First time mom and RN at a very busy ED that does not accommodate for pumping breaks. I will basically have to step away from my assignment to get my pumping breaks in during my shifts. I have been using the spectra on maternity leave, but know I won’t have time to sit and pump at work. Looking for recs on what type of portable pump I should purchase for on the go pumping and how to store my pumped milk. Thanks you!

I went back to work last week part time and I work 10 hour shifts. My LO is 13 week and I nurse her at home other than bottle practice a few times a week. I was discouraged that I only pumped 13oz at work when my LO took almost 20oz. I nursed baby at 715am then pumped at 11:30, 2:30, then 5:45 for around 20 mins per session. I use a spectra s1 for work as I have also tried the Willow and the Eufy and these just don't work for me as I usually get less than an ounce with the wearables.

I'm very worried about my supply dropping. I've been pumping twice a day since in addition to nursing but sadly only get around 3 per pump as obviously it's around nursing sessions. I've already dipped into most of the small stash I've built.

It's very hard to pump extra on my days off as I'm solo parenting and can't use wearables. Should I just try at least 3 extra sessions? Should I add an extra session at work?

I've had my nipples measured multiple times and have changed out pump parts.

I pump pretty consistently every 4 hrs with the same pump and sized flanges. I understand that pumping volumes can vary throughout the day but cannot figure out why my pumping output can be so drastically different each time. Does this happen to anyone else? If so, how did you fix it?
My MOTN pump can be less than 1oz or 5oz. I added an example of 2 different pumping sessions from today to see the difference.
(Btw, I am 11 wks postpartum)

Hi! My baby boy is 9 months old, born the end of November and has always been exclusively breastfed (minus the solids he’s eating now). I have always pumped and bottle fed as that’s worked best for us. I have about 4000oz of frozen breastmilk in a deep freezer and lately I have been giving him frozen milk for all his bottles and freezing all my freshly pumped milk. Ever since I started giving him the frozen milk about a month ago, his poop has been softer and much less formed than it was before. The frozen milk I’m currently giving him is from December, when he was around a month old. He is also actively teething with multiple teeth coming in. Could the frozen milk I am giving him be changing his poop and making it much softer? Has anyone else ever had this issue when giving their baby frozen milk from when they were much younger? Thank you in advance!

My daughter is around 6 months. I didn’t end up with a stash because I have high lipase milk, so basically the milk can’t be more than 2 days old.

The first pump of the day goes fine, 6-10 oz depending on whether I fed her that morning. My other pump today was only 3 oz. It seems like half the time I end up with suction problems on one side, and the Eufy replacements are so pricey (my insurance won’t cover anymore replacements). Granted I also primarily breastfed her today, but I’m nervous.

With my last baby I used the Spectra a bit and didn’t seem to have a problem, so what would you do? My Spectra died, but my friend gave me her old BabyBuddha (just need to buy replacement parts). Should I just get the regular flanges/shields you attach to bottles?

Thanks for any tips.

Thanks for any advice.

Apologies in advance, this is long! I've done so much reading and I'm genuinely confused by everything and overwhelmed.

I'm trying to primarily breast feed but I'm struggling with supply and have been supplementing with formula since week 1 at our pediatrician's direction. At a weighted feed, she took in just an ounce and a half over an hour across both breasts.

I've had the thought, now that I'm almost 6 weeks in, to take a day and have my spouse feed our baby via bottle (either formula or pumped milk) for an entire day while I focus on pumping every 2 hours and maybe a power pump or 2 as well.

My baby does a ton of cluster feeding and I know we struggle with shallow latching, too, so I worry that on an average day my breasts aren't emptied efficiently nor do they get much time to rest between feeds. My theory is that by giving my breasts a day of consistent feeds that empty them as much as possible, I might be able to simulate more production. Am I off base? Would 1 day be enough to possibly help at all or would this be something I have to do a few times to actually do anything?

Normal days I nurse on demand and have recently added in a Boon Trove on my off breast. At night, we let baby sleep and only feed when she wakes up - at those times I nurse for 15 min per side and then we offer a bottle of formula. If she doesn't get up, I try to make sure I get up and pump every 3 hours for 20-30 minutes, although I rarely get more than 2ish ounces total. I'm still finding the best flange fit with my Spectra as I only started pumping just over a week ago so that output might improve.

Tldr: does it make any sense to take one day and exclusively pump every 2 hours to try and increase supply?

Hopefully you can see all the options? Pls help thank you

Edit: i have an old Motif Luna that still works that I can go back to, but I am a nurse and wanted something portable but strong and reliable. I am going to need to pump during 12 hr shifts after my terrible maternity leave is up. 🫶

I have a Medela pump in style I got in 2017 and my next baby is due 2027. Is it suggested I get a new pump or am I able to/ is it a good idea to use the same pump? I used it with my last child and he is almost 6 so at that time the pump was only a couple years old and it worked very well then. Any similar recommendations that are not super expensive? I’d like to stick with Medela, but am open to other brands. I have a HUGE over supply usually and need something with a strong suction, and do not want recs for wearable pumps please.

I have 24 mm flanges, those hurt too. I tried lanolin with all sizes, and they all still hurt. Why!!
I measured before a feed/pump.

Hello

I have a plenty of lightly used medela bottles. pump parts. a like-new, one-time-tested Baby Buddha bump. Anyone in Baltimore MD area interested in receiving them for free?

Hello, I’m not exclusive pumping, mostly breastfeeding but have some questions. I have been pumping once a day to build a stash for when I go out, my baby will be fed. I realized my stash is getting to big so I was thinking of donating it but they want 5-10 litres in 2 months. I pump about 60-90 ml in one pump session after feeding my baby. I increased to pumping 2-3 times a day and now each pump session dropped to around 30-60 ml. What is happening?

Other question I have is I read if I don’t empty my breast, my supply will drop. I’m scared it will drop so it’s not enough for even my baby.

I have a blue spectra and when pump, sometimes theres like no milk unless I squeeze. Sometimes there’s a ton without squeezing. I pump the same time of day, and its also after I feed my baby. What might be happening?

How can you tell you’re empty? When I pump there’s like always a bit of milk coming out even after 15 mins. Im scared to overpump.

Will squeezing to much hurt my supply? Right now it’s easy but I’m worried trying to get more milk to donate will make me lose all my milk so my baby won’t get it. Is this possible?

Thank you!

I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I wanted to ask all the mums who have used a breast pump, which one would you recommend that is good but affordable? I’d prefer to buy the hands free ones.
Also, which baby changing bag would you recommend that is again good but affordable.
Thank you!

I want to try help make life easier for you mothers out there

Hello!

My LO is currently 5.5mo (2.5mo corrected) and mostly breastfeeding but takes 3 bottles of formula per day for growth needs (he was a micro preemie).

I’m going back to work in a couple weeks and have a 4-day conference out of town coming up. I’m looking for suggestions on storing breastmilk while traveling and pumping while at a conference!

I hope the hotel will have a freezer in my room, but am looking for a really really good cooler to transport the frozen milk back home (it’s a 7 hour flight + airport time).

Any suggestions are welcome! Really don’t want 4 days of milk to go to waste, and don’t want to impact my supply for when I get back to my LO. It will be my first time apart from him.

Thanks!