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not getting the time to pump

Dont know what im going to do. Alfie has ebm and im now not getting the time to pump, find myself balancing him and the pump. rapidly getting sore full boobs and are fridge supply is dwidling

Replies

  • is there anyway you could try to latch him again, google rebirthing and bf, sounds a bit wierd but its to do with the bath and relaxing with skin to skin and trying to latch again- would make life a lot easier for you x
  • Hi



    Definitely recommend skin to skin - it got us over our bad phase.



    In terms of time can your dh help? You need to be as relaxed as possible to make the most of your expressing time. A friend of mine got everyone and anyone to feed her baby the EBM so she could go and express more.



    Hope you find it works out x
  • Its not the milk supply its just the time to get it out, alfie dosnt give me a minute sometimes, hes getting really clingy already. Hubby is back at work and only really have my mum.

    Found myself pumping and cuddling him today which was hard.

    He really isnt going to latch, tried multiple times with support from bf team. We do loads of skin to skin because i love it.

    Hubby said i should just let him cry when im pumping but i cant leave him crying it stresses me out.

    Might just strap him to my back :lol:
  • How old is your little one?



    when my dd was little I could never put her down as she would always cry.

    As she has got older she has become a lot happier just sitting in bouncy chair or playmat while I expressed.

    I only really express once a day in the mornings.



    Maybe feed her a saved bottle from fride then express straight after feed and save for next feed.

    I always find my dd much happier to sit and watch me once she is fed and changed.



    Hope this helps x
  • hi, this sounds just like me with my first dd. she was in special care so never latched on even though i (and many midwives!!) tried and tried. when i was in hospital i had loads of time to express but soon found it difficult to find enough time when we eventually came home. you need double the time for exclusive ebm feeding!



    what type of pump do you have? i gave up on my manual straight away and got an electric which you just had to hold in place with one hand leaving one side completly free for holding bubs, i got loads more milk out in a shorter time too. i found that the noise of the pump also made her quite sleepy too! i'd also express in the night while dh did a feed to replenish my fridge supply.



    eventually it got too much and i'd just express what i could and give her formula too, which i really didn't want to do and felt guilty about doing but was best in the end as we had a happy baby and happy mummy knowing she got the good stuff in the early days when she really needed it.



    lol at strapping to your back, but you could try putting him in a baby sling while you express, at least you can let go and use both your hands!



    good luck x image
  • I second expressing after a feed - I used to put DD on the sofa next to me and she'd snooze while I pumped.



    If you haven't already got one, a double electric pump is the way forward. A bit pricey but you can hire them - your Midwife will be able to sort one out for you.



    Well done and keep going, this clingy phase will pass soon.



    Mrs B xxx
  • Hi, I don't know how old your little one is, but well done on what you've done so far!



    I only ever expressed for my twins, they were 8 weeks early and I couldn't b'f, so pumped for 7.5months and then with the frozen supply it took me til they were 8 months.

    I am very proud of what I did, but you need to seriously think about what you're doing because I know I carried on for a little bit too long and should've taken a step back and assessed my situation objectively.

    I hired a medela symphony to dual pump which worked out about ??1.50 a day, which I figured was instead of buying formula. I got over a litre a day pumping 4 times a day (after a while though). I started off at every 2-3 hours, then moved to 4 hours, eventually settling on every 6 hours; 4am, 10am, 4pm, 10pm. As the twins got older this got harder to stick to and I was annoyed almost if I couldn't pump on time cos my breasts were so full and sore. I also got to the stage where I didn't want them to leave any milk because I'd been up at 4am pumping...you get my point. It was not good, but as i was producing so much it was also hard to stop and I had to do it gradually. I decided when the babies weren't getting attention cos I was on the pump, and I was resenting it if they left any it was def time to stop. Once I did stop I didn't realise how much it was taking out of me.

    Also, if I knew how long I was going to be doing it for i'd've bought a bra thing that supports the funnels so it leaves your hands free (they're only about ??30 new, but try ebayfor cheaper). This would be great cos it is easier to deal with the baby then while still pumping. I've had to do it with my son across my legs and all sorts of juggling acts cos he was a lot clingier than my daughter.



    At the time, breastmilk was the only thing I wanted to feed them, and especially being premature it was essential to me. People suggesting to me that there was no harm in giving them formula angered me. Now they're 15 months I can see more what they were saying - if it's becoming a huge difficulty and making you more tired and miserable it's really OK to give them formula. you've given your little one a good start, it's not worth being a miserable mum and stressing yourself over if it's becoming too much. i don't think it would be right to leave them crying so you can pump really.
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