just wondering :)

[brandy_gurl016]

I have a son that I breastfed for 6 weeks but then I had to stop due to work and no money for a pump :( but now I am pregnant again due may 1st :) and I have bought me a pump so I can be sure to bf as long as possible.......my question is when can I start pumping?? I will be going back to work as soon as my doctor gives me the ok and I was just wanting to get a head start on my supply.....plus my husband (1st time dad) is wanting to be involved with the feedings too......he has even made comments about wanting to feed her in the hospital...what do you suggest I do??

[Jmom1010]

You can't really pump until the baby is born and unless you are told to pump early on by an LC or doc, nurse etc it is not recommended very early on because your breasts are trying to regulate to what your baby needs and often in the beginning you can over produce and sometimes this leads to plugged ducts and mastitis. I had to pump early on because I had an issue with my son and a poor latch so I was advised to pump but not alot. Also unless there is an issue with the baby, it is recommended that you only nurse the first few weeks while supply get established. In the mean time there is lots that daddy can do to bond with the baby, diapers, rocking, swaddling, getting baby and bringing him to you in the middle of the night, sponge baths etc.

[SingingMom]

Congratulations! And good job on nursing your first baby.

You shouldn't pump until you actually have a baby, and not right away even then. It's probably more important to establish a good nursing relationship in the hospital (and a while after) than it is for daddy to feed right away.

Your breasts are going to produce an amount of milk that is based on how much your baby nurses. For the first few weeks, it's really easiest if you just nurse, nurse, nurse the baby. Daddy can diaper, and wash, and snuggle, and rock. There will be plenty of time for daddy to feed the baby after your supply is well established, and baby has learned to nurse well. (Yes, it takes baby a little while to learn to nurse efficiently.)

Giving baby a bottle in the first weeks can sabotage your breastfeeding. If you can avoid, then you should. Babies can develop a preference for the bottle (it's much easier to get milk out of a bottle than a breast.) Nursing straight from the breast is very good for the development of baby's mouth.

But when you get started pumping, what I would recommend is that you start pumping at a specific time, and pump at that time every day. The breasts will treat it like a regular feeding. You may even want to pump more than once a day to build up a freezer stash for when you go to work.

[Nipple_nectar]

I hate to sound like a broken record but I agree strongly, that you need to educate your DH on the importance of baby being at the breast to ensure a good start. It is admirable that he wants to help but frankly, with a breastfed baby~ you should be dedicated to developing a strong supply by keeping baby at the breast. Let him help out in all other areas, feeding needs to be your job for now.

When you return to work, how long will you be away from baby? What type of work do you do? What kind of pump do you have?

After 4-6 weeks, when your supply has regulated itself, it may be feasible to introduce a supplemental feeding, here and there.

Do you recall in your six weeks of BFing, how your supply was? You need to be careful about pumping prior to that because if you have a tendency to overproduce, which is a very common problem, it can be greatly exaggerated by pumping.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/alternative-feeding.html

[crystal555rose]

My LC advised waiting to pump until 4 weeks post partum at least so your supply is not out of control. That worked for me. As far as dad wanting to feed baby...My husband got over it pretty quickly. It was far more important that we establish the breastfeeding. Then when I started to pump, baby would not take a bottle with me in the house. At night it took too long to warm a bottle (meanwhile baby is screaming for milk and is used to having a breast instantly in his mouth upon waking).

My husband got to do plenty of bottle feeding once I went back to work and he stayed home part time. Perhaps you can go out with your friends and he can feed a bottle once you get to that point.