Exclusive Pumping a Conclusion

**I normally show y'all a craft of some type on Thursdays, but for this month I'd like to share my breastfeeding experience in hopes that I might help someone else out there**

***ALSO, please note that I am not in any way trying to put down those who formula feed.  Every mother must do what is best for her and her baby.  I know there are many reasons for why each mother chooses how and for how long she does her chosen method.  This is a place to support each other and help each other, thank you***

Let me start out this week by saying, "Thank You"!

I have had some wonderful emails from readers who are also exclusive pumpers or who are interested in pumping.

When I had Bitsy I felt so alone with my decision to be an exclusive pumper.

I had searched the internet and I had found some information regarding exclusive pumping, but not enough to remove that feeling of singularity.

I felt weird when people asked if Bitsy was breastfed, I always responded with yes and occasionally elaborated to explain that it was not a traditional breastfeeding experience.

My ultimate goal was to provide for my daughter and I felt a sense of accomplishment in doing so by whatever means were necessary.

I think one of my favorite quotes, and I can't remember where I read it, from an exclusively pumping mom when she was asked if she breastfed was, "Yes, but we prefer bottle instead of fresh from the tap".

My soul purpose in writing this series was so that I might help just one person.

That I might assure another woman that she isn't alone.

That I might provide information that I couldn't find.

And also so that I wouldn't forget everything I had done, should I need to continue with exclusive pumping when Baby #2 is in the picture.

I will tell you that my biggest reason for weaning is because we want to give Bitsy a sibling.

Heck, we want to give her 2 siblings over the next couple years, all of them close in age.

I wanted to give my body a few cycles before I started on my pregnancy journey again.

Exactly one week after I had completely stopped pumping my cycle started again.

Same way it had been prior to having a baby.

Please don't hate me, but I don't suffer cramps, bloating, or mood swings.

I know that not everyone will get their cycle back as quickly, I also know that some women get their cycles back without stopping breastfeeding and some continue to breastfeed while pregnant!

It's amazing what our bodies are capable of.

Have you ever took a moment to think about that?

Recently, while watching one of my favorite stand up comedians I heard him say this:

“Women are amazing, and I mean that in a very pandering way.
But women are, really! A woman can grow a baby inside their body. And then somehow, a woman can deliver a baby through their body. And then by some miracle, a woman can feed a baby with their body! And when you think of the male contribution to life…it’s kind of embarrassing, really. The guy’s always like, ‘Yeah, well, I helped too! For, like, five seconds. Doing the one thing I think about 24 hours a day.’”

—	Jim Gaffigan (Mr. Universe)

No matter how your breastfeeding experience goes I pray that you have a wonderful support system.

In the event that breastfeeding is a breeze for you, Congratulations!

This information may still be helpful for you though, in the event that your little one goes through a phase where he/she looses interest in feedings.

Sometimes, pumping can be something you do in between feedings just to produce extra for your freezer stockpile or just to increase your supply if you think your little one isn't getting enough.

Whatever, your reason for choosing to pump, I hope that it is a pleasant one.

I hope that I have provided an environment here where you feel welcome, well informed, and unafraid to ask questions.

Please know that no matter when you read this post, today, a week from, now or a decade from now...I will always be open to answering questions or just offering support.

Mom's need to learn to do that.

We need to learn that there are different parenting styles and that no one way is the best.

If we expect everyone to understand that kids are different from each other, than we must be willing to extend that understanding onto parenting as well.

If you don't have children yet, but are expecting or planning, here is my little bit of advice for you:

"Everyone has an opinion.  You don't have to agree with any of them.  I recommend you listen to all they have to offer though.  File it away, because you never know when you may think you've tried everything your know and your at your wits end, all of a sudden you'll remember something someone once told you and it might just be the one thing that worked.  It also might be the worst idea, but at least you had options"

I hope you have a Blessed Thursday!

Exclusive Pumping Weaning

**I normally show y'all a craft of some type on Thursdays, but for this month I'd like to share my breastfeeding experience in hopes that I might help someone else out there**

***ALSO, please note that I am not in any way trying to put down those who formula feed.  Every mother must do what is best for her and her baby.  I know there are many reasons for why each mother chooses how and for how long she does her chosen method.  This is a place to support each other and help each other, thank you***

The past few weeks I've been telling you all about my experiences with being an exclusive pumper.

Well there comes a time in each Mommy's life when she decides for many different reasons that it's time to wean.

It is not an easy process.

Some Mommy's opt for medication from the doctor, and if that is what you choose to do no worries.

If you are looking for a more natural way to wean this is the story of how I transitioned from pumping 3x a day to 2, then 1 and then eventually to every other day until I felt I didn't need to pump at all.

Here is what you'll need:

No More Milk Tea- I swear it works!

I purchased 2 boxes, drank it for 2 weeks, and based on other peoples experiences with weaning mine was drastically less complicated.

Source

Honestly, that is all you will need.

It helps to have a husband who understands that there will be a few days of discomfort.

It helps if you warn him ahead of time that you will do your very best not to be grumpy AND if you actually try to keep your attitude in check!

I helps if you choose to do this in a block of time when you don't have a lot going on.

You don't want any added stress if you can help it.

My reasons for weaning were simple.

Bud and I want to have our babies close together.

That meant that I needed to get back on cycle before we could start trying again.

I decided to wean when Bitsy was about to turn 8 months old.

This meant that with our freezer stock pile I could provide for her until she was 10-1/2 to 11 months old.

Whatever your reasons for weaning, they are yours and yours alone, don't let anyone else pressure you one way or the other.

When I decided to begin weaning I transitioned to pumping 2x a day for 1 whole week.

I couldn't believe how knocking out that one session gave me what felt like hours of my day back!

I pumped until I could pump no more at each session and still quickly noticed that my supply was dropping, by nearly 10 oz a day already!

The next week I went to pumping 1x a day, in the evenings and again pumped until I could pump no more.

Again I noticed a drop in supply the first few days, by about 10 oz.

It was then that I started drinking my tea.

I had it twice a day, two bags per cup.

Before my week of pumping 1x a day was up I was already down to only 15 oz a day.

The worst transition for me was the day that I first waited to pump for a full 24 hours.

That was when I was the most uncomfortable.

I did feel a couple of blocked ducts that were just forming so during my sessions and especially during showers, I was sure to massage those spots to break it up and avoid any complications.

When I talk about massaging those hard nodules, I don't mean a relaxing gently massage, I mean you really need to consider a deep tissue massage.

Being that I suffered from Mastitis in my early days I didn't want to encounter anything remotely close again!

The next 24 hour day was more tolerable, and after that I was fine.

The next hard transition was when I decided to go to pumping every other day.  

I pumped late Saturday evening and then waited until Monday to pump again.

I was pretty uncomfortable so I did allow myself a reprieve.

I pumped for 5 minutes mid-day Monday to take the edge off.

That night I pumped until I could pump no more and then I was done.

I had thought I would continue to pump every other day, but honestly I waited and waited and decided to let my body tell me what to do next.

Wednesday came and went and it would have been the next time I was scheduled to pump, but I didn't feel I needed to.

I manually expressed some in the shower, but not much.

Friday would have been the next day and by that point in the week I was only dealing with a little leaking...you may need those pads a little longer after you finish just until you know you aren't leaking anymore.

I'd hate for you to have an embarrassing situation.

So, as you can see I went down to 1x a day for a whole week, then I waited 2 days to pump and I did that only once.

Then I was done.

Wouldn't you know it....a week after I last pumped my cycle returned.

I'm not saying that this will be a fail proof way to wean and it may not work the same for everyone, but this is just a guideline of how I did it and I figure if it can help even one weaning Mama it'll will have done it's job.

I hope that this post has helped answer some questions about exclusive pumping, what it is, who we are and how it can be done.

If you have any questions or if you think I've forgotten to cover a particular area (which I may or might have)...please leave a comment or shoot me a message!

I want to make sure this is a thorough and helpful guide for anyone who is struggling with breastfeeding and thinks that the only other option is formula, there are other options.


I hope you all have a Blessed Thursday!

additional sources:
http://pumpingrules.blogspot.com/
Exclusively Pumping

Exclusive Pumping Part 2

**I normally show y'all a craft of some type on Thursdays, but for this month I'd like to share my breastfeeding experience in hopes that I might help someone else out there**

***ALSO, please note that I am not in any way trying to put down those who formula feed.  Every mother must do what is best for her and her baby.  I know there are many reasons for why each mother chooses how and for how long she does her chosen method.  This is a place to support each other and help each other, thank you***

Last week I introduced you to the supplies you will need to successfully become an exclusive pumper.

This week I'd like to tell you a little bit about how often and for how long you should pump.

During my early days, especially during the engorgement and mastitis, I was pumping as often as she was eating.  

Every 2-3 hours for about 15-20 minutes.

I know what your thinking, that sounds exhausting!

Well, yes, as a matter of fact it was, however, I don't think it's much different than nursing an newborn.

As Bitsy started to eat more at each sitting and her feedings became fewer and fewer apart so did my pumping sessions.

However, when I did pump I pumped until nothing came out.
That meant that sometimes, especially towards the end, I was pumping for 45-50 minutes.

Now there is no science behind when and how long to pump.
The best thing is to listen to your own body.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that you should pump until you have nothing coming out and then you should continue to pump for a few more minutes.
This does one major thing that is uber important for you to be able to not only provide for baby, but to also build a stock pile for future use.
By pumping 'nothing' for a few minutes you are telling your body that you need more.
Thus, over time your body will produce more and more, giving you the extra that is needed for your stockpile.
I have heard from friends that their doctor tells them not to do this because it will lead to over production...let me just say I am not seeing or hearing a problem with the concept of 'over' production.
Is there really such a thing?
After all you never know when baby may hit a growth spurt and need that extra milk.
Traditionally breastfed babies are typically on demand eaters meaning that the get what the body has when it has it.
As EPers we don't know how much our little one would be getting if they were nursing so it is best for us to stimulate production and have 'too much' vs. not enough.

So in the early days, as I stated above, I pumped 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours.
If it was 9 am and I pumped and finished at 9:15 that meant that the next pump session needed to start between 11-12.  You include your pumping time in the 2-3 hour window.
I was pumping between 8 and 10 times per day.
Slowly I dropped one session and then another...and gradually over time allowed myself 4 hours between sessions.
6 sessions a day will feel drastically different, in fact each time you drop a session you will ultimately feel as though you have more time on your hands.
Yes, even if your pumping sessions become longer, the 'missing' session is still a freeing experience as you won't be tethered down.
While I transitioned from 6-5 sessions a day, I would have days when I pumped 6 and others when I would only pump 5 times.
I had allotted myself 8 hours at night when I didn't need to pump and you will learn that when you do this morning pumps are the most important pumps of the day.
These are the sessions where you will pump the longest and yield the largest supply.
Sometimes my pumping from this session was enough to provide for Bitsy's needs for that entire day and the remaining pumps were all stored and frozen for our stockpile.
No other pump session yielded anywhere near what my morning session did.
The good thing was that during the early days Bitsy wasn't mobile so I could sit on the floor with her and pump while she played and attempted to roll around.

I will say that a few times I dropped sessions out of time constraint vs. anything else.
For example, going on vacation at Christmas forced me to drop down to 4 sessions that lasted about 30-35 minutes each.
I didn't always have the luxury of pumping when I normally would at home and unlike a traditional breastfeeding experience I didn't have the luxury of feeding while among family or out in public.  Image walking around with your pump hooked up...not quite the same as lovingly snuggling up and nursing your baby.
The next time I traveled it happened that I was in the airport the vast majority of the day with little time during layovers or no where to set up.
It was because of that situation that reducing to 3x a day occurred.
I did not reduce beyond 3x a day until I was ready to wean.
Keep in mind that when I was pumping 3x a day each session was around 45 minutes.
This seems lengthy, but if you can get a good system the time will fly.
As I stated I would sit on the floor with Bitsy, we would play and I could turn on an episode of a TV show, by the time it was done, I was almost done.
I advise you keep a diaper nearby, in the event of a blowout...traipsing across the room to acquire a diaper while simultaneously being tethered to the wall and attempting not to unhook or allow the baby to grab your tubes is not what I would call a fun activity.

**IMPORTANT**
Another thing to keep by you while you are pumping is EXTRA bottles!
When bottles become full, the last thing you want is to attempt to unhook and rush to the kitchen to swap out.
The times I did this I lost momentum and ultimately didn't pump quite as much.
In the early days I could pump straight into the 5oz bottles, but as I dropped sessions and each session yielded more I gradually increased to hooking up with 9oz bottles.  
Occasionally, I would fill a 9oz bottle on one or both sides and need to swap out for a 5oz bottle to catch the remaining 1 to 2 oz I still needed to pump.
That's right, you read that correctly...my 1st pumps of the day could yield between 18 and 24oz!!!
I had days where my total production was 50 oz +/- a few ounces. 
****************

Now this is all fine and dandy, but how do you go about storing all this milk?
I found this video and it is genius!

Source: youtube.com via Biz on Pinterest

I always stored my milk in the Lanisoh freezer bags.
I limited each bag to 4 oz as they seem to freeze flat a little better than if you put 5 oz in.
But, whatever amount you choose to fill your bags, the above videos storage concept is awesome!
At the time that I weaned I had 30 gift bags full of milk.
Each gift bag held 20 bags filled to 4oz each.
That comes out to 2400 oz of milk!!!
Most babies top out at 40 oz per day so that meant I had 60 days guaranteed freezer supply.
I weaned when Bitsy was almost 9 months.
She consumes between 30-35 oz a day which gives us 68-80 days at this point in time.
I know that babies should not go onto cow's milk until at least age one so it does look like Bitsy will consume formula for the last month to month and a half before she is one.
I would have liked to have provided for her until she was one, however, we would like to try for baby number 2 (we've always wanted them to be close in age) and I needed to wean to get back on cycle.
Please do not judge, this is a judge free zone.
I know that I have a healthy happy baby and the health benefits, in my opinion, aren't nearly as great now as they were in the beginning.

Being an EPer, this card rings OH so true.
I hope this makes you giggle a little!

Source: fouragainsttwo.com via Biz on Pinterest

I hope that this post has helped answer some questions about exclusive pumping, what it is, who we are and how it can be done.

If you have any questions or if you think I've forgotten to cover a particular area (which I may or might have)...please leave a comment or shoot me a message!

I want to make sure this is a thorough and helpful guide for anyone who is struggling with breastfeeding and thinks that the only other option is formula, there are other options.


I hope you all have a Blessed Thursday!

additional sources:
http://pumpingrules.blogspot.com/
Exclusively Pumping

Exclusive Pumping Part 1

**I normally show y'all a craft of some type on Thursdays, but for this month I'd like to share my breastfeeding experience in hopes that I might help someone else out there**

***ALSO, please note that I am not in any way trying to put down those who formula feed.  Every mother must do what is best for her and her baby.  I know there are many reasons for why each mother chooses how and for how long she does her chosen method.  This is a place to support each other and help each other, thank you***

Let me first tell you that if you plan on breastfeeding this book is a MUST!

A friend of mine got it for me and I read it.

Cover to cover.

I didn't agree with everything, but it had the most accurate and informative information on breastfeeding of any book I had seen.

That being said, I fully intended on breastfeeding.

When Bitsy was born we attempted to breastfeed the entire time we were in the hospital.

She, like many babies, was born with jaundice and we quickly learned that it caused her to be very tired.

We also learned that she was a lazy eater.

As soon as she would latch on, she'd suck once, then twice and then fall asleep.

We tried everything.

I even had a friend who used to be a lactation consultant come over and attempt to help.

Nothing we did would keep Bitsy awake long enough.

I had written about my experience with blocked ducts and mastitis and at that point I had hopes that we could still get away from pumping and back to traditional breastfeeding. 

I can't tell you exactly how much longer it took for me to realize that that wasn't going to happen, but when I finally came to the realization there was an immense amount of pressure lifted off my shoulders.

As much as I wanted to have that bond with Bitsy, I felt it was more important that I at least provide for her to the best of my ability.  If that meant exclusively pumping than so be it.

Now don't get me wrong, exclusive pumping is not easy.

It is just as challenging and time consuming as nursing (I've even heard from a few other exclusive pumpers that they felt it to be more challenging and time consuming...but I guess when you are trying to do what's best for your baby, you'll try anything).

I started to do research to find out if this was really a thing.

I found a few sources, but nothing that really laid out how often, how long, etc.

I grew frustrated and knew this would be something I'd just have to learn as I went.

That being said let me take this week to show you a few necessary items to make your pumping process a little easier:

1st and most importantly you will need a good pump.

Put it on your registry, ask for gift cards, beg family to go in on it together.

Whatever, it takes, get a good double pump.

Medela Pump In Style

2nd- Inexpensive, as you will be cutting these up.

Comfy Sports Bras- I suggest at least a weeks worth, so you can change it daily.

3rd

Washable Breast Pads- These were the best because they didn't have a seam in them.
The ones with a seam can cause irritation, especially in the early days.
Also, these were great because I got most of mine for free (just paid shipping) look for coupon codes for udder covers via Google.

And lastly...

Ribbed Tanks- these are great because they really help hide your cut up bra and breast pads.
source 

Non-apparel items you may want to invest in include:

A good deep freezer.
Exclusive pumpers tend to 'over produce'.
This is not a bad thing as it means you can have a wonderful freezer stockpile that will allow you to wean earlier than a traditional breastfeeding Mom.
Also a deep freezer ensures your milk stays better longer.
You should only store milk in a traditional side by side fridge/freezer for up to 2 weeks, whereas, in a deep freezer you are safe for 3-6 months depending on how frequently you access the freezer.

If at any point in time you feel your supply is dropping I HIGHLY suggest drinking this tea:

I personally loved the taste (with a spoonful or two of sugar), but I think even if I hated it I still would have drank it.
It worked wonders for me when I felt I needed it.

Okay so now that you have all your supplies here is what you'll need to do.

Take your sports bras and put it on.

Now silly as this sounds...take a marker and make a dot where your nipple is.

Some websites recommend cutting a circle out and sewing the edges so that it doesn't fray or so the hole doesn't grow any larger, but I know that not everyone sews.  My method is much quicker and easier.

Once all your bras have been 'dotted' you will want to cut an "X" shape in them (I'm sorry I don't have pictures of this...I didn't think about it when I was sleep deprived in the early days).  The "X" doesn't need to be very large...just large enough that the first time you insert your pumping cones it's a little snug.  It will loosen over time, but in the early days it's okay for it to be 'forced'.

There now you have your hands free pumping bra.

After each session wipe yourself and place one of your breast pads inside the bra to protect from leaks and also to temporary make your bra whole again.

Now when you are wearing this bra and pad combo I suggest wearing a ribbed tank over it.

This will allow you to wear your combo all day without everyone you encounter noticing an indention in your bra (where the hole is cut), as well as mask the fact that you are wearing breast pads.

I wore these tanks under everything or sometimes all alone.

I didn't like the idea of having to change bras each time I pumped, especially since in the early days it was SO frequently.

That covers your apparel as a exclusively pumping Momma.

I will say that for the duration of the time that I was pumping 8-1/2 months I did feel that my wardrobe was limited, but when I did get a chance to wear a regular bra and shirt it definitely felt like a special occasion.

My pump went with me everywhere.  If we were going to be away from the house during a time when I needed to pump, it came in the car with us.  I bought the car adapter and I will say that it won't have quite the same 'horsepower' as it does when it's pumped in to a regular walk outlet.  The same goes for if you use it with batteries.  I do recommend getting the car adapter as it does come in handy early on and during road trips.  Yes that means I did pump when we were traveling.  It was then that I would wear a 'udder cover' so passing vehicles didn't see what I was doing.

As far as my pump cleaning goes I gave everything a rinse in between pumping sessions and then placed all my supplies in the refrigerator.

I'm sure that this may not seem clean enough for some, but breast milk naturally wards off bacteria and for the duration of a day it was fine.  

I typically gave my parts a good wash before bedtime and allowed them to air dry for the next day.

Obviously, during the early days this was a 24 hour operation, but later you can alter it to allow you up 8-12 hours at night.

I will talk about frequency and duration next week in part 2, as well as storing tips and tricks.

The last 2 Thursdays of this month I will cover weaning from pumping.

If you have any questions or if you think I've forgotten to cover a particular area (which I may or might have)...please leave a comment or shoot me a message!

I want to make sure this is a thorough and helpful guide for anyone who is struggling with breastfeeding and thinks that the only other option is formula, there are other options.

I hope you all have a Blessed Thursday!

additional sources:
http://pumpingrules.blogspot.com/
Exclusively Pumping