When Do I Start Pumping?

Well I pumped and breastfed for over a year and learned that breast milk stays good frozen for 3 months. So I would start early August. And keep going from there.

If you have a deep freeze then I think it is good for a little longer....like 5 or 6 months. But for just a regular freezer it is 3 months. So if you started in August you would be good.

start now! i always had plenty of extra milk in the beginning. pump after feedings.

I struggled with nursing and pumping with my son, and had to supplement with formula early on. When my daughter was born I was determined to have more success, so I started pumping when she was a week or two old immediately after I fed her. At first I really didn't get anything, but soon it had increased my supply so that I could get 2-4 ounces immediately after nursing my daughter. She never over-ate, and it allowed me to have a comfortable supply when I went back to work. It also made her growth spurts much easier because I was already producing extra milk - she got her fill and there was just a little less milk when I pumped for a few days until my body adjusted.

Good luck!

I went back to work after my first two babies and usually started at about 2 weeks - once the breastfeeding was going well and milk supply was established. I usually pumped more in the morning, and started pumping once a day. Even though it only lasts 3 months in the freezer, you will still need for the baby to get used to the bottle before you go back to work to make sure he/she takes it, so I always liked to have a good supply in the freezer. You probably know all this already, but I always forgot everything right after I had the baby! Good luck to you :)

My 3rd baby is almost 6 weeks and I started pumping the first week. I started out getting 2 oz on each side. Good luck!

I would start pumping a.s.a.p. just so you have have a good supply in the freezer. I would suggest a deep freeze to store it in. You will also need to find a bottle that he is willing to take. Many babies are very picky. I would sugest the AVENT bottles or the one that is like the breast (I'm not sure what the name of it is) if you don't have a bottle yet.

God bless!

I would give yourself a break for now. You are really already feeding so much and so to pump on top of that doesn't leave time for much else. However, technically you can start now. I just pumped as necessary for the first two months - like when I would go out during a feeding. That way I'd have one or two back-ups then pump when I got home and store that for the next time. Then, in the last month, I would try to pump a few extra. The thing is, once you go back to work, you may be pumping the amount your baby needs each day for the next day depending on your supply. Also, going back to work is so stressful already that I gave myself the okay to give formula if my supply dropped, which it inevitable did. I also agree with the other mom that said to try introducing a bottle before you go back even if it is just a few times to get them used to the idea so that is removes that stress from returning to work.

I waited until my daughter was 4 weeks old before pumping and introducing the bottle. I have heard that if you start pumping too early or often while your body is figuring out how to regulate your milk production, your milk can come out too fast for the baby (of course this could be totally different for each person). I would recommend waiting a month then pumping once a day to give a bottle to get the baby used to the bottle. Then a couple months before you start going to work build up your supply.

Good luck!

Start anytime, but you won't get much at first. If you are going back to work you probably should have a family member (dad or someone else other than you) start a bottle once a day or once every few days between 3 and 4 weeks old. Otherwise, you might have a nasty fight on your hands with an older infant refusing a bottle. I started pumping enough right away just to practice with the pump and get some milk for the bottles and my husband had an after work bottle on his work days. It made going back easier and breastfeeding was well-established, too (so don't start too early with the bottle).

I personally do not recommend to moms to start pumping until the babies are two weeks old. Establish a normal milk supply. Master breastfeeding for both you and baby. Let your milk go from colostrum 3-4 days to transitional milk (4-5 more days) to mature milk. Relax your body and spend some time healing your body and recovering from delivery. Give your milk ducts time to also adjust to the filling and emptying. As long as nursing from the breast is going well, no pumping or bottles are needed for 2 weeks. Then at that point, you can introduce one additional pumping a day into the routine. Choose a time of day in between feedings and pump for 20 minutes. In three days your body will recognize this as an additional feeding. You then can introduce another one just the same as this one. Somewhere in that time introduce your bottle once pumping has started. Know that if you are looking to store, then the additional pumpings can all be stored milk, but them one feeding pump and let someone else feed baby. You do not go back to work for a couple of months. You have time to go with the schedule I am introducing to you. Congratulations on your new addition and congrats on giving him the best gift you can give him besides life. Good Job Mama!

I recommend pumping and introducing a bottle at 3 weeks. I learned from my lactation consultant that waiting longer can make it hard to introduce a bottle and shorter can make it so that the baby only wants the bottle because it's easier to get milk than from the breast.

Good luck!

A.