Informal Pumping/Breastfeeding Check-In 6/1/17

[dancerspose]

I'm posting an informal check-in this week to get a feel for who's here versus "there" still.

Are you breastfeeding/pumping/combo feeding? How's going? What are your challenges and Successes?

[ketchup]

I don't go here at the moment, but will again soon. I have a PISA from after TT was born, but I get a new pump per birth with my insurance. I didn't hate the PISA, but I really struggled with a good output (which was likely supply related before pump related, but you never know). Anyway, I've heard nothing but great things about the Spectra. If anyone has one (or has the PISA and has also used a spectra) and can give me insight/reviews, I would be eternally grateful.

[madamewaffles]

Hi!

I am EBF my little 11.25 month old. He was supplemented for a while between 6-9 months when my supply took a serious drop but after some attempted intervention and eventually the wonder drug dom, we are thick as thieves again. He's starting to slow down considerably and is only showing interest in nursing maybe 3-4x a day with one wake up a night usually. I'm starting to wean off the dom by dropping 1 pill/dose every 5 days as Dr. Newman suggested, so by the time I'm done, we should be at or close to a year old.

I'm not sure how long we will continue to nurse, I'm thinking at least in the AM and before bed for the interim and then go from there. I'm antsy to get back on combination BCP for myriad reasons, so that may play a role in how soon he will wean, but I'm not going to push him hard. I am over the nursing acrobatics though. Holy hell, he is ERRYWHERE, in every position he possibly can get in. My nips may never recover.

[danib]

Hey. I have been nursing for the better part of 4 years now. My big guy nursed until he was 2.5, which was when I got pregnant with H. He LOVED nursing and we had a great time with it aside from having to use a shield at the beginning.
This time around has had more struggles. H had a posterior tongue tie (which was missed by multiple doctors/nurses) as well as a lip tie. He was 8 weeks old before we finally saw a doctor who specializes in ties (after I insisted on getting the referral). I was in SOOO MUCCH PAIN, and having it been my 2nd time around I KNEW there was something not right. Luckily this doctor diagnosed the ties and we had the revisions done and he's been nurisng great since.
Unfortunately he won't take a bottle. So I have over 400 ozs im my freezer just sitting there....

[unringthebell]

ketchup I have the spectra. With #1 I had a freestyle. The spectra is nice. It's more comfortable. It's harder to find parts (have to get online but let's be real with a baby you do lots of online shopping) but they have an adapter for the PISA parts according to someone on my BMB.

The only thing I hate about it is when you turn it on it's in expression mode and you have to hit a button for massage mode. In the beginning I wasn't paying attention and would just do what I did for #1, pump til I saw milk then hit button. One day I actually paid attention and realized I was doing it wrong.

[unringthebell]

I'm new to this board (was on PAIF). I'm currently BF my 8 month old. 3 days a week I work and pump. Pumping is the suck. I seem to only get good output (like enough to cover her bottles) if I eat a ton. So I guess I'll just be chubby til Sept when I put the pump away.

[ketchup]

Jun 1, 2017 10:52:05 GMT -6 unringthebell said:

ketchup I have the spectra. With #1 I had a freestyle. The spectra is nice. It's more comfortable. It's harder to find parts (have to get online but let's be real with a baby you do lots of online shopping) but they have an adapter for the PISA parts according to someone on my BMB.

The only thing I hate about it is when you turn it on it's in expression mode and you have to hit a button for massage mode. In the beginning I wasn't paying attention and would just do what I did for #1, pump til I saw milk then hit button. One day I actually paid attention and realized I was doing it wrong.

Thanks for your insight! Question. Obviously a thousand things can go into play when it comes to output from baby to baby, but do you feel as though you get better results with the spectra than you did the PISA, or no? 

[westiemom]

Hai! DD and I are down to 1 nursing session but I think I'm going to stay here for a bit. I dropped sessions to hopefully regulate my cycle to TFAS. It looks like my cycle may be regulating (though the luteal phase success is still tbd). All is well with my little 13.5 month old. I hope we can hang on to this session for a while longer though I'm good dropping it whenever I need.

[unringthebell]

I had the freestyle (Medelas portable one). Output I think is the same, but time to get it is shorter. Although with my medela I had a few flange sizes so that may have helped. The spectra I've just been using the 24 and I think they are a tad big. I have some 21's coming my way this week.

My coworkers wife (who's rec convinced me to get the spectra) is convinced she got more with the spectra (and also said that it took her less time). She was comparing to a PISA.

[LED]

I'm NOD with my 12 month old. She usually nurses about 8-10 times during the day and 2-4 overnight. It's going well, though I tried to cut calories a few weeks ago and my supply took a hit, so no more dieting. She's working on getting her top two front teeth right now. They're so close to popping through, so she's been having a really rough time lately and has spent a few days over the last two weeks doing nothing but comfort nursing. Like, worse than cluster feeding ever was. But hopefully once these teeth pop through things will get back to normal.

[megrae12]

I'm here! Superman and I are down to once per day. He nurses overnight. My hormones are going crazy over it. I can't believe we've made it 15 months!

[dancerspose]

So glad to see so many of you over here!

I'm exclusively pumping for my 4 1/2 month old. As a recap she was 4 weeks over and we just never got the hang of nursing. Our LC isn't sure it ever would have worked out for us given her small size and my giant nipples...anyway I'm able to meet her current demand pumping 4 times a day, which is lucky I know. I'm a little worried we'll be in trouble if she starts wanting more though. My peeps returned 4 months PP and my supply has taken a bit of a hit since. Anyone have any experience with this?

[peaseblossom55]

I love the spectra pump. I rented a Symphony for awhile and didn't like it. I am going to begin weaning pumping this weekend. It's bittersweet really but the effort is not worth the amount of milk I am pumping.

[radiantly]

hi! I guess I go here. Not pumping any more (DD is 20+months) but still nursing quite a bit. In fact I still have yet to get my period back! We are *juuuuust* starting to try for #2 and my Kindara app says I'm on day 924. Yup. That's right, no period since November 2014 when I got pregnant!

We're still nursing in the AM upon waking, and on days I'm with her full day she c an nurse as often as every few hours. Down for nap, up as well. Late afternoon/pre-dinner. Pre-bedtime, and nurse for bed. We have been cosleeping but are finally attempting to get a bit of separation and letting her CIO a bit. We live in a small one bedroom so it's hard to lie in bed while she cries in the closet. (We've got a little floor bed set up in a closet which is her "room", and we have a sliding gate that holds her in.) Last night she slept till 5am!!! A record. In fact I should go to bed now (midnight) while she's still passed out.

ketchup I had the Medela and liked it (as far as pumps likability can be...). I heard different things from different people. One woman in my local online mama group tried both and actually thought Medela was better for her output.

Glad to meet here on this side of the interweb pond.