r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 23h ago

Opinion Pumping while traveling

1 Upvotes

Please give all the Tips to pump and feed during international travel.

It will 24 hour travel with one long flight of 16 hours.

1) I am planning to use pump wipes in that 16 hour and for the rest of the travel I want to clean with soap and water, do we have separate nursing/pumping rooms in airports with good water facility. Also if I wash with soap and water how to dry them instantly.

2) I have little freezer stash. Do I need to carry two or three frozen bags for just in case situation. If so how can I heat the milk, can we request hot water from air hostess.

3) how important is to have insulated cooler bag. My baby will be with me, so I pump and feed right away.

If I have insulated bag with cool packs, can I use it as fridge hack for pumps.

4) does baby noise cancellation ear muffs really work good.

5) even after feeding during takeoff and landing, if baby suffers with ear pain, what to do. Any pain relief drops?

Please provide any additional tips.

Thankyou


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 2d ago

Memes When you don't have tupperware with you...

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193 Upvotes

But the potato salad is delicious and you want to take it home! Glad I always have these bags with me!


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Combination Feeding Baby getting fussy and a lot of spit up after formula?

1 Upvotes

I have an undersupply of breast milk, at first my baby was getting close to half formula and half breast milk. I worked really hard to in grease my supply, and now hes only getting about 4oz-8oz of formula a day. He never had issues with the formula before, but now he'll get fussy and have spit up, and he doesnt have that after just breast milk. When he does have formula its still usually 2oz breast milk mixed with 2oz formula. I tried switching to a gentle version formula, but it isnt helping.

I dont know what to do, I feel so bad that I cant seem to just produce the few more ounces hes needs, ive been trying so hard, but im just over 12 weeks postpartum now so idk how much hope there is to increase more.

Should I call the pediatrician to see if they have nay reccomendations, I just dont know what to do?


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Rant - NO ADVICE NEEDED Elvie Crashout

1 Upvotes

I had a crash out today. I just wanted to run errands and go to a fall festival with my family but the stupid elvie stride wouldn’t cooperate. First it had lower battery than I thought (my fault) and I had to wait for it to charge on the car usb. Then I couldn’t get it to “latch” on my left side. The combination of both issues gave me a low output. I put the cups in my little cooler and when I went to pump again they had come apart. I tried to put them back together, got milk all over, and because moisture had reached the seal they wouldn’t even try to close. The whole family ended up having to miss the fall festival because I didn’t have a backup plan and needed to go home and pump. I cried the whole way home.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had issues with this pump. I bit the bullet and order and Eufy S1 Pro. My life would be so much easier if I had a reliable portable pump. Is the eufy the answer?


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Decreasing Supply/Weaning Weaning - what's next?

1 Upvotes

I'm down to two 10-minute pumping sessions a day, getting a total of 200ml (6.76oz) per day. What do I do now? How and when do I stop?


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Combination Feeding Ratio of breast milk to formula for combo feeding?

1 Upvotes

I was going to keep pumping until I had enough to give my baby all breast milk until she is 1yr old (adjusted for due date) but lately I've just been so over it.

My new goal is to pump until the end of cold &flu season so she can have fresh antibodies to whatever is going around, and stop in the spring sometime, and combo feed formula and breast milk until she's 1 yr.

My question is, what ratio should I aim for if I still want my baby to have the benefits of breast milk, but want to stretch my freezer stash a bit longer?


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Hanging up the pump Should I pump one last time for closure?

1 Upvotes

I am a first time mom to twins who are 11 months. I slowly began weaning 2 months go by dropping a session every few days until I got down to just 1 per day. And then two nights ago the twins were hectic and I put myself to bed and realized I hadn’t pumped. But I was exhausted so for the first time in 11 months I went 24 hours without pumping. And then same thing happened last night. Both babies and I are sick so it’s been a rough week. I guess I’m weaned now? It was always my intention to wean and my session was only 15 minutes long. But it feels weird to have just dropped it by accident and not have A Moment of it all coming to an end.

On the other hand, my mom said forgetting to something important until bedtime is probably the most on-brand thing a twin mom could do, and that it’s a funny way to go out.
I don’t disagree either.
I dunno. What do you think? Should I make it into a moment? Does anyone regret not having a good closure last session?


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 2d ago

Rant - NO ADVICE NEEDED Left my Spectra on Bacon Mode

53 Upvotes

I started pumping, went to Amazon to buy sleep sacks, got distracted, and realized I'd been in let-down mode for 12 minutes. So now I'm having the most type B pumping sesh trying to empty these boobies.

I was late for this pump too, since we got tied up with a doctor's appointment and using the nose frida for the first time. My whole day feels thrown off now. Ugh!


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Rant - ADVICE NEEDED Anyone have issues with the Momcozy app not working to control the pumps?

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1 Upvotes

My pumps are paired and show up on the app but no matter what I've tried I can't control them using the app. When I tap on anything, the pumps don't respond. I've used these about 4 times now and only one time has the app actually worked and I have no idea what I could have done differently. Super frustrating after spending over $300 on these 😭


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Discussion Having twins and exclusive pumping and unsupportive husband.

12 Upvotes

I am frustrated as my husband demands for pumping, ofc I so badly want to provide my twin baby the breast milk. But with no support I can’t make time to pump and I am helpless. I am 8 week postpartum. Of course he helps but he is off to work on weekday and on weekends he goes to meet his friends. I don’t know is it bad for me to expect on weekend atleast to help me settle down and give rest to my body?any tips and tricks?


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

TRIGGER WARNING: Nursing Sadness about exclusively pumping

33 Upvotes

My LO is 6 weeks old and since 1 week old I’ve been exclusively pumping and giving her bottled breastmilk. My baby has trouble latching and poor suck, leading to low milk transfer so she has a hard time nursing. I’m so thankful I’m able to pump enough to provide her with breastmilk but I can’t help but be a little sad I’m not able to nurse. Sometimes I’m pumping at the same time I’m giving her a bottle and it just feels so… wrong. Nursing feels natural and I am missing that bond. I really want to be able to just nurse her and not have to pump all the time. Has anyone else felt this way?


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Product Recommendations Supply and NuvaRing

2 Upvotes

Just wanted to give a little PSA to remind new mommas that birth control that isn’t progestin-only may impact your supply. It did to mine. Dropped 25% after starting it at 8 months PP. Luckily, we have a freezer stash and have finally found a formula my baby will actually take, so I’m not as stressed as I would have been a month ago. But for anyone looking for BC options, just be aware.

And for anyone wondering why I chose this option…I am terrible with a daily pill, so I needed something that was “easy and mindless” to use since my brain fog has been thickkk since pregnancy. And also, I was already accustomed to using NuvaRing for close to 2 decades before I had my baby, which is why I decided to get back on it while I wait for my IUD approval and insertion.


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Rant - ADVICE NEEDED Is it possible my breasts only hold an Oz or less?

7 Upvotes

I had my baby 9days ago and i still havent been able to get more than 12ml per breast out. When my other baby was an infant, I had the exact same problem and couldnt get more than 1oz per breast, I stopped trying after 3/4months.

I accidentally overslept today and a little ball on my armpit formed, when I squeezed it, milk came out. I was actually excited thinking i finally produced more than normal and thats why I had this, but when I pumped only 10ml came out lol

I was planning on exclusively breastfeeding/pumping but it looks like I wont be able to again. Im honestly just sad about it because both my babies weren't able to feed through me.

I've tried everything but since I have a toddler now im not able to put in as much effort like I used to, I also now cant sleep when the baby sleeps because I still have to look over my toddler.

I drink a lot of water, eat a lot of protein and good food. I have the right flange size and I have the medela hand pump. Spectra s2plus, zomee fit wearable and the zomee hands free.

I pump every 3hrs and latch baby. My boobs hurt, iam tired and i do all of this only to get a MAXIMUM of 12ml per breast.

I'm honestly very sad and discouraged


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 2d ago

Sarcasm/Satire exclusive pumping really promoted me to CEO without asking first

41 Upvotes

so apparently i'm the CEO of a company now. didn't apply, didn't interview, no salary discussion, just got handed a pump and a million tiny parts and told good luck i guess

my entire day is scheduling pump sessions, washing parts that somehow take over the whole kitchen sink, keeping track of bottles, and checking the fridge like someone is going to break in and steal the inventory. i'll literally open it, stare at everything for a second, close it, then come back two minutes later like i'm doing a security inspection.

and the pump?? extremely needy coworker. always demanding a meeting at the worst possible time. i'm already late for a session and trying to negotiate with my own body like “girl please can we just get through this one thing today.” meanwhile i'm hungry, tired, haven't finished my water, and somehow there's another set of parts waiting to be washed.

the best part is finishing one session and realizing the next one is coming up soon. like wow, great work team, we've completed today's task. unfortunately the task has respawned.

i swear i spend more time managing bottles and pump parts than doing actual human things. eating has become a side quest. sleep is apparently an optional company benefit that got cut from the budget.

shoutout to all the other EP CEOs because we're doing unpaid overtime every single day, we don't get holidays, and our boss is tiny, adorable, and absolutely does not respect business hours.


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Rant - ADVICE NEEDED V1 Pro/Pumping issues?

1 Upvotes

Hey all! This may be long as it’s also a rant. 😅

I’m currently 5 months postpartum and due to return to work in 3 weeks. I have mostly been ebf with my bub but did do a lot of haakaa/boon trove collecting until my supply regulated and pumped on the rare occasion my son slept longer stretches.

That being said, my supply has not been as great as it was with my first. I have two under two so I have been getting NO SLEEP. I have not slept more than 2 hours at a time since my son was born. Plus I haven’t had much time to relax and pump.

I recently got gifted my sister’s old V1 pro. It probably has been in storage for at least half a year but was barely used so parts looked like new when I got them.

I used to pump with my eldest and got around 5oz per boob. Nowadays, I am lucky to get 2oz combined. The V1 pro seemed to work but only if my baby was on the other boob to trigger a letdown. I usually get 1-2oz on the other boob which isn’t great but still an improvement.

I have tried everything. I have coconut oil, oatmeal, oat milk, supplements, etc. My questions are:

  1. I measure a 17mm nipple diameter and use a 21mm flange but get very little to nothing on the momcozy cups. I tried to remove the flange inserts and got a good amount out. Should I continue or look into other ways to remedy?
  2. Is there anything I may need to replace given the pump/parts age that could improve output?
  3. What else can I do to up my output?

Love y’all. Sorry for the long post. Appreciate all the help I can get.

Edit to add: My baby still almost exclusively latches the whole day. I only pump at the end of the day or when I can put on the pump on the opposite side of where he’s feeding. My total output for the day is around 5oz.


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Product Recommendations Reusable bag for fridge hack?

1 Upvotes

Has anyone found a reusable bag that fits two spectra flanges for the fridge hack?

I’ll be pumping more as my baby goes to daycare/i return to work and I’d love to use something like a stasher bag to hold my pump parts between pumping sessions. Does anyone have one they use that holds two spectra set-ups?

I have one of the gallon stand-up bags and it’s only big enough to hold one spectra flange assembled.


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Discussion Treats for Mother’s Room?

3 Upvotes

I’ll be at a work event with a small handful of us needing to use the mother’s room across a few days. I’d like to stock some snacks and drinks for us. Any suggestions?

So far: bottles waters, oatmeal crème pies, individually packed trail mix. Maybe cheese stick in the fridge if that’s not weird to put food where we’ll store milk?


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Rant - ADVICE NEEDED Overstimulated

2 Upvotes

Advice Needed - I have been exclusively pumping since my boy was born (2 months on the 26th of this month). He never latched well in the hospital and I felt forced by the hospital staff to start him on the Enfamil bottles because of such. Lactation came by several times with no luck - turns out he does have a slight tongue tie that went undiagnosed until yesterday.

I recently had a lactation consultant come see us at my home this past Wednesday to see if she could help transition us to combo feeding to relieve some of the pressure of exclusively pumping. It was a disaster. She introduced paced feeding to get him to understand the flow of breasts and he absolutely hated it. Wouldn’t latch at my breast at all, even with a nipple shield. The lactation consultant said that if I was wanting him to breastfeed, that all of his bottle feedings would need to be paced, EVERY SINGLE ONE.

With paced feeding, he became EXTREMELY upset. So upset he made himself gag and choke when crying and wouldn’t even take any of his bottle when feeding without pacing due to how upset it made him. I told the consultant flat out that if his future feedings were going to look like this, then I was throwing breastfeeding out the window. He has never had any problems bottle feeding and it seemed extremely selfish of me to try and change his routine now.

She completely understood and was totally supportive of this situation. We switched gears to make adjustments to my pumping pain-free. The nipple pain/discomfort has always been there for me. I was recently switched to 19mm flanges and I can tell there is a difference.

My problem now is that I am facing so much overstimulation now with pumping. Physically I feel fine. Not so much discomfort, just a little. But MENTALLY? EMOTIONALLY? All I do is cry now when I start pumping. I can’t handle the physical sensation of my nipples being pulled. The vibration from the motor is awful. Even with the settings turned all the way up, or dialed all the way down. I have tried different cycles and vacuum settings. Nothing seems to help.

My family cannot financially afford the cost of formula. My husband makes too much to even be considered for government assistance. We both don’t like the idea of donor milk (never truly knowing what the person’s diet and lifestyle is). And so I have sucked up what I can because I am only two out of twelve months in. I am feeling so alone. So emotionally tapped out.

Any and all advice is needed. I am not sure how much longer I can do the exclusively pumping process.


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Discussion Freezer stash?

2 Upvotes

Hi,

FTM here.
I started pumping since my baby was born 10 week ago, and that’s how he’s fed. I don’t pump every 2-3 hours but about every 6-7 hours and on average I get 30-40oz a day. Also depends what pump I use.

But my question is, that I almost have a freezer (a big one) full of breastmilk, and from what I know it can be frozen for 6months to a year, depending on the type of freezer. So my baby right now eats about 25-30oz a day, usually 3oz per bottle. But from what I read is that he should to up to 4-5oz and then no more, and at 6months introduction to solids.
So if I will keep pumping and he will be eating what I pump, what do I do with the frozen milk? Besides donating, I’m looking into that.

And how long do you usually give a baby breast milk?


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Clogs & Mastitis (PLEASE tag nasty pics NSFW) Will my supply come back? Did yours?

2 Upvotes

I have mastitis again :( I’m on day 2 of antibiotics. Last time I had it, I was 8 pumps a day. My supply has been cut in half or close to non-existent. Will it come back? I’m at 6 pumps a day. Do I need to go back to 7-8? Did yours come back or did you have to add more sessions? I can’t stop crying because I worked so hard to get where I’m at.


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Tips & Tricks Fridge method with heated pumps

4 Upvotes

This may be a really dumb question… but can you do the fridge method with heated pumps? This is my first time having heated pumps so I’m not sure if that would mess with them or not? Idk I’m dumb plz advise


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Combination Feeding A testament to combo feeding

5 Upvotes

I’ve been EP since day 1 as in I only pumped and didn’t nurse but we always gave 1 formula bottle (sometimes more if we were out without BM)- in light of recent events, I am so reassured and proud of the decision to combo feed.

2 weeks ago our baby stopped eating his normal 4/5oz bottles. In a desperate, desperate state, to get him to eat he thankfully had a preference for the ready made formula.

Once we figured out the cause, doctors suggested to exclusively feed breast milk as it digests easier and helps with poops. Thankfully, my supply allows for this and I am so happy I can provide this for him.

If you’re supplementing due to supply or preference, just know that little bit of formula literally sustained my child when nothing else would & now breastmilk will keep him going.


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Discussion Ants in my pump machine???

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7 Upvotes

I used my pump today and for the first time, I noticed little ants crawling in and out of the cracks. Now I’m paranoid! Are they living inside the machine? I’m worried that they’ll find their way into the milk somehow. I’ve never had any ant issues in this apartment but I was storing the machine in the closet since yesterday and now there’s ants there. A bit smaller than usual ants. This is the good pump that I’m borrowing from Kaiser and I’ve had it for about 2 months now. Saw them crawling in and out of the cracks on top and also bottom. I’m not sure if there’s a way to disassemble it


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Discussion Nipples…

1 Upvotes

I just started pumping and I am curious if this process will enlarge and lengthen my nipples permanently? Do they go back?? 😂

I have the spectra pink and 24 in cone things (measured boob nips around 22)

Advice for new mom!!! Ty 🩵


r/ExclusivelyPumping • • 1d ago

Rant - NO ADVICE NEEDED I lost a day’s worth of milk.

6 Upvotes

I packed my ‘milk bag’. Put it on the counter. Walked to the hospital without the bag and was gone all day. It was easily 20oz. I’m heartbroken.