I am officially finished pumping. Whoohoo!! You can read my previous entries here.
I EP'ed for a total of 6 months. At first I had very mixed feelings about weaning. I was very excited to be done, but on the other hand I felt guilty for quitting. Now that I am completely done I am glad I made the decision to stop.
My weaning process took a total of 8 weeks. I was pumping 5 times - 6, 10, 2, 5, & 9. Here was my weaning schedule.
-Starting 5 pumps a day
-Dropped 5 p.m. pump - total of 3 weeks. Full pumping session.
-Dropped 10 a.m. pump - total of 2 weeks. Full pumping session
-Dropped 2 p.m. pump - total of 1 week. Pumped for 10 minutes each session
-Dropped 9 p.m. pump - total of 1 week. Pumped for 10 minutes each session
When I was down to one pump per day I did this for about 4 days. I went 2 days without pumping, then pumped just enough to relieve a little pressure. That was my last time.
It feels amazing to have my life back! I feel like I can fully enjoy my son now without trying to figure out how I'm going to entertain him while I'm pumping.
At 6 months here are my stats:
* I spent a total of 330 hours pumping
* I pumped an estimated 9000 ounces
* I have a freezer stash that will last me 3 months
---
Way to go Kylee! We all celebrate when an EP mom makes her goal!
Showing posts with label Kylee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kylee. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Costs of EPing - Kylee
We've asked several of our pumping moms to add up their expenses and explain how much they've spent EPing. You can read all of the cost breakdowns posted to date by searching the cost label. Here's Kylee's breakdown:
Medela PISA - $100 - I was lucky enough to score my pump from a friend that only used it for 1 week
Medela Accessory Kit - $25
Extra Bottles - $10 - Gerber First Essentials (1) 3-pack 5 oz, (2) 3-pack 9 oz
Extra Membranes $7
Milk Bags - $150 - I use an average of 1 box of qty 50 bags per week
Breast Pads - $25 - I use on average 1 box of qty 60 per month
Total: $317
How much did you spend on EPing? Submit your breakdown and explanation to pumpingmomsblog@gmail.com
Medela PISA - $100 - I was lucky enough to score my pump from a friend that only used it for 1 week
Medela Accessory Kit - $25
Extra Bottles - $10 - Gerber First Essentials (1) 3-pack 5 oz, (2) 3-pack 9 oz
Extra Membranes $7
Milk Bags - $150 - I use an average of 1 box of qty 50 bags per week
Breast Pads - $25 - I use on average 1 box of qty 60 per month
Total: $317
How much did you spend on EPing? Submit your breakdown and explanation to pumpingmomsblog@gmail.com
Monday, July 25, 2011
Kylee & M - An Introduction
Why do I exclusively pump?
My entire pregnancy I constantly worried about whether I would be able to produce milk to feed my baby. Two years prior to getting pregnant I had decided to get breast implants. I knew that decision would have an impact on my breastfeeding abilities. When I went in for surgery they placed my implants under the muscle and they said they did not touch any milk ducts. I was told that the implants should not effect my ability to breastfeed. WRONG - (well somewhat). The doctor was right in that fact that it did not effect my milk supply at all. However, nobody told me that you would have heightened sensitivity or loss of sensitivity - and I had both. On my left breast I only have about 70% feeling and what I can feel is more like pins and needles. On my right breast I had extreme sensitivity. Those two factors I was fully aware of when I was making my decision that I still wanted to breastfeed. Prior to being pregnant I had heard women talk about EPing, it sounded appealing to me since I wanted to give my son breastmilk, but I didn't have a strong desire to actually nurse him. Once my son was born we started off rough, he wasn't latching well and when he did he would fall asleep within 2 minutes. M's blood sugar was also low so they had to supplement him with formula to try and get it back up. He also had dropped from 8 lbs. 3 oz to 7 lbs 2 oz within the first day. Since M was receiving formula and not nursing as often as a normal baby I was worried that my milk wouldn't come in, so I went against all I was told and starting pumping. Seeing how much milk I was producing and knowing exactly how much I was giving M was VERY reassuring and allowed for M to stop having to supplement with formula. This is when I made the decision that I wanted to exclusively pump.
Easy, right?
I had heard so many people say that breastfeeding was not easy, well I thought I'm NOT breastfeeding, I'm pumping so it will be much easier. I don't have to worry about latch issues, sore nipples, and I'll know exactly how much M is getting. Let me say it was NOT easy. Once I realized that I was pretty much "double-dutying" it I wondered if I made the right decision. I never had an issue with supply, so I could feed M and then pump after. For the first month I felt like my life was the exact same thing every day - feed M, rock him to sleep, pump, try and get myself some sleep. That rotation was based on 3 hour increments, so by the time I was done with everything and trying to take a nap I only had 30-45 minutes left before the whole thing started again. What about when I needed to eat, shower, do laundry? Those things were pretty done only out of the complete necessity. If my stomach wasn't growling I would skip my meal so I could sleep, if my hair didn't look greasy or I couldn't smell myself then my shower was pushed aside, if I still had clean underwear then I definitely wasn't doing laundry. Life behind my pumping horns was WAY more difficult than I had planned. I had issues with engorgement, clogged ducts, and mastitis. I feel like a great deal of these issues were caused by my lack of knowledge about pumping or just breastmilk in general.
Here are things I wish someone would have told me:
* It's not easy, but it DOES get easier
* At times you will completely despise your pump, other times you will feel so proud of what you have accomplished.
* Don't skip reading materials about breastfeeding, a lot of the information will still apply to you
* Watch a video or read about hand expression, you will get more milk out if you do this while you are pumping
* If you have a clogged duct, wet a washcloth, put it in a ziplock bag (not closed) and in the microwave for 30 seconds. This will create a heating pad that you should put on your breasts for 10 minutes before you pump and then reheat to put on while you pump. Massage the spot while you pump. It may take more than one pumping session to get the clog out - do not go more than 4 hours between sessions during this time.
* If you get chills, achy body, fever while you have a clog - call your doc asap, this may mean mastitis.
* Instead of buying a hands free bra, make your own with a sports bra. Actually I just wore whatever bra and would pull my shirt down instead of up and once I got pumping there was enough suction to hold the horns on - as long as I wasn't moving too much.
* Get yourself a small jug to put milk in that your baby will be eating right away. If you put everything right in bags you will be wasting too many. Fill your jug first, and then freeze any extra.
* Get yourself a inverter for your car. You can save yourself a lot of time by pumping while driving/riding.
* When you first get started don't try to get on a schedule, pump before/after each feeding. It's a lot easier to just stay on the same pattern as your baby. Pumping at certain times a day in the beginning was not practical for me.
* Set small goals for yourself. 3 months, 6 months, etc.
* Always bring your pump if you plan on being gone for more than an hour. That way if plans change you are prepared.
4 Month Stats
I have now made it to 4 months. Wooooohoooo!!!! * I have spent 224 hours pumping * I have pump an estimated 6100 ounces * I currently have 2000 ounces in my freezer ( 2 month supply)
My entire pregnancy I constantly worried about whether I would be able to produce milk to feed my baby. Two years prior to getting pregnant I had decided to get breast implants. I knew that decision would have an impact on my breastfeeding abilities. When I went in for surgery they placed my implants under the muscle and they said they did not touch any milk ducts. I was told that the implants should not effect my ability to breastfeed. WRONG - (well somewhat). The doctor was right in that fact that it did not effect my milk supply at all. However, nobody told me that you would have heightened sensitivity or loss of sensitivity - and I had both. On my left breast I only have about 70% feeling and what I can feel is more like pins and needles. On my right breast I had extreme sensitivity. Those two factors I was fully aware of when I was making my decision that I still wanted to breastfeed. Prior to being pregnant I had heard women talk about EPing, it sounded appealing to me since I wanted to give my son breastmilk, but I didn't have a strong desire to actually nurse him. Once my son was born we started off rough, he wasn't latching well and when he did he would fall asleep within 2 minutes. M's blood sugar was also low so they had to supplement him with formula to try and get it back up. He also had dropped from 8 lbs. 3 oz to 7 lbs 2 oz within the first day. Since M was receiving formula and not nursing as often as a normal baby I was worried that my milk wouldn't come in, so I went against all I was told and starting pumping. Seeing how much milk I was producing and knowing exactly how much I was giving M was VERY reassuring and allowed for M to stop having to supplement with formula. This is when I made the decision that I wanted to exclusively pump.
Easy, right?
I had heard so many people say that breastfeeding was not easy, well I thought I'm NOT breastfeeding, I'm pumping so it will be much easier. I don't have to worry about latch issues, sore nipples, and I'll know exactly how much M is getting. Let me say it was NOT easy. Once I realized that I was pretty much "double-dutying" it I wondered if I made the right decision. I never had an issue with supply, so I could feed M and then pump after. For the first month I felt like my life was the exact same thing every day - feed M, rock him to sleep, pump, try and get myself some sleep. That rotation was based on 3 hour increments, so by the time I was done with everything and trying to take a nap I only had 30-45 minutes left before the whole thing started again. What about when I needed to eat, shower, do laundry? Those things were pretty done only out of the complete necessity. If my stomach wasn't growling I would skip my meal so I could sleep, if my hair didn't look greasy or I couldn't smell myself then my shower was pushed aside, if I still had clean underwear then I definitely wasn't doing laundry. Life behind my pumping horns was WAY more difficult than I had planned. I had issues with engorgement, clogged ducts, and mastitis. I feel like a great deal of these issues were caused by my lack of knowledge about pumping or just breastmilk in general.
Here are things I wish someone would have told me:
* At times you will completely despise your pump, other times you will feel so proud of what you have accomplished.
* Don't skip reading materials about breastfeeding, a lot of the information will still apply to you
* Watch a video or read about hand expression, you will get more milk out if you do this while you are pumping
* If you have a clogged duct, wet a washcloth, put it in a ziplock bag (not closed) and in the microwave for 30 seconds. This will create a heating pad that you should put on your breasts for 10 minutes before you pump and then reheat to put on while you pump. Massage the spot while you pump. It may take more than one pumping session to get the clog out - do not go more than 4 hours between sessions during this time.
* If you get chills, achy body, fever while you have a clog - call your doc asap, this may mean mastitis.
* Instead of buying a hands free bra, make your own with a sports bra. Actually I just wore whatever bra and would pull my shirt down instead of up and once I got pumping there was enough suction to hold the horns on - as long as I wasn't moving too much.
* Get yourself a small jug to put milk in that your baby will be eating right away. If you put everything right in bags you will be wasting too many. Fill your jug first, and then freeze any extra.
* Get yourself a inverter for your car. You can save yourself a lot of time by pumping while driving/riding.
* When you first get started don't try to get on a schedule, pump before/after each feeding. It's a lot easier to just stay on the same pattern as your baby. Pumping at certain times a day in the beginning was not practical for me.
* Set small goals for yourself. 3 months, 6 months, etc.
* Always bring your pump if you plan on being gone for more than an hour. That way if plans change you are prepared.
4 Month Stats
I have now made it to 4 months. Wooooohoooo!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)