Non-NICU babies-did you pump in the hospital?

For those of you who were lucky enough to not have babies in the NICU, did you still pump while in the hospital or just bf? If you did pump, how often? Also, did you use your own pump (I have the Medela pump in style advanced) or the hospital pump? Thanks!

 

No pumping for me. They were latching well and started to gain before we left the hospital so I saw no need to add to my workload.

 

I did.. one was an inefficient nurser so a bottle was introduced. I started on day 3 because I didn't know anything about pumping. I did it a few times a day, but never on a schedule. After we were released I pumped after every nursing session.
I used the hospital pump while in the hospital.

 

QUOTE(debid @ Sep 27 2008, 09:06 AM) [snapback]1000191[/snapback]
No pumping for me. They were latching well and started to gain before we left the hospital so I saw no need to add to my workload.


I was going to start pumping, but I was never given a pump until late the night before discharge (I did not have my own yet, at that point)...I used it once, and then didn't get to use it again, as the next morning was busy getting babies ready for pictures, an ultrasound, and getting everything set and ready for discharge.

 

The nurses brought me in a pump the night the girls were born and had me start pumping after nursing from the get go. Which was nice b/c the girls were a little lazy and we did supplement with bottles for a couple of months after nursing sessions.

 

I BF for 2 days and then day we were to go home, my DS was getting even more lazy and my DD was small when born so they had me pump -they brought the hospital one in - and had me do the supplemental thing with a syringe of BM with a little tube next to the nipple so DD would nurse and you could see she was actually taking it in. Otherwise I wouldn't have pumped, just nursed. I did have to pump for my DS for a few days since he was lazy!

 

I pumped from day 2.5--nothing but steam came out, but I pumped. Well I'm lying, a few drops came out on day 4.5. I pump to help stimulate my milk.

I used the hospital pump, and it was a Medela just like the one I bought when I was discharged.

 

I did. I pumped after every feeding around the clock for almost a month.

 

Neither of mine would latch (4.5 weeks early, but no NICU), so I pumped every 3 hours around-the-clock religiously. I had my own pump, but I used the hospital pump because it was a stronger, better pump. My milk came in the day we came home (after 3 days in the hospital). I actually was an EPer for the 1st 3 weeks of the boys' lives. In the hospital, we continually tried to get them to latch, but they wouldn't. It wasn't until they were almost a month old that I finally got them on (and even then with a nipple shield).

Today, I have a large enough milk supply to feed the entire Southeast region. :lol: My LCs attribute that to the fact that I was so consistent in pumping and didn't give up (even when wanting to sleep while the babies were in the night nursery...I still got up to pump, and I was recovering from a C).

 

I didn't pump until the girls were about a month old and I was trying to get a stash for when I returned to work. I was so tired and exhausted, the thought of pumping just would push me over the edge, so I didn't worry about it. I nursed all the time, so my supply was fine.

 

For my singleton (non-NICU) I did not pump. I pumped for 3 months for my twins and was SO EXCITED not to pump! I did pump a bit the first few weeks to avoid engorgement, but not for supply. I would see if your milk comes in quickly and your supply seems good. As long as you are nursing frequently and you establish your supply well you may not need to pump unless you want to. Also, if your supply is really good and you pump too much you might get too engorged. So I would wait and see! HTH I did use the hospital pump as well.

 

I pumped for my singleton and my twins in the hospital. The nice thing is that when you do that you can take home all the "extras" that you can use on your pump at home and they are free. (not really, I'm sure the insurance paid for it). For the twins and my son it took close to 6 days for my milk to come in... so I was pumping to try and encourage that.

 

Mine were non-nicu babies, and I had a csec and was in the hospt for 5 days. I did bf right from the start but my milk took like 9 days to come in, so I bf the babies every feeding (for like 15min) then pumped each side for about 10min each (barely got a thing out - mostly only a couple of drops, which I syringe fed the babies with). Had to supplement the babies for the first 3 wks of their lives, then my milk was fully in.
While in the hospital I used their pump, then when I got home I rented a hospital grade pump (I also had the Medela PISA but found the hospital grade one got more milk- but I did use both).
I pumped after every feeding for the first 3wks and then I only pumped when I skipped a feeding at night.

Good luck!

 

My girls had no problem latching so I did not pump until they were a month or so old (getting them to take bottles was a whole other issue!)

 

My babies also had no trouble with latching and so I've never used a pump at all. My milk came in on day three or thereabouts, I think. If your babies latch on well, they'll tell that milk to come better than a pump can.

 

I wish I would've pumped in the hospital from the start! I didn't realize that my babies were not getting enough breast milk in the hospital and ended up having to give them formula as they were losing weight. I had a c-section at 36.5 weeks and was in the hospital for 5 days and we all went home together.

I tried pumping as soon as we got home but nothing ever came out but a few drops and I figured it wasn't worth the frustration as I would just cry and cry because I felt so frustrated that I had no milk and I was sooooo tired!! It never did come in by the way and a lactation specialist told me that if I had pumped in the hospital it would have helped my milk to come in faster and build up enough for both babies. I guess some women's milk just never comes in for whatever reason. It made me sad that I had to give them formula but it all worked out in the end.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

I have not pumped for the babies at all. They both latched right on with no problems, and I had decided after my first baby that I was never pumping again unless absolutely necessary.

 

I did pump, because I had a scheduled c-section and we were trying to get my milk to come in. (It wound up not really coming in for almost 6 days -- but that's a separate story.)

Also, I was sending the babies to the nursery at night to try to get some sleep, so I pumped once during the night. But if you are really serious about BF, I recommend having the nurses bring the babies to you. I will always wonder if I'd had more luck at BF if I had nursed them more often in the hospital.

 

I asked for one early on because I had struggled with my milk coming in with my first DS and didn't want a repeat experience (not to mention that I had gestational diabetes, which can cause milk to come in a bit more slowly than it would otherwise).

I honestly think it's worth it if you can...if only to pump enough to have some milk on hand for an occasional bottle/break for mom in those round-the-clock first weeks.

 

QUOTE(sullivanre @ Sep 28 2008, 12:11 AM) [snapback]1001065[/snapback]
I pumped from day 2.5--nothing but steam came out, but I pumped. Well I'm lying, a few drops came out on day 4.5. I pump to help stimulate my milk.

I used the hospital pump, and it was a Medela just like the one I bought when I was discharged.



QUOTE(girls! @ Sep 28 2008, 11:26 AM) [snapback]1001373[/snapback]
I did. I pumped after every feeding around the clock for almost a month.

Can I ask why? Why pump rther than just let your baby nurse more?

I never pumped in the hospital and have only pumped so I could leave the girls once for 4 hours when they were 6 months old.