Pumping Tips

Does the thought of breastfeeding your baby weird you out? Does it make you feel a little bit like a cow with utters? Do you think it will feel abnormal to have something trying to take liquid out of you? Oh thank goodness I'm not alone then!

A long, long time ago (when I was about 25) kids were not even on my register- nor was the thought of breastfeeding. Flash forward to 7 months pregnant and this is getting real. Can I really breastfeed my baby? What if she doesn't want to breastfeed? Am I capable of pumping without wanting to say "moo". I know, I'm a little morbid, but honestly this is a scary thought!

I have weighed the options between breast, bottle, and formula feeding. We have taken the baby classes at the hospital. My friends, family, and random strangers have given me their input. I feel as if I am well prepared to make this next statement: I will breastfeed and bottle feed my baby. Now, this is totally my decision- everyone is able to have their own opinion on what is best, and that is perfectly fine with me. What works for me might not work for you. And what works for me, might not work for me, apparently.

There was a pin on tips for pumping that comes from Naptime Tales. I started reading it thinking I was just going to learn how to mass pump. Oh my word, the wealth of knowledge I got from these girls was amazing. Did you know that some babies don't want to breastfeed? I didn't! And how much you can actually produce in milk a day- holy cats! I urge you to view their blog, as they have some other great mommy information. Here is the bulk of what I learned from this post:

1. Go to Kellymom. Some things I found most helpful from the site: Calculator, this graph,

Summary of Research Data
Baby’s Age	Average Milk Intake per 24 hours			Reference
	g	ml	oz
5 days	498 +/- 129 g	483 ml	16 oz	Neville 1988
1 mo	728 g	706 ml	24 oz	Salazar 2000
1 mo	–	673 ml	23 oz	Dewey 1983
1 mo	708 +/- 54.7 g	687 ml	23 oz	Cox 1996
1-6 mo	453.6+/-201 g per breast	440 ml x2 = 880 ml	30 oz	Kent 1999
3 mo	818 g	793 ml	27 oz	Dewey 1991
3-5 mo	753 +/- 89 g	730 ml	25 oz	Neville 1988
6 mo	–	896 ml	30 oz	Dewey 1983
6 mo	742 +/- 79.4 g	720 ml	24 oz	Cox 1996
7 mo	–	875 ml (93% of total energy intake)	30 oz	Dewey 1984
11-16 mo	–	550 ml (50% of total energy intake)	19 oz	Dewey 1984
11-16 mo	502 +/- 34 g	487 ml (32% of total energy intake)	16.5 oz	Onyango 2002
12-17 mo	563 g	546 ml	18 oz	Brown 1982
12-23 mo	548 g	532 ml	18 oz	Persson 1998
15 mo	208.0+/-56.7 g per breast	202 ml x2 = 404 ml	14 oz	Kent 1999
18-23 mo	501 g	486 ml	16 oz	Brown 1982
>24 mo	368 g	357 ml	12 oz	Brown 1982
24-36 mo	312 g	303 ml	10 oz	Persson 1998
Specific Gravity of Mature Human Milk = 1.031, so Density of Mature Human Milk ~ 1.031 g/ml;1 oz = 29.6 ml;Numbers in gray were derived using the above conversion factors.

and that same post states that you should try to pump at least 8-10 times a day (one during the night), try to produce 25-27oz per day, and that during the first 6 months a baby averages 25oz/day and typically between 19-30oz (see above for more details).

2. Check out Fenugreek, an herbal pill that helps with milk production. PLEASE talk with your doctor first before taking it.

3. Fresh milk can be stored at room temp for up to 6 hours. Fresh milk can be stored in the fridge for 3 days. Frozen milk that has been thawed can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours. Fresh milk that has been in the fridge for 3 days can be frozen for up to 4 months. DATE YOUR MILK!

I also had to search out this answer and found it on kellymom. So you see above where it says frozen milk that has been thawed can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours- well does that include the thaw time in the fridge or not? Seriously, I shouldn't be the first person asking this question, right? I mean I know I am the girl that will thaw the turkey in the sink instead of in the fridge because I forget to take it out early enough- and we've never died from it. But with a baby it's different. I don't want to hurt her! So, anyways here's the answer: Previously frozen milk may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours after it has finished thawing. Do not refreeze. It takes roughly 12 hours for milk to thaw in the fridge. Here's where it's located on kellymom.

Hopefully this helps you in your quest to breast or bottle feed your baby. And if you are going to use formula- good for you! Remember guys, we aren't super moms, we are just mom's trying to be super for our babies.