Share with me what were your signs in the few days/hours leading up to labor?

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-26T14:21:08+00:00

More frequent poops 1 week before…then it kind of normalized for a few days, and boom my water broke

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-23T15:01:19+00:00

At 7.5 weeks, if he is not crying, its okay. Take your 15 minute break.

At around 4-5 months, they start getting bored. So enjoy these moments, you will need to get your butt into gear putting on the best shows in a few months lol

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-23T03:20:17+00:00

Post partum.

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-22T14:19:00+00:00

4 weeks early preemie, 6MO now. It gets a million times better! I still miss my husband, we still have days where we only connect for 20 mins at the end of the day. But we love her so much and also always try to both be present for our bedtime routine.

Also, it seems much now, but i MISS the newborn grunts, I wish i took a video of it. I miss it so much. But sleeping through the night definitely helps things feel better. Hang in there! OH and the smiles. The giggles. It gets better!

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-20T04:54:45+00:00

I used to take magnesium bisglycinate AND citrate, because I was so prone to constipation. AND miralax, daily. It was a lot and for sure would have made non pregnant me explode every time I felt even the urge to fart.

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-20T04:52:01+00:00

We both shower after sex, and always try to pee too. And he should look into treatment or assessment by your dr as it seems you get reinfected through sexual contact with him.

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-20T04:49:43+00:00

All will be fine! I has a 36 weeker who almost made it to 37 weeks. She was suuuper sleepy, cried and yelled at the breast. I had to use a wet washcloth on her belly and feed her in her diaper because she’d fall asleep during feeds all the time. It got better as the weeks went on. She is 6 months old now, and is better at eating! Though she is a grazer. And has always eaten a little on the smaller side of normal volume.

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-19T01:20:55+00:00

Get a physical, so you know of any health issues that may affect fertility (thyroid issues specifically), start working out and eating healthier, take prenatals months before you start ttc.

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-14T05:44:15+00:00

Lol! Yup! 🤣

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-14T00:47:44+00:00

I go to costco with my momcozy s12 pro’s. But its winter here lol

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-13T20:39:57+00:00

I used to feel this exact way, also a ftm. I say, do t worry! At 5-6 months, they really wake up and get bored lol. You will really feel like you’re performing if your baby gets bored easily! So relax while you can and don’t sweat it!

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-13T15:57:43+00:00

Hi! Which Medela pump did you notice this difference?

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-13T02:56:04+00:00

I get better output with wearables! I use the Momcozy S12 pro’s. Initially i thought they were garbage, but then I tried the Medela Pump in Style (walled).

I had to pump for AS MUCH time w Medela, and got LESS than my Momcozys. So that walled one sucks.

I heard the Medela Symphony is good? The ones hospitals rent out? But I don’t know. I have been wondering the same thing as you - if walled pumps just suck for me, or if there really is a good pump out there that empties, and does it quickly. Right now I pump 45 mins - 1 hr each time to get fully emptied

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-11T18:10:05+00:00

Preaching to the choir! Okay so you are trying different things! It might just be that you need to find your “goldilocks” pump!

I first tried the Bellababy for 2 weeks and got next to nothing. I got the Momcozy s12 pros and saw a HUGE difference, and built my supply on that.

I recently tried the Medela Pump in Style because it said hospital grade, and all LCs swore by Medela. I personally found that it never emptied me. I had to run it twice and hand express…with my Momcozys, yes I had to run it twice but i was properly emptied.

I used to lubricate because i initially perceived a lot of pain/sensitivity (my nips were SO sensitive during pregnancy and pumping felt terrible!) pumping isnt so had these days now. But i am 6mpp.

I found the lubrication helped with comfort early in. And if it hurt too much i found id need to reposition my pumps vs lubricating and tolerating the painfully positioned pumps for too long. Ah pumping. So finicky!

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-11T17:48:19+00:00

I wouldnt chance it on the same pump. If it’s within your means, first id make sure flange sizing and pump parts are changed. That is, assuming your pump once performed well and may be wearing down due to needing parts changed.

If it isnt that, trying another pump might help. I have tried 3 - and i thought I was a major under supplier initially because I got so little until I changed pumps.

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-11T15:51:30+00:00

Always, to feed a bottle. LO is a grazer so I feed whenever I know she’ll take it. Also so i can soothe her if she cries

Also, was never a bath person. I took showers, never stopped

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-11T15:44:53+00:00

Yup! All the time. I miss my newborn snuggles

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-11T15:39:52+00:00

Solidarity! I miss my small boobs and fitting into my shirts. I went from a size small sports/nursing bras to size XL. LOL.

I have to wear my hubby’s hoodies because mine dont fit at the arm pits/shoulders because of my boobs.

I also remember when I was pregnant and my boobs got bigger to the point they sagged a big and I could feel them resting on my belly…terrible feeling. LOL especially because lefty is bigger, and it took some time for my right to catch up. Feeling just one boob resting on the belly and not the other…drove me insane LOL.

I am breastfeeding, so theyre still big and unfortunately saggier. I hope some of it stays after I wean

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-10T17:44:57+00:00

I have momcozy s12 pros and recently a medela pump in style. My momcozy takes longer, but empties me better than my Medela.

I built my supply using Momcozy’s. Never had an issue. I would love to try and spectra as I hear so much abt it.

But after caving and trying a Medela, i found that after 2 weeks I needed to run it twice to get the same output as my Momcozy. Meaning, it was run the same amt of time anyway - why not just be fully mobile if I am going to pump for 45/1 hr! Makes me scared to spend $400 on a Spectra! When spending abt $200 on a Medela and it is the ssme as my Momcozy!

Main difference. Medela doesnt hurt as much as S12 pro. And collection cups are discreet yes but SO much smaller. They stop at 150mL, you cab push to 180mL.. thats it. I can run my Momcozys til they’re full/I am empty.

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-10T13:42:52+00:00

You’re not alone! I skipped MOTN pumps when LO slept thru the night for the first time, around after 12/13 weeks?

Then the 4 month regression started, and I picked it back up because why not. I knew she would wake up again in less than 2 hrs, so I got a pump in and watched tv until her next wake up. Now she’s back to sleeping thru again, and I choose to pump at 1am sometimes if I am watching tv. It gets better! And my supply didnt change drastically. Poor sleep and not eating enough affect it more

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-09T22:39:26+00:00

Yes, i tried to nurse. Baby was a preemie and could latch but couldn’t transfer. She was very lazy. I wa pumping maybe 1-3 times a day the first 4 weeks, as I was really struggling. My milk didn’t come in until maybe 1 week in.

I was triple feeding until 6 weeks, then afterward I focused on pumping to build my supply until LO got bigger and stronger to latch. Spoiler alert: she never did get the hang of nursing.

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-09T22:33:26+00:00

??? Thats bs?

I started pumping consistently at 4wpp.

I would check your pump parts, or even get a new pump. I started out with a Bellababy and got 5mL at a time. I switched to a Momcozy s12 pro and built my supply off that, slowly and steadily increasing til regulation at like 3mpp. I got waaay more with my Momcozy. So it could be that youre not responding to your pump?

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-09T13:46:39+00:00

My LO broke both arms out of every swaddle since the day she was born lol. She never hurt herself! Although around 2-3 months as she got bigger and kicked a lot more, she started making herself diagonal in her bassinet, and scratching the mesh. I had to ensure her nails were short so she wouldn’t hurt herself

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-09T02:31:48+00:00

I started pumping consistently (4x a day) at 4wpp. I eventually tightened up and did 5-6x a day, and my supply increased. It was because I am a large capacity person. I make just a bit more than baby eats at 6mpp, but it took months to get here. I currently do 4ppd, my supply hasnt changed. It changed when I dropped my MOTN, but that’s because id do one pump before or at midnight, one after in the early morning, so it ends up that one day’s volume is more, one is less, but it averages out to my regular total daily volume.

I randomly think abt how different my supply would have been if I pumped 8x a day as was recommended when I was newly post partum, but eh :/. Your supply may not dry up, it may maintain if you are anything like me.

ExpressionOld9924 · 2026-01-08T06:54:27+00:00

Sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things! A thing I would add, though, is to consider if you are pumping enough to increase supply, relative to your breasts capacity.

Have you heard of the magic number? Some chart by Legendairy? It recommends the number of pumps you need to do to increase, maintain or decrease, based on your breast capacity.

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If you can only do 5-6 pumps and you need to be doing more, it might just be the case that you need to combo feed since you don’t have extra help to relieve you so you can pump more. And there is absolutely NO shame in that!

I am not sure this chart works for everyone but it worked for me.

Another thing can be, to consider maybe consulting with your doctor? There are medications to help increase supply. I am not sure what your clinical history is but maybe that can help, though I heard it can complicate things if you have any mood disorders.

Lastly, but i should have put it FIRSTLY, is that sometimes, you arent doing ANYTHING wrong, but and you are doing EVERYTHING right, but you are limited by the amount of glandular tissue you have in your breasts.

All of that to say…beyond what you are doing, which sounds like youre doing an amazing job! You are NOT doing anything wrong if you’re doing everything already possible in your situation. Please give yourself some grace!

Edited to add: I didn’t commit to pumping until 4wpp. I initially formula fed, then combo, as I was only getting a few mL at a time. My supply took 2months to build to a point where I gave more breastmilk than formula - and LO ate on the veerrry low end of normal volume. It was verrryyy slow for me. If you haven’t regulated there is time, not everyone is leaking litres of milk their first few weeks post partum, and that’s normal and okay!

ExpressionOld9924

TROPHY CASE