i don’t wanna pump anymore

@brandon_d The very early days your production is driven a lot by hormones and less by your baby’s reality. I had a huge oversupply which would drown the baby unless I took just a bit off the top - but if you pump then they just get more engorged next time. So basically I just had hard, sore, leaking boobs for weeks until me and Bub sorted ourselves out.
 
@mountainpine May I ask how you avoided blocked ducts / mastitis? I'm 7.5 weeks pp. I've been through two bouts of mastitis that wouldn't resolve with antibiotics and had to have a surgery to remove both (abscessed). My baby often sleeps 8 hour stretches and I am afraid to not pump a little at night because if I get mastitis again I'm going to have to seriously consider ending our bf journey 😭. I just can't be at my best for baby if I'm constantly battling this. Pretty sure I feel a new clog forming too. I'm desperate!!!
 
@jojolola Oh my gosh that’s awful! I think part of it is luck, part of it is how much I leaked (I slept with a towel in my bra, on top of another towel, and I still soaked through the sheets) and part of it is the fact that we’re 8 months PP and she still hasn’t gone more than 3 hours without eating! I’ve had a couple of random blocked ducts but they cleared up really quickly (ice, baby sucking +/- ibuprofen).
 
@mountainpine WOW, that sounds super tough as well!! I can't imagine all the laundry you must have had and sounds like you haven't slept a single full night. I guess truly every bf journey has its unique challenges. I'm grateful to have plenty to feed my girl but sometimes I can't help but wish I had an under supply since I'd be fine with supplementing/combo feed. The grass is always greener right 😂
 
@brandon_d Also, milk is made of 2 parts- hind and fore. The fore is sugary cloudy liquid that combines with the hind- the thicker white creamy substance that holds most of the nutrition. So during an oversupply, the fore milk is over produced, not the hind. This makes the milk to be watery and sugary which causes gas and diarrhea in the baby. Women with an oversupply pump in the beginning of the feeding and finish with the baby so as to reduce the amount of fore milk that the baby consumes. This in turn also creates an over supply. It’s a shitty cycle that I went through because I pumped too early and often.
 
@brandon_d Yeah, it’s a science for sure. Just to be clear, gas and diarrhea can be caused by so many other things. My kids also had a diary and soy allergy which gave them bad tummy issues.

Having an oversupply will be accompanied by feelings of engorgement, tenderness, clear milk. To test this, pump milk and leave it in a clear bottle in the fridge. As it drops in temp, It will separate and the cream will rise to the top. You can see the proportion then.

I do suggest stop pumping unless 2 things-

(1) you want a freezer supply

Or

(2) the baby isn’t gaining, or is losing weight which is an indication you aren’t producing enough. You would then need to either pump after a feed to signal the body to make more, or switch to formula.

Pay attention to what the baby is telling you. Fussy after a feed and Still hungry? Or sleepy and content? You ever seen a new born baby milk drunk? That’s the best outcome 😂. Follow your baby’s lead, they will tell you what they need.
 
@brandon_d You’re only 2 weeks pp so definitely give yourself grace. You’re doing an amazing job. If you’re nursing AND pumping, getting 1-2 oz is completely normal. Even if you get 0 oz there are so many other factors that go into pumping. Also, engorgement and oversupply may have to do with milk capacity. Each person’s breasts can store different amounts of milk. Someone may hold 2 oz max in each breast and others may hold 6 oz in each breast. If the baby only drinks 4 oz at a time, the person holding 6 oz in each breast may want to pump to relieve some of the pressure from the milk that’s not being used.
It’s so very ok to stop pumping. Even with an oversupply I eventually did because after a few months my body regulated itself and I made exactly the amount my baby needed. And even if that doesn’t happen, as long as your baby is being fed, loved, and your mental health is taken care of, it’s OK.

Edit: and as I sit here alone in the dark at 3am pumping, I have to remind myself to listen to my own advice too.
 
@brandon_d Of course you can! Your body will make the perfect amount for baby all you have to do is feed on demand. I pumped with my first and with my second I said to hell with all these extra steps and served it straight from the tap. So much easier and better for me and baby!
 
@brandon_d No and I feel like the opposite. Letting baby latch whenever he wants regulated my supply to his exact needs. When I was pumping I was stressed about not getting enough plus I was taking away milk from the baby as I was pumping. I swear pumping you never get as much as when baby stimulates breast.
 
@brandon_d Yep. You will be shocked and amazed how easy your life gets when you cut out pumping and stop blaming your partner for not being able to calm down baby like you can with your breastmilk!

I just accepted I’m mama and these boobies are all that he wants needs or dreams of. Started co sleeping with him too and now he is six months and sleeps throughout the night in his crib most nights with the occasional night feed that I just do in bed. Vastly different than with my first when I was pumping, swaddling and letting him cry it out.
 
@churchclap i do not have a partner to blame since it’s just me but i have noticed a difference when using a bottle than when using my boob. when did you start cosleeping?
 
@brandon_d From day one!!! With my first I never did and had him in a crib right away but the constant getting up to feed and comfort was ruining my sleep for months. So with my second I said f it and co slept from day one. It has been absolutely amazing and I honestly believe it’s the reason he can sleep on his own now at six months. (Still nurse him to sleep in bed then transfer him over to crib)
 
@brandon_d I and others on this sub have observed that some doctors recommend triple feeding to everyone - it's really a pretty severe measure IRL because it takes a lot of time. My lactation consultant told me it's only supposed to be done for a few days max because of that.

Based on what you've said about your baby's weight gain, I think you can let yourself relax a little unless the doctor has specific concerns. I pump after some feeds because my baby has a tongue tie and I want to make sure we keep my supply up. And I pump in place of feeds too for the sand reason but that's our issue. If your baby is latching well and gaining weight well, just let baby nurse. Particularly in the beginning I didn't want to pump after most feeds because I never knew when he'd want to eat again. It's only something I do know that our feeds are more reliabiliy spaced out
 
@bronsontaur that too! i didn’t know when id have to feed her again right after i pumped and was worried i didn’t have enough to feed her for her next feeding. i read somewhere that your body never stops making milk and that you can feed and pump right after or vice versa without worrying if you’ll have enough milk in your breast to feed the baby.
 
@brandon_d That's true but it's a lot easier for them when there's some milk sitting in there waiting for them. What I've read suggests you should try to still feed after you've pumped, if they want it, because some babies are willing to do the work. I can tell it's frustrating for my son though.

Breasts will "refill" in 30-60 minutes, so it's decently quickly for most women, I was just giving you a reason if you want to lay off pumping for a bit and enjoy your new baby 😄 They put a lot of stress and expectations on breastfeeding and I feel like it really ruined my first couple months with my boy.
 
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