Confused about pumping...some q's

"Irish Marie" wrote
I think I have a mental block understanding the logistics ;-p
Ok, if I pump in between feedings but the baby wakes up sooner than
expected
will there be a problem with him getting enough milk at his next feed?

I don't think so at this stage. He might have to work a bit harder for it
(& be suitably unimpressed) but he should get enough.

Can I top up a bottle of ebm in the fridge a few times during the day if
I'm
not pumping much and then stick all the collected milk in the freezer the
next day, or can I only freeze milk collected in one pumping session?

I kept one bottle (actually a disposable bag) in the back of the fridge and
added all milk pumped over 24 hours to it. I labelled it with the date and
time of the earliest pumping session before freezing it.

I have an ISIS, do I really need to take apart the entire pump after each
session to wash and sterilise it?

I didn't while I was pumping at work. I just kept it in a cool bag in the
fridge. I washed the silicone petal insert just before use in warm water to
take the chill off - nothing guaranteed to inhibit milk flow like a cold
pump :-).

What's a good amount to expect to pump?

I never got more than 40-50ml at a session. Others can can fill a 250ml
bottle. It depends on the person :-).

Is it still to early to try Liam on bottles, he was 3 weeks on Saturday?

I'd hold off another week just in case but I'm hyper-cautious about this
stuff now.

And one more, are oatmeal and porridge the same?!
TIA

Yup. Disgusting slimy stuff but I used to hold my nose and swallow quickly.
DD will contemplate nothing else for breakfast. Go figure :-).

Jean

--
"And he said:
Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of
Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and
though they are with you, yet they belong not to you." Khalil Gibran

Return address is unread. Replies to firstnamelastname @eircom.net.

Irish Marie wrote:
I think I have a mental block understanding the logistics ;-p

It's okay... We all do at some point!

Ok, if I pump in between feedings but the baby wakes up sooner than expected
will there be a problem with him getting enough milk at his next feed?

I kept a log until I was reasonably sure
when Pillbug would remain asleep, so I
started pumping during his long sleep
period at night. He sleeps at least 4
hours from 7 pm to 11 pm, so I can get
in a good 3 oz. at 9 or 10 pm.

Can I top up a bottle of ebm in the fridge a few times during the day if I'm
not pumping much and then stick all the collected milk in the freezer the
next day, or can I only freeze milk collected in one pumping session?

I was never sure about this, so I only
froze the milk from one session (see
above).

What's a good amount to expect to pump?

If it's really in between feedings, then
I can get between 3 to 5 oz.

Is it still to early to try Liam on bottles, he was 3 weeks on Saturday?

I'd say go ahead and try. Pillbug started
on bottles in his 5 days in the NICU at
birth. Then we took him off bottles and he
was fine. We just started back on bottles
around 6 weeks. Pillbug didn't have problems
with the bottle until the re-introduction.
Now, with the nanny, I think he's learning
that he has to get used to it, otherwise he's
not getting any food!

Good luck!

-- Anita --
--
SUCCESS FOUR FLIGHTS THURSDAY MORNING ALL AGAINST
TWENTY ONE MILE WIND STARTED FROM LEVEL WITH ENGINE
POWER ALONE AVERAGE SPEED THROUGH AIR THIRTY ONE
MILES LONGEST 57 SECONDS INFORM PRESS HOME CHRISTMAS.

Irish Marie wrote:

Ok, if I pump in between feedings but the baby wakes up sooner than expected
will there be a problem with him getting enough milk at his next feed?


Caterpillar is a patient baby who likes to nurse. My
experience with her is that I could pump both sides through
two letdowns, and until the flow had completely stopped the
second time, and nurse her immediately afterwards with no
problems. She does switch sides 2 or 3 times, as opposed to
taking just one side, but she doesn't refuse to nurse, and
doesn't want to nurse significantly sooner the next time.

She did seem less happy about it the first time or two (in
some indefinable way - she just doesn't get that
blissed-out, milk-drunk look on her face), but I'd worked
too hard pumping to watch her drink it on the spot unless
she were obviously starving. I also wanted to avoid giving
a fast-flowing bottle as a reward for refusing a
slower-than-normal breast.


Can I top up a bottle of ebm in the fridge a few times during the day if I'm
not pumping much and then stick all the collected milk in the freezer the
next day, or can I only freeze milk collected in one pumping session?


I'll save a day's worth in the same bottle, then freeze at
one time. But I try to freeze in small increments, so one
session's worth is usually enough to freeze.


I have an ISIS, do I really need to take apart the entire pump after each
session to wash and sterilise it?


I wash once or twice a day, depending on my mood and whether
I have bottles to wash, too. It stays in the fridge if it's
not washed, and I don't let it sit overnight unwashed. We
sterilize randomly, maybe once every week or two.


What's a good amount to expect to pump?


My first try, I didn't get enough to cover the bottom of the
bottle. Now I get between 1.5 ounces and 5 ounces (two
sides combined), depending on the time of day, how long it's
been since I nursed, and whether it's a time I normally pump
at. I'm a slow pumper, so it takes maybe 45 minutes to get
that much (and maybe 20 minutes to empty the first side to
the point that it doesn't make sense to pump anymore).

Is it still to early to try Liam on bottles, he was 3
weeks on Saturday?
Unless you have a pressing need, I'd hold off. Caterpillar
got her first bottle at 3 1/2 weeks, and no harm came of it,
but she'd never had latch issues. You've got until 8 weeks
before it's likely he'd refuse the bottle totally, so
there's no hurry. And it's not unusual for the first few
bottles to be a struggle even for a baby who will take them
happily eventually.

Phoebe

Irish Marie wrote:
I think I have a mental block understanding the logistics ;-p
Ok, if I pump in between feedings but the baby wakes up sooner than
expected will there be a problem with him getting enough milk at his
next feed?

I never had a problem with this and some times my unpredictable guy would
nurse immediately after I pumped.

Can I top up a bottle of ebm in the fridge a few times
during the day if I'm not pumping much and then stick all the
collected milk in the freezer the next day,

I did with no problems.

I have an ISIS, do I really need to
take apart the entire pump after each session to wash and sterilise
it?

I used a PIS and so rinsed the horns at each session and washed them once a
day in the dishwasher. That was no big deal but I think the ISIS might be
more complicated. I've heard others say they just stick it in the fridge.

What's a good amount to expect to pump?

Totally depends on the person and I found a big difference with myself
between babies even. I think you'll find your output will increase a bit as
you settle into a pump routine. You will also be surprised how much your
output is when you pump to replace a feed instead of in addition to feeds.

Is it still to early to try Liam on bottles, he was 3 weeks on
Saturday?

I think the general rule is between 4-6 weeks.

And one more, are oatmeal and porridge the same?!
TIA

I always assumed porridge was any hot cereal but I don't really know for
sure!


--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

"Iuil" wrote in message
...


"Irish Marie" wrote
I think I have a mental block understanding the logistics ;-p
Ok, if I pump in between feedings but the baby wakes up sooner than
expected
will there be a problem with him getting enough milk at his next feed?

I don't think so at this stage. He might have to work a bit harder for it
(& be suitably unimpressed) but he should get enough.

Can I top up a bottle of ebm in the fridge a few times during the day if
I'm
not pumping much and then stick all the collected milk in the freezer
the
next day, or can I only freeze milk collected in one pumping session?

I kept one bottle (actually a disposable bag) in the back of the fridge
and
added all milk pumped over 24 hours to it. I labelled it with the date
and
time of the earliest pumping session before freezing it.

I have an ISIS, do I really need to take apart the entire pump after
each
session to wash and sterilise it?

I didn't while I was pumping at work. I just kept it in a cool bag in the
fridge. I washed the silicone petal insert just before use in warm water
to
take the chill off - nothing guaranteed to inhibit milk flow like a cold
pump :-).

What's a good amount to expect to pump?

I never got more than 40-50ml at a session. Others can can fill a 250ml
bottle. It depends on the person :-).

Is it still to early to try Liam on bottles, he was 3 weeks on Saturday?

I'd hold off another week just in case but I'm hyper-cautious about this
stuff now.

Thanks Jean for the info.
I was up your way today but a massive headache set in and I just vegged out
in my mum's house.

And one more, are oatmeal and porridge the same?!
TIA

Yup. Disgusting slimy stuff but I used to hold my nose and swallow
quickly.
DD will contemplate nothing else for breakfast. Go figure :-).

I love porridge, yum :-) S has good taste.

--
Marie
Mum of 3
DD born 03/98, DS1 born 11/99 DS2 born 08/03

(HollyLewis) wrote in message ...
Don't add fresh milk
to frozen, though; a small amount of chilled to a large amount of frozen, or
chill first then combine and freeze.

Is what I do okay, and if not, why not? DD is on ebm (never learnt to
latch) and when she leaves a tiny amount such as 10 ml in a bottle I
freeze it. I have a bag on the go in the freezer, labelled with the
date of the earliest amount, and top it up. The freezer is separate
from the fridge and is an upright. It doesn't get opened much during
the day, maybe three to five times.

Thank you

Roxy

Roxy wrote:

Or does the
baby's mouth introduce nasties?

Yes, the baby's mouth has bacteria which are transferred to
the milk.


My little
scheme of saving the tiny left-overs means that every so often we have
another full bottle of of ebm that might otherwise have been
discarded, to replace a bottle of f*rm*l*. Is this still preferable?

What about dumping those leftovers into the next formula
bottle? Since you'll toss anything left in that bottle, it
would prevent the never-ending bottle problem. If she
leaves 10% of that bottle, then you've only "wasted" 1ml of
breastmilk. And I don't think it matters much whether she
gets the extra breastmilk spread out or concentrated into
one bottle.

Phoebe

Mogget wibbled

Irish Marie writes
I have an ISIS, do I really need to take apart the entire pump
after each session to wash and sterilise it?

No - you can cover the horns with clingfilm to keep the air off
and store it in the fridge between pumpings. As long as it's
thoroughly washed (& sterilised, if you do that) at least once a
day, it should be fine.

Ok, is this another check your box/manual issue? :-) Mine came with a
cover for the 'horn' - big white plastic disc that fits very tightly
over the 'input end' as DH calls it. No need for clingfilm (we wash and
sterilise the cover too, of course). The other end can either have a
clean bottle attached, or one of the seals (again, in the box, screw in
part that fits the white rings whether they have a lid, teat or pump
attached).

Jac

Mogget wibbled
Jacqui writes
Mogget wibbled

True :-)

Heh. Most comments I get about my attrib line are on the lines of "hey,
I don't wibble" (usually said by the worst wibblers there are!). :-)

No - you can cover the horns with clingfilm to keep the air off
and store it in the fridge between pumpings. As long as it's
thoroughly washed (& sterilised, if you do that) at least once a
day, it should be fine.

Ok, is this another check your box/manual issue? :-) Mine came
with a cover for the 'horn' - big white plastic disc that fits
very tightly over the 'input end' as DH calls it. No need for
clingfilm (we wash and sterilise the cover too, of course). The
other end can either have a clean bottle attached, or one of the
seals (again, in the box, screw in part that fits the white rings
whether they have a lid, teat or pump attached).

Cool! What pump is that? What a good design!

That's the Avent Isis again. I love my Isis. :-)

Jac

Mogget wibbled

Irish Marie writes
I have an ISIS, do I really need to take apart the entire pump
after each session to wash and sterilise it?

No - you can cover the horns with clingfilm to keep the air off
and store it in the fridge between pumpings. As long as it's
thoroughly washed (& sterilised, if you do that) at least once a
day, it should be fine.

Ok, is this another check your box/manual issue? :-) Mine came with a
cover for the 'horn' - big white plastic disc that fits very tightly
over the 'input end' as DH calls it. No need for clingfilm (we wash and
sterilise the cover too, of course).

I used the cover, but since I was storing the pump in my communal office
fridge, I was more comfortable sticking the whole thing into a plastic baggie
as well.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs