Since I have been pumping a minimum of 2 times a day every single day since Levi was a day or 2 old, I thought I would post a little update on how that has been. I don’t want anyone to think that I think breastfeeding is the only way or that I am suggesting anyone should make their poor nipples endure this much torture. This is what fell into place and worked for me but not what I had planned and not necessarily what I would do again for a future baby, if that should ever happen. It just happened to work out this way, this time.
First, I think I was pumping more like 4-6 times a day in the beginning. But I weaned down to just twice a day pretty early on and have continued to pump in the morning and again before I go to bed. If you stick to a schedule within a few hours every day, it conditions your body to always make extra milk at that time every day. The reason I have been pumping is primarily so I could give Tru pumped milk. And the fact that I dropped all of my Levi pregnancy weight and then some really fast was also a motivation.
I always felt that Tru got a little gipped on his breastfeeding since I lost most of my milk around 4 months and he was only nursing 1-3 times a day from around 8 months or so until he self weaned at 10 months. Granted, Tru was doing perfectly fine with formula and then cow’s milk but since I had a surplus of milk right after I had Levi, I thought I may as well continue pumping for Tru and freezing the leftover. I was getting around 18-22 ounces per session in the morning and maybe 6-10 at night.
Well, my freezer got full relatively fast and I started swapping the fresh milk out and giving Tru thawed milk to keep my stash fresh. Around 6 months my production dropped a lot and I didn’t have extra to freeze and since we were going in to flu season, I stopped giving Tru thawed milk and just gave him the fresh for the extra “up to date” antibodies. I was getting around 12-15 ounces in the morning and around 4-6 at night.
My supply dropped more once AF returned and now I get about 5-9 ounces in the morning and 2-4 at night. I am coming up on a year of pumping which is something I had NEVER planned to do. I had hoped to make it to 6 months and then be done. But when 6 months came at the same time as flu season, I wanted to keep going for the antibodies. And now we are not quite through flu season but I really don’t think I will make it much longer with pumping. I’ve had a few nights were I didn’t get any milk and never had a let down and I think that happened at least twice in the morning that I didn’t have a let down. I think my boobs are giving out and just getting tired of getting milked and I need to calve again if I’m going to continue in the dairy department. Sorry to be blunt, but there are times I feel like a cow. I still have my whole freezer of milk that I need to thaw and I hope to give that to Levi to continue his breastmilk supply even after I am “dried up”.
Tru is quite attached to getting breast milk and definitely prefers it over cow milk but he will drink cow milk perfectly fine as well. I have also questioned a bit if he is getting enough calcium from me. Thankfully he eats a lot of yogurt and cheese and also takes a daily multi with calcium so that is probably fine. I have been happy to provide breastmilk for him this long because I think he has felt less jealous of Levi nursing since he knows he gets to have “beeboo” milk too. But all good things must come to an end. I’m not sure exactly when that end will be but I have a feeling my body may decide for me which is what I prefer anyway rather than me having to decide. We shall see what happens next!
18-22 ounces per session?!?!?! The most I have ever ever gotten was 6 oz but usually I’m getting 2-3. That is like unfathomable (but awesome)!
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Yes, but I pumped every morning through engorgement, probably making my boobs think we “needed” that much milk. It was extremely uncomfortable!! I would nurse Levi, pump, nurse again. I feel much better making as much as I do now. 🙂
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Wowwwww! The most I’ve ever gotten is 10 ounces! I used to get six ounces a session (ten minutes) but then when I got my nasty stomach virus my supply took a permanent hit, so now I get four. I dropped my morning pump at Christmas so now I just pump at night.
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That’s exactly what happened to me with Tru. I got really sick and dehydrated and my milk supply tanked around 4 months. I had to stop pumping, I was so sick and my supply never recovered much. 😦 I guess my body tried to make up for it this time?
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I was really worried I wouldn’t recover. I remember crying on day two of the virus because Charlie was so frustrated while nursing and I just knew she wasn’t getting anything, but I couldn’t keep water down. I’m so grateful it rebounded because I was genuinely worried it wouldn’t.
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Aw. Yeah that’s what happened while I was nursing tru… I knew there was nothing there. I’m glad your supply rebounded though! I don’t know why mine didn’t back then but I was sick for days.
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You’re doing a great job. I wish I had output like you but alas, it wasn’t meant to be for me. How much do you have in the freezer?
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I know. You tried really hard though!! If your next baby is able to breastfeed, maybe it will go better. I’m not sure how many ounces are in the freezer. I write it down as I thaw it. I’m guessing around 800?
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Gosh. I envy you. I’ve never pumped that much milk in a whole day while breastfeeding. I understand the feeling of being done. You’ve done an amazing job of making milk for your kids!
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Thank you. I never expected that kind of oversupply but was very thankful for it even though it is definitely no fun to pump!
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That’s awesome! I think the most I ever pumped was four of those medela bottles. I think they were five ounces each? But I was nursing twins so you’d expect that. Gosh that feels like a lifetime ago. I think it’s so great that you’ve been able to pump so much and give Tru breast milk too. After hearing how tiny V really is, and how her weight really did dip when she started solids, I wish I was able to give her breastmilk again.
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That’s another thing that kept me going… didn’t think to mention it in my post but tru hadn’t gained much weight in several months until he started back on breast milk and has since gained about 8ish pounds (I think) in the 10 months I’ve been pumping. I was really surprised and thankful for that little perk. He’s really tall and still quite skinny!
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Wow! That’s great!
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