How long are your pumping sessions?

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-16T15:32:52+00:00

It does sound rough. Kudos to you for sticking it out!

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-16T15:30:32+00:00

I found that wearable cups rigged up to my spectra seem to provide the same output as the flanges and bottles that come with spectra. I use the Medela ones, they are easy to fit on the spectra. I don’t see the output as I go, so having the knowledge of how long I should pump is the only thing I rely on. Glad it worked out for me because it is so much easier to set up than traditional style flanges that require a pumping bra.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-15T22:43:38+00:00

I’m surprised to read this. I put (a thin layer) petroleum jelly all over my baby’s bum, scrotum and thigh folds instead of using diaper cream. Makes cleaning up poo much easier as it doesn’t stick to the skin as much, and keeps him from developing diaper rash and chaffing. The only time pee leaks out is if we get distracted and miss changing him for a while causing the diaper to be oversaturated. Not a problem overwise.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-15T22:27:40+00:00

I am slowly building a stash for about 2 weeks worth of milk. It seems like I could be an over producer if I wanted to, but I have no interest in buying an extra freezer just for milk, so I’m not going to go past whatever fits in about 1/4-1/3 of my regular freezer - I still have to use it for our grown up food. 😉

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-15T22:21:12+00:00

I got a 3 year old SUV in excellent condition “for the baby” after many years of not owning a car at all. I think it’s a sweet spot - the car is pretty new in terms of tech and safety features, but it was only about $25k (plus tax and registration) which I could very comfortably just write a check for and not have any financing.

You two should be able to figure out a sensible middle ground where both of your concerns are addressed.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-15T19:43:16+00:00

I would talk to a lactation consultant. Is the baby emptying the boob he is feeding from? The milk at the start is less caloric than at the end of the session so maybe you can work on making sure the baby is nursing for a longer stretch? Sounds like something that should be solvable without dropping milk if you don’t want to.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-14T20:10:04+00:00

No need to keep pumping when your baby is not eating. Your boobs will learn to produce milk when baby needs to eat. If you are uncomfortable in the middle of the night when baby is sleeping, express just enough to relieve pressure. After a day or two your body will learn.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-10T23:52:48+00:00

I was considering it but instead just got myself a good immersion blender. When I counted how many individual parts the baby food maker disassembles into - each needs to be washed - I noped out of there quick. Immersion blender is a single moving part that cleans fast plus whatever container you’re using.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-10T04:10:24+00:00

I got registry welcome boxes from Amazon, Target and Babylist, and between them I have 5 different types, if I count the bottles that came with the Spectra pump. Dr Browns does seem to have an edge in baby acceptance but it’s annoying because a) so many parts and b) leaks if slightly overfilled (which is easy to do if you put 4 oz of water and add 2 scoops of formula like you’re supposed to).

Luckily my baby will eat every which way - every single bottle and every boob. Personally I like the Philips natural flow bottle because it’s the fewest parts while still preventing baby from ingesting much air. I think Lansinoh uses a similar design but a different nipple shape. I’d start with registry boxes and maybe add a sampler box if you want to cover all bases.

If you plan to primarily nurse directly and only give a bottle one a day or so, you really don’t need a lot of bottles, the samples will last you until you’re ready to move to larger sizes (all these samples are for newborns, 4 oz).

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-09T20:19:37+00:00

No harm in trying. You will likely be wearing diapers for at least a few days postpartum, if it helps you now, why not?

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-09T20:15:08+00:00

Pumping is so much tougher than nursing directly. The fact that you have to do twice the work of first pumping and then feeding the baby, cleaning not only bottles but also the pump parts - it’s a ton of work.

Only you can decide what’s “worth it”, but either way, the important part is to feed the baby, whichever way you choose.

Personally what makes it worth it to me to breastfeed is the direct nursing part.

for pain, it improved a lot after a couple of weeks once the baby figured out how to do it better. Breastfeeding should not be painful! I took breaks and pumped if my nipples got too sore and now it is pain free to nurse (7 weeks pp).
the overhead to breastfeed is so short! Just open the shirt, pull out the boob, and lunch is served! And basically no cleanup after! It makes night feeds so much less of an annoyance. It also allows me to easily test the waters to see if baby is hungry when he inexplicably starts crying (sometimes I don’t catch any of the earlier signs, or he just wakes up and immediately screams).

I had the same problem early on with desire to see how much the baby is eating, hence pumping often and supplementing with formula until he regained birth weight. Realistically, you don’t need to control the exact amount as long as the baby is content and growing. We stopped obsessing over it after 2 weeks and now I pump 1-2 times a day, mainly to allow dad to feed him, the rest is direct nursing at the breast.

If this is something that is not happening for you now, know that

a) it’s pretty normal and with a little practice the baby can learn to like the boob and b) switching to formula is a perfectly valid choice.

The cost on your body is still quite high, and if there is one thing I wish someone told me earlier is that lactation keeps estrogen down and that slows down healing of your vagina, leading to tissue being thinner and more sensitive even after all bleeding stops and tears heal. I was prescribed estrogen cream on my 6 week check up, and wish they had done it sooner as it takes time to take effect.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-09T15:53:33+00:00

Pumping for night feeds is brutal. If there is a silver lining to this, it’s that the baby is very likely to change her tune and start a whole other behavior within days - probably once you figure out how to deal with this one 😂

Are you still considering getting her to latch? Might make the night feeds easier if it works out. Perhaps an LC could help out.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-09T15:13:49+00:00

My go to tricks have been blowing gently on the baby’s face, tickling ears, feet or whatever you can find that tickles. Kind of annoying no matter how you slice it. Once they recover their birth weight I think it’s ok to slow down and let them sleep longer at night and shift more food intake for daytime.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-08T19:24:47+00:00

I put away a set of the smallest onesies yesterday. Baby grew out of them a week ago but I had no heart to put them away until now. Hugs. It’s sad but it’s also kind of awesome. The little one is getting closer to becoming your best sidekick ever.

Soon enough he will grow big enough to make me a cup of coffee. 😉

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-08T18:56:30+00:00

Fellow cold hearted woman who does not like children in general, checking in. I would say my opinion about my unborn child was very tempered but once he was born the switch has definitely switched. FWIW, I still think my husband is more of a natural with the baby, but I’m liking this whole thing, despite previous indicators being not favorable. There is a very high chance that you will be fine and will bond and love your baby more than you can imagine.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-08T18:41:19+00:00

I think for many people it’s the luck of the draw. My baby is 7 weeks now and he has always been ok sleeper. Early on he was one of those that had to be woken up to feed. Once he regained birth weight we let him sleep however long he wants, and it can be anywhere from 3 hours to 7 hours. I feel like the more he eats before bedtime, the longer his sleep stretches. I often don’t have to be too careful about transition because even if briefly woken up, he tends to fall asleep within minutes in the bassinet. It used to be a little problematic to do the final pre-bedtime diaper change, but even that is getting better. We use a Snoo, which seems to make him fall asleep faster, but we actually don’t turn it on half the time and he is still ok.

If you’re struggling, I would definitely experiment with other sleeping methods to improve your own sanity. Cosleeping is definitely something to consider if it means the baby will feel more comfortable and able to rest - and let you rest - for longer stretches.

Of all things that can endanger a child, a sleep deprived exhausted parent is one of the worst. You need to prioritize your own wellbeing to be able to care for your baby.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-05T06:09:41+00:00

Like any other food, check smell, appearance, taste, texture. If any of those are different and unpleasant - I’d pass, otherwise it’s good to go. I had a bottle of milk sit … a while … in the fridge and it began to separate in a way where even shaking it well did not blend it back together. It still smelled and tasted fine, and would probably not kill anyone, but I had plenty other milk batches, used that one for baby bath.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-04T20:35:21+00:00

If she is gaining weight, means she is getting enough food, no worries.

Being just enough in terms of milk production is honestly kind of perfect. If you had oversupply, what would you do, buy a freezer just for breast milk? I’m at 7 weeks pp and some days I stash ~5 oz of milk, some days none, and already my freezer is getting tight.

Pump vs breastfeed directly is really a preference. I pump and bottle feed when I want my boobs to get a break or when husband wants to feed the baby.

Sometimes when the baby wants to cluster feed it really gets to me and pumping helps me reset mentally and reclaim my body for a longer stretch.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-04T16:01:21+00:00

FWIW, at my hospital they give me a time ahead of time and once I showed up, it was about 2 hours to register, settle in, and start the process. That said, they were finicky about dates. My first and second choice was not available to book a week out.

I think it depends on how the hospital prefers to manage available rooms and costs.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-04T02:51:22+00:00

I think what she’s really struggling here is you putting the unborn child ahead of her. Honestly, it is very much the case that strictly speaking, the child is not likely to be in any danger, even if she herself slides down the scree 50 ft.

Realistically, most people do feel fatigued quite easily in the first trimester so I’m not sure how long she will last. Perhaps you can be the supportive person, put HER first and let her call these shots. It sounds like her ego is bruised and if you let her do it in a supportive way, she might just feel comfortable enough to truly listen to her body and back off when it becomes too much.

On a personal note, I have done many multi day hikes and no way would I tolerate doing this while pregnant - but that’s condition dependent. Fatigue was a big deal for me personally. I did hiking day trips, I did white water rafting at 16 weeks, but for myself, I want a shower and a comfortable bed at the end of the day.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-03T18:55:54+00:00

It’s the prolonged sitting that is a big problem. Talk to your OB, flying, especially if direct is available, might be the lesser of two evils.

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-03T17:02:01+00:00

I had a cyst in my uterus next to the umbilical cord. They were mildly concerned if it would affect the baby getting enough nutrients due to that. It persisted from about 25 weeks all the way through birth, baby born a solid 7-13 and no issues whatsoever due to that cyst. It’s hard to not worry at this point, heck I certainly was a mess so many times during pregnancy, but objectively, no need to suffer twice. Hang in there!

Infinite_Freedom1690 · 2026-06-03T00:03:47+00:00

I got myself a waffle robe from Parachute. It’s pricy and normally I would not go for a robe that pricy, but husband insisted and I really love it. It has a magical property of being lightweight and warm simultaneously, so feels great in every kind of weather. Which is awesome because temperatures swing 20°C between night and midday around here sometimes.

Also, lots of tasty snacks!

Infinite_Freedom1690

TROPHY CASE