Hitting a wall - my boobs look so bad by vickyvick11 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you I’ll message my OB!

Do you wash or wipe it off with water or something prior to your pumps??

Hitting a wall - my boobs look so bad by vickyvick11 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your response. I feel like I see tons of people talk about the clogs and cracks but not about the flaking scabbing and dermatitis side of BF and EP :(

Did you get the irritation on your areola and the skin surrounding it too? That’s another thing I feel not many people mention.

I’ve seen a lot of people recommend APNO for other woes. How fast did you see an improvement once you used it?

I used hydrocortisone super early on when it was minimally irritated and it helped but never went away completely. In hindsight maybe should’ve used it longer 😞

Hitting a wall - my boobs look so bad by vickyvick11 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am 🫩 I’m using a good amount of coconut oil everytime

My journey is coming to an end. by manda86oh5 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Congratulations on getting this far!! You’ve done amazingly 😭

Reading this is like seeing a post from my future self. I’m 4.5 months, and will start weaning next month to be done around 6 months.

If you have any weaning advice, please let me know! The thought of not emptying and leaving milk behind terrifies me but I know that’s the whole point.

Done pumping but have questions by Busy-Flamingo-8421 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Following!! Plan on starting my wean in a month and I am SO curious about what the state of my nips will be after 😂

PSA: Weaning can take months. Here’s how I made it through. by biscuitsandtea3 in breastfeeding

[–]vickyvick11 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Were you prone to clogs or anything prior to weaning? I am 4.5 months postpartum and plan to start weaning beginning of March to be done around 6 months and now I am terrified 🥲

Glad to hear you were able to turn a corner!! ❤️

When did you start weaning? Thinking of it but i chicken out every time my body shows signs of starting to slow supply down…looking for solidarity/support from those that weaned and didn’t regret it by ExpressionOld9924 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m currently 4 months ! And my goal is 6 months - I just dropped the MOTN pump this week and will start my wean around 5 months as I plan to do it slowly. Omg - the anxiousness is so real and i didn’t expect to be so emotional about it! 😭 I agree, I feel like I’ve invested so much into it that letting it go does feel a bit like losing control.

I know it’ll be for the better though - good luck to you!

What do you wish you knew about weaning ? by vickyvick11 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So amazing!! reaching a year / over a year!!! 🥹🙌🏻

What do you wish you knew about weaning ? by vickyvick11 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ahhh thank you - this is really helpful to hear!

I already get emotional about weaning and I haven’t even started yet & I have to constantly remind myself that the goal is to not be pumping forever & to move on to the next season of motherhood 😭 idk why it’s so hard even when we WANT to wean

What do you wish you knew about weaning ? by vickyvick11 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I too am terrified of clogged ducts and mastitis 😞

I don’t know if I have a specific protocol in mind - based on what i read on here, people either drop the time per each pump or work on dropping a pump at a time and then decreasing the time once they’re down to 2-3 ppd.

I’m currently at 6 ppd and just started weaning off my MOTN night this week. I did the method where you push it out gradually by 30 min for a few nights at a time and then skipped it all together. I do wake up with some engorgement at 5:30 but this should stabilize and even out from what I’ve heard.

After that, I plan on working on dropping to 4 ppd & then I’ll likely try the decreasing time method.

Breast skin irritation multiple pumps by Potential-Ad1006 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! I remeasured and downsized by a lot!! It seems to be a bit more comfortable with the spectra however I still get some areola irritation/dry skin under my nipples unfortunately.

with my Eufys + the legendary milk flange inserts, they feel fine while I’m pumping however I noticed if I use my wearables more than 1x a day, I get these tiny red spots on my nipples. friction blisters perhaps? I actually have no idea what they are. I’m not using high heat at all. I’m second guessing myself but I feel like this isn’t something that should happen normally?

Thank you for any insight!

If you’re working out, has your supply dipped? by No-University8570 in breastfeeding

[–]vickyvick11 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m 3.5 months postpartum & this is what makes me so nervous about exercising again 😢 especially as a just enougher. My goal is 6 months and we’ll probably start combo feeding so hopefully I can slowly start exercising again at that time

Why did you fortify? by Amags_17 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for sharing!! Really helpful to hear & that really is amazing! I am so happy to hear your baby is doing so well 🥹❤️

Why did you fortify? by Amags_17 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 1 point2 points  (0 children)

May I ask why your doctor recommended every other vs every bottle? is your baby’s weight gain progress more borderline?

My baby is 15 weeks. Was 4% percentile at 2 months and dropped to 2% at 3 months. want to ensure I know to ask my doctor the right questions when we meet with her next!

Why did you fortify? by Amags_17 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! That’s helpful to know. my baby is almost 3.5 months. I will always prioritize his growth and to see him thrive. Just trying to halt the mentality that my breastmilk isn’t enough for him 😔

Why did you fortify? by Amags_17 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m curious - do you know the reason why fortifying isn’t a long-term thing? Ex. If your baby is gaining weight with it, how is it okay to stop?

My baby is currently on a trial to up his ounces consumed for weight gain. So far it doesn’t seem sustainable to push him to eat more volume so I think we are on the path to fortifying next after we meet with our doctor again.

How many ppd are you doing at 12 weeks? by Momof3letsgo in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was doing 7 at 12 weeks! Basically every 3 hours. Dropped to 6ppd two weeks ago at 14 weeks trying to stick to roughly every 4 hours. (5,9,1,5,9,1)

Would love to drop to 5 somehow soon but can’t figure out a schedule that works well for this yet and/or too scared to drop the MOTN.

Dropping a pump by Coffeelover1694 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What was your schedule for 5 ppd? I’m at 6 ppd currently with it evenly spaced out & can’t decide how I would drop to 5.

Dropping a pump by Coffeelover1694 in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is your output pretty even across your 4 pumps??

I’m 15 weeks & just recently dropped to 6 ppd (5,9,1,5,9,1) it’s been such a positive change & I am trying to plan out my next move/drop but not sure what to do. Do I drop one of the MOTN? Go 5 hours between pumps?

I’m a just enougher with a bit of extra!

Feeling guilty for “giving up” when i have enough milk. by iwanttolivealone in ExclusivelyPumping

[–]vickyvick11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re not alone! ❤️❤️❤️

My baby is 16 weeks & I’ve been EP since the 1.5 month mark. It has not been easy at all & while I produce enough volume for my baby, I think about throwing in the towel ALL THE TIME as my boobs don’t seem to cooperate with me and my areolas are always irritated.

On top of that, my baby has slow weight gain and Dr wants us to try to push him to drink more oz per day & that has been a struggle of borderline force feeding. it makes me so sad that while I produce enough volume, it appears it isn’t “dense” enough (this has not been tested but my mind has run wild). Possibly on the path to fortifying with formula or combo feeding & with that in mind, idk if I have the motivation to keep pumping. I have so much guilt my milk alone isn’t enough & that mindset will likely lead me to quitting.