can also try a hand expression technique called the Marmet Technique, http://www.lactationinstitute.org/MANUALEX.html.
    If you don’t like hand expressing you can use the pump instead as it is the massage, stroking and shaking which helps your let down

    Best wishes,
    SARAH


  7. #15
    joannek is offline Registered User
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    sarah is totally right, my baby went up to 5oz per feed at 5 months, and even at 12 mths she only takes 5 oz. but the milk look a lot creamier when she's 12 mths.
    in fact,for me the milk was creamiest around 5-7 pm, so usually save those for bedtime feeds. i the morning, it looks like there is more milk in the breast, but it's more watery. that how it was for me.


  8. #16
    suzannal is offline Registered User
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    Now that you have mentioned it, I started comparing my milk from different times, and do indeed find the morning milks more watery... Hmm, I shall try to feed the evening milks to my baby before bedtime instead, as it usually works out that I have been feeding the morning milks to my baby for bedtime...


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