Lots of pumping questions for a newbie

I want to pump this time around and I'm really not sure how I incorporate it with BF.

1. When do you pump if your BFing?

2. Is it easier to pump into storage bags or into bottles?

3. I've heard that you may only pump 1 to 2 oz at a time. Can you consolidate? If so, do you pump into the same storage bag or mix when you put in a bottle? Or should you just pump into bottles then put into storage bags.

Sorry if these are silly questions, I'm just not really sure how to do this. Thank you in advance!

Re: Lots of pumping questions for a newbie

1. When do you pump if your BFing? I pump after the first morning feeding, you have the most milk in the morning. I get anywhere between 4 & 7 oz AFTER I feed DD

2. Is it easier to pump into storage bags or into bottles? While I was on maternity I pumped right into bags so I could freeze them. Now that I am back to work FT I pump into bottles since the baby will need them for the next day.

3. I've heard that you may only pump 1 to 2 oz at a time. Can you consolidate? If so, do you pump into the same storage bag or mix when you put in a bottle? Or should you just pump into bottles then put into storage bags. Yes - you can combine milk from different pumping sessions, even different days. You can also mix fresh and frozen together.

Re: Lots of pumping questions for a newbie

So you only pump 1x per day?

Re: Lots of pumping questions for a newbie

I never got more than 3oz (replacing a feeding session) - I was a poor pumper..so yes, I combined to make a full bottle or froze in 4oz quantities

Re: Lots of pumping questions for a newbie

1. When do you pump if you're BFing?

I used to pump only when I had a long time between feedings. Like after I put her down to bed at night. Or if she had her fill after only taking from one side and DH was home to keep her company, I'd pump the other side. I didn't pump at all the first 3 weeks. It wasn't necessary (I wasn't going anywhere alone for that long!) and there was really no time.

2. Is it easier to pump into storage bags or into bottles?

Ugh, I hate those stupid bags. I always spill from them when I pump. I really prefer the bottles. Buy an extra set of the Medela bottles so you'll have 6 to work with.

3. I've heard that you may only pump 1 to 2 oz at a time. Can you consolidate? Sure you can consolidate. You can add fresh milk to refrigerated milk with no problem. But remember that you go by the date of the older milk. So if you pump on Thursday and add it to a bottle from Monday, you treat the new bigger bottle as a "Monday" bottle. You can add fresh milk to frozen too. Just:
1) refrigerate it first until it's cold; and
2) make sure that you're adding less milk than is already frozen in the container. So you can add 3 oz. fresh to 5 oz. frozen, but you couldn't add 6 oz. fresh to 5 oz. frozen.

You'll find that you get radically different amounts of milk at different times of day. I used to get like 2 oz. at 6 PM but if I pumped at noon, I'd get 8 oz. Experiment until you find the most productive time for you.

Re: Lots of pumping questions for a newbie

1. In the beginning, I would pump in the morning and after almost every feeding to build my supply ( very tiring ). Now i pump, once in the morning, once during the day and right before bed. Always after he eats.


2.I never pump into bags. I like pump into medela bottles and then transfer to bags.

3. I totally combinemilks from different sessions of a 24 hour period if i produce less than 6 ounces per session. I put away 4, 6 ounce bags a day.

Re: Lots of pumping questions for a newbie

1. When do you pump if your BFing?
i pumped every morning after DD's first feeding. now that she is older (11 momths) i pump every other day, just because she doesnt drink quite as much milk so i dont need a huge stockpile.

2. Is it easier to pump into storage bags or into bottles?
i found the bags to be annoying and bought an extra set of medela bottles. again, i never had a huge freezer full of BM because i am home with her and go out infrequently. people who have huge batches in the freezer usually use bags, but people like me who have 10 bottles tops usually use the bottles.

3. I've heard that you may only pump 1 to 2 oz at a time. Can you consolidate? If so, do you pump into the same storage bag or mix when you put in a bottle? Or should you just pump into bottles then put into storage bags.
i sometimes consolidated, sometimes didnt.

Re: Lots of pumping questions for a newbie

1. DS eats very frequently and is a slow eater so I can only pump when he's asleep. If I'm lucky, 3x a day. Sometimes only once.

2. I've never even tried to pump directly into the bags. I'm a klutz, it's just asking for trouble . I pump into the medela bottles and then pour into the bags.

3. You can consolidate. I will put the bottle with what I pumped into the fridge and then add more to it when I pump again and freeze once I get a full bottle. I find I get more from the pump in the morning and very little at the end of the day.

Good luck! It gets easier the more you do it.

Re: Lots of pumping questions for a newbie