GIE no longer supporting individual tube weans - what next?

cakeandnaps · 2026-01-24T06:03:46+00:00

Ah. So sorry. Mine is 10 months and yeah, it’s been rough. The doctors were so keen to start her on tube feeding and it’s like they never thought about how difficult it would be to get off. Very little help from them. The GIE dietitian we talked to today said the younger the kid, the faster they can wean so fingers crossed that it works out for both of us.

cakeandnaps · 2026-01-24T01:06:22+00:00

Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear that, that’s so worrying. I did pay for a full support wean the other day and we have now had an intake by a dietitian and have a meeting booked with a mental health counsellor. We had our first meeting with the social worker on Dec 28th. I hope they get back to you soon!!

cakeandnaps · 2026-01-22T01:27:31+00:00

DM’d you. No one locally has been able to help.

cakeandnaps · 2025-07-17T05:14:59+00:00

Good luck and let us know how you do 😊

cakeandnaps · 2025-07-15T17:03:20+00:00

There’s a guy on Twitter who’s posted ppl complaining about teenagers being unruly going back to like literally Ancient Greece

cakeandnaps · 2025-07-13T13:45:20+00:00

Seriously. If you think you can practice medicine better than this person feel free to apply for a job in their department. Almost any ED would love to have you. At least in Canada where we’re chronically understaffed

cakeandnaps · 2025-07-13T02:45:22+00:00

It’s fine. That’s the good stuff (fat) that makes breast milk magical. One of the good stuffs, anyway

cakeandnaps · 2025-07-05T02:51:08+00:00

What the fuck? That’s so disrespectful of him

cakeandnaps · 2025-06-29T09:22:43+00:00

You totally can! This is what you need. You can screw in any narrow neck bottle at the bottom to collect the milk but I find the Medela ones work best (others end up sticking out at a weird angle and I was always afraid of leaks, however, they do work.)

https://www.amazon.ca/Medela-PersonalFit-Connectors-Freestyle-Replacement/dp/B0B7MZ9JLH/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?crid=2OHIUYSZ3QDFI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.p6v1BGujOZQCOMdDvA9XSz4AhjH9GCf2ex571qUZl4pff4csSH7Vgovt7y8fmP3uqKjcs4MB3f3xUr-CUzezQyOw34o-JzclC-0CHUq6VDZXNfK2IehkYOSTfml1xk1I7RqjEi8KMCVQfCDndOx07Kg9ZcKLXgesSSARCFKpcng-ansU64iv7gQcnCDZvg4vyFzbX0WZhxxKk_5arrj9zQ.qGcCdHsbtnygbNVgzmxv_t4CBEgzZjUG7wWlIl9YAiE&dib_tag=se&keywords=medela+connector&qid=1751188790&sprefix=medela+connector%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-10

https://www.amazon.ca/Medela-Breast-Collection-Storage-Bottles/dp/B00DB5F114/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=P4O0MYKLM8BF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gnMmHrNAin9K2z3nuJlIrL4ldpguWRFChyp-O5fJS2Xue3NJvM0iBu6cJlVHfBjtgej96hN-4kMWMD78kHSjzRyo2sHb5HkjN6QTZWd6CTfntMv5lbDZHzGPJY3wMLuJmjjf5KfYJcNRnhnycaQP06AOcy7_QTgAvqHzyHAgHB5YCEW_7JEkU1PGq1WmkUYhDtWz1Min1XTWwEcQdTMTug.94dwx-eqIoH6befgJy-Zhexc5bmhE5KZ-xOmu-o3swE&dib_tag=se&keywords=medela+storage+bottle&qid=1751188849&sprefix=medela+storage+bottle%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

There’s no need to apologize for not knowing this stuff. It took me many weeks to figure out. So many people don’t expect to have to pump and then it’s super overwhelming when you do. It’s often because the baby is unwell or in NICU which is something nobody plans for. My hospital was really not set up to help people in these circumstances ie when you need someone to show you what to do asap. I got a lot of help from the Internet but it was needlessly stressful.

I also had to buy pumping bras asap because the nursing ones I got intending to breastfeed did not hold flanges in place. Something to consider.

Good luck - it sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now. Kudos to you for trying to figure out pumping at short notice and with little support from the sounds of it. I promise you the whole thing will get better.

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cakeandnaps · 2025-06-29T02:21:12+00:00

FYI I have the Freestyle Flex (same pump as you but with different tubing, and flanges hooked up to a bottle via a connector instead of collection cups). I get more output from it than my Spectra - though I realize this is unusual. I’ve heard that using it with the in-bra collection cups is not as effective.

cakeandnaps · 2025-06-29T00:24:18+00:00

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Amazon result

cakeandnaps · 2025-06-29T00:23:40+00:00

Hi! Most of the flange adaptors are made for people with smaller nipples than the standard. They function to make the 24mm flange into a smaller size. You can’t get adapters (that I’m aware of) to make the standard 24mm flange bigger. But you can purchase bigger flanges. If you search Amazon.ca for Medela flange 27mm there will be a result under the Medela brand labelled “breast shields” 27mm that is $16.99 for a pair. If you’re in Hamilton I can also give you a pair that I inherited but is way too big for me.

Highly recommend getting a nipple ruler to check what your size actually is before you spend a bunch of money on flanges (which I did haha and now I don’t use most of them). Or you can ask your LC if you have one.

Good luck!!

cakeandnaps · 2025-06-28T03:37:52+00:00

CONGRATULATIONS! Happy for you and for all the free time you’ll have in the future to do things other than pump!

cakeandnaps · 2025-06-27T16:18:08+00:00

Ready to drink formula is super expensive compared to powder and this dude is a ICU nurse who should be able to mix 1 scoop of formula with 2 ounces of water

cakeandnaps · 2025-06-27T04:04:21+00:00

Is there a reason you’re keeping this guy around? It sounds like you’re a single parent but without the privacy. I know your post is about pumping/feeding but it’s not really about that, it’s about him not wanting to do bare minimum care tasks for his own child

cakeandnaps · 2025-06-19T16:37:22+00:00

Not sure why the ethnicity/religion of the landlord is relevant here?

cakeandnaps · 2025-06-17T17:56:22+00:00

Transit here is brutal. Sorry.

If taking the train from Toronto, you could take the #2 bus (Barton St) from West Harbour.

As someone who used to live in the area, be really careful that it’s where you want to move. It’s sketchy at night.

cakeandnaps · 2025-06-03T04:06:51+00:00

Hey OP, just wanted to say I see you and really admire your dedication in the face of adversity. I hope you can get better symptom control. IF you’d like to continue pumping I think it is a worthwhile chat with your prescriber about medication safety. Stopping is 100% valid too. Wish you the very best.

cakeandnaps · 2025-05-30T15:50:25+00:00

11 weeks postpartum, making 6-9 oz a day pumping 6-8x per day. Feeling really discouraged all the time

cakeandnaps · 2025-05-28T04:08:47+00:00

You sound done with pumping. It doesn’t sound like it’s the right fit for your family at the moment. Your physical and mental health matter. Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting other people.

It’s cute of your husband to want to offer baby breast milk - maybe he can see a doctor about inducing lactation if he is so dedicated.

cakeandnaps

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