I have said from the beginning that pumping just works for us. It never seemed like that much of a nuisance, until now. Since I went back to work, I am not responding to the pump as well as I used to. Previously, I would hook myself up and then just tune out for about 20 minutes. I now have to continuously do compressions and it takes me more like 30 minutes. This has become problematic because I don't have 30 minute + breaks at work to pump. I do the best I can, but sometimes that means pumping almost half of what I usually do.
Luckily, I have been able to maintain my supply, trying my hardest to get in good sessions while I am at home. However, my late morning pump session on my days off are also getting more difficult. Hannah seems to want my attention most at this time. I usually put her in the Jumperoo and sit in front of it so I can talk to her, but she usually won't last the 30 minutes it takes me. She doesn't understand why I can't hold her or pick her up. It breaks my heart, so I just stop early to comfort and play with my baby.
I don't have any intention of stopping, I am determined to get her to a year on breastmilk. Hopefully my supply will keep up so my freezer stash will get me there without me having to actually pump for a year. I really can't imagine doing this for 8 more months. So for now, I take it one day at a time...
Showing posts with label Rachel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rachel. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Pumping Challenges: Excess Lipase - Rachel
About 2 weeks before my daughter started daycare I decided to give her a bottle from my frozen stash. I wanted to make sure she would take it in case the taste had changed slightly in the freezing process. When I defrostedthe first bag, I noticed an overwhelming smell of metal. I thought perhaps it was just something wrong with that bag, so I thawed another bag. Same thing. I became terrified that my 400 oz stash of frozen milk was bad. Without any knowledge of what was causing this, I consulted my friend Dr Google. I was led to multiple message boards with moms stating their frozen milk smelled metallic or soapy. After reading multiple forums and doing some real research, I discovered I had an excess lipase issue.
What I learned:
- Lipase is an enzyme that helps to break down the fats in milk. In moms with excess lipase, the lipase begins breaking down the fats soon after expression, altering the taste and smell of the milk.
- There is nothing you can do to change the amount of lipase in your milk.
- Although it smells terrible, it is not harmful to the baby. As long as the baby is still willing to drink it, it is safe to give. (Some babies reject the milk due to the altered taste.)
- There is nothing you can do to milk that has already been frozen. However, after expressing milk, it can be scalded before freezing to slow the breakdown of fats.
- If your baby will not take the frozen milk, milk banks will still accept it.
I filled Hannah's bottle with the icky milk and prayed she would take it. She gave me a disapproving look at first and then gulped down the bottle as usual. I breathed a huge sigh of relief with the realization that I would not have to get rid of my large stash. I spoke with my pediatrician and a lactation consult about scalding my milk in the future. The consensus was that you should not scald if the baby is willing to drink it as is. Exposing milk to heat of any kind can decrease its nutritional value. However, for those that must scald, it is still better than formula.
Excess lipase is not a very common problem, but it is not as rare as I thought either. For anyone building a frozen stash, please check your milk! I am lucky that my daughter is willing to drink it, but I have come across others that had to give up their entire freezer stash.
What I learned:
- Lipase is an enzyme that helps to break down the fats in milk. In moms with excess lipase, the lipase begins breaking down the fats soon after expression, altering the taste and smell of the milk.
- There is nothing you can do to change the amount of lipase in your milk.
- Although it smells terrible, it is not harmful to the baby. As long as the baby is still willing to drink it, it is safe to give. (Some babies reject the milk due to the altered taste.)
- There is nothing you can do to milk that has already been frozen. However, after expressing milk, it can be scalded before freezing to slow the breakdown of fats.
- If your baby will not take the frozen milk, milk banks will still accept it.
I filled Hannah's bottle with the icky milk and prayed she would take it. She gave me a disapproving look at first and then gulped down the bottle as usual. I breathed a huge sigh of relief with the realization that I would not have to get rid of my large stash. I spoke with my pediatrician and a lactation consult about scalding my milk in the future. The consensus was that you should not scald if the baby is willing to drink it as is. Exposing milk to heat of any kind can decrease its nutritional value. However, for those that must scald, it is still better than formula.
Excess lipase is not a very common problem, but it is not as rare as I thought either. For anyone building a frozen stash, please check your milk! I am lucky that my daughter is willing to drink it, but I have come across others that had to give up their entire freezer stash.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
My Non-schedule Schedule - Rachel
Many of the EPers I have come across have a specific schedule they pump by. However, that has never worked for me. I began pumping every 3 hours (8 x per day). I would feed her and then pump right afterward. (My supply was greater than her demand from the beginning, so I am able to pump after she eats instead of before.) I didn't pay attention to the time I pumped, I just pumped after she was fed. After about 2 weeks I began holding her and cuddling with her after she ate, pushing my pump sessions further back. I started pumping every 3-4 hours during the day and continued to pump with her feeds at night. At this point I was pumping 5-7 oz per session.
Once my body began to feel back to normal after my labor and delivery, I had an increased desire to get out of the house and have some adult interaction. With increased outings, I started testing the limits of how long I could go between pump sessions. I quickly realized I could go 4-5 hours and continue to maintain my supply. With this new schedule I was pumping about 7-10 oz per session.
Hannah is now just shy of 3 months and I am usually pumping 5 times/day. I have no set times, just whenever it fits into my schedule. Sometimes I will pump after 4 hours, sometimes after 7 hours. I return to work next week and plan to maintain my non-schedule schedule. Being a nurse, my breaks come whenever they come. I will not be able to say "it is 10 o'clock time for me to pump." I plan to pump when I wake up before work, 3 times at work (12 hour days), and then when I get home before bed.
I am a very relaxed EPer. I have never kept track of exactly how much I am pumping. I know that I continue to make more than Hannah demands by about 6-10 oz per day. I have 450-500 oz of BM in the freezer. My ultimate goal is to get Hannah to 1 year on BM. If my supply maintains with my return to work, then I plan to drop to 2 pump sessions at work when she hits 5 months. I hope to get a freezer stash adequate enough to stop pumping before we hit that year mark.
Some people find they need the consistency of a set schedule. That just has never worked for me. I plan my pump sessions around my day, not my day around my pump sessions. There are a million different ways to be an EPer, find out what works for you. There is no wrong way way.
Once my body began to feel back to normal after my labor and delivery, I had an increased desire to get out of the house and have some adult interaction. With increased outings, I started testing the limits of how long I could go between pump sessions. I quickly realized I could go 4-5 hours and continue to maintain my supply. With this new schedule I was pumping about 7-10 oz per session.
Hannah is now just shy of 3 months and I am usually pumping 5 times/day. I have no set times, just whenever it fits into my schedule. Sometimes I will pump after 4 hours, sometimes after 7 hours. I return to work next week and plan to maintain my non-schedule schedule. Being a nurse, my breaks come whenever they come. I will not be able to say "it is 10 o'clock time for me to pump." I plan to pump when I wake up before work, 3 times at work (12 hour days), and then when I get home before bed.
I am a very relaxed EPer. I have never kept track of exactly how much I am pumping. I know that I continue to make more than Hannah demands by about 6-10 oz per day. I have 450-500 oz of BM in the freezer. My ultimate goal is to get Hannah to 1 year on BM. If my supply maintains with my return to work, then I plan to drop to 2 pump sessions at work when she hits 5 months. I hope to get a freezer stash adequate enough to stop pumping before we hit that year mark.
Some people find they need the consistency of a set schedule. That just has never worked for me. I plan my pump sessions around my day, not my day around my pump sessions. There are a million different ways to be an EPer, find out what works for you. There is no wrong way way.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Rachel, Hannah, and our Milk Machine: An Introduction
Hi, my name is Rachel. My daughter Hannah was born on April 5, 2011. Being an RN in labor and delivery, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed and I also was very familiar with the struggles that accompany breastfeeding. I always had a feeling that BFing wouldn't go well for us, but I really wanted to give it a try. We had latch issues from the very beginning. Hannah preferred her upper lip to my nipple, making it very difficult to get her to latch. With the help of an LC, we were eventually able to get her well latched and she did ok for about a day. However, my milk came in full force on day 3, and she would no longer latch. I tried to pump and was only able to get 1 ml. At her first pedi appointment her weight had dropped from 7 lb 12 oz to 6 lb 13 oz. We were told to continue to try BFing, but we were to give her 1-2 oz of formula every 3 hours.
I called my friend (an LC) and she came over to the house right after the appt to see what she could do. Hannah still wouldn't latch, so we tried the pump again. At this point I was too engorged for the pump to even effectively draw out the milk. She showed me how to hand express and I was able to get 1 oz out of just 1 side. We syringe fed her that and planned to continue to hand express/pump until my breasts would soften enough for her to latch again. I hand expressed every 3 hours for 2 days. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I was exhausted, my boobs hurt, and my baby had lost too much weight. I realized very quickly that the syringe feeding was not something I could handle at that time and we started giving her the expressed milk in a bottle. Once the engorgement was under control, I began trying to put her back to the breast. I tried without a nipple shield, I tried with a nipple shield. Occasionally she would latch and suck, but mostly she just screamed. I have a very strong letdown and she just couldn't handle it. I knew that breastmilk was the best thing for her, but I also knew that her and I both crying every time I she tried to breastfeed wasn't good for anyone. It was then that I made the decision to EP. She was still going to get the good stuff, and her and I were going to be much happier.
Why it works for us:
A lot of people I have come across think pumping is the devil. To be honest, I have come to enjoy EPing. Not the pumping itself, but it really works in my life. At this point, I am only pumping 5 times a day. I am pumping 10-14 oz per session. While I somewhat have to schedule my life around pumping, it really hasn't been that difficult for me. I love that I can just pack a bottle for her and don't have to worry about feeding her on the go. The very best part has been the opportunity it has given my husband to bond with her. He feeds her whenever he is able to and it really makes him feel connected to her. I think he would have felt really disconnected in the beginning if he wouldn't have had that opportunity. This has also been a big key in me keeping my sanity. Someone else can feed her while I nap. Someone else can feed her so I can sleep through the night. (I am now able to go 7-8 hours at night without pumping.) I think my postpartum experience would have been a lot different if it were solely up to me to feed her.
When the time comes for baby #2, I will absolutely try breastfeeding again, but if it doesn't work out I know that EPing is an excellent option for my family.
My pumping must haves:
- I have a Hygeia Enjoye breastpump. I love it. It is small and easy to use. It is the only closed system pump on the market.
- Hands-free pumping bra. I have the Simple Wishes bra and it might just be my best friend
I called my friend (an LC) and she came over to the house right after the appt to see what she could do. Hannah still wouldn't latch, so we tried the pump again. At this point I was too engorged for the pump to even effectively draw out the milk. She showed me how to hand express and I was able to get 1 oz out of just 1 side. We syringe fed her that and planned to continue to hand express/pump until my breasts would soften enough for her to latch again. I hand expressed every 3 hours for 2 days. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I was exhausted, my boobs hurt, and my baby had lost too much weight. I realized very quickly that the syringe feeding was not something I could handle at that time and we started giving her the expressed milk in a bottle. Once the engorgement was under control, I began trying to put her back to the breast. I tried without a nipple shield, I tried with a nipple shield. Occasionally she would latch and suck, but mostly she just screamed. I have a very strong letdown and she just couldn't handle it. I knew that breastmilk was the best thing for her, but I also knew that her and I both crying every time I she tried to breastfeed wasn't good for anyone. It was then that I made the decision to EP. She was still going to get the good stuff, and her and I were going to be much happier.
Why it works for us:
A lot of people I have come across think pumping is the devil. To be honest, I have come to enjoy EPing. Not the pumping itself, but it really works in my life. At this point, I am only pumping 5 times a day. I am pumping 10-14 oz per session. While I somewhat have to schedule my life around pumping, it really hasn't been that difficult for me. I love that I can just pack a bottle for her and don't have to worry about feeding her on the go. The very best part has been the opportunity it has given my husband to bond with her. He feeds her whenever he is able to and it really makes him feel connected to her. I think he would have felt really disconnected in the beginning if he wouldn't have had that opportunity. This has also been a big key in me keeping my sanity. Someone else can feed her while I nap. Someone else can feed her so I can sleep through the night. (I am now able to go 7-8 hours at night without pumping.) I think my postpartum experience would have been a lot different if it were solely up to me to feed her.
When the time comes for baby #2, I will absolutely try breastfeeding again, but if it doesn't work out I know that EPing is an excellent option for my family.
My pumping must haves:
- I have a Hygeia Enjoye breastpump. I love it. It is small and easy to use. It is the only closed system pump on the market.
- Hands-free pumping bra. I have the Simple Wishes bra and it might just be my best friend
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