HMO - BF question

thatgrrrrl · February 2011

I know you had some issues with BF Baby Mo and I was wondering if it had an impact on your supply and if so, what did you do?

hmonkey · February 2011

i saw an lc. she put me on a grueling schedule for about a week where i cried and cried and gave up on bfing every day. however, it really increased my supply and now i don't have the issues with supply or pain. i stopped the schedule after a week because i couldn't physically or emotionally endure it any longer; as the light at the end of the tunnel, bfing stopped being quite so horrible. i don't know if it was a result of "at least it's not that nightmare" or "it really isn't that bad after all!"

basically, baby mo had to nurse every two hours, as in from start to start (we just set the clock so i would nurse at 2:00, 4:00 and so on). i had to pump for 20 mins after each bfing. twice a day, i would skip bfing and just pump, and whatever was pumped would be fed back into the baby.

the additional pumping really increased my supply. and i guess the additional torture of being hooked up to The Machine toughened me up.

once we had a schedule down, baby mo's last feed of the night would be formula. it stays in his system longer, and so he sleeps a little longer. it gives me a break and allows some bonding time with dh, who is in charge of getting the bottle prepared and then putting baby to bed right after the bottle. the amt that i pump goes into the freezer as a backup supply. i've had to dip into it a couple of times when i've had crappy pumping sessions now that i'm back at work.

long term, i've been in an bfing support group led by an lc which helps answers my questions about what to expect, how much and how many times to feed, and how to deal with pumping issues.

does that answer your question?

thatgrrrrl · February 2011

It does. Thank you. We've been doing a schedule like that to my detriment and now we're altering it. I've a call into an LC who I'll see after I get the all-clear from my hematologist (get me off the anticoagulants so I can try the herbals)

mrsconn23 · February 2011

I'm dying at your sig pic, TT. So sweet (even with the middle finger flying).

dharmabunny · February 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_hmo-bf-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:4a1af274-58bb-47dc-861a-28ba4ab5c924Post:a65bb2ed-34b9-429f-99aa-e7dbaccaeaab">Re: HMO - BF question</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm dying at your sig pic, TT. So sweet (even with the middle finger flying).
Posted by mrs.conn23[/QUOTE]

Agreed. I guess it's fitting, given the subject of BF scheduling ;)

*Barbie* · February 2011

I'm going to chime in and suggest herbal supplements - fenugreek, alfalfa, and blessed thistle.

Also, as hmo suggested, a very frequent nursing/pumping schedule. Make sure you're empty after each session because it should trigger your body to start producing more.

Be sure to keep hydrated too. my production overnight is typically less than during the day, and I drink a lot less at night.

I see a lot of flux - anywhere from 6 to 12oz in a pumping session. Wolverine drinks 6oz bottles right now. I generally b/f during the day (unless we're out running errands) and pump every 2-4 hours (depending on my need) from 8pm -6:30am.

thatgrrrrl · February 2011

the herbals have anticoagulant qualitiesd so i can't use them until I'm off the lovenox. i nurse every 2.5-3 hours. I want to be able to start pumping and stockpiling for when i go back to work.

hmonkey · February 2011

stay away from mint and sage; those can destroy your supply. i had a little stuffing over thanksgiving and mint candy over xmas and saw a marked decrease within the day.

eat oatmeal every day and make it with almond milk.

supply does vary in the day; you get the most in the morning and the least at night. peak production is generally at 4am.

thatgrrrrl · February 2011

That explains why her 4am feeding is the best.

hmonkey · February 2011

is evets helping with the overnight schedule -- doing the diaper changes?

as for going back to work -- you really just need to stay one day ahead. what you pump for one day is the baby's supply for the next day.

thatgrrrrl · February 2011

he is helping a lot. I don't need him on the overnights but he puts DD to bed after i nurse her so i can get and extra hour or so of sleep.

LnR70707 · February 2011

::butts in::

hmo & barbie - what pump are you using? I'm trying to decide if I should buy one pre-baby or rent and then buy. I will be a SAHM, but planning to pump more than just once or twice a day so I'm looking at the higher end pumps.

mrsconn23 · February 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_hmo-bf-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:4a1af274-58bb-47dc-861a-28ba4ab5c924Post:efcafb2d-bd9d-4a68-aaba-1a518b536ed6">Re: HMO - BF question</a>:
[QUOTE]::butts in:: hmo & barbie - what pump are you using? I'm trying to decide if I should buy one pre-baby or rent and then buy. I will be a SAHM, but planning to pump more than just once or twice a day so I'm looking at the higher end pumps.
Posted by L&R70707[/QUOTE]

FWIW, I'm leaning towards renting from the hospital and then buying if BF-ing works out for DefConn and I. I think the one month rental rate is like $30 or so. I also am comtemplating asking insurnace if they'll cover the purchase of a pump. If not, at least I know I can claim it on my FSA now.

GBCK · February 2011

8Butting in*
I vote rent first--it was worth the $50 per month to us because, really, it was $250 we'd waste if we couldn't do it at all.

I have the PISA and like it, havn't used anything except an old PIS (hated) and the hospital rental though, so no basis of comparision.

To add to what's been said, I'll say, don't be afraid to put a baby on an 'empty' bewb.
It's slower and all that but, really, a baby is MUCh more efficient than a pump, you'd be AMAZED at how much milk Buffy can get right after I pump (when she wakes up)--we did it this weekend still. they're almost never REALLY empty--so don't be afraid to pump because of bad timing (I mean, worst comes to worst...you give the baby the bottle you just pumped--nothing lost escept the time pumping)

tawillers · February 2011

I also have a Medela PISA and love it. It survived 13 months for DD and I'm planning to use it again for this LO.

*Barbie* · February 2011

I have the Medela PISA (the backpack) and i really like it. SInce Wolveirne was in the NICU for her first 12 days, and I wasn't allowed to try nusing her until day 7 or so, having the pump really came in handy. The hospital had a Medela, and they gave me a set of parts that I was able to take home / take to the NICU, so it was compatable with my home pump. Insurance covered most of the cost, although with things being as crazy as they were, at the time of the birth, I still have to send in the receipt (find it first) to get repaid.

it took me 1-2 weeks after I got Wolverine home before she was good at BF. Since she was taking a bottle in the NICU, there was an adjustment, but now she can do both easily. she generally b/f every 4-5 hours between 6:30am and 7/8-ish pm. She gets a 6oz bottle around 7/8pm, and again at 11pm, and sleeps through the night, until 6:30am. I'm going to be pushing her back more when i go back to work in 2 weeks.

hmonkey · February 2011

gbck is absolutely right re: empty bewbs. baby is tres efficient and you are never really empty.

i have a phillips avent isis duo. i think it's great -- tres efficient and easy. i pump directly into bottles, so very little waste. it's also easy to find replacement valves and diaphragms, and i like that i can vary the suction and speed.

one downside of the avent -- only one size horn. with the medelas, you can customize the size you needs whereas with avent it's only the one size.

i rented a medela symphony. i didn't notice any difference in terms of volume extracted, and i preferred the avent. the thingi hated about medela was the valves -- it splattered milk all over the bottle whereas avent drips the milk straight down. when you're only pump half an ounce at the very beginning, i just wanted to cry at all the milk that was just coating the bottle; it seemed like a waste.

6fsn · February 2011

L&R- If you are staying home, I'm not sure you really need the high end pump. I have the Avent Isis IQ. I loved it even while working. When we would travel though I would just take the Avent and hand pump. I could get just as much by hand as with the electric, it just took a little longer.

My sister worked two days a week and used the Avent hand pump exclusively.

hmonkey · February 2011

i agree with 6 and gbck -- rent first. if bfing does not work out, you don't want to have a $300 pump that sits in the corner.

in my case, being cheap was the only thing that got me through some of the truly painful days of bfing. if i was going to quit i was at least going to make up for the $ spent on the pump, the lc and other bfing accessories before i quit.

hmonkey · February 2011

by the by, working moms, this milk storage idea is flarking genius.

http://greenlitebites.com/BreastMilk/

Paulo's Menina Bela · February 2011

"as for going back to work -- you really just need to stay one day ahead. what you pump for one day is the baby's supply for the next day."

This is good, takes he pressure off the idea of needing to "stockpile" breast milk.

I have the Medela PISA messenger bag. Check with your hospital, they might sell pumps at a discount. Definitely invest in a pumping bra or modify a sports bra so you can go handsfree. I took a comfortably fitting sports bra and cut slits in the center of each cup to fit the attachments through. That reminds me, my LC warned me to stay away from clothing that was too tight around the boob area as it can hamper "let down".

6fsn · February 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_hmo-bf-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:4a1af274-58bb-47dc-861a-28ba4ab5c924Post:bb9ed7d2-a12c-414b-aab8-83eb8fa8ccd2">Re: HMO - BF question</a>:
[QUOTE]i agree with 6 and gbck -- rent first. if bfing does not work out, you don't want to have a $300 pump that sits in the corner. in my case, being cheap was the only thing that got me through some of the truly painful days of bfing. if i was going to quit i was at least going to make up for the $ spent on the pump, the lc and other bfing accessories before i quit.
Posted by hmonkey[/QUOTE]

I didn't actually rent first. I knew who had the best price on the pump I wanted (amazon at the time). As soon as I knew I could bf I placed the order for it. Since I'd had a reduction I was concerned I wasn't going to have any supply.

And totally agree about staying one day ahead. I never had a massive freezer stash. I did pump on the weekends to get somewhat ahead.

LnR70707 · February 2011

I know my insurance gives me a discount on medela, but I'm not sure how much.

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