about to start pumping- quick question-

hi everyone

i was given a medela Pump In Style Advance pump (some Thing in a backpack) and i just bought the accessory kit with the new shields, valves, membranes and bottles. the tubing i have was given to me.

i used the microwave steam clean bags, and cleaned everything twice.

i hung the tubes to dry them, but there are still a couple of microscopic droplets of water in them.

is it ok to use the tubes with a tiny bit of water in them?

also, the first time i feed the baby in the morning is around 7am- and then again at 11. is it a good idea to pump after the 11am feeding?

and, how often should i pump after that? i plan on sticking my stash in the fridge- going to use it maybe next week starting on monday....

Re: about to start pumping- quick question-

just let the pump run for a few min to get the water "blown" out

in order to increase your supply, I would pump after both maybe (depending on how much you want/need to stash...) since its a supply/demand thing!


good luck!

Re: about to start pumping- quick question-

I would wait until the tubing is completely dry, otherwise water could get sucked into the pump mechanism and cause mold.

I would also pump after the first feeding because you have the most milk in the morning. You can then pump 5-10 min after each feeding, depending on how much of a stash you want to build. Don't get discouraged if you do not get a lot of milk at first...your body needs to adjust to the pump, because the baby is more effective at drawing out milk.

Message edited 5/27/2010 10:48:39 PM.

Re: about to start pumping- quick question-

im kinda freaked put by the idea of using a pump

im only doing it for now cuz next week my parents will be watching the baby ... hopefully it wont be too traumatic for me and i can pump somewhat regularly

is pumping once a day Not a good idea?

Re: about to start pumping- quick question-

You should really pump after every feeding. Even if you only get a small amount, it will increase your production.
As far as the condensation in the tubes, that will happen no matter what. I found the best way to reduce it was to let the machine run for a few minutes with just the tubes attached (all other hardware removed). There will still be a buildup of condensation, but it takes much longer to happen. I pumped exclusively for 7 months and had to replace the hoses twice.

Re: about to start pumping- quick question-

You should pump after the 7 am feeding and then any other time you pump you should make a seperate feeding. Also make sure you pump an extra five minutes on each side after you have emptied the breast this will help stimulate milk supply. You should really freeze your milk BM is only good in the fridge for 10 days. Frozen milk is good for 6 months

Re: about to start pumping- quick question-

I'd pump for 15-20 minutes right after the 7 a.m. feeding. I only pumped once per day after the first morning feeding and was able to build a decent freezer stash (250 oz) by the time I went back to work. You need to pump every day if you want to increase production and build a freezer stash.

Are you going to be away from DC on a regular basis? Will you be able to pump at regular intervals when you're away from DC? As far as how often you need to pump, it really depends on how much of a freezer stash you'd like to build.

I agree with PPs about running the pump with just the tubes for a few minutes. Try to point the tubes down so the water droplets can escape.