Working and Pumping

I am 7 weeks pregnant now, and I'm already thinking about how working and pumping will go this time around, and what I can do to make it go better than last time.

I'm hoping that you guys can read about my experience last time, and give me some tips, point out mistakes I made etc.

With my son, I had a Medela PIS Advanced.  I don't have it anymore.  I was under the impression that it was the "best", but it didn't seem to work for me.  I don't know if I should try a different pump this time, or if there were other contributing factors to my failure.

So, here is my story.

I was on maternity leave for 4 1/2 months.  Throughout that time, my son always nursed like a newborn.  45 minutes per nursing session (fell alseep half way through).  When he would finally stop, there was an hour and a half break before he was nursing again.  He was a gentle nurser.  I never had cracked, bleeding nipples.  Not even in the beginning.  Attempts to wake him if he fell asleep were futile.  No matter what you did, he would stay asleep, but wake up 15 minutes later screaming to nurse.

He nursed like this around the clock.  Despite this, I still got AF at 6 weeks post partum.

When I went back to work (8:30 - 5:30) I would pump 3 times during the work day.  I know this was a much different schedule than what my body had been used to.  I started off getting about 3 ounces total per session.  Occationally I got more, but my supply gradually went down.

Even when I was working, we coslept and my son would nurse about 4 times throughout the night.

By the time he was 7 months, I was completely dried up.  I tried Fenugreek, but I didn't really know how much to take, and probably didn't take enough.

Even when he switched to formula full time at 7 months he was drinking less than 4 ounces per session and was still eating frequently.  He was weaned off the bottle at about 13 months.  Even then, he was only drinking 6 ounces at a time.  We never used the big bottles for him.

He was alwasy more of a grazer.  He didn't start eating decent quantities until he was about 4 years old.

I never had cracked or bleeding nipples, because he was not a vicious nurser.

So, I know every baby is different, and this one is likely to throw me for a loop.

I'm wondering if I should try a different pump this time around.  Are there women that just don't respond well to the PIS, but do well with other pumps.  (I did have a manual pump by Avent, but I never got a drop using that thing).

Thoughts? Comments?  Suggestions?

Thanks so much.

I'm wondering if your DS had some issues w/ ineffective suck.  The way he had such long nursing sessions even beyond the first month or two is suspicious to me.  While you're not supposed to have painful cracked nipples, lol, your description of him as a "gentle" nurser also suggest to me that he didn't have a really strong suck.

This could have meant that he didn't transfer milk as well (->long sessions, frequent eating) and your supply didn't get as much stimulation as it should.  Did he grow well?  He may have made up for not getting as much by just eating more often, but if your supply didn't get off to a good start, that could have hindered you.

It's really rare to completely "dry up" like that, but again, if he wasn't feeding well, then that may have contributed.

The good news is, if this whole thing was related to a weak/inefficient suck, then your next baby should be a whole different situation.  Getting a good start to BFing, getting the baby to breast often in the first few days, is key to a good supply.

As for the pump, different people do react differently to pumps, but I'm wondering if it was a supply issue all along w/ your son not stimulating supply as well.  PIS is definitely a good pump, but there are other good ones too.  There are some moms here using the Avent/Lansinoh pump w/ good results.

I would also suggest you post your question on the BF/LC board for their input on it.  Let me know what they say!

*SPENCER* 41 year old Mami of a toddler!  

  

  

 

Jordan was in the NICU for Jaundice for about 24 hours when he was 3 days old. That was the only time where there was any change in our nursing schedule, and I did pump during that time. (though not as often as when he was nursing. I also nursed him as much as they would let me in the NICU.

Jordan was born at 6 pounds 8 ounces. He quickly fell to the 3rd percentile in weight, and has remained there ever since.

While he was small, he did stay on a steady growth curve.

I am only 4' 10" and was rather thin as a child. DH is 5' 7" and was skin and bones until he was 30 year old.

I have wondered from time to time if Jordan had an issue with his suck, but, then I expected that he would eat more from bottles if that was the case, but he really didn't.

Thank you very much for your input. I really appreciate it. I will post my questions on the LC board as well.