Need advice on pumping!!

What pump did you use? I had a Medela freestyle flex and it seemed to work well. Also can you build up a stash before you go back to work to make up some of the shortfall? I used a haakaa milk collector on the opposite side every morning when I was feeding baby and would collect a few oz per day that way, which can help to build a little freezer stash

Make sure you are not only using wearable pumps- they do not remove milk well enough to be a primary pump. I’ve had good luck with the spectra blue

@Sachiko I guess a stash would depend on how baby 3 eats 😅 with my first two they were such big eaters that they drained me on both sides entirely each feed even with my high production lol. But that’s a good suggestion if I’m able to!! I wish I could remember which kind I used (there were 2) but it was almost 3 years ago now 😔 I’ll definitely look into a haakaa!

@Alexis wearable pumps are the “hands free” type ones right? Just to make sure I’m thinking of the right ones 😅 I appreciate it!! I didn’t k ow that at all. I’ll look into spectra blue as well thank you 😊

Yes! I mean the ones that stay in your bra and are not attached to a larger, external pump

Make sure you're using the correct size flanges for your nipple size. That can make a huge difference in the amount of milk that comes out. Also try to have your baby or a picture/video of your baby when you pump to help stimulate letdown. I used a Motif Luna double electric pump and it worked really well for me.

I would recommend seeing have the lactation consultant measure your nipple size 6-8 weeks postpartum and get the right flange size. That made all the difference for pumping. I thought there was something wrong with the pump but it was just the wrong size!

Hakkas are great! I did have trouble with baby kicking it off a lot so I used another version that sits inside your bra, there is the Elvie manual one or the boon trove that are just like a hakaa but sit inside your bra I think hakaa brand also makes like a ladybug one that sits in your bra better. I liked my Elvie brand for me. But also seconding make sure your main pump is a hospital grade suction pump and check your flange sizes. Also something I drank that made my milk “refill” fast was body armor waters. And I think oatmeal is also another good one for milk supply. I used motif Luna first time around as a pump and plan on trying the spectra S1 this time around 💕

Here’s some stuff I learned from my exclusively pumping journey of just shy of a year: - Every pump is totally different and every persons body responds differently to different pumps. I know that’s not super helpful because you probably don’t have the option to try a bunch of pumps, but I’ve used 3 different pumps and countless different flanges and some worked for me and some didn’t. And some that others swear by are on the list of ones that didn’t work well for me (the hospital grade Medela Symphony, for one did not work great for me). All that to say, definitely don’t get the same pump a second time if you know it doesn’t work for you. - Try different flanges. Not just different sizes, but there are different styles as well. I do well with silicone ones and I much prefer collection cups to the traditional bottle and flange style. - It might be worth a visit to a lactation consultant. I didn’t love my lactation consultant, but they’re not all created equal. (Continued below)

- Consistency is key. I either overproduced or underproduced and there was hardly any in between for me. Finding a schedule that worked was the biggest factor in which side of the line I was going to be on. I decided that overproducing was generally less stressful than overproducing, but don’t underestimate the problems that can come with overproducing! - For times when I was underproducing, it almost always started with some kind of clog. Regularly taking sunflower lecithin helped prevent clogs for the most part. - TEST YOUR BABY ON FROZEN MILK BEFORE YOU GO CRAZY STASHING!!! I found out the hard way that my baby was ultra sensitive to the taste of lipase that comes out in frozen milk and he projectile vomited Every. Frozen. Feed. I’m sure I’ll think of more haha!