weaning off bottle/exclusive pumping? -update 8/12

[km1317]

nipple sheids were a life saver for me the first few weeks until i went to pumping!

[kara]

Agreeing with km1317! Nipple shields were a life saver for us. It may feel more like a bottle, and allows the flow to be a bit faster. If you an transition from the bottle to the shield, then you can work on getting rid of the shield. Avery used one because her mouth was just too tiny, but also because she didn't have to work quite as hard with it. I could only manage to pump for two months before I had an emotional breakdown about not being able to keep enough supply.

Exclusive pumping is REALLY, REALLY hard, especially if your supply isn't great anyway. The nipple shields can be purchased at T*rget near the breast pump accessories and breast pads.

[jmom08]

I'm exclusively pumping 10x/day now, and pumped 50% of intake with DS#1 for 13 months. Both had latch issues, I'm about to go to a 2nd lactation consultant for another opinion. My two cents are (a) fenugreek can have side effects, it gave DS#1 and me tummy trouble (I wished someone had given us a heads up before we spent days figuring out what was wrong!), and (b) I found the hospital pump way better for keeping up my supply than the purchase pump. I seem to have really sensitive supply in general (dropped 30% when I had mastitis this time, and was up and down last time every time I took advil, missed a pumping, etc.), and I think others are fine with the store bought kind, but I found the symphony much more effective & gentler.

Good luck, I hope switching works out for you (I am hoping I might be able to do the same!).

[jenmatt1]

I would use some that I pumped in a bottle for about 1st 2 ounces because she would not be able to concentrate trying to get the nipple. It took me about a month for her to get the hang of it, then she seemed to take breast fine. I went back to work at 9 weeks, so from that point on she had bottles during the day and from the breast while I was home. Once she had a little in her belly, she calmed down and breastfeeding was easier. I also asked for helped from the NIC unit Lacation Consultant at my hospital and she was very helpful. My daughter was not comfortable in the normal breastfeeding hold so we tried some other positions for her and both me & her were more comfortable with those and it helped her feed. At about 7 months, she decided she only wanted to bottle and I was still able to pump enough without supplementing for a few more months. I found that adding an extra pumping or two during the day helped increase my milk supply at the beginning

[kbunsey]

Hey Rosalinda. Did you go see a Lactation Consultant? I found a GREAT one who ran a breastfeeding support group and that was what kept me going!