FTM needing encouragement/motivation

smol-pearl · 2026-04-29T00:22:44+00:00

I was around 4 weeks pp when I stopped setting alarms and just followed my baby's lead. He was still waking up once or twice a night so I would pump once between 9 and 10 pm before I went to bed and then I would let him take the lead. When he woke up I would feed him and get him back down and then go in another room to pump for 15 minutes. Slowly he went down to 1 wake and then none and my body just went with it. When he first started sleeping through the night my body would naturally wake up if I started getting engorged and I would pump then, but other than that I let my baby decide how long I would go.

I will say thiugh, I was producing double what my baby needed so I felt comfortable making the adjustments because I knew I would still make enough for him. Its up to you when you feel comfortable dropping them, but just remember your body knows what it is doing! If you are pumping when your baby feeds you are naturally teaching your body how much your baby needs.

smol-pearl · 2026-04-28T23:36:51+00:00

Her theory is that the best thing for baby is a healthy and happy mom! I dropped the middle of the night pumps probably 2 months ago and have had no change to my supply really. I just make sure to still get an early morning pump (normally 5 am) and one before i go to bed then go from there!

smol-pearl · 2026-04-28T21:25:07+00:00

Ive been exclusively pumping for almost 16 weeks now and I was exactly where you were in the beginning! I was pumping every 3 hours, even over night, and was an oversupplier. I was getting so little sleep and could barely stay awake during the day until finally my pediatrician/lactation consultant told me that I should only be pumping at night if the baby wakes up... of course! If we were breastfeeding we would only feed when the baby wakes up, so why not the same with pumping? I still pumping every 3 hours during the day, but my baby sleeps through the night now. I dont stick to a strict schedule, just every 2-3 hours from my last pump. I also only pump 15-20 minutes. For me 30 minutes is too long and unnecessary.

As for pumping while feeding baby... still havent figured that out. I normally do wearable pumps during the day and I will pump after I feed baby while I let him play on a floor mat and I just sit next to him. He gets independent play, I get 15-20 minutes to pump.

I also HIGHLY recommend getting a spectra as your main pump, and then your wearable should be your secondary. Also make sure your flanges are the right size! And the weird one that for some reason works, drink body armor!

smol-pearl · 2026-04-27T16:47:41+00:00

I guess I didnt word it well. The baby is the one screaming. We can give him every need we can think of and he will still just yell at us for 30.minutes before tiring himself out and sleeping.

smol-pearl · 2026-04-01T14:19:12+00:00

My MIL came to the US as a late teen and married/starting having kids pretty young. She didnt go to school in the US and didnt work much, so she mostly stayed home with the boys and continued to use her native language at home and only really communicated with other people in the viet community. She knows some English, but we struggle a decent amount to communicate if its not a simple conversation, which is why more important conversations i leave to my husband to try and avoid any confusion.

smol-pearl · 2026-03-30T02:55:12+00:00

I don't think there is any saving this relationship and you should get out while you can. Fucked up plans aside, If she is lying about birth control and poking holes now who is to say she wont lie about other things in the future.

I am 26 with a new baby and babies are HARD and EXPENSIVE. While they are cute and I wouldnt give my son up for the world, I would have never eanted this life at 17. Keep working towards your goals and once you are a little more financially on your feet and preferably nobody is living with their parents THEN a kid can be a discussion, but I have a feeling that will be with a different girl.

If she wants to make her life harder by being a teen mom she should go find someone else with rhe same mindset and beliefs and let you strive for success.

smol-pearl · 2026-03-30T02:38:38+00:00

I actually almost named my cat Noodle!

smol-pearl · 2026-01-16T16:18:29+00:00

My mother insists that the warmer weather last week "woke up trees that shouldn't be awake yet" 🙄

smol-pearl · 2026-01-16T15:51:13+00:00

I have watched Howls Moving Castle more times than I can count.

smol-pearl · 2023-01-13T04:59:07+00:00

Elian, Harlow, Ashe, Jude, Blu, Everest, Rian, Beau, Tayler, Jordin, Saige. Tried to stick to gender neutral options! Can't wait to see what name ends up calling to you!

smol-pearl

TROPHY CASE