EPers come in here please?!?

[nutmeg]

Hi, I'm Nutmeg. I need all your tips and tricks. I'm currently sitting in the maternity ward trying to wrap my head around starting out with the pump and not baby to boob.

DS was just born at 33 weeks and is currently enrolled route to the NICU at a bigger hospital. Obviously at 33 weeks I need to figure out the pumping thing. I was just hooked up to the hospital pump and got maybe 2 drops of colostrum after 10min each side. I know it will take a while, but it's frustrating. Thanks in advance. I'll be heading to the NICU at some point later this morning and I'm not sure when I'll be able to check back in.

Tldr: I just had a 33 weeker and will need all the pumping tips.

[mikaela20]

I have been eping. My baby is 4 months. These are my tips and advice.

It will take some time to get the milk flowing, trying not to stress about how little you get. In hospital I was pumping and getting nothing to give to baby. So frustrating!

How long are you pumping per session now? Do it for at least 20 minutes and try to increase the setting of the pump as you get more comfortable and your nipples get use to it. I now pump for 30 mins sometimes 40 minutes. I get another let down around 25 mins.

Get a pumping bra asap if you don't have one.

Until your milk supply is established pump every 2-3 hours around the clock.

Netflix is your friend during pumping sessions

Drink water and eat constantly.

Check out Kellymom.com for more tips and storage info

Good luck!

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[nutmeg]

Thank you mikaela20. I am pumping for about 20-25 minutes every 3ish hours right now. I'm using the NICU's hospital grade pump and things seem to be going okay.

I will check out Kelly mom when I get a chance to get some sleep. We definitely we're planning on taking the entire 7 more weeks to get everything ready. I have to dig out my pump/parts/and bra from last time when I get home today.

[mikaela20]

Here's the link that talks about eping.

kellymom.com/mother2mother/exclusive-pumping/

Hoping your stay in the nicu is short

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[lily]

Just wanted to add that colostrum is very thick and sometimes more easily hand expressed than pumped.

med.stanford.edu/newborns/professional-education/breastfeeding/hand-expressing-milk.html

Good luck! Hope the hospital is letting you do skin to skin, even if baby isn't strong enough to latch.