Pro tips from someone who exclusively pumped for two kiddos (like she said, just my journey, doesn't have to look like yours). 1. When pumping frequently, used pump parts can be stored in a clean Ziploc in the fridge in between pumps to reduce time and effort washing. I would wash once every few pumps or at least every 24hours. 2.Nipple lube is a game changer. Lanolin makes everything sticky and hard to clean but straight coconut oil works great. The spray sounds cool. 3. For clogged ducts. This one is going to make people cringe, but the remedy I found worked was to have my partner suck it out with very gentle massage. But I agree with the Bait method. Also, be aware that your milk composition changes throughout a feed or pump. It is more watery at the beginning and thicker (all those great fat molecules baby needs) towards the end. So it is important to empty the breast each time so 1. Baby gets full range of nutrients and 2. Those large molecules don't hang around and get stuck and 3. The supply and demand feedback loop doesn't drop your supply. Hope this helps. Happy feeding!
I am not sure if you know this but the putting dirty parts in a zip lock bag in the fridge is no longer recommended. There was a baby that died because of bacterial overgrowth on the dirty pump parts in the fridge. 😣
@@jjdiaz667 Sorry I got my information wrong! I always thought the baby’s death was linked directly to the “fridge hack” but it was simply due to contaminated pump parts and it’s not known how they became contaminated with bacteria. I personally never did the fridge hack because I was told it is considered a big no-no now and that pump parts should always be throughly washed with hot soapy water after each pumping session. I bought extra pump parts to avoid having to wash all day. Anyway it seems like it’s one of those things that is up to your own discretion and how comfortable you feel with reusing pump parts by means of refrigeration. If you google “baby dies from contaminated pump parts” then you can easily find the reports. It is something that happened just a few years ago I believe.
@@nmh7499 good to know! Thank you. I was thinking it must have had something to outright contamination as breast milk and our skin neither generally contain disease causing bacteria. Reusing parts could exacerbate an existing hygiene problem. Also, I never go longer than 24hrs in the fridge. Sometimes only two pump sessions. Big time saver at work.
I've researched so much with trying to increase supply. I joined an FB group called Chasing Letdowns and followed a lot of the tips there. Here's what I did: 1. Ovaltine with oatmilk helps to increase supply (it needs to be the Chocolate Malt flavor). I drank this twice a day in the beginning 2. I pump for 30 min instead of 15 min (I'm pumping for letdowns and I usually get an additional letdown around 27 min) 3. I massage while I pump (not aggressively but enough to get extra milk out) 4. I take sunflower lecithin twice a day 5. I take a calcium, magnesium, zinc supplement once a day 6. Power pump once a week (pump for 20 min, rest for 10 min, pump for 10 min, rest for 10 min, then pump for 10 min) 7. I also drank body armor in addition to all the water I was drinking
Thank you for sharing your journey ❤️❤️❤️ I truly feel they need to get rid of the “breast is best” campaign…it caused so much mom guilt for me as my son couldn’t latch despite many visits with a lactation consultant; it felt like I wasn’t giving my “best.” Fed is best and we’re all doing our best ❤️
All of this information is so useful! Thank You for taking the time to record and post this! You look fabulous for 3 weeks postpartum. You are Beautiful! Almost 32 years ago my breast feeding attempt was disastrous. I typed out the entire experience and deleted it because it brings back so much negative emotion. I gave it a valiant effort but due to circumstances out of my control my efforts failed. Lactation consultant during pregnancy, at the hospital and they came to my home. Cost me $1000 32 years ago and baby never latched once in 9 weeks. Mastitis twice, 102 fever, pus in my milk. I missed so many hours of bonding with my baby to pump. It was a horrible experience! I wish I could go back and not try to do it. So many other details I'm leaving out that set me up for failure. It's not a pleasant memory. I wanted it more than anything!! I did everything in my power to make it happen without success. If and when my daughter has a child she will breastfeed her baby.
Hi! Love your videos. Some info about your pump- that little part at the bottom of your flange is called a duck bill valve. (Helpful if it rips and you need to purchase replacements.) Also good to know is the avent bottles fit with the spectra pump flanges! We liked that because i could pump into the avent bottles and luckily my baby took the avent bottles but that helped so i didnt have to transfer from the spectra bottle to another bottle. Also replace your tubing every year because itll start to wear out. Last thing, consider tasting your milk that has been stored to see how it tastes and then freeze some, and then taste the frozen milk. I had high lipaise with my milk but didnt know, so my first daughter refused my milk that had been frozen, which was super inconvenient because i had so much stored and i couldve taken precautions before freezing the milk so that the taste wouldnt change so much. And having high lipaise is pretty common so its worth checking! Breastfeeding is hard, pumping is hard, using formula is hard, and being a new mom is hard. Have grace with yourself (whoever may be reading this) and know youre doing an amazing job!
thank you for sharing your experience so far! I appreciate your disclaimer about OBGYNs not being formally experts on breastfeeding. Although incredibly educated and qualified, OBs aren't experts at every aspect. This gives your channel and you so much more credibility and respect in my opinion - thank you! Also, thank you for the information on clogged ducts, this is very helpful to know!
I had my son a month ago at 39 weeks via c section. I had a breast reduction many years ago and I was not prepared for how much this impacted my milk supply. I tried for two weeks to bf, pump and formula feed, but it was taking a serious toll on my mental health. My son had pretty bad jaundice at birth which only got worse because he actually needed more formula. Now we’re a formula family and while it made me really sad not to breastfeed, I had to do what was best for my baby. There’s so much pressure to be able to breastfeed and ultimately that pressure really got to me. I still have mixed emotions about it, but he’s thriving and doing great so I’m ok with that.
Your story sounds a lot like mine in that I also fed, pumped, syringe fed and repeat 😅 few tips: put pump parts in a fridge so you don’t have to wash and sterilize between every single pumping session. Also, a hot tip, there is like an elastic band they use in hospitals over your belly. My amazing midwife cut me some of that and cut holes in it to make a makeshift pumping bra. It worked great and freed my hands.
Noooo a baby died from bacterial overgrowth on pump parts that a mom was putting in the fridge and not washing. It's no longer recommended..unfortunately. 😣 I just bought extra pump parts so I didn't have to wash so many times a day.
So many things available for you now. My preemie was born 21 years ago... she couldn't latch, but she projectile vomited formula. So I ended up pumping for 9 months and bottle feeding breast milk. It was brutal. I was so happy when my second child latched on immediately. My only advice is this. Hang in there. Breast feeding is tough in the beginning. But once you get 6-8 weeks in, it gets so much easier. And breastfed babies are so much easier to feed in the long run. You will get so much more sleep when you don't have to deal with bottles later on. And you will really need that sleep when you are trying to work with a baby in your life.
I haven’t been great about pumping this time around but for my first baby we were able to freeze thousands of ounces of milk and eventually donate to babies who needed it. My goal is to do that again this time and the way I was able to achieve it was by pumping after every feeding even if I felt empty I still took out the 1-2oz that my baby left. My baby will be 3 weeks on Wednesday and we already have about 60oz frozen ☺️
My baby arrived at 36.5 weeks and I tried but had the same experience. Latch for 10, bottle feed, pump. I got home and just couldn't. We went straight to formula. Saved me physically and mentally. Plus I'm a teacher so I knew I'd be doing formula eventually anyways since I get zero privacy from my kids at work. Good on you for pushing through! 🎉
I had a 35 weeker after having two babies at 40+2. My oldest took to breastfeeding quick, second was bottle fed and my youngest was a mix. Because my youngest fell asleep so fast I struggled. The lactation consultant told me to start hand expressing just before he latched (not to the point of let down but just to help move the milk down so he didn’t have to work so hard at first). This was a HUGE help until he was strong enough to do it on his own. He also failed his car seat test and I had to rent a flat car seat from the hospital until his neck muscles were strong enough so he could support himself in a regular car seat.
Thank you soooo much for this video!! I am due in 5 weeks and was freaking out about all the breast pump stuff 😂😅. No one tells ya about this stuff! But thank you for breaking everything down. And keep it up! You’re doing great with baby girl 💕💕💕
Triple feeding was the hardest part of my journey, too (after IVF, c/s, HELLP) and I'm an Ob. I have a couple of thoughts: 1. I now feel like I'm so much more well-versed with breastfeeding and pumping with my patients and it's helped them a lot. 2. I got my son's tongue tie fixed at 6 weeks (was dismissed a lot but went out of pocket to ENT and was glad I did it) 3. I feel like having a helpful partner and asking them for help is so key. My husband would syringe feed while I pumped after breastfeeding. 4. I had a lot of friends (fellow Ob's) tell me to focus on more skin to skin and let your body regulate. TO slow down and stop doing anything else but be with your baby (super hard for us Ob's). Eventually after the tongue tie release, I did this and felt like it helped. I always continued to pump though to supplement and in the end, given I went back to work by 5 months, I didn't beat myself up that I wasn't exclusively feeding at the breast. It wasn't going to be our long term plan anyway. Followed BEMYBREASTFRIEND on instagram (super helpful and knowledgeable)
I share your sentimemt about absolutely hating being pregnant and prefering the post partum period regardless of the wntailing stress. Also, 2 weeks postpartum here and still struggling with milk supply, hoping all the additions actually help. My M5 momcozy pump just got delivered today, i got the blue spectra too but have barely been able to pump, hoping it gets better from this week forward.
I wish so so much that I had a community like you have built. I was shamed for having such bad issues and experiences breastfeeding. My oldest turns 30 in January and my youngest turns 20 in March. I got no support when I was struggling. I have size F or G breasts and my largest child weighed 6 lbs 12 oz so there were problems from jump. My two younger children were also both 33 weeks gestational deliveries for severe eclampsia. I didn’t meet either baby until the next day because I was so sick. My youngest was in the NICU for several months because he was born with Ecoli pneumonia and I pumped and pumped but both babies had bad reactions to my milk. Anytime I gave any context for my struggles, I was criticized for not trying harder. Plus, just like you described, the moment I finished nursing, I had to pump only to start again less than two hours later. I was exhausted and scared and really lonely. I went to a La Leche League group a couple of times but eventually both kids ended up on prescription formula due to preemie health problems. I love the less critical OBs now like you and Mama Dr Jones because you don’t seem to immediately jump to all the conclusions that my doctors did. In fact, the NICU pediatrician told us that he believed that my son had had had the pneumonia for about a week when I tipped over from preterm labor issues to preeclampsia. An interesting fact to note is that I told the high risk fill-in doc that something was wrong a week before I delivered. He condescendingly told me that he wouldn’t deliver me because I was tired of being pregnant and hospitalized (full time hospitalized after 27 weeks for blood pressure and pre-term labor, full bed rest from 14 weeks on). This was my sixth pregnancy (3 losses, 3 live births) and I knew my body. The pediatrician signed the complaint I made to the AMA and health department. We both almost died because the OB didn’t listen. My son has cerebral palsy and ataxic hypotonia from oxygen deprivation. We were told that he would likely not walk or talk but we were bound and determined that he should have as normal a life as possible. A couple of months ago, he became an Eagle Scout. School was always an issue but he is working on his GED and deciding his future. We all worked with him (his 3 sisters, my mom, my husband and me) doing PT, OT, and Speech Therapy every day from 8 mos to five. Luckily, he has a sharp intellect, albeit with executive function and memory issues. I know this is long but I don’t really have a community so at least I got to vent, even if it’s been 19 years. Thanks for caring about your patients, your community and the world. We need people like you.
I hear that’s better to get the pumps later in the pregnancy, the main reason is because they come with a guaranteed, so delaying the purchase would make more sense if you order it later instead of sooner.
I pumped colostrum weeks before giving birth. At first nothing came out, but after a couple of days, i could collect 0.5 ml, and even more after a week or 2. I came to the hospital with a freezer bag full of colostrum syringes that I asked my nurse to put in the fridge for me. My baby was at risk for jaundice and hypoglycemia so I wanted to make sure to be prepared. We used all of the syringes in 48 hours. Pumping before giving birth stimulated my colostrum production and helped me learn how to hand pump. It came in helpful since my baby was very sleepy and sometimes needed me to just hand express colostrum drops directly on her lips. Also, having some colostrum ready allowed me to sleep a little bit longer the first night since my partner could feed her without waking me. I highly recommend doing that if you have the time, the resources and if you want to. It also can help supplement a bit without giving bottles or formula (nothing wrong with giving either, I actually give my baby both, but I know some people want to avoid it at first). My baby avoided hypoglycemia and still got a bit jaundiced, but it cleared up fast without medical treatment.
Just a heads up to anyone thinking of pumping while pregnant- talk to your dr first as nipple stimulation can potentially cause contractions and induce labor ⚠️ But I'm happy this worked well for you mama 🥰
Well done, triple feeding is absolutely head wrecking, takes a lot to stick with it, hopefully it will get easier soon. Very interested to hear your breastfeeding journey. I have a nearly 16 month old now who I still nurse 2x/day, I’m not sure how much longer we’ll keep it up, I’m hoping it will phase out when he’s ready. He was exclusively breastfed for the first year, which was 100% the hardest thing I ever decided to do, I think I saw about six lactation consultants, it was just such a challenging journey. Always be kind to yourself when it comes to this, as you said, fed is best ❤️
Your story sounds so similar to mine! In 2021 I had my first at 37 due to pre-e. When she was born she was a slow and sleepy eater was so hard to wake her up. The 2 day check in after discharge with lactation made me feel so shitty. She was rude and made me feel like crap I didn't know I was supposed to supplement her no one told me, she shamed me so bad because she lost that 10% at 5lb14. If I knew I was supposed to before I left the hospital I would've done so. I started triple feeding to and it was so hard. I remember crying so much because I was so tired and just wanted to sleep. My partner was an over the road truck driver and after a week I was on my own doing all the steps. I really think that's what pushed me to have really bad baby blues. I felt so alone and no one I knew had done what I did so no one could understand what I was going through. After close to a month of triple feeding I switched to exclusively pump. I felt so alive after started to feel like myself again. I 100% understand what you went through and are going through. Those sleepless nights are so hard as is adding triple feeding makes it much more difficult,stressful,and emotional. The most rewarding part is at the end of the day you know she's getting the best nutrition. I will say if at any point if it gets to a point where it's getting to much to handle don't ever feel less of yourself or less of a mother. I know we are so determined sometimes that we sometimes don't put ourselves first especially once we have kids. You've done such an amazing thing growing a tiny human AND going through triple feeding. Pregnancy was hard for us and adding feeding on top of that and on top of feeling overwhelmed with just having a baby. I don't need to know you to tell you that im so proud of YOU and for all you went through. I hope you are also very proud of yourself too!Your daughter has such an amazing mother I hope nothing but the best for you on this crazy journey. (I just had my 2nd baby at 39/3 days on Dec 4th. I feel like we've been going through this together 😭♥️)
I’m a couple weeks ahead of you in the breastfeeding journey. I also bought the mom cozy m5 because I hated being tethered to a wall. One thing that has worked for me is body armor drinks. It has coconut water in it which is great for helping with hydration. I’m a postpartum nurse and body armor is one thing that I recommend for new mamas to try to help with milk supply.
Body Armor changed the game for my breastfeeding journey. I’m done breastfeeding. My LO is 2Y/O now but i remember like it was yesterday. We breastfed until he was 15 months old and incorporating Body Armor in my hydration regiment really helped. Keep it up Mama. You’ve got this ❤
Thank you for sharing :) I wanted to comment with my mostly positive breastfeeding journey. My LO was born 3days before his due date, so pretty much on time all things considered. He couldn't latch at first because he had swallowed some of the amniotic liquid. A lactaton nurse helped me in the hours that followed his birth with positions, holding his head, squeezing my nipple until he managed on his own. The pain was no joke ! During the first 4 days it felt like my nipples were on fire. I was also felt like there was no colostrum. On the second night at the hospital, he cried so much at night that a nurse suggested supplementing with formula to help him and I sleep. I did and he drank a spoonful before spitting half of it and sleeping for 4 hours ! Next day, a different midwife came in and squeezed my nipple and showed me that I did have some colostrum and could forego supplementing because it would be enough. She was right because a couple of hours later, my milk came in ! From there on, little bub had no trouble latching and the pain eased significantly ! I started pumping around 10 days post partum. Before that I'd used the Haakaa sucessfully collecting between 30 to 90ml (1 to 3ounces) per feeding. Pumping went great but I, too, hated being plugged to a wall. I ended up buying a handsfree pump from Amazon (Bellababy). Collecting milk helped me build a freezer stach, allowed my husband to take over 1-2 feedings per day, and for me to confidently leave the house for more that 3h without baby. It also prepared me for work. The only hurdle we faced came at 3-4mo. I was back at work and he refused my pumped milk coming from his nanny. He would drink 30ml (1ounce) at most, then feed pretty much all night (we started bedsharing). We tried formula at his nanny's but it wasn't that much better. Eventually, as he started solids, we moved on to yogourts in lieu of milk during the day and kept breastfeeding at home only. He is now 16mo and we're nearing the end of this journey. He is a very good eater and I feel like he uses the boob as a pacifier more so than to actually feed. I am waiting for the upcoming holidays so we can gently stop with the help of dad. Good luck to all mothers everywhere on their personal journeys
Pumping is tough, I learned about three months in to start the day with clean parts than put the pump parts in ziplock in the fridge. It made life so much easier
If I wouldn’t have pumped right away I would t have a supply and been able to eventually nurse exclusively. So grateful I had access to a IBCLC and helped me triple feed the first few weeks. My baby was so sleepy and struggled to latch and stay awake. She was so tiny and my large, engorged made it hard for her to latch. Baby is 3 months now and nursing like a champ.
I learned how to hand express with haaka at 7months postpartum and was so sad no one ever showed me this before! This time around with our second baby I will not even buy any pumps. I will just hand express. It's soooo much less cleaning and it's quicker in my personal experience. Also it helps a lot with the quality of milk and definitely with blocked milk ducks
you're awesome, I learned more information from you in one video than in the millions of videos I've watched to this day. Thanks a lot. Very grateful ❤️
As a first time mom I was SOOOO excited to pump as to share the task with hubby but I ended up still doing all feedings anyway lol esp overnight.. I'm pregnant with #2 I'm gonna def hope & try exclusively nursing this time! Once #2 is out I'll have 2 under 2, my 1st born will turn 1 EDD week of #2 so I just do not wanna be washing bottles all day long 😅😩... Along with dealing with a 1 yr old & NB! Another hack I learned later in my breastfeeding journey was the fridge hack. U can put your pump parts in the fridge so u can just wash them 1 at the end of the night & not per use! U have 5 sets of parts so imagine how much less washing u have to do!...u can make it stretch with them 5 sets! Ohh also get SILVERETTES!! 🙌🏽 especially within those 1st few wks bc nips are so sensitive
A friend of mine swears by blue Gatorade (glacier freeze) and the oatmeal lactation cookies. That girl had breast milk, so much so that during Covid she was feeding several babies including her own!
Another tip I learned recently is that if you put the flanges with all its parts in the refrigerator you can use it again in a 24-hour period!! Also a game-changer. I put them in a big ziplock bag.
A tip if you don’t bring a pumping bra and need one on the hospital, ask for a belly band that holds the NST monitors and cut a little hole where your nipples are, put the flange in there. Wear the belly band like a tube top and tada. You have something to hold the flanges.
For clogged ducts a little (teaspoon or less) epsom salt in haaka in hot shower. Fill it up with hot or warm water and use to clean put ducts. Lifesaver.
I always pump right away, after almost every feeding, to increase my supply. It has always worked, including allowing me to exclusively nurse twins, our youngest two children. My twins were born at 36 weeks, at 5 lb 12 oz and 4 lb 8 oz. Try doing that every 2 hours with two babies, having older kids, including an 11 month old and children in school and activities. with no help and a husband who has to work 12-14 hour days. Most tired I've ever been in my life.
A tip I wish I knew earlier was putting my used pump parts in a ziploc bag and putting it in the fridge for next use (would be cold on initial placement on the next pump but a little way to save on so much washing)
I tried breastfeeding and needed nipple shields and thought it was going okay but baby lost too much weight so I switched to exclusive pumping and supplementing with formula. Am now doing like 75% breast milk 25% formula. Shooting to make it at least 3 Months, ideally 6. Almost at 2 months now! I agree with the cordless spectra. I like that one. I will look into the momcozy pump too!
Hey Dr. Ali! I may have misunderstood your explanation of the Spectra parts, but it sounds like maybe you are not taking apart your backflow protectors (little 3-piece discs) to wash them. If this is the case, just a heads up- you definitely want to take those apart and wash them separately, because tiny amounts of milk get in through the bottle side of the backflow protector and if not properly cleaned, they can grow mold.
My advice re the hospital: Simple Wishes has an *adjustable* pumping bra. Take that and have a nurse assemble it for you and adjust it to whatever your size is at the time.
For clogged ducts I always did a hot shower and some massage. But the only think that emptied my breast was my baby. Pumping never could clear it. I did have more issues when he was young and I had an oversupply. As he got older I had no issues. I was doing the Hakaa to catch let down and taking supplements in the beginning because that was what I heard worked for others. And I ended up with over supply and my right breast had a crazy fast let down. I called it the bad boob because it would choke my son and cause more spit up and digestive issues. Seemed everything I tried only made the issue worse. In the end I exclusively breastfed and didn't pump or use hakaa. I ended up doing that until my son stopped when he was almost 2 years. I realize this only works if you are a stahm but that was what helped me. I think in the beginning I thought the bigger supply the better but after several clogged ducts and just learning my body I changed my perspective.
This video gave me PTSD😂😂 I’m 7 weeks post partum after delivering at 36+2 so had the same breast feeding experience the first weeks. Definitely easier now, although I’m still exhausted. Thank you for sharing!
My youngest just turned 15 months. I didn’t realize until I started watching this video how much I’ve blocked the trauma of triple feeding her first few weeks from my memory. 😳 It’s noooo joke. I had to exclusively pump with my first despite trying everything I could. I hated every second of it even though she drank exclusive breastmilk for 7 months and I donated thousands of ounces. I made a ton of milk and have had mastitis and clogged ducts many times. My second latched perfectly from birth. I exclusively nursed him until 11 months when he weaned naturally and effortlessly. My third I triple fed for a couple weeks since she was born 3 weeks early. She had a perfect latch also. She just couldn’t stay awake long enough to take in a full feeding at the breast. I exclusively nursed her for 11.5 months. I REALLY wanted to go longer. She just wasn’t very interested the last month and a half. 😢 Hang in there!! ❤
Hello Doctor! I delivered a preemie at 35 weeks due to PProm around the same time as you. I’ve been looking forward to your videos because it feels like we are sailing in the same boat. It’s been a real struggle to figure out the feeding scenario for my baby. First of all, I was told by the nurse at NiCU that I have flat nipples & hence we need to formula feed him. Even after reading so many pregnancy books, i never came across the awareness of having flat nipples and that was an additional issue I had to deal with. I then began my triple feeding journey which turned me into a zombie. After week 2, I’m trying for the baby to latch on & give him direct feeding sessions but I never know if he is fully satisfied. It’s really important for preemies to gain weight & hence I am clueless if I should just trust my direct breastfeeding sessions or continue giving him expressed bottle and supplements . True to say, breastfeeding has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do
Thank you for this video. I’m currently 4 weeks postpartum and although I breastfed my first baby, I’m struggling to get my supply up this time around…
My daughter was born at 37 weeks and was sooo tired the first few days. The nurses kept telling me to get her to feed 12 times a day but girlfriend did not want to wake up. She latched great but only ate for a couple minutes at a time. Once we got home she ate like a champ!
My first baby 33 weeks. I over pumped trying be ready for her. I had so much milk, because they were tube feed at first. Yes she ate every hour or so. She was healthy just small. I was very sick. Yes. Lots of work. She kept falling asleep like Dr A said. I had a manual pump that had a tube bottle, so add nipple and it's ready
Did I miss where you located the settings for the pumps to help in different scenarios? I’ve had a get journeys and I just never feel like I respond well to a pump and ones with tons of settings are sooooo confusing to me! Help!❤
Breastfeeding for me was THE hardest thing for sure and nobody really tells you about it. I felt frustrated soooo many times and had so many opposite opinions. If there’s one piece of advice I can give you new moms or moms to be: Please follow this new approach for clogged ducts. I know the heat and the massage “make sense” but trust me, trust me, following the BAIT method is the way to go. You will save yourself tears, time, pain, and hopefully you won’t give up on breastfeeding if that’s what is best for you and your baby. My heart goes out to you moms 🫶🏻
Ladies, I am 35 weeks pregnant today and preparing for a c section because my baby has one and a half nuchal chord around her neck. They are just waiting for me to safely reach 38 weeks so that they can easily do the precodure. Ladies, I need prayers because it's my first baby at 31, and I am scared. Also, I have developed terrible round ligament pain on my left side its constant and terrible what should I do.
My son is currently 7 weeks old and I was always nervous that I’d have an under supply, but unfortunately I’ve been dealing with an oversupply issue (which I know is a blessing and a curse, as many mothers can’t produce enough) for the majority of my postpartum breastfeeding journey. It’s been quite painful and harder on my sleep as well just as my son is starting to sleep slightly longer and feed WAY less at night. I’ve talked to LCs but my supply still hasn’t really adjusted. The engorgement pain is easier to manage now though as my breast skin has stretched (speaking from someone who didn’t start off with large breasts to begin with) but that is my journey so far… I’ve even been trying the cabbage leaves. Hopefully it’ll adjust soon
I wish you had given birth before me so I would’ve learned from you. Because I learned the hard way too but I couldn’t keep it up. And I gave up. I also had a big issue with my baby latching which also discouraged me. Anyway a fed baby is most important so that’s what kept the guilt away. But definitely doing research and being prepared for breastfeeding would’ve helped. The lactation specialist in my hospital was also stressful. So many things went wrong.
Talk about EXHAUSTION, talk about dead eyes, talk about crying with joy like never before. At 3 weeks I looked at my Mom & said it feels like the whole world is attached to my jaw SHE HAD TO TELL ME THAT'S TIRED😂 I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE MENTAL CLARITY TO KNOW I WAS TIRED.🙏
I couldn’t really breastfeed but he was a full term at 39 weeks. I was on a very strong medication would affect the my son when I take seizure meds. 😔 but he really loves the feeding bottles a lot since he was newborn
I got the pink one and it comes with a battery pack. I’m not sure if color matters or not, but the one I got was the S2. Maybe it’s the S1 that doesn’t have the battery pack. Also, I had to order bigger size flange as the two smaller sizes were painful for me. Also, yes!!! Pump bra for the win!
I made some mistakes with breastfeeding because it was so hard and painful. I am due in a couple of weeks and I am better prepared. Extra pump parts are worth every dollar
Im breastfeeding occasional formula pumping isnt working for me. At birth she was 4lb11oz at 37 weeks i was induced then had a c section. Her sugar was low so they gave her formula. When i was engorged leaving the hospital. My mom was insisting on on formula because she insists that i dont produce enough because of my baby clusterfeeding. She is 2 months old now. I am disabled still need to find help for me so that i can take care of my baby.
I asked at my 37 weeks if I can pump to get colostrum n they said no I needed up giving birth at 38+5. This is my third and I am 6months pp and struggling I don’t even get an oz I feel like I am failing him.He wants to nurse so bad but starts crying n fuzzy 😢.
I can’t find the templates you used for the spectra settings? I’m currently 34 weeks and got the same pump thru my insurance and would love to have those handy! can someone let me know where they are?
How important is it to fortify breastmilk? We fortified in the hospital and then once home he was gaining weight and doing well without it. Also, does breastmilk provide vitamin D or is vitamin supplementation necessary?
Wow I wished I watched this when my baby was born. He was born premature at 34 weeks. His weight gain wasn't great in the first month, looking back I know now it was because he would fall asleep. I wasn't informed to supplement with syringed colostrum or formula that would help my baby gain weight & eat more effectively/easily 😢
I’ve been drinking moringa instead of mother milk tea every morning! It’s an Indian herb that’s very common within Asian cultures for breastfeeding support! I feel it works very well but doesn’t taste good 😂 I mix it hot milk.
Pro tips from someone who exclusively pumped for two kiddos (like she said, just my journey, doesn't have to look like yours). 1. When pumping frequently, used pump parts can be stored in a clean Ziploc in the fridge in between pumps to reduce time and effort washing. I would wash once every few pumps or at least every 24hours. 2.Nipple lube is a game changer. Lanolin makes everything sticky and hard to clean but straight coconut oil works great. The spray sounds cool. 3. For clogged ducts. This one is going to make people cringe, but the remedy I found worked was to have my partner suck it out with very gentle massage. But I agree with the Bait method. Also, be aware that your milk composition changes throughout a feed or pump. It is more watery at the beginning and thicker (all those great fat molecules baby needs) towards the end. So it is important to empty the breast each time so 1. Baby gets full range of nutrients and 2. Those large molecules don't hang around and get stuck and 3. The supply and demand feedback loop doesn't drop your supply. Hope this helps. Happy feeding!
Thank you so much for this amazing information!!!!
I am not sure if you know this but the putting dirty parts in a zip lock bag in the fridge is no longer recommended. There was a baby that died because of bacterial overgrowth on the dirty pump parts in the fridge. 😣
@@nmh7499 I would love to see the article for that
@@jjdiaz667 Sorry I got my information wrong! I always thought the baby’s death was linked directly to the “fridge hack” but it was simply due to contaminated pump parts and it’s not known how they became contaminated with bacteria. I personally never did the fridge hack because I was told it is considered a big no-no now and that pump parts should always be throughly washed with hot soapy water after each pumping session. I bought extra pump parts to avoid having to wash all day. Anyway it seems like it’s one of those things that is up to your own discretion and how comfortable you feel with reusing pump parts by means of refrigeration. If you google “baby dies from contaminated pump parts” then you can easily find the reports. It is something that happened just a few years ago I believe.
@@nmh7499 good to know! Thank you. I was thinking it must have had something to outright contamination as breast milk and our skin neither generally contain disease causing bacteria. Reusing parts could exacerbate an existing hygiene problem. Also, I never go longer than 24hrs in the fridge. Sometimes only two pump sessions. Big time saver at work.
I've researched so much with trying to increase supply. I joined an FB group called Chasing Letdowns and followed a lot of the tips there. Here's what I did:
1. Ovaltine with oatmilk helps to increase supply (it needs to be the Chocolate Malt flavor). I drank this twice a day in the beginning
2. I pump for 30 min instead of 15 min (I'm pumping for letdowns and I usually get an additional letdown around 27 min)
3. I massage while I pump (not aggressively but enough to get extra milk out)
4. I take sunflower lecithin twice a day
5. I take a calcium, magnesium, zinc supplement once a day
6. Power pump once a week (pump for 20 min, rest for 10 min, pump for 10 min, rest for 10 min, then pump for 10 min)
7. I also drank body armor in addition to all the water I was drinking
Thank you for sharing your journey ❤️❤️❤️
I truly feel they need to get rid of the “breast is best” campaign…it caused so much mom guilt for me as my son couldn’t latch despite many visits with a lactation consultant; it felt like I wasn’t giving my “best.” Fed is best and we’re all doing our best ❤️
All of this information is so useful! Thank You for taking the time to record and post this! You look fabulous for 3 weeks postpartum. You are Beautiful! Almost 32 years ago my breast feeding attempt was disastrous. I typed out the entire experience and deleted it because it brings back so much negative emotion. I gave it a valiant effort but due to circumstances out of my control my efforts failed. Lactation consultant during pregnancy, at the hospital and they came to my home. Cost me $1000 32 years ago and baby never latched once in 9 weeks. Mastitis twice, 102 fever, pus in my milk. I missed so many hours of bonding with my baby to pump. It was a horrible experience! I wish I could go back and not try to do it. So many other details I'm leaving out that set me up for failure. It's not a pleasant memory. I wanted it more than anything!! I did everything in my power to make it happen without success. If and when my daughter has a child she will breastfeed her baby.
Hi! Love your videos. Some info about your pump- that little part at the bottom of your flange is called a duck bill valve. (Helpful if it rips and you need to purchase replacements.) Also good to know is the avent bottles fit with the spectra pump flanges! We liked that because i could pump into the avent bottles and luckily my baby took the avent bottles but that helped so i didnt have to transfer from the spectra bottle to another bottle. Also replace your tubing every year because itll start to wear out. Last thing, consider tasting your milk that has been stored to see how it tastes and then freeze some, and then taste the frozen milk. I had high lipaise with my milk but didnt know, so my first daughter refused my milk that had been frozen, which was super inconvenient because i had so much stored and i couldve taken precautions before freezing the milk so that the taste wouldnt change so much. And having high lipaise is pretty common so its worth checking! Breastfeeding is hard, pumping is hard, using formula is hard, and being a new mom is hard. Have grace with yourself (whoever may be reading this) and know youre doing an amazing job!
thank you for sharing your experience so far! I appreciate your disclaimer about OBGYNs not being formally experts on breastfeeding. Although incredibly educated and qualified, OBs aren't experts at every aspect. This gives your channel and you so much more credibility and respect in my opinion - thank you! Also, thank you for the information on clogged ducts, this is very helpful to know!
I had my son a month ago at 39 weeks via c section. I had a breast reduction many years ago and I was not prepared for how much this impacted my milk supply. I tried for two weeks to bf, pump and formula feed, but it was taking a serious toll on my mental health. My son had pretty bad jaundice at birth which only got worse because he actually needed more formula. Now we’re a formula family and while it made me really sad not to breastfeed, I had to do what was best for my baby. There’s so much pressure to be able to breastfeed and ultimately that pressure really got to me. I still have mixed emotions about it, but he’s thriving and doing great so I’m ok with that.
Your story sounds a lot like mine in that I also fed, pumped, syringe fed and repeat 😅 few tips: put pump parts in a fridge so you don’t have to wash and sterilize between every single pumping session. Also, a hot tip, there is like an elastic band they use in hospitals over your belly. My amazing midwife cut me some of that and cut holes in it to make a makeshift pumping bra. It worked great and freed my hands.
Noooo a baby died from bacterial overgrowth on pump parts that a mom was putting in the fridge and not washing. It's no longer recommended..unfortunately. 😣 I just bought extra pump parts so I didn't have to wash so many times a day.
So many things available for you now. My preemie was born 21 years ago... she couldn't latch, but she projectile vomited formula. So I ended up pumping for 9 months and bottle feeding breast milk. It was brutal. I was so happy when my second child latched on immediately. My only advice is this. Hang in there. Breast feeding is tough in the beginning. But once you get 6-8 weeks in, it gets so much easier. And breastfed babies are so much easier to feed in the long run. You will get so much more sleep when you don't have to deal with bottles later on. And you will really need that sleep when you are trying to work with a baby in your life.
I haven’t been great about pumping this time around but for my first baby we were able to freeze thousands of ounces of milk and eventually donate to babies who needed it. My goal is to do that again this time and the way I was able to achieve it was by pumping after every feeding even if I felt empty I still took out the 1-2oz that my baby left. My baby will be 3 weeks on Wednesday and we already have about 60oz frozen ☺️
My baby arrived at 36.5 weeks and I tried but had the same experience. Latch for 10, bottle feed, pump. I got home and just couldn't. We went straight to formula. Saved me physically and mentally. Plus I'm a teacher so I knew I'd be doing formula eventually anyways since I get zero privacy from my kids at work. Good on you for pushing through! 🎉
I had a 35 weeker after having two babies at 40+2. My oldest took to breastfeeding quick, second was bottle fed and my youngest was a mix. Because my youngest fell asleep so fast I struggled. The lactation consultant told me to start hand expressing just before he latched (not to the point of let down but just to help move the milk down so he didn’t have to work so hard at first). This was a HUGE help until he was strong enough to do it on his own. He also failed his car seat test and I had to rent a flat car seat from the hospital until his neck muscles were strong enough so he could support himself in a regular car seat.
Thank you soooo much for this video!! I am due in 5 weeks and was freaking out about all the breast pump stuff 😂😅. No one tells ya about this stuff! But thank you for breaking everything down. And keep it up! You’re doing great with baby girl 💕💕💕
Triple feeding was the hardest part of my journey, too (after IVF, c/s, HELLP) and I'm an Ob. I have a couple of thoughts: 1. I now feel like I'm so much more well-versed with breastfeeding and pumping with my patients and it's helped them a lot. 2. I got my son's tongue tie fixed at 6 weeks (was dismissed a lot but went out of pocket to ENT and was glad I did it) 3. I feel like having a helpful partner and asking them for help is so key. My husband would syringe feed while I pumped after breastfeeding. 4. I had a lot of friends (fellow Ob's) tell me to focus on more skin to skin and let your body regulate. TO slow down and stop doing anything else but be with your baby (super hard for us Ob's). Eventually after the tongue tie release, I did this and felt like it helped. I always continued to pump though to supplement and in the end, given I went back to work by 5 months, I didn't beat myself up that I wasn't exclusively feeding at the breast. It wasn't going to be our long term plan anyway. Followed BEMYBREASTFRIEND on instagram (super helpful and knowledgeable)
I share your sentimemt about absolutely hating being pregnant and prefering the post partum period regardless of the wntailing stress.
Also, 2 weeks postpartum here and still struggling with milk supply, hoping all the additions actually help.
My M5 momcozy pump just got delivered today, i got the blue spectra too but have barely been able to pump, hoping it gets better from this week forward.
Ah, just the video I need at 37 weeks!! Thank you, Lord, and thank you, Ali!
I see you posted this 2 mths ago. Best of luck with the birth and recovery, almostmama!! ❤
I wish so so much that I had a community like you have built.
I was shamed for having such bad issues and experiences breastfeeding. My oldest turns 30 in January and my youngest turns 20 in March. I got no support when I was struggling. I have size F or G breasts and my largest child weighed 6 lbs 12 oz so there were problems from jump. My two younger children were also both 33 weeks gestational deliveries for severe eclampsia. I didn’t meet either baby until the next day because I was so sick. My youngest was in the NICU for several months because he was born with Ecoli pneumonia and I pumped and pumped but both babies had bad reactions to my milk. Anytime I gave any context for my struggles, I was criticized for not trying harder. Plus, just like you described, the moment I finished nursing, I had to pump only to start again less than two hours later.
I was exhausted and scared and really lonely. I went to a La Leche League group a couple of times but eventually both kids ended up on prescription formula due to preemie health problems. I love the less critical OBs now like you and Mama Dr Jones because you don’t seem to immediately jump to all the conclusions that my doctors did. In fact, the NICU pediatrician told us that he believed that my son had had had the pneumonia for about a week when I tipped over from preterm labor issues to preeclampsia. An interesting fact to note is that I told the high risk fill-in doc that something was wrong a week before I delivered. He condescendingly told me that he wouldn’t deliver me because I was tired of being pregnant and hospitalized (full time hospitalized after 27 weeks for blood pressure and pre-term labor, full bed rest from 14 weeks on). This was my sixth pregnancy (3 losses, 3 live births) and I knew my body. The pediatrician signed the complaint I made to the AMA and health department. We both almost died because the OB didn’t listen. My son has cerebral palsy and ataxic hypotonia from oxygen deprivation. We were told that he would likely not walk or talk but we were bound and determined that he should have as normal a life as possible. A couple of months ago, he became an Eagle Scout. School was always an issue but he is working on his GED and deciding his future. We all worked with him (his 3 sisters, my mom, my husband and me) doing PT, OT, and Speech Therapy every day from 8 mos to five. Luckily, he has a sharp intellect, albeit with executive function and memory issues.
I know this is long but I don’t really have a community so at least I got to vent, even if it’s been 19 years. Thanks for caring about your patients, your community and the world. We need people like you.
I'm 17 weeks and 4 days with my first and I have been stressed about all of this. Now I feel better I learned so much from this video!! Thank you ❤️
I hear that’s better to get the pumps later in the pregnancy, the main reason is because they come with a guaranteed, so delaying the purchase would make more sense if you order it later instead of sooner.
@@zingara76 yeah I'm getting mine through insurance so a month prior it will be delivered
I pumped colostrum weeks before giving birth. At first nothing came out, but after a couple of days, i could collect 0.5 ml, and even more after a week or 2. I came to the hospital with a freezer bag full of colostrum syringes that I asked my nurse to put in the fridge for me. My baby was at risk for jaundice and hypoglycemia so I wanted to make sure to be prepared. We used all of the syringes in 48 hours. Pumping before giving birth stimulated my colostrum production and helped me learn how to hand pump. It came in helpful since my baby was very sleepy and sometimes needed me to just hand express colostrum drops directly on her lips. Also, having some colostrum ready allowed me to sleep a little bit longer the first night since my partner could feed her without waking me. I highly recommend doing that if you have the time, the resources and if you want to. It also can help supplement a bit without giving bottles or formula (nothing wrong with giving either, I actually give my baby both, but I know some people want to avoid it at first). My baby avoided hypoglycemia and still got a bit jaundiced, but it cleared up fast without medical treatment.
Just a heads up to anyone thinking of pumping while pregnant- talk to your dr first as nipple stimulation can potentially cause contractions and induce labor ⚠️
But I'm happy this worked well for you mama 🥰
Well done, triple feeding is absolutely head wrecking, takes a lot to stick with it, hopefully it will get easier soon. Very interested to hear your breastfeeding journey.
I have a nearly 16 month old now who I still nurse 2x/day, I’m not sure how much longer we’ll keep it up, I’m hoping it will phase out when he’s ready. He was exclusively breastfed for the first year, which was 100% the hardest thing I ever decided to do, I think I saw about six lactation consultants, it was just such a challenging journey.
Always be kind to yourself when it comes to this, as you said, fed is best ❤️
Your story sounds so similar to mine! In 2021 I had my first at 37 due to pre-e. When she was born she was a slow and sleepy eater was so hard to wake her up. The 2 day check in after discharge with lactation made me feel so shitty. She was rude and made me feel like crap I didn't know I was supposed to supplement her no one told me, she shamed me so bad because she lost that 10% at 5lb14. If I knew I was supposed to before I left the hospital I would've done so. I started triple feeding to and it was so hard. I remember crying so much because I was so tired and just wanted to sleep. My partner was an over the road truck driver and after a week I was on my own doing all the steps. I really think that's what pushed me to have really bad baby blues. I felt so alone and no one I knew had done what I did so no one could understand what I was going through. After close to a month of triple feeding I switched to exclusively pump. I felt so alive after started to feel like myself again. I 100% understand what you went through and are going through. Those sleepless nights are so hard as is adding triple feeding makes it much more difficult,stressful,and emotional. The most rewarding part is at the end of the day you know she's getting the best nutrition. I will say if at any point if it gets to a point where it's getting to much to handle don't ever feel less of yourself or less of a mother. I know we are so determined sometimes that we sometimes don't put ourselves first especially once we have kids. You've done such an amazing thing growing a tiny human AND going through triple feeding. Pregnancy was hard for us and adding feeding on top of that and on top of feeling overwhelmed with just having a baby. I don't need to know you to tell you that im so proud of YOU and for all you went through. I hope you are also very proud of yourself too!Your daughter has such an amazing mother I hope nothing but the best for you on this crazy journey.
(I just had my 2nd baby at 39/3 days on Dec 4th. I feel like we've been going through this together 😭♥️)
I’m a couple weeks ahead of you in the breastfeeding journey. I also bought the mom cozy m5 because I hated being tethered to a wall. One thing that has worked for me is body armor drinks. It has coconut water in it which is great for helping with hydration. I’m a postpartum nurse and body armor is one thing that I recommend for new mamas to try to help with milk supply.
I started drinking these and noticed a huge difference!!
Body Armor changed the game for my breastfeeding journey. I’m done breastfeeding. My LO is 2Y/O now but i remember like it was yesterday. We breastfed until he was 15 months old and incorporating Body Armor in my hydration regiment really helped. Keep it up Mama. You’ve got this ❤
Thank you for sharing :)
I wanted to comment with my mostly positive breastfeeding journey.
My LO was born 3days before his due date, so pretty much on time all things considered. He couldn't latch at first because he had swallowed some of the amniotic liquid.
A lactaton nurse helped me in the hours that followed his birth with positions, holding his head, squeezing my nipple until he managed on his own.
The pain was no joke ! During the first 4 days it felt like my nipples were on fire. I was also felt like there was no colostrum. On the second night at the hospital, he cried so much at night that a nurse suggested supplementing with formula to help him and I sleep. I did and he drank a spoonful before spitting half of it and sleeping for 4 hours !
Next day, a different midwife came in and squeezed my nipple and showed me that I did have some colostrum and could forego supplementing because it would be enough. She was right because a couple of hours later, my milk came in !
From there on, little bub had no trouble latching and the pain eased significantly !
I started pumping around 10 days post partum. Before that I'd used the Haakaa sucessfully collecting between 30 to 90ml (1 to 3ounces) per feeding. Pumping went great but I, too, hated being plugged to a wall. I ended up buying a handsfree pump from Amazon (Bellababy).
Collecting milk helped me build a freezer stach, allowed my husband to take over 1-2 feedings per day, and for me to confidently leave the house for more that 3h without baby. It also prepared me for work.
The only hurdle we faced came at 3-4mo. I was back at work and he refused my pumped milk coming from his nanny. He would drink 30ml (1ounce) at most, then feed pretty much all night (we started bedsharing). We tried formula at his nanny's but it wasn't that much better. Eventually, as he started solids, we moved on to yogourts in lieu of milk during the day and kept breastfeeding at home only.
He is now 16mo and we're nearing the end of this journey. He is a very good eater and I feel like he uses the boob as a pacifier more so than to actually feed. I am waiting for the upcoming holidays so we can gently stop with the help of dad.
Good luck to all mothers everywhere on their personal journeys
Pumping is tough, I learned about three months in to start the day with clean parts than put the pump parts in ziplock in the fridge. It made life so much easier
If I wouldn’t have pumped right away I would t have a supply and been able to eventually nurse exclusively. So grateful I had access to a IBCLC and helped me triple feed the first few weeks. My baby was so sleepy and struggled to latch and stay awake. She was so tiny and my large, engorged made it hard for her to latch. Baby is 3 months now and nursing like a champ.
I learned how to hand express with haaka at 7months postpartum and was so sad no one ever showed me this before! This time around with our second baby I will not even buy any pumps. I will just hand express. It's soooo much less cleaning and it's quicker in my personal experience. Also it helps a lot with the quality of milk and definitely with blocked milk ducks
Yes and pumping can cause oversupply. Which is not fun!
you're awesome, I learned more information from you in one video than in the millions of videos I've watched to this day. Thanks a lot. Very grateful ❤️
As a first time mom I was SOOOO excited to pump as to share the task with hubby but I ended up still doing all feedings anyway lol esp overnight.. I'm pregnant with #2 I'm gonna def hope & try exclusively nursing this time! Once #2 is out I'll have 2 under 2, my 1st born will turn 1 EDD week of #2 so I just do not wanna be washing bottles all day long 😅😩... Along with dealing with a 1 yr old & NB!
Another hack I learned later in my breastfeeding journey was the fridge hack. U can put your pump parts in the fridge so u can just wash them 1 at the end of the night & not per use! U have 5 sets of parts so imagine how much less washing u have to do!...u can make it stretch with them 5 sets!
Ohh also get SILVERETTES!! 🙌🏽 especially within those 1st few wks bc nips are so sensitive
A friend of mine swears by blue Gatorade (glacier freeze) and the oatmeal lactation cookies. That girl had breast milk, so much so that during Covid she was feeding several babies including her own!
Another tip I learned recently is that if you put the flanges with all its parts in the refrigerator you can use it again in a 24-hour period!! Also a game-changer. I put them in a big ziplock bag.
A tip if you don’t bring a pumping bra and need one on the hospital, ask for a belly band that holds the NST monitors and cut a little hole where your nipples are, put the flange in there. Wear the belly band like a tube top and tada. You have something to hold the flanges.
For clogged ducts a little (teaspoon or less) epsom salt in haaka in hot shower. Fill it up with hot or warm water and use to clean put ducts. Lifesaver.
I always pump right away, after almost every feeding, to increase my supply. It has always worked, including allowing me to exclusively nurse twins, our youngest two children. My twins were born at 36 weeks, at 5 lb 12 oz and 4 lb 8 oz. Try doing that every 2 hours with two babies, having older kids, including an 11 month old and children in school and activities. with no help and a husband who has to work 12-14 hour days. Most tired I've ever been in my life.
Hi! I’m 31 weeks with modi twins as a ftm. I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to breast feed/pump exclusively. We shall see.
@@kinseyfreed3692 Hope all went well for you!
What you explained in the beginning is what I did with twins for the first 10 days. So so exhausting.. but it's so worth it watching them grow.
Me too, they're 3 months now
This is probably the MOST helpful video I watched.
I’m due in May and this is so helpful thank you!
A tip I wish I knew earlier was putting my used pump parts in a ziploc bag and putting it in the fridge for next use (would be cold on initial placement on the next pump but a little way to save on so much washing)
I tried breastfeeding and needed nipple shields and thought it was going okay but baby lost too much weight so I switched to exclusive pumping and supplementing with formula. Am now doing like 75% breast milk 25% formula. Shooting to make it at least 3
Months, ideally 6. Almost at
2 months now! I agree with the cordless spectra. I like that one. I will look into the momcozy pump too!
Hey Dr. Ali! I may have misunderstood your explanation of the Spectra parts, but it sounds like maybe you are not taking apart your backflow protectors (little 3-piece discs) to wash them. If this is the case, just a heads up- you definitely want to take those apart and wash them separately, because tiny amounts of milk get in through the bottle side of the backflow protector and if not properly cleaned, they can grow mold.
Awww great video!! I am due in a few months and saving this video to watch again. Thank you for all you do ❤
My advice re the hospital: Simple Wishes has an *adjustable* pumping bra. Take that and have a nurse assemble it for you and adjust it to whatever your size is at the time.
For clogged ducts I always did a hot shower and some massage. But the only think that emptied my breast was my baby. Pumping never could clear it. I did have more issues when he was young and I had an oversupply. As he got older I had no issues. I was doing the Hakaa to catch let down and taking supplements in the beginning because that was what I heard worked for others. And I ended up with over supply and my right breast had a crazy fast let down. I called it the bad boob because it would choke my son and cause more spit up and digestive issues. Seemed everything I tried only made the issue worse. In the end I exclusively breastfed and didn't pump or use hakaa. I ended up doing that until my son stopped when he was almost 2 years. I realize this only works if you are a stahm but that was what helped me. I think in the beginning I thought the bigger supply the better but after several clogged ducts and just learning my body I changed my perspective.
This video gave me PTSD😂😂 I’m 7 weeks post partum after delivering at 36+2 so had the same breast feeding experience the first weeks. Definitely easier now, although I’m still exhausted. Thank you for sharing!
My youngest just turned 15 months. I didn’t realize until I started watching this video how much I’ve blocked the trauma of triple feeding her first few weeks from my memory. 😳 It’s noooo joke. I had to exclusively pump with my first despite trying everything I could. I hated every second of it even though she drank exclusive breastmilk for 7 months and I donated thousands of ounces. I made a ton of milk and have had mastitis and clogged ducts many times. My second latched perfectly from birth. I exclusively nursed him until 11 months when he weaned naturally and effortlessly. My third I triple fed for a couple weeks since she was born 3 weeks early. She had a perfect latch also. She just couldn’t stay awake long enough to take in a full feeding at the breast. I exclusively nursed her for 11.5 months. I REALLY wanted to go longer. She just wasn’t very interested the last month and a half. 😢 Hang in there!! ❤
Im so nervous about breastfeeding. I have the same Spectra will come back to this video in January!
Hello Doctor! I delivered a preemie at 35 weeks due to PProm around the same time as you. I’ve been looking forward to your videos because it feels like we are sailing in the same boat.
It’s been a real struggle to figure out the feeding scenario for my baby. First of all, I was told by the nurse at NiCU that I have flat nipples & hence we need to formula feed him. Even after reading so many pregnancy books, i never came across the awareness of having flat nipples and that was an additional issue I had to deal with. I then began my triple feeding journey which turned me into a zombie. After week 2, I’m trying for the baby to latch on & give him direct feeding sessions but I never know if he is fully satisfied. It’s really important for preemies to gain weight & hence I am clueless if I should just trust my direct breastfeeding sessions or continue giving him expressed bottle and supplements .
True to say, breastfeeding has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do
Thank you for this video. I’m currently 4 weeks postpartum and although I breastfed my first baby, I’m struggling to get my supply up this time around…
i drop EVERYTHING and go get sunflower lecithin if I start to feel a clogged duct. it's a life saver.
The intro is very good. Hang in there. Breastfeeding is a skill
My daughter was born at 37 weeks and was sooo tired the first few days. The nurses kept telling me to get her to feed 12 times a day but girlfriend did not want to wake up. She latched great but only ate for a couple minutes at a time. Once we got home she ate like a champ!
My first baby 33 weeks. I over pumped trying be ready for her. I had so much milk, because they were tube feed at first. Yes she ate every hour or so. She was healthy just small. I was very sick. Yes. Lots of work. She kept falling asleep like Dr A said. I had a manual pump that had a tube bottle, so add nipple and it's ready
Did I miss where you located the settings for the pumps to help in different scenarios? I’ve had a get journeys and I just never feel like I respond well to a pump and ones with tons of settings are sooooo confusing to me! Help!❤
Loved your video!! Can you share the template you use for the spectra pump please
Breastfeeding for me was THE hardest thing for sure and nobody really tells you about it. I felt frustrated soooo many times and had so many opposite opinions.
If there’s one piece of advice I can give you new moms or moms to be:
Please follow this new approach for clogged ducts. I know the heat and the massage “make sense” but trust me, trust me, following the BAIT method is the way to go. You will save yourself tears, time, pain, and hopefully you won’t give up on breastfeeding if that’s what is best for you and your baby.
My heart goes out to you moms 🫶🏻
Hi do you have the information about the pump settings for increasing your supply?
Ladies, I am 35 weeks pregnant today and preparing for a c section because my baby has one and a half nuchal chord around her neck. They are just waiting for me to safely reach 38 weeks so that they can easily do the precodure. Ladies, I need prayers because it's my first baby at 31, and I am scared. Also, I have developed terrible round ligament pain on my left side its constant and terrible what should I do.
My son is currently 7 weeks old and I was always nervous that I’d have an under supply, but unfortunately I’ve been dealing with an oversupply issue (which I know is a blessing and a curse, as many mothers can’t produce enough) for the majority of my postpartum breastfeeding journey. It’s been quite painful and harder on my sleep as well just as my son is starting to sleep slightly longer and feed WAY less at night. I’ve talked to LCs but my supply still hasn’t really adjusted. The engorgement pain is easier to manage now though as my breast skin has stretched (speaking from someone who didn’t start off with large breasts to begin with) but that is my journey so far… I’ve even been trying the cabbage leaves. Hopefully it’ll adjust soon
What's been really good for many moms I know with fast flow and engorgement is hand expressing enough to be comfortable BEFORE breast feeding baby ❤
I wish you had given birth before me so I would’ve learned from you. Because I learned the hard way too but I couldn’t keep it up. And I gave up. I also had a big issue with my baby latching which also discouraged me. Anyway a fed baby is most important so that’s what kept the guilt away. But definitely doing research and being prepared for breastfeeding would’ve helped. The lactation specialist in my hospital was also stressful. So many things went wrong.
Talk about EXHAUSTION, talk about dead eyes, talk about crying with joy like never before. At 3 weeks I looked at my Mom & said it feels like the whole world is attached to my jaw SHE HAD TO TELL ME THAT'S TIRED😂 I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE MENTAL CLARITY TO KNOW I WAS TIRED.🙏
I couldn’t really breastfeed but he was a full term at 39 weeks. I was on a very strong medication would affect the my son when I take seizure meds. 😔 but he really loves the feeding bottles a lot since he was newborn
I got the pink one and it comes with a battery pack. I’m not sure if color matters or not, but the one I got was the S2. Maybe it’s the S1 that doesn’t have the battery pack.
Also, I had to order bigger size flange as the two smaller sizes were painful for me. Also, yes!!! Pump bra for the win!
I bought the pink one too but I did not come with a battery pack 😢
I made some mistakes with breastfeeding because it was so hard and painful. I am due in a couple of weeks and I am better prepared. Extra pump parts are worth every dollar
Me too! Due in a few weeks with my second and am more prepared and knowledgeable.
Thanks for sharing your story Ali and normalizing the BF journey! Definitely not easy but so rewarding.
Can you also make video on c - section recovery. I have one scheduled and I am literally scared about the postpartum recovery .
Can we get the spectra pumping tip mentioned in the video please?. How many minutes massage, how many minutes use expression mode , etc
Thank you for taking us along on your journey.
THANK YOU for this video. so nice for a pump breakdown!
Hi…. Alot of people complained that M5 dysfuntioned after 2 months…. How was your experience?
Im breastfeeding occasional formula pumping isnt working for me. At birth she was 4lb11oz at 37 weeks i was induced then had a c section. Her sugar was low so they gave her formula. When i was engorged leaving the hospital. My mom was insisting on on formula because she insists that i dont produce enough because of my baby clusterfeeding. She is 2 months old now. I am disabled still need to find help for me so that i can take care of my baby.
I asked at my 37 weeks if I can pump to get colostrum n they said no I needed up giving birth at 38+5. This is my third and I am 6months pp and struggling I don’t even get an oz I feel like I am failing him.He wants to nurse so bad but starts crying n fuzzy 😢.
I watched another channel and she said the battery pack might work with this spectra lf you order an adapter .
Hi Dr. Ali, how did your mom and sister help you the first few days?
Hi Dr. Ali! Did you take both ibuprofen and tylenol at the same time?
I can’t find the templates you used for the spectra settings? I’m currently 34 weeks and got the same pump thru my insurance and would love to have those handy! can someone let me know where they are?
How important is it to fortify breastmilk? We fortified in the hospital and then once home he was gaining weight and doing well without it. Also, does breastmilk provide vitamin D or is vitamin supplementation necessary?
Love your videos! Really helpful thank you!
Wow I wished I watched this when my baby was born. He was born premature at 34 weeks. His weight gain wasn't great in the first month, looking back I know now it was because he would fall asleep. I wasn't informed to supplement with syringed colostrum or formula that would help my baby gain weight & eat more effectively/easily 😢
You can buy a battery pack for the spectra to make it portable
For the pink spectra?
Can you please link nursing bras you recommended for pumping?
Oh my goodness I forgot to link them! Let me add them!!
@@alirodmdthank you so much!
So take Motrin and Tylenol at the same time?
You don’t have to wash the pump parts everytime u can put them in a container and put in the fridge. Just fyi
Thank you ,. its been really helpful
Where can I see the tips?
Where are the spectra settings😭
I’ve been drinking moringa instead of mother milk tea every morning! It’s an Indian herb that’s very common within Asian cultures for breastfeeding support! I feel it works very well but doesn’t taste good 😂 I mix it hot milk.
Thank you so much!!!
Spectra sells hands free parts just FYI
Clogged milk ducts are so painful! 😢
I wish someone had told me about cracked nipples and thrush!
Your link don’t work