Pumpin' Away...

Now that we're approaching 6 months, we've spent 3 months exclusively pumping. For those unfamiliar with the term, exclusively pumping (EP or EPing) is for serving breastmilk from a bottle when the baby is unable to breastfeed for one reason or another. The benefits of breast milk have been well studied and it was important for me to give Luke as much breast milk as possible during the first year. The vocabulary is up in the air but technically it is still breastfeeding since you're feeding your baby from your breast (though with a middle man) but it is not nursing. So yes I breastfeed but I do not nurse.

When I was newly pregnant, I considered EP because I didn't think I'd have a good enough supply to BF and wanted to know how much I was getting. But, after a lot of research, classes and appointments, decided to try to breastfeed because it's easier and more efficient (usually). Well, after a lot of struggles, Luke not gaining much and then his refusal to nurse, we ended up EPing anyways.

Honestly, I don't really mind it. Sometimes it's annoying but we've adapted well and it helps to have a super helpful husband to help at night with Luke when I need to pump. But, I just drag my pump everywhere... the tv room floor, the car, work, the airplane... you name it, I'm probably ok pumping there.

I pump 6 times a day for at least 30 minutes but now at 6 months, I'm about to drop a pump to 5 pumps per day (ppd). I have an average supply and have been consistently producing about 35 ounces per day (opd) lately. We haven't had to supplement with formula. Luke has had a few formula bottles but it was more to try them out (make sure he tolerates formula just in case) and freeze more but we stopped doing that now. Knowing that as little as 2 oz of breastmilk can provide the antibodies for a baby, Dave encouraged me to freeze as much as possible even if that meant doing 1 formula bottle a day and freezing that bottle's worth of BM. But, since my freezer stash is only good for a little over a month it's not worth it anymore (see excess lipase below).

Successful pumping does have some tools that make it easier:

1. A good double electric pump. I have both a Medela Pump In Style Advanced (PISA) and rented hospital-grade Symphony. I use the PISA when I'm not home and the Symphony when I'm home. I had to rent a hospital grade pump because of recurrent mastitis to get the clogs out- it really is a superior pump but is mighty pricey to buy and not very portable.

2. Simple Wishes Hands Free Bra. Yes, I've read you can make your own. Yes, I know there are other brands. But really, if you are going to pump daily (even just at work), please splurge and get the realdeal. This pump bra can change a pumper's life. Seriously.

3. Spare Parts. I have 4 sets of pump parts and for an EP who pumps 5-6 times a day, I guess that's enough. It couldn't hurt to have that fifth set though! I feel like I'm always washing pump parts or bottles.

4. Lanisoh Storage Bags. I use these bags to freeze into. They are cheaper than the medela bags and I like that they freeze flat (the Medelas do not)

5. Bottles. Lots of them. We now have a lot of 5 oz bottles and a set of Medela 8 oz bottles for my morning pump (I get about 12-14 ounces total first thing in the morning so I'd need to change out my bottles). The top rack of our dishwasher is constantly full of bottles and we run it once a day.

6. Undercover Mama Tanks These are my favorite nursing tanks because they don't have a shelf bra and they don't add extra straps. I have to wear my own bra for support anyways but like to keep my stomach covered when pumping. They are also very long and I wear them under all my clothes!

Random Pumping Tips:
- a few times a week or on the weekend, powerpump once a day. It helps build supply. You pump for 10-20 minutes then turn the pump off for 10 min, then back on for 10 then off for 10 until an hour has passed.
- storing milk. I know a lot of people store and serve in the bottles. That might drive me crazy with all those bottles in the fridge. However, it would cut down on the amount of bottles I wash perhaps. I pump into the medela 5 oz bottles (that really hold 6.25). Then once I'm finished my pump (I usually get around 5 oz), I combine the 2 bottles and pour the milk into that day's nalgene bottle. I fill the bottle with milk from a whole day (letting it mix because different times of day it is different) then serve it the next day. So I have 2 Nalgene bottles- one that I'm filling and one that I'm serving out of. If I have any excess over what he eats, I'll freeze it the next day usually (see scalding below).
-Excess lipase. Some people (like me) have excess lipase. Here is a good article about excess lipase and scalding on this blog. If you have excess lipase, they suggest scalding your milk before freezing it. If you are going to scald your milk follow the directions below.

Scalding Breastmilk
There are many ways to scald milk and different suggested temperatures. However, all sources agree that getting the milk to 180* will help the lipase issue.
Tools:
- bottle warmer (if you put double the recommended water in, it will stay on longer and get hot enough)
- thermometer
- stainless steel container
- small container for an ice bath
- breastmilk storage bags
Heat the milk to 180*, remove from bottle warmer and put container directly in icebath. When it gets to about 50-60* pour into breastmilk storage bags. Lay flat to freeze.