Seeing that I have been attached to a breast pump for the last 64 days, I thought I should write a post about it, as I frequently complain about how its "Time to pump. Again." This isn't graphic, just honest.
WARNING: I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT MY BOOBS. AND NIPPLES. IF THAT IS TOO MUCH INFO FOR YOU, JUST SKIP TO THE NEXT POST WITH PHOTOS OF SWEET BABY!
Valentina was born 66 days ago, and I didn't start pumping until about two days after, as I was in recovery for a day, and was a basket-case and totally out of it the following day... I am estimating I started pumping two days after she was born, but my *Official Records* start May 13th.
So I missed out on most of pregnancy. Or at least the parts that really count. The big belly. The kicks. Peeing 19234098345 times a day. The popped bellybutton. The pickles and ice cream cravings. Being super hot. Oh. And giving birth. I didn't get to experience any of that. I am determined to breast feed. No. Matter. What.
So, I have spent the last 64 days squeezing my boobs. Obsessing about boobs. Writing down every last drop. Chugging water. Vitamins. Sterilizing. It is recommended that you pump every two hours. Or three hours. Or four hours. The MAX is five hours. Naturally, as this felt like THE ONLY thing in the UNIVERSE I could do for Valentina (especially in those first few weeks when I was hysterical ALL the time), I took on this endeavor with such obsessive precision that I must first apologize to ALL family and friends who have breasts, children, know anyone who has children and/ or breasts. I AM SORRY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. . .
So here is what I have learned...
(Keep in mind that I have not yet breast-fed my baby, as she is still too small, but hopefully in the next week we will start!!! This is just my personal experiences in the last two months.)
- It really won't hurt after the first few days.
- If milk is still coming out, keep pumping. I have pumped for an hour straight in the first few weeks (and after!) and while my butt hurt from sitting so long, my breasts no longer felt heavy, hard and sore. And they leak. After a good pump, I don't have any leaking.
- I can tell time by my boobs. All of a sudden, I get a .05 second PING! of "pain" right in the center of my nipples. I look at my watch, and sure enough, it is time to pump. Again. And then the alarm on my phone goes off. I can truly tell time with my cans.... HA!!! I say "pain" as it isn't experienced long enough to call pain, but its definitely a PING!
Medela Symphony Hospital Grade Breast Pump. If you have a preemie in the hospital, or if you will be a working/ pumping mama GET THIS. It is worth every penny. |
- The first few days, you may not get ANYTHING! I was thrilled when I had my first little drips of milk, called colostrum. After just one week, I was pumping more than 100 ml of milk.
- The first milk is the most IMPORTANT LIQUID GOLD! (Read the link above!)
- In the hospital, I pumped each breast for 20 minutes, every two to three hours.
- Now that I am home, I TRY to pump each breast 20- 30 minutes, every three to four hours, depending on what's going on in life.
- If you don't pump often enough, you will be in PAIN. Or you will ruin your favorite shirt. And your bed sheets. And all of your pajamas.
- Even if your baby is in the NICU and is too little to drink any/ all of your milk, SAVE it. FREEZE IT. DON'T DUMP IT.
- I think I have a slow milk- letdown reflex. I've learned, I just have to deal with it.
Maybe when I am breastfeeding with my Vivi attached to said breast (and not my friend, The Pump) it will be different. I will have to get back to you on this one... But for now, I know I need MINIMUM of 20 minutes per breast, thus the biggest reason why I bought a second Medela Swing. I tuck them into my maternity bra, kinda hang the shirt over the top for stability and hold with my left arm, while I attempt to Facebook one-handed. I bought one of those double-pump bras, but it was too big, so I have to return it. It technically worked, but it was really giant on me, practically slipping off. If it fit properly, I would say HELL YEAH. I may or may not buy another one, in the correct size. If Vivi starts breastfeeding in the next week I probably won't get another. But if you think you will be pumping as often as I have been, I recommend that you DEFINITELY buy a second pump and the double pump bra. You will feel like a cow, and I often MOO to my hubby as a joke... But it will be a life-saver. And a sanity- saver. I was so tired one morning that I just whipped out my boobs to pump in front of my cleaning lady. In hindsight, I really, really wish I had that double pump bra that day...
Oh yes, here I am, double- pumping, reading a magazine and enjoying my coffee. |
Two free hands to blog & Facebook chat! |
How I really feel. |
MoooOOooOooOooo......... |
After I got out of the hospital, I didn't have a pump yet. My sister-in-law Carmen came to my rescue. Twice. The day I got out of the hospital, she brought me three different pumps, though none were as lovely and luxurious as the Medela Symphony... (The hospital grade vs. the home grade really aren't on the same sphere of comparison... BUT more on this in a bit...) So, we went to the mall and found the next best thing, as my other sister-in-law Ana Filipa recommended, the Medela Swing. I now have two...
Medela Swing Home Breast Pump. I love mine so much, I got two, to save time, and "just in case." Also worth-every-penny. On both. |
You will also need:
- Milk bags.
- Sterilizing bags.
- A sharpie.
- A notebook to write it all down.
- A subscription to Netflix, Hulu, etc.
- Batteries/ car charger for your pump. Traffic happens, and your boobies will thank you.
- A very comfortable chair. (HA!)
- Snacks. And endless bottles of water.
- Digital timer. I say digital, as every second that ticks by, you wanna know...
- Books. Lots and lots of books.
- Ziplock bags, for your supply in the freezer.
- Those blue freezer cold pack things for transporting your frozen Mamamilk to the hospital.
- Cold lunchbox, also for traveling to hospital.
Medela Pump & Save milk bags. THEY COME IN 50 packs?!!! I can only find 20 bags here!!! BUY in bulk. Yes you will need ALL of them if you are a pumping mama. |
Medela Sterilize Bags. Five per box, 20 uses each. Also, can't live without these. |
What else have I learned...
- Get on a schedule, and don't let ANYONE for any reason change it. I got into a fight with Victor (dear sweet man, bless his heart for loving me...) because I was allowing myself to get off schedule.
- You NEED to sleep. You NEED to eat. You NEED to pump. Don't feel guilty for letting anyone or anything get in the way of this. This is really important. Just as no one begrudges a pregnant lady for needing any of these things, you are making milk for your preemie. I think more than ever, these basic Mama-Needs are even more important!
- I pump at: 1:30 AM, 7:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 4:30 PM, 7:30 PM, 10:30 PM.
I know I am not supposed to from 1:30 - 7:30 without pumping, but I just can't do it. I cannot function without that bit of sleep. It is not recommended going this long without pumping, but this is what I have found works for me. If I don't get this chunk of sleep, then I am non-functional and NOTHING gets done. And because I cannot wake myself up at 1:30 AM, I usually stay up... That is when I watch ABC family shows on Hulu. I am embarrassed about this... I watch The Secret Life of the American Teenager at 2 AM. (I hang my head in shame.) HAhAhha!!!!
Moving right along... What else do you need to know.
- Don't lay down and pump. You will fall asleep. At 2 PM. Or 2 AM. You WILL fall asleep. You will spill your hard earned milk. You WILL ruin your pump this way, too.
- Get on a schedule IMMEDIATELY. It just makes things easier on you. And your partner....
- Don't obsess the way I did about sterilizing. If you sterilize your pump parts, and don't use them in the next 20 seconds, YOUR BABY WILL BE FINE. I was scalding my fingers as I was so paranoid about sterilization... It's OK to relax. Keep it clean, but don't hurt yourself... (I really wish someone had told me this in the first place...)
- After each use, I wash all parts with hot water, my Baby Only sponge, and regular dish soap. Then I sterilize in the Medela microwave bags, then I lay out on my clean plate to air dry.
- Sterilize your pump tubes once a day. I do it after my 1:30 AM pumping session, to give them a few hours to finish drying.
- Write it all down.
I read in one of my preemie books that 10 days after birth, you should be producing about 600 ml of milk each day. When I read that about a month ago, I PANICKED. Not that sweet baby Valentina is consuming anywhere near that quite yet, the fact that I was only producing 150- 200 ml a day at that point, I really felt like I wasn't doing enough. And I know that I wasn't really committing myself as much as I could be. At that point (early June), I was pumping 4 to 5 times a day, sometimes 6. That's kinda a lie... Maybe once a week I pumped 6 times a day... Now, looking at my Milk Journal, I can say I DEFINITELY pump 5 to 6 times a day, though my goal for next week is to be able to say I pump 6 to 7 times a week and drink 2- 2.5 liters of water a day. That is two and a half Nalgenes a day. That is a lot of bathroom trips.
As a result of my super-efforts, I am now producing about 450 ml of milk a day!
- Drink the water. Don't "sorta" drink the recommended 3L of water. Do it. I am drinking about 2L a day. If I drink less, I can actually see the numbers of precious milliliters of milk decrease.
- Take your vitamins.
- Milk supplements? I am taking Promil twice a day. More about this in future posts.
It gets easier! I pumped at work for over a year, 3-4 times a day every day. Baby is more efficient than the pump, so breastfeeding will be a breeze for you! And when she gets a bit older, if you are still pumping at times, you won't have to worry so much about sterilization. Heck, I'd just wipe out all the parts and put them into the fridge between pumps at work without even rinsing, and then sterilize at night (the 'fridge trick' lol). Hang in there, you are doing great!
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