@brandon_d That’s fantastic! Admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of baby-wearing at first with my oldest. I did it out of necessity. But it really grew on me and I’m a bit disappointed that my youngest doesn’t enjoy it as much and I definitely miss wearing my oldest.
@turbogreen i’m gonna try it! i’ve seen so many people recommend it in the comments so far. usually i’ll just switch boobs whenever she unlatches to get her to drain both boobs lol
@brandon_d I use a Haakaa on my other boob while I’m feeding. Doesn’t really take any extra time and once you get the technique down it works like a charm! My baby is 4 weeks and I’ve collected over 200 oz just with the Haakaa!!!
@brandon_d You don't have to pump! Personally for me it was way better for my supply to just directly nurse. With my current baby I didn't pump until 4 months pp. Also hats off to you for doing it all by yourself. Wishing you an easy baby!
@brandon_d For what it’s worth, you don’t have to clean and sanitize every time. I keep the collecting parts in a Tupperware in the fridge, and wash them every night. Little one has never had an issue. It saved me so much time not having to wash them after every single pump.
Do you have a bouncer or swing? I put baby in a bouncer and played with toys or read to her while pumping.
@miss_kim i saw that someone else did this on a different comment on this thread! for the bouncer and the swing i have both!! when i pump i just talk to her if she isnt asleep, but for the most part she falls asleep right after every feed. her longest wake window is around 2 pm everyday
@brandon_d I highly recommend a boba or Moby wrap! Baby wearing is amazing for everything but especially when you are by yourself. You can even nurse in them too
@zimmy101b thank you!!! i ordered a carrier after one of the first comments i read about a carrier but im all about having multiples of things lol. i’ll definitely look into this because nursing in them is a must. i’m not sure u can nurse in the one i bought
@brandon_d I’m pregnant and I don’t have kids yet, so take my comments with a grain of salt, but I am planning to combo feed if possible. Breast feeding and pumping seems so hard and I think being able to rely on formula sometimes will help me to cope a lot more.
@katrina2017 so far in my experience, i haven’t had to rely on formula but my lactation specialist said that that was a good idea as well if i felt like she needed it. congrats on your baby!!! the comments in this thread were super helpful for me and indeed mitigated a ton of stress.
@brandon_d I only pump if baby doesn’t empty me enough in the first week or two so that I’m comfortable. After that, I don’t pump unless I’m away from baby during a feed and he gets a bottle. Otherwise, I just let baby regulate my supply and trust my body to do its thing. Not need to pump after every feed unless you’re just uncomfortable then just do a little (a minute or two) so you don’t increase your supply a lot. Im about 4 months PP and if I feel full I just hand express over the sink or while I’m showering lol
You got this momma!!
@brandon_d I was so much happier putting down the pump and just not doing that at all. Still am. No oversupply for babysitting grandparents lol but I don't mind being anxious anyhow
@brandon_d I only pumped when I missed a nursing session like if I was running an errand and didn’t make it home to the babysitter in time. You’re not required to pump extra! It’s more for building a stash in case of emergencies. You could always supplement with formula if you don’t want to do that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that! You’re doing great and your baby is being fed. That’s the most important thing.
@brandon_d I really recommend following the account @lalactation on Instagram, she has so much good info. The amount you are pumping isn't indicative of supply. But no you generally don't need to pump if you are breastfeeding exclusively to maintain supply. If you are sometimes giving formula or if your baby is a miracle baby that sleeps through the night already at 2 weeks, then you might need to pump because the longer gaps between feedings make your body think you have an older baby and you'll slowly stop producing as much. But if you're breastfeeding regularly / on demand, then you should be fine for supply.
@brandon_d I stopped pumping and changed to exclusively breastfeeding and my boobs were super full for a few days but your milk should regulate after a few weeks once it gets used to how much your baby eating! Good luck momma!
@brandon_d I have only pumped a couple of times because I was engorged and uncomfortable. My baby 5months has been exclusively on the breast since day one. Also from everything I have read only pumping a couple of oz at a time is completely normal.
