r/HumansPumpingMilk

I am a FTM who is exclusively pumping. My baby is 4.5 weeks old and her wake windows/sleep schedule/feeding schedule are starting to shift. Up until her 4 week mark, she was pretty much on an exclusive 2.5-3 hour sleep/feed cycle. She has always been a heavy sleeper and we have almost always had to wake her up to feed. It was easy to plan pumping while she was sleeping. Since her weight gain has been good, our pediatrition is now telling us that it is safe to let her sleep/eat/and stay awake on her own schedule instead of waking her up and basically forcing her to eat. While I love this (because it might mean we get to sleep longer at night and I HATE forcing her to eat) it is also making it incredibly difficult to pump since this also means her wake windows are much longer and it overlaps with my pumping schedule. I purchased a Eufy S1 wearable pump last week so I can wear it while taking care of my baby, but it still is not the easiest to hold/play/change her, let alone make myself a hot meal. I am also worried that it will end up tanking my supply if I use them too much.

I am working so hard to establish my supply. I am currently pumping about 33% more than what she needs daily so I can build a small freezer stash and I would hate to ruin it by using the wearable too much or not being able to pump so often.

I'd love and appreciate any advice on this! I really don't want to have to give up pumping becuase I can't figure out how to take care of my baby (let alone feed myself) while pumping at the same time!

For some extra information, I pump 6x per day (5x between 7am and 8pm and once between 1am and 3am). I have been wearing my wearables for my MOTN and first morning pump, and then using a spectra 1 (blue) in the evening when my husband comes home from work and I can sit and massage my breasts while pumping to prevent clogged ducts. The other daily pumps depends on if my baby is sleeping or not (if awake, I will wear my Eufy).

I’ve had issues with supply since day one pp. I got induced 42 weeks pregnant on 4/28 and had a very normal and straight forward labor experience but once transferred to postpartum area it was a nightmare. I spent time with the lactation consultant and decided to breast feed in hospital to get supply going and pump at home so I would have milk for when I return to work or need rest for my partner to feed with-and only got baby to latch with a nipple shield. Once lactation consultant left nurses were coming in every hour for 2 days straight asking if she’d eaten yet waking us both up constantly, unswaddling her every time so she because frustrated and tired and wouldn’t latch anymore. Anytime I’d almost get her to latch or had her latch with nipple shield the nurses would come in and flip her around in a bunch of different holds trying to “teach me more ways to feed” which frustrated her more. So she lost weight and at her first appointment 3 days pp they had me supplement formula. By 4 days pp I had entirely no sleep between the nurses keeping me awake in the hospital then first 2 days home trying to breast feed with no supply. By day 5 I started pumping with my hand pump and was getting 1 oz combined her session but day 6-7 my supply completely tanked to a few ml each. Then by day 10-12 it was barely drops. I was using both my spectra and hand pump and trying to get her to latch and still my supply completely tanked. Day 12 I got the eufy wearable pumps and now at 14 days postpartum I’m getting almost an ounce combined after a day of pumping, which is more than just drops combined but still discouraging. I’ve been supplementing formula while I try to fix my supply and make a small stash so my partner can feed while I rest and she can gain weight. So I’m pumping through the day, getting more rest now, and eating/ hydrating properly but my supply is still so incredibly low. I know fed is best but it breaks my heart my body can’t produce for her, especially when I’ve invested so much financially in pumps, coolers, and other pumping supplies. not sure when to give up or what to do at all. I don’t want to have to meet with another lactation consultant because my insurance won’t cover it outside of the hospital and I get unpaid maternity leave so things are already tight as is.

My baby was born premature by two months on January 31. When he was in the NICU for 5 weeks I tried keeping a steady schedule for pumping but since being home I haven't stuck to that since he nurses whenever for comfort. He drinks anywhere from 4-8 of per feeding. I barely make 40ml for both boobs combined in one pumping session.

Should I just stop? I'm pretty much only averaging 1 bottle of breast milk per day plus comfort nursing. Everything else in formula.

What am I doing wrong? Is this the maximum my body can produce? It's disheartening.

I’ve been unable to directly breastfeed since my baby was born six weeks ago. The birth was exhausting and traumatic and I had health problems afterwards. I started pumping to maintain supply so that I could hopefully start breastfeeding eventually. The latch hasn’t really happened yet, which is another story, and I am pumping six times a day and getting about 50 ml per session.

I am now reasonably sure the latch won’t ever happen. So the main reason to pump is now only to provide some portion of my babies diet in breast milk. Pumping six times a day to provide such a relatively small proportion of his intake (about a third) seems like a lot of work for not much benefit. I pump three times from evening through the small hours and I find these sessions particularly difficult In terms of sleep lost in order to pump, especially the one at the end of the night before I go to bed because it delays me being able to sleep. I haven’t found a good way of caring for the baby and pumping at the same time so the pumps only really take place when my partner is caring for the baby or I have put him down to sleep.

Does anyone have any wisdom? Is this small portion of breastmilk actually benefiting the baby? Did anyone else have a similar situation and find a sustainable way forwards?

Edit to add: I use a Minbie pump, for about 20 minutes each time. I’ve tried a Spectra and manual pump too, it didn’t really give much different amounts.

I finally have a decent freezer stash (only took 3 months of power pumping lol) and just realized i have no real system for thawing it. Warm water bowl takes forever and baby is SCREAMING while i wait. do you guys thaw in the fridge overnight then warm? or is there a breast milk warmer that goes straight from frozen to ready? honestly just need something fast because the current situation is not working

I am a first time mom and recently started a new job and I am going on my first work trip in less than a month. How do you all manage pumping when traveling? Any products that make it a lot easier?

This is my current plan, but would love ANY advice to make this go smoother, and any tips on how to transport all the milk and keep it cold for my flight back…

——

I will have 8 hour travel days there and back and then am attending a 3 day tradeshow where I will have to be at our booth all day (from 9/10am-6pm two of the days).

I’m thinking I will bring just my portable pump (Elvie Stride) and a really small manual pump as a backup.

When I’m at the office for the day I normally do the fridge hack with my portable pump in between uses and I have a momcozy milk cooler for the milk since that keeps it cold 24 hours. But since I’ll have no fridge at the Tradeshow do I just bring a small cooler that can fit ice packs and the pump cups? I think that’s kind of the only option since I don’t really want to wash the pump in between in the Tradeshow sink…I’d rather just wash them when I get back to my hotel room.

For at the hotel - I can ask for a mini fridge for the room to store the milk from each day. Thinking I’ll put it into baggies and bring bigger gallon ziplocks to put those in.

But then what do I do at the end of the trip when I have a bunch of baggies of milk and need to get them home? Just bring a large cooler and see if the hotel can freeze a lot of ice packs? How many ice packs do I need to get it safely home after a whole day of flying..?
I guess I could ask the hotel to store the bags in a freezer so they could keep themselves cold on the trip back, but that kind of makes me nervous leaving my milk that I will feed my child in a hotel freezer…

Help!

I 9 weeks pp and exclusively pump. I’ve had mastitis once and get clogged ducts frequently and usually able to clear them easily. But I’ve had one close to the Areola for going on 4 weeks and it seems to be getting bigger and harder, at this point I’m not even sure it’s a clog. I have no signs of infection, it’s not painful just discomfort especially when touched or baby is being held on that side. I’m using ice after most sessions and red light at least twice a day, I’ve tried gentle massage but it’s so hard a big it just feels like I’m massaging a rock and getting no where. I called my ob and the nurse just told me the basic, heat ice and massage. I was interested in trying ultrasound therapy but because I’m unsure if it’s a clog since I’ve had it for so long without infection I really wanted my dr to evaluate before spending the money on US Therapy. Would a pcp be helpful or should I just keep trying my ob or try lactation? Or is there any at home remedies I haven’t tried? I’m also taking sunflower lecithin 3-4 times a day

3:10am pump again, baby slept but I didn’t. I’m EP with a larger chest, and flange fit has been the hardest part. Last time I pumped too aggressively and spiked my supply, then spent weeks bringing it back down, so now I’m pumping regularly but trying to stay stable.
Over the past month I rotated eufy wearable, Momcozy M5, Elvie Stride, and Willow Go. I logged 5-6 pumps a day, usually 18-22 mins, mostly at home plus 1-2 car pickup sessions. Been switching between 17/19/21 mm inserts because sizing varies a lot by brand.
For me, fit and pressure pattern mattered more than raw suction. Some pumps emptied fast but caused swelling after a few days, others felt gentler but left me a little full by evening. With larger breasts, bra support and cup shape changed output more than expected, sometimes by about 0.8 oz in the same session.
eufy Breast Pump S1 Pro: Best overall comfort-to-output balance in my case. It felt stable when walking around, and I got consistent sessions without needing to restart positioning every few mins. I could keep settings lower and still get decent emptying, which helped me not chase a supply spike. Only small downside for me is the app sometimes takes an extra moment to reconnect, not a huge deal but mildly annoying when I’m in a rush.
Momcozy M5: Strong pull for me and good value, but I had more “hit or miss” sessions when I was even slightly off-center. I know a lot of moms love it tho. On my body it worked great on some days, then kinda annoying on others.
Elvie Stride: Most discreet shape under clothes for me, plus quieter in meetings. Downside was I needed a bit longer to feel fully empty, so if I was rushing it wasn’t ideal.
Willow Go: Solid output when dialed in, but heavier feel during longer sessions. I could make it work, just not my favorite for back-to-back daytime pumps.
Right now I lean eufy for daily EP, with Stride as backup when I need more discretion. It may not be best for everyone, but it matched my body, routine, and oversupply history. If you are larger-busted and trying to avoid supply spikes, what pump and flange combo worked best for you?

I know fenugreek can either increase OR decrease supply depending on the person, so this is obviously just my experience.
But I started drinking Mother’s Milk Tea 2 days ago and my pumping output has noticeably increased already. I genuinely didn’t expect it to help this much.

Posting this in case it helps another stressed out pumping/breastfeeding mom because low supply anxiety is honestly exhausting 😭

My LO is 11 weeks today, been EP since the beginning. I’ve always had just enough, maybe one or two feedings ahead. But since her demand has increased, am constantly trying to catch up with every pump. Am trying to increase pump frequency, and try everything I can( with what to eat, drink etc)
Am thinking of supplementing formula, and wondering how to ? Do I mix it in the same bottle? Do one or two formula feedings alone?
What has worked for you? And what brand of formula has worked for you best?

I have a 3 week old at home. Been having reoccurring mastitis in both breasts for 2 weeks now. After spiking a high fever + chills + pain, my OB put me on oral antibiotics; however by day 3 I started having fever, chills, pain again so I went to the ER and was put on 3 different IV antibiotics. Currently hospitalized going on day 4. My labs are looking better, ultrasound showed no abscess, but my breast is still quite red with hard lumps and ridges on my underboob (although there is slight improvement in color and swelling, since I was admitted). I’ve been pumping every two-ish hours (took a break from breastfeeding as she wasn’t latching and may have triggered the mastitis). Doctors are concerned that it could turn into an abscess and/or I’m not getting better fast enough.

Has anyone been on IV antibiotics and gotten better but still had redness and swelling and lumps in their breast ? Has anyone had an abscess appear later, after their course of IV antibiotics? Please share your experiences. I feel very vulnerable and alone hospitalized being away from my newborn :(.

I’m struggling hard with nipple sizing for my Dr Browns bottles. My baby (born 34+4, now 4 1/2 months actual) had a lip and tongue tie revised 2 months ago. He had a poor latch at breast and bottle and I’ve seen some minor improvements. He is now exclusively bottle fed.

Before the revision I had been using the T nipple and it was taking him 45 mins-1 hour to drink a 4 oz bottle. After the revision he would take ~30 mins to drink a full bottle but was getting frustrated with the T nipple and would pull away and cry. I upped it to the size 1 nipple but I can hear him gulping and coughing. I pace the feed but he will still gulp and cough occasionally.

Any advice on which nipple to use? I’m also ordering lansinoh bottles to try but looking for advice in the meantime.

I’m 3 1/2 mpp, I have a Medela hand pump, a Eufy E10, a Medela Symphony and Harmony kit that I can rent the electric pump to use with (but renting is pretty expensive) I have a Medela Pump In Style Pro with MaxFlow coming in this week, and I’m PRAYING my insurance accepts the coverage for the Spectra S1 so it will come in next week. I barely make 1 ml a day, yes 1 MILLILITER. My baby is in the NICU because she was born prematurely and I used to pump at home and bring in the milk I made for her and the nurses will feed it to her, but now I can’t even make enough to give to her. because of all the stress, having her prematurely, and a lot of home issues I ended up completely forgetting to pump for 24 hours, as soon as I remembered I started pumping but since then I haven’t been able to make nearly as much as i used to. I used to even oversupply. I feel like such a failure and like I let her down. Im 19, my mom has been passed since I was a child and I have no mother figures, figuring this out alone is really hard and I feel like I’m an awful parent. It’s so hard to even remember to pump with how fried my brain feels and not having my baby at home to have that on demand need of milk. Any tips on boosting my production A LOT? Or on how to remember to pump? Or did I just completely fail? Am I not able to produce enough anymore? I don’t honestly have a lot of money so getting pump pieces and parts are so hard but I have the correct flanges, and I’m doing my absolute best to do everything I can but I feel like I’m not doing enough

My kids and I are going on a 3 week long beach trip soon. I pretty much exclusively pump for my 9 month old; I nurse like once a day for connection and comfort. I wear my portable pumps a lot of the day as it takes back to back pumps to meet my baby’s needs. I plan to have my portable pumps with me on the beach and have bathing suits and cover ups that can accommodate as best as possible. I of course want to enjoy beach time and not be stressed about pumping, but I expect I’ll need to pump on the beach some. I’m stubborn and will do everything I can to meet my goal of breastfeeding for a year, so losing my supply is not an option (which is sensitive and decreases easily).

Anyone have tips for maintaining my temperamental supply while spending hours on the beach/at the pool? I have the Eufy portable pump (any concern with having it out in the heat?) and I have the Spectra Gold wall pump.

I am starting work on Monday. I was trying to figure out how I am supposed to carry everything?? Any bag recommendations or tips how to not bring like 4 bags along with me everyday?

I need one for my lunch, one for holding the pump (spectra S2), bottles, and expressed milk, and a bag for my work stuff. Is there a bag that can fit both my lunch and all the pump stuff?

Also any tips on being in a male dominated field and having to take breaks to pump?

Thanks in advance🫶

**Need a rec for a wearable pump that is easy to hand wash or put in dishwasher AND can be sterilized in the microwave OR a steam sterilizer**

I am looking to donate breast milk to a milk bank. The bank requires I sterilize my pump parts daily because the milk goes to NICU and preterm babies.

However I don't have a lot of time to pump and clean the parts. I also have a toddler so want a wearable pump.

I like the Willow Go but annoyingly it cannot be steam sterilized, only boiled! Too time consuming.

I tried the Eufy wearable, which can go in steam sterilizers, but the big cup part has a lot of tiny nooks that are hard to hand wash and I'm worried it won't clean well in the dishwasher.

Anyone have recommendations for an efficient system?

The last two days my nipples are SCREAMING when I pump. I recently changed flange sizes after using the straight 24mm for my spectra (the lactation person at the hospital measured me and that’s what I was told to use) down to a 19mm. Is there anything I can do for the pain out of the normal things like pain meds? I want to cry every time I pump today because it’s so uncomfortable. I assume it’ll resolve in a few days now that I’m using flanges but in the meantime??

I have the Philips Avent plastic bottles but just recently learned the nipples aren’t good for baby.

I bought some Lansinoh nipples but they only kind of fit on the Avent collars. Has anyone used these and can confirm they won’t leak? And also if the anti colic air vent still works?

I also read some people use the maymom collars but again - can anyone confirm if that will leak? Also the maymom ones don’t appear to have the notch for the air vent system so does that mean baby will get more air?

I want to do right by baby but don’t want to spend more money on things if they won’t work. Any advice is appreciated!

Hi all, first time poster here. Need some real life opinions please! I’m 5 months PP, EP most of the time. I have almost exclusively used my Spectra S1 and Eufy E20, I’ve got great supply form both. However they both send me into literally sensory OVERLOAD. It makes my skin feel like it’s crawling and I literally have to rock my self to self soothe (I keep both on lowest suction & cycle, use legendairy inserts with nipple butter). HOWEVER, I use my Medela Harmony and get the same (if not more output) and do not have this feeling at all while pumping. I feel completely normal!!! 😭🫠

Question is: does anyone know of a hands-free pump that can give me the same experience as my Medela Harmony? Like I’m guessing a lower suction pump? If not I may just use my manual pump exclusively and make sure it’s completely emptying me. I’ve seen recs saying the Pumpables Genie Advance and possibly Medela Freestyle being comparable. Any advice or recommendations is greatly appreciated ✨🍼