Surviving a Growth Spurt

"Angela Schepers" wrote in message
news:VgGxc.19928$HG.3121@attbi_s53
I've been exclusively pumping with the Avent Isis 4 times a day, 6 hours
apart, and I'm miserable!! The pump itself is great except that it's
manual. I get 3-4 ounces on each breast, each pumping session which is
definately fulfilling Quinn's needs except that my wrists and arms are
killing me! My right forearm is twice as big as my right and hurts like
hell when I have to pump (I think I've pulled some tendons or ligmaments
in there). The Medela PIS is a bit pricey for us, especially right now
but I told DH if I didn't get an electric double pump my arms were going
to fall off and then I'd lose my sanity with him directly in my warpath,
or we'd have to switch to formula which neither of us want. Needless to
say, the PIS is on it's way. The reviews I read on it were great and
though it's pricey it's better than buying another pump that will break
down in a month or having to buy formula.

Have you been able to freeze any milk yet? I think I've got around 70
oz frozen up already. I'm not sure how long I'll be feeding him
breastmilk exclusively so I'm freezing up as much as possible to use
later for when I stop pumping.

I've tried to pump with the manual Avent and I have only been able to
express 1oz each time. I must be doing something really wrong.

~Carol Ann
Mom to Morgan born 3.24.04
http://tinyurl.com/28zno ---Pictures!

Carol Ann wrote:

I've tried to pump with the manual Avent and I have only been able to
express 1oz each time. I must be doing something really wrong.

Have you had more success with something else? If
not, it may just be that you don't respond well to pumps
in general. I'm certainly not discouraging you from trying
other pumps--just throwing out the possibility that it's not
the pump that's the problem. I had lousy luck pumping with
my first two. With my third, it went fine, but only as
long as I was doing it regularly. When I stopped, I
became virtually unable to pump again afterwards, even
using the same pump.

Best wishes,
Ericka

"Jill" wrote in message
om...


I am begging for this so I CAN get
breast milk pumped easily and let someone give me break--

Honestly, I don't know how a pump will solve this for you. You do know that
if you skip a feeding you will most likely still need to pump during that
feeding session, right? You will most likely get engorged and uncomfortable
and need to express. Not to mention the extra work of prepping/washing
bottles. You are still very early in the game. Don't go for the expense of
the PIS now.

Rachel is a hungry
little doodle bug and I have been nursing her way more often than every 2
hours! I am not getting sore or anything though, I just can't do anything
else- the house is a wreck.

Honestly, Jill. That's not at all unusual for a bf newborn. I highly
recommend you stop looking at the clock and accept that your house will be
anything but a wreck for just a few more weeks. You are almost through the
hardest part.
--
JennP.

mom to Matthew 10/11/00
EDD #2 10/24/04
remove "no........spam" to reply

"Carol Ann" wrote in message
news:5uNxc.9389$0y.4092@attbi_s03...
"Angela Schepers" wrote in message
news:VgGxc.19928$HG.3121@attbi_s53
I've been exclusively pumping with the Avent Isis 4 times a day, 6 hours
apart, and I'm miserable!! The pump itself is great except that it's
manual. I get 3-4 ounces on each breast, each pumping session which is
definately fulfilling Quinn's needs except that my wrists and arms are
killing me! My right forearm is twice as big as my right and hurts like
hell when I have to pump (I think I've pulled some tendons or ligmaments
in there). The Medela PIS is a bit pricey for us, especially right now
but I told DH if I didn't get an electric double pump my arms were going
to fall off and then I'd lose my sanity with him directly in my warpath,
or we'd have to switch to formula which neither of us want. Needless to
say, the PIS is on it's way. The reviews I read on it were great and
though it's pricey it's better than buying another pump that will break
down in a month or having to buy formula.

Have you been able to freeze any milk yet? I think I've got around 70
oz frozen up already. I'm not sure how long I'll be feeding him
breastmilk exclusively so I'm freezing up as much as possible to use
later for when I stop pumping.

I've tried to pump with the manual Avent and I have only been able to
express 1oz each time. I must be doing something really wrong.

~Carol Ann
Mom to Morgan born 3.24.04
http://tinyurl.com/28zno ---Pictures!



No, sweetie, you aren't doing anything wrong -- the baby is a much more
efficient nurser than a pump is. Really! Some women don't let down well
for a pump, and some women are never able to pump more than a very little
bit. Morgan is still pretty new -- have you tried feeding her on one side
while pumping on the other? Or pumping directly after each feed?

Hugs!
--

Jamie & Taylor
Earth Angel, 1/3/03

Check out Taylor Marlys -- www.MyFamily.com, User ID: Clarkguest1,
Password: Guest
Become a member for free - go to Add Member to set up your own User ID and
Password

Check out our Adoption Page at http://home.earthlink.net/~jamielee6

"Carol Ann" wrote in message
news:5uNxc.9389$0y.4092@attbi_s03...

I've tried to pump with the manual Avent and I have only been able to
express 1oz each time. I must be doing something really wrong.

Not necessarily. While the Avent Isis is an excellent manual pump, some
people just don't get all that much milk from a pump. I never did and I
tried the double electrics and the Isis.
--
JennP.

mom to Matthew 10/11/00
EDD #2 10/24/04
remove "no........spam" to reply

"Phoebe & Allyson" wrote in message
...

I think most people have better pumping experiences that I do, but I
just wanted you to be aware that there's no guarantee that you'd just
hook up to the pump and watch milk flow into the bottles.

Soooo true.
--
JennP.

mom to Matthew 10/11/00
EDD #2 10/24/04
remove "no........spam" to reply

"Angela Schepers" wrote
The Medela PIS is a bit pricey for us, especially right now
but I told DH if I didn't get an electric double pump my arms were going
to fall off and then I'd lose my sanity with him directly in my warpath,
or we'd have to switch to formula which neither of us want. Needless to
say, the PIS is on it's way. The reviews I read on it were great

I just got this today and have already used it. It is AWESOME. Awesome,
awesome. SO worth the money!!! I became engorged when I went out shopping
and left the baby at home, after her constant nursing yesterday so when I
got home I grabbed my Medela Harmony manual- I got 4 ounces in about 2
minutes of manual pumping, drop by drop! Then I set up the PIS, which was
fairly easy (and I washed the parts first), and pumped like 6 ounces (total
from both sides). It was very efficient and comfortable and it is really not
loud at all...it's very adjustable for comfort and speed. I LOVE this
pump!!! Would you believe after all that pumping the baby nursed for 30
minutes!

I am going to be careful to mostly nurse on the breast, so my milk supply
stays up. But I do plan to pump once a day with this pump, and over the
months I will use it more, but for now just once a day. It will be so
awesome in a year when I will still be pumping. Great pump!

And you can get a kit (found in stores, I think I got mine at ToysRUs..), of
4 extra Medela bottles (4 come with the pump) that comes with nipples so I
am sure you can order more nipples that fit on the bottles, but if you can
get your hands on them remember the Similac and Enfamil indivudually wrapped
nipples for the nursette formula bottles fit on these bottles--- you won't
want to buy them because boy are they expensive (see enfamil.com prices!!!),
but what I am getting at is you may be able to talk a lactation consultant
from the local hospital or a clinic to give you some for free. You can reuse
them as long as they are in good shape and not worn or broken etc. I was
lucky that the hospital gave me some of them (I didn't know it at the time
and figured I'd toss them out since I wasn't using the formula). etc.

I am mainly freezing the milk I am pumping in case it's needed in emergency
etc. I don't really plan to have anyone else feed the baby except 2-3 times
a week at most if necessary.

Jill

"Carol Ann" wrote
I've tried to pump with the manual Avent and I have only been able to
express 1oz each time. I must be doing something really wrong.

~Carol Ann
Mom to Morgan born 3.24.04
http://tinyurl.com/28zno ---Pictures!

I pretty much have to be engorged to get much- or really an amount worth
bothering for- from the Medela Harmony manual pump, which is comparable to
the Isis.

If you ever want to pump more and it would justify the cost to you, you
should consider the Medela Pump In Style, it is so wonderful, I love it even
though I just got it!!! I sort of hated to spend the money, we aren't
rolling in it. But it's worth it. I expect to use it more later on than now
since I want to nurse 95% of the time- as I taper off on breastfeeding by
breast I will pump more to add to cereal etc- but that will be after 6
months.

Jill

"Jill" wrote in message . com...
I am not getting sore or anything though, I just can't do anything
else- the house is a wreck.

Sounds to me what you need is a sling! ;-) With some practice, you
can get a lot done while carrying her in the sling, and even while
breastfeeding. Housework is a little difficult if you need to bend
over, but washing dishes is definitely doable, for instance. Heck, I
was digging up weeds last week with dd in the sling (tho admittedly,
she wasn't feeding at the time). I didn't use mine nearly as much
with ds, but with a second, it's been a lifesaver!

Irene

Jill wrote:

If you ever want to pump more and it would justify the cost to you, you
should consider the Medela Pump In Style, it is so wonderful, I love it even
though I just got it!!! I sort of hated to spend the money, we aren't
rolling in it. But it's worth it. I expect to use it more later on than now
since I want to nurse 95% of the time- as I taper off on breastfeeding by
breast I will pump more to add to cereal etc- but that will be after 6
months.

Jill you make me laugh. I see you raving about the PIS on here and mkb. I'm
glad you are so happy with it. Pumping is such a ymmv thing and this proves
it. I have a PIS too, but the first time I pumped I cried. I didn't want this
machine on me, I wanted my baby nursing!

My baby is 6 months old today and I don't want her to have formula, so I pump
while I am at work. You should see me procrastinating, walking around talking
to people with the pump bag on my shoulder. I go find my tech and tell her I
will be in such and such room pumping, then I go find the charge nurse and tell
her. Then maybe I stop and talk to the clerk. I stop and see what everyone is
watching on the TV. Then I finally give up and go pump. It's just a necessary
evil for me.

I gave my baby rice cereal today and I was sitting in my room hand expressing
into a bowl with the pump sitting right across the room. Haha.

Nichole
mom to 6 month old Salome, seen here
http://public.fotki.com/sealmyfate/salome-1/