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Breast Pump[ing]
I?m a Post Wh0re Today ? I know!! 
DH and I were discussing the option of pumping.
1) it provides for the baby?s health
2) it?s cheaper then formula
I personally do not feel comfortable breastfeeding [mouth to nipple] due to a bad experience I had when I was younger, anything breast related makes me feel gross. And it?s also easier for us when we have to go out or visit family of leave the baby for a while. Someone else other than me can feed the baby while I?m doing whatever?!
Pumping - would give me the option of providing the same nutrients to my baby without the physical contact. Which is ideally what I would want but I?m not forcing it. I was searching online about tips and techniques. Most places suggest that we rent the hospital one on a weekly basis [if available] to see if I like it or if it even works before spending the money on buying one of my own. Also the brand that is most praised is Madela ? I liked the electrical/motor powered ones, since I?d be using it a lot.
But I have so many questions!!!
Can I start pumping before the baby is born, like in the last month - So that I have a supply ready? Does milk produce that early?
How much time should I be dedicating to pumping?
If this doesn?t ?sound? like it would work for me then I?d like to plan for ?Plan B? sooner.
I know it?s early but I just want to be well informed.
Re: Breast Pump[ing]
Mom, why are you washing my feed in the sink?!
Everyone is different with respect to how much milk you can produce.
I don't *think* you should be pumping before the baby is born, because there is a risk that it could put you into labour early.
I have a Medela Pump in Style. It is an electric double pump that cost around $400. I really like it (or, as much as you can like something pulling on your breast LOL)
In the beginning, you will need to dedicate A LOT of time to pumping....remember, a newborn eats every 2-3 hours, for probably 30 minutes at a time, you will need to spend at least that much time pumping. A pump is not as efficient at extracting the milk as a baby, so depending on your supply, you may need to supplement with formula. There are people who exclusively pump, and I'm not telling you NOT to do it....my concern would be the amount of time that you would need to spend pumping, which is time that you WON'T be spending holding/snuggling/spending time with your baby. I personally wouldn't want to miss that special bonding time so early, but that is me. I guess you have to weigh the benefits of the breastmilk to the loss of the bonding time. Also, in the beginning, I would think if you are exclusively pumping, you would need to have a lot of help, because, for example, if the baby cries/needs something while you are pumping, you won't really be able to do much about it.
I think a good plan, based on your scenario, is formula feed, but supplement with as much breast milk as you can (however much time you want to spend pumping).
I barely had enough milk for my daughter....and would have to pump 4-5 times a day to get enough for one bottle to feed her in the evening (for some reason, I never produced enough milk to satisfy her at her last feeding)
In the beginning, you may not produce more than a few ml of milk - that is what happened to me, and we fed that to DD using a dropper.
Pumping is a lot of work, but if you can stick to it, kudos to you. You won't be able to pump ahead of time, you have to have the baby first. You would have to pump a ton at first to build up a supply, so you would want to have some formula on hand.
I would suggest renting a pump for the first month, just to make sure its what you want. Then buy one, and the Medela Pump in Style is awesome. Make sure when you do buy, get a dual pump. I would suggest maybe talking to a lactation consultant in your area for tips before the baby is born. Also, if you post on the 0-6 baby board, you wil probably get a ton of advice from there too. Good luck!
I think it is a good idea to rent a hospital grade pump when the baby is born. Our hospital rented them out for 10 day periods. After the first 10 days I knew I would keep pumping so I bought my own.
If you do buy a bump I would definitely suggest buying a double electric. I ended up buying Purely Yours by Ameda. I choose this one because it had good reviews in Baby Bargains and had a closed tubing system (I am lazy and don't want to clean).
I wouldn't suggest pumping before the baby is born. A month before your due date you will probably be producing colostrum not milk. Nipple stimulation can also cause contractions that may put you in premature labour.
Pumping is very time consuming. When DS was born I pumped every 3 hours around the clock to help build up my supply. My supply wasn't high enough when he was a newborn to get enough milk by just pumping. By the time he was 2-3 months old my supply had increased a lot and I may have been producing enough to feed him (not sure because I was just using the pumped milk for a freezer stash). Every woman is different and many women produce a lot of milk and will have enough for their child. If pumping does not provide enough milk you can supplement with formula and still get the health benefits of BM.
It also may be good to speak to a lactation consultant at the hospital before DC is born. I found the lactation consultants to be very helpful. Another great resource for me was kellymom.com. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
I pumped for 11 months because Alex never latched properly. Pumping is a lot of work and takes a lot of committment.
YOur milk production starts I think around week 16 of your pg, but your milk doesn't come in until a few days after you have given birth. You can't start pumping before the baby is born because nipple stimulation will make you go into labour, definitely not what you want.
A huge problem with the pump is that a pump is not as efficient as a baby is in getting your milk out, so unless you are super lucky and have a ton of milk, you may have to supplement. I had to supplement as well.
You have to pump at least 6-8 times a day to get/keep your supply up and it's the biggest PITA, especially getting up in the middle of the night to pump. I used to have to get up i the middle of the night, pump for 15 min, than go downstairs, wash the pump parts (cause they have to be washed each time) and store the milk.
ANyway, pumping is a huge PITA, and my preference would have been to BF, but I totally understand your situation and admire the fact that you are still committed to trying to give your baby breast milk. ALthough it was a huge PITA, it was so worth it for me and I am so glad I was able to give Alex some breastmilk for 11 months.
I find the Medela pumps the best. Initially I rented the Medela hospital grade pump from Home Health Care Shoppers but you can also rent it from the hospital. YOu will also have to purchase the pump parts as you are only renting the "motor" and the parts comes in a package and are $80 ish for a double pump.
A rental is a good option to see if you wan to pump because purchasing in a huge investment. Mine was around $80 a month, but around 5-6 months, I did end up purchasing the Medela Pump In Style pump and absolutely loved it. It's just as strong as the Medela hospital grade pump, but it's for a single user, rather than a multi user.
If you have any other questions, jut let me know.
Like OnCloud, my BFF's' son had major issues latching, so she pumped until her supply dried up.
Initially, she used the hospital grade pump, rented it for the first 2-3 weeks, then got her own electric double pump (gets the job done a lot faster than the single).
There lots of exclusive pumpers out there. And I give them a lot of credit. I loved nursing (even with my funky supplemental nursing system!). But pumping was indeed a chore.
But getting that breastmilk is worth it. Everyone knows the health benefits. But there are other great things, too. It doesn't smell.. or stain.. baby's poops are nicer. And, yes, it's free!
I rented for the first couple of months. Then I bought. Look into galactagogues. (I can recommend my faves.) There are many herbs and a fine drug out there to boost your supply. If you could make yourself lactate like Bessie the Cow you could pump like a mad woman, perhaps build up a mean freezer stash, and then you could retire your pump early, while baby enjoys breastmilk for months to come.
I'm sorry for the trauma you experienced. That's really really horrible.
And no, you can't pump till after birth. Well, some women do a bit when they go way past their due date to kick start labour... but it's not for the colostrum or milk... it's just to get the baby born.
I pumped for 3 months with DS because he couldn't latch properly. Like the pp said, it is very time consuming. Basically, I would feed him a bottle for 15 or 20 min ( I can't remember exact time here - sorry) and then I would burp him and put him down, so say 30- 45 min or so. Then you are pumping for about another 20 min or so. In the middle of the night you are getting maybe an hour and a half between feedings. I am not knocking it by any means and I wish I would have had it in me to do it longer. I did end up freezing alot so he had breast milk for about 4 months. I did have to supplement with a bit of formula as I was advised to do that in the beginning because he was loosing weight.
I rented a medela symphony (if I remember correctly) from the pharmacy and it was great. Keep in mind all the sterilizing you need to do in between feedings, not just bottles but all your pumping stuff has to be done aswell. HTH.
Sorry, but I had to laugh at this word. It sounds like a species from Star Trek or something. Haha!
Mom, why are you washing my feed in the sink?!