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Logan Sapphire

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2003
Messages
2,405
Kunzite, 45oz a day at 9 weeks PP is amazing!! I hit 40oz several times but my average was 36 oz on 4 pumps. I get clogged ducts a lot. Like sometimes 3 a week, which is frustrating. I usually resort to pulling the blister off with tweezers, which I don't think you're really supposed to do, and then it sometimes makes my nipple bleed and gives me really bloody milk. I did take lecithin for awhile but it actually seemed like the clogs increased, not decreased, though now I'm on it again for the lipase problem.

I don't know if you're like this, but I simply can't put any pressure on my boobs, so even if I lie on my side or stomach for as little as 30 sec, that's a guaranteed clogged duct.

Cpster- wow, you're my hero! 17 months and still going! That's pretty amazing. I've almost met my goal of 9 months but am now thinking that the longer I can go would be gravy. I was hoping to get down to 1 pump a day and see how far I can get. How much do you get on once a day?

I'm struggling with a lot of guilt over weaning. Now that DS is mobile and into DD's toys and stuff, it's really hard to sit and pump, even with the Freestyle. Plus I'm tired of scheduling my days around pumping, hauling the equipment to work via car, train, and bus, and tired of washing pump parts. But I have that magical one year mark in my head for some reason and I can't get over it.

Oh yeah, one more tip for pumpers, especially EPers, just starting out- see if your milk has excess lipase in it. It's not harmful to give to baby but some don't like the taste and will reject the milk. I think it's pretty obvious in frozen but I can tell even my refrigerated fresh milk will start to taste and smell soapy. DS has rejected frozen before but the problem is, I've only given him one bag of frozen here and there so not enough to tell if he rejects it due to the lipase or for other reasons. I worried because I have over 1600 oz frozen that I'm relying on to get us to the one year mark. If your milk does have excess lipase and baby won't drink it, you can scald it right after pumping (not at all practical for those who work) or supposedly take lecithin which somehow helps. An acquaintance has excessive excess lipase and her milk goes bad after 1/2 hour! So, she can't pump and has only been away from her DD for no more than one hour in a year. Crazy!

Anyway, I'm so happy to chat with other pumpers, especially EPers! Since EPing is such a commitment and pain, I decided to treat myself to something special. I ended up buying a really lovely three stone antique ring from an antique jewelry store in Seattle. Yay!
 

AllieLuv83

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
1,453
I am a 50% pumper. I pump for my son during work. I am a teacher so I pump on my planning period and during lunch. I usually get about 10-12oz during those two pump sessions and pump once more at around 10pm in order to get a few more oz for daycare. I send him in with 4 bottles (16oz total) of milk. He has his last feeding with me at around 6:30am, dropped off at DC at 8:30am and then I pick him up at 4:15pm. I nurse him when I get home, before bed, and once during the night. Over the weekends we exclusively nurse. I hate cleaning pump parts as well. I have a second set of flanges but need to get a second set of valves as well so I would not have to wash them at work. I have the antimacrobial wipes that I use to wipe the pump parts down. So far so good. I hope to continue to pump/bf until LO is 12 months. I take it one day at a time. I can't believe that I have already made it to 3 months.
 

icekid

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 17, 2004
Messages
7,476
LS- Sorry you had to deal with the awful yeast problem, too! I've done pretty much everything (hydrocort/miconazole/bacitracin cream.. grapefruit seed extract, probiotics, fluconazole) , except gentian violet so far. It is definitely much better than it was, but considering I've been treating pretty hard core for 2 weeks now it seems it should be GONE! I am going to do a no dairy/lower carb diet for a week and see where that gets me. I would LOVE to be able to start freezing milk too, but need to kick the yeast first. So frustrating. At least it doesn't feel like I am getting stabbed in the chest anymore.

Kunzite- wow, super jealous of your 45 ounces. That is amazing! You must have quite a stash and it would be so great of you to donate. And wow at that photo of O... you've come a long way, baby! :appl:

Allie- any changes in your supply yet since heading back to work?


For some reason, I've been getting NOTHING over the last few pumping attempts. It must be some kind of equiptment issue, because I know there was still milk left! Or else the bbs did not want to let down for some reason. I sooooo need to get this pumping thing down. My work schedule means that I will probably have to pump 75% of the time, really.
 

AllieLuv83

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
1,453
So far so good with the supply while at work. I never used to pump in place of feedings before returning so I don't know how much is normal to get but C seems satisfied. Sometimes he will only nurse for a few minutes when we get home and I pump the rest. Sometimes I pump during the middle of the night as well since he usually only nurses on one side and then goes back to sleep, though I usually just go to bed myself. If I will need a bigger supply for during the day at daycare then I will have to make the middle of the night pumping the rule. Like tonight I am a little short for tomorrows daycare so I might pump what I have left over after the 3am feeding.
 

DivaDiamond007

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
1,828
Kunzite - Grace looked similar to O on her birthday as well! It has been an overwhelming experience for sure.

I am still pumping about every 4 hours. I tried every 3 and my supply seemed to go down a bit so I switched back. Most sessions I get about 1/2 to 3/4 oz total so I hope that it keeps increasing. I'm only 5 days postpartum though so I guess there's time to build my supply. I'm still getting only colostrum as well and I know that's the really good stuff for Grace.

My nipples also feel bruised a lot of the time. When I'm done pumping I rub a little milk on them and also use Lanisoh liberally. I feel like I'm shirtless a lot too - which DH thinks is hot hahaha.
 

cpster

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2005
Messages
540
Logan Sapphire|1294597897|2818246 said:
Kunzite, 45oz a day at 9 weeks PP is amazing!! I hit 40oz several times but my average was 36 oz on 4 pumps. I get clogged ducts a lot. Like sometimes 3 a week, which is frustrating. I usually resort to pulling the blister off with tweezers, which I don't think you're really supposed to do, and then it sometimes makes my nipple bleed and gives me really bloody milk. I did take lecithin for awhile but it actually seemed like the clogs increased, not decreased, though now I'm on it again for the lipase problem.

I don't know if you're like this, but I simply can't put any pressure on my boobs, so even if I lie on my side or stomach for as little as 30 sec, that's a guaranteed clogged duct.

Cpster- wow, you're my hero! 17 months and still going! That's pretty amazing. I've almost met my goal of 9 months but am now thinking that the longer I can go would be gravy. I was hoping to get down to 1 pump a day and see how far I can get. How much do you get on once a day?

I'm struggling with a lot of guilt over weaning. Now that DS is mobile and into DD's toys and stuff, it's really hard to sit and pump, even with the Freestyle. Plus I'm tired of scheduling my days around pumping, hauling the equipment to work via car, train, and bus, and tired of washing pump parts. But I have that magical one year mark in my head for some reason and I can't get over it.

Oh yeah, one more tip for pumpers, especially EPers, just starting out- see if your milk has excess lipase in it. It's not harmful to give to baby but some don't like the taste and will reject the milk. I think it's pretty obvious in frozen but I can tell even my refrigerated fresh milk will start to taste and smell soapy. DS has rejected frozen before but the problem is, I've only given him one bag of frozen here and there so not enough to tell if he rejects it due to the lipase or for other reasons. I worried because I have over 1600 oz frozen that I'm relying on to get us to the one year mark. If your milk does have excess lipase and baby won't drink it, you can scald it right after pumping (not at all practical for those who work) or supposedly take lecithin which somehow helps. An acquaintance has excessive excess lipase and her milk goes bad after 1/2 hour! So, she can't pump and has only been away from her DD for no more than one hour in a year. Crazy!

Anyway, I'm so happy to chat with other pumpers, especially EPers! Since EPing is such a commitment and pain, I decided to treat myself to something special. I ended up buying a really lovely three stone antique ring from an antique jewelry store in Seattle. Yay!

LS -- I went through the same thing with clog ducts and milk blisters...definately not fun! You are almost at one year though and you can do it!!! It's funny because my goal was one year too and when my DD turned one I started to slowly drop from pumping 5 times a day. It's weird...I certainly don't like pumping, but even at just one pump per day now I am struggling with hanging up the horns. I think I'm going to do it soon though and it helps by thinking of the extra time I'll have to spend doing things with DD. Right now I'm still getting at least 3 oz with my one pump per day. How many times a day are you pumping right now?

BTW, have you tried mixing fresh with frozen to see how your baby will respond to the frozen milk?
 

drk

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
1,102
My DH teases me that I'm addicted to pumping and doesn't believe that I'm ever going to give it up. But I checked out the deep freezer yesterday to see what I've got, and I have 84 5oz bags of milk out there, plus a bunch that I froze in cubes before moving to the lansinoh bags. I think I've got enough frozen to give DD frozen milk for a little over 25 days. So now my goal is go make it through another 4-5 weeks and then I'll swiftly cut back on pumping, and should be able to give her BM till her first birthday. She drinks frozen no problem (I've always given it straight so that if she refuses it, there's no fresh milk getting tossed too), even the older cubes that I've just given her that I froze at the end of May last year.

I think I'm very close to being ready to let my sore nipples heal, and get all that time (and most importantly that extra hour of sleep) back.
 

Logan Sapphire

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2003
Messages
2,405
Cpster- I'm at 3 pumps a day, getting btwn 30-33oz. Logically I know my output is supposed to be decreasing, which is what you want when you wean, but I still feel panicked about it. It's still enough to feed DS, but I feel sad for some reason. Then, I remember how much I dislike getting up at 4.30 every day to pump! And like you said, I think of the extra time I'll be able to spend with my kids. Yesterday I asked my toddler if she wanted to go to dinner and she walked over to my pump, picked up my hands-free bra and wrapped it around her, and said, "I have to pump first." While it was funny, I felt sorry that even she has noticed how much of my time has gone to pumping.

Once I have to rely on more of my frozen as my supply drops, I will try mixing frozen with fresh. DS will take the frozen many times but other times he rejects it. I just don't want to do a mix 100% of the time now as I think I'd waste a lot, seeing as how you can only reheat frozen once while fresh twice and what if DS doesn't drink it all? With the fresh, I'd at least have one more heating and with the mix, it'd all have to go.

I'm also wondering when people's periods came back...mine still hasn't shown its face yet (not that I'm complaining).
 

drk

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
1,102
LS - still no AF for me at nearly 10 months. Guess I'm still just pumping too much!

I'm trying a couple days of 6 pumps a day to see if I can keep my supply around the 700cc mark (about 24oz), as it seems to have finally started to decrease 1-2oz a day from what it was before I dropped to 5/day, and I'm finding the decrease hard to deal with. I hope I can keep my motivation up for the final month here. 4-5 more weeks, and I'll start to wean.
 

Puppmom

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
3,160
re: clogged ducts. I only had it two times but I'm certain it was my bra. I wear nursing bras but I can't wear the *cut-out* ones where your boob pokes through a hole. I need the bra where the whole flap drops down. Ah, I look forward to wearing a regular bra again someday.

ETA: Allie, I'm so glad you're able to find time to pump. My friend who is a teacher has just resigned herself to the fact that she'll transition the baby to formula when she goes back to work. She says there's no way she can pump even during prep time/lunch. :(sad
 

Kunzite

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Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
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Wait, wait, wait! You can reheat fresh milk twice? :o How did I not know that. I asked our pedi if we give O a bottle of fresh milk (I mean fresh, like room temperature just pumped) if we can save it if he doesn't drink the whole bottle and he said no, that it needs to be tossed since he drank from it. We're dumping a crazy amount of milk at the moment because this kid does not eat a predictable amount. I normally look at the most he drank from the last day and then give him that amount because it's hard to get him to take the bottle again once you've taken it from him to add more (i.e. we only get one shot!). So if he ate 80 mL at a feeding in the last day, I give him 80 mL in his bottle even though most of the time he won't eat it all. I think I need a better system. Any ideas?!

Logan, like you, I think I get clogged ducts just from looking at my boobs. I have one right now that is quite painful that keeps coming back. I finally figured out it's from holding O side lying for some feeds. I also cannot sleep on my side or stomach without a plug and I have to be very mindful of the seat belt in the car. The crazy LCs at our hospital did have one great suggestion... an electric toothbrush! When I get a plug DH goes to town on it with the back of an electric toothbrush. I'm convinced it's saved me from getting mastitis again. That and the heating pad.

Pupp, I also had problems with the "cut outs" in nursing bras and tanks. I went through all of my nursing tanks (even side sling) and cut out all of the insides. Now they're just shelf tanks basically that come apart!!

The family I donated milk to came by today. I was so happy to clear out some room in the freezer!! I gave them about 300 ounces and now the freezer is about half full again. I swore I wouldn't buy a separate freezer just for BM since we don't need it and really don't have the room for it, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to find someone to donate milk to this often. LO just needs to start eating more!!
 

cpster

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2005
Messages
540
WOW LS! 3 pumps with 30+ ounces is great! For me as I dropped pumps I found that it took my body a week or two to adjust and for me to start noticing a real decrease in output. I think I got AF back around the one year mark. My big hair loss started at 6 months...that was not fun...but my hair is back to decent now. :)

Kunzite -- I think it's great that you have so much that you are even donating your milk! How old is your little one? Once your LO is old enough you can mix your milk with cereal. I've even heard of folks baking with it or bathing their LOs in it if they have extra. LOL

All -- If you are new with pumping and struggling like I was, this Stanford site has some great information and videos on how to do breast massage and compressions. http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html The LCs at the hospital were great at direct breastfeeding, but not so much at telling me how to pump. I felt like a failure pumping like mad every three hours getting nothing while my DD was in the NICU. The stress of the situation certainly didn't help either. It wasn't until I was a few months in that I figured out the whole breast compression thing and it made a huge difference for me. I never really feel the letdowns. In the beginning I really think hand expression to get the colostrum out would be more effective too.

For me, I'm starting to limit my one pump per day to 20 minutes to see what happens. I had been going around 30 minutes to really empty them out, but I think my HUTH day is coming soon. I know at one pump per day that it's not a huge time committment, but since my DD is only awake around 11 hours a day, the extra 30-35 mintues is going to be nice. I intended to wean shortly after one year, but then wanted to make sure that DD was going to drink cow's milk okay. We had to mix for almost a month and now she gets cow's during the day and BM for her last cup. There's also the big transition form bottle to sippy too to deal with so I think that has factored into my delay in officially stopping. Since I struggled with supply, I didn't have it in me to put BM in a sippy that was going to get tossed around and spilled. She's doing well with her straw sippy now though and likes cow's milk fine...so my time has come...I think.
 

cpster

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
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Messages
540
drk|1294690837|2819092 said:
LS - still no AF for me at nearly 10 months. Guess I'm still just pumping too much!

I'm trying a couple days of 6 pumps a day to see if I can keep my supply around the 700cc mark (about 24oz), as it seems to have finally started to decrease 1-2oz a day from what it was before I dropped to 5/day, and I'm finding the decrease hard to deal with. I hope I can keep my motivation up for the final month here. 4-5 more weeks, and I'll start to wean.

Hang in there mama! You're almost at your goal. Once it's time, drop your pumps slowly...maybe one per week to avoid clogs and infections.
 

cpster

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2005
Messages
540
AllieLuv83|1294608792|2818358 said:
I am a 50% pumper. I pump for my son during work. I am a teacher so I pump on my planning period and during lunch. I usually get about 10-12oz during those two pump sessions and pump once more at around 10pm in order to get a few more oz for daycare. I send him in with 4 bottles (16oz total) of milk. He has his last feeding with me at around 6:30am, dropped off at DC at 8:30am and then I pick him up at 4:15pm. I nurse him when I get home, before bed, and once during the night. Over the weekends we exclusively nurse. I hate cleaning pump parts as well. I have a second set of flanges but need to get a second set of valves as well so I would not have to wash them at work. I have the antimacrobial wipes that I use to wipe the pump parts down. So far so good. I hope to continue to pump/bf until LO is 12 months. I take it one day at a time. I can't believe that I have already made it to 3 months.

Keep up the great work Allie! I think mamas that pump at work should get extra credit. I work from home and definately think I couldn't have made it as far as I have if I didn't have the luxury of working from home. If you have a fridge, lots of pumpers just put their pump parts in a zip lock and put them in the fridge. One day at a time is a great way to think about it. My original goal was 6 months...when that came I said one more month...then another...now I'm at 17 and finally quitting soon.
 

Logan Sapphire

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2003
Messages
2,405
Kunzite!!! Yes, you can use fresh (i.e., not frozen) milk twice. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/reusing-expressedmilk.html

I'm actually pretty lax about it, so I'll pump, leave it at room temp for 5 hours or sometimes 6 or 7, refrigerate it, and then heat it twice. I would just put a new nipple on it or even pour into a new bottle just to be safe. If you're concerned, you can always smell or taste it (not my favorite thing to do but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes). I'd always heard that just like cow's milk, you know when breast milk has gone bad. Then one day I cleaned out a bottle that had some left in it that my parents had left in their room for several days and whoa!!! It had definitely and obviously gone bad.

DS is like your son sometimes; if you take the bottle away to give him a new one, he's done and wants no part of the new bottle. Figuring out how much to give him is definitely tricky as he doesn't eat the same amounts consistently.

On Friday, daycare forgot to give me one of DS' unused bottles to take home (daycare can't keep it overnight, per state regs) and they called to tell me and asked if I wanted to come pick it up. I couldn't do it and the director said she'd drop it off for me but that she wouldn't be coming straight home. They had to dump 8 oz ;( I figured you ladies would understand the sad feelings over that!
 

Puppmom

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
3,160
LS, I once pumped in the am and accidentally left the fresh BM in N's nursery all day so I had to dump it when I got home. I cried! ;(
 

Logan Sapphire

Ideal_Rock
Joined
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Messages
2,405
puppmom|1294757795|2819669 said:
LS, I once pumped in the am and accidentally left the fresh BM in N's nursery all day so I had to dump it when I got home. I cried! ;(

:blackeye: I had to pump and dump the night we celebrated our anniversary and I had to have DH do it. I couldn't bear to dump it. I also just took a 5 day business trip and for awhile, thought I was going to have to dump the 180oz I pumped. Fortunately, I found a way to carry it on the plane, but I was really upset in the meantime.

And, whoever said there's no use crying over spilled milk was obviously not a pumping mama!
 

AllieLuv83

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
1,453
I reheat my milk one time after it has been heated. If he want a bottle and I heat it and he eats some I put the rest in the fridge and reheat once more if he doesn't eat it then I dump.
 

Kunzite

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
1,183
I used to cry over spilled milk. Now that LO is barely eating I've become much too lax about it and probably waste too much milk. Like I said, we need a better system. If you put a few half finished bottles in the fridge do you then combine them for a later feeding? That might work for us.

Hi cpster! My LO is 9 weeks old, 1 day adjusted (yesterday was his due date!!). I see your LO was in the NICU as well... a preemie?


Okay.... I need everyone's tips and tricks for getting rid of a clogged duct. The one I have from yesterday is still not clear and all of my normal stuff isn't working. I have the count down to mastitis going in my head so I need this thing gone ASAP before I freak out!
 

turtledazzle

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Joined
May 1, 2006
Messages
584
Kunzite|1294779971|2820008 said:
Okay.... I need everyone's tips and tricks for getting rid of a clogged duct. The one I have from yesterday is still not clear and all of my normal stuff isn't working. I have the count down to mastitis going in my head so I need this thing gone ASAP before I freak out!
I've only had clogged ducts a few times, but hot showers and massage helped me. I also slept with a heating pad against my chest. When I pumped and nursed I would also massage the clogged area (which didn't feel very good!)
I also tried nursing on all fours. I remembered reading on here that one of the mamas did that (I think Tacori) -- gravity helps work out the clog. It did seem to help me, but I think my LO wondered what the heck I was doing :)) .
 

AllieLuv83

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Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
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Kunzite|1294779971|2820008 said:
I used to cry over spilled milk. Now that LO is barely eating I've become much too lax about it and probably waste too much milk. Like I said, we need a better system. If you put a few half finished bottles in the fridge do you then combine them for a later feeding? That might work for us.

Hi cpster! My LO is 9 weeks old, 1 day adjusted (yesterday was his due date!!). I see your LO was in the NICU as well... a preemie?


Okay.... I need everyone's tips and tricks for getting rid of a clogged duct. The one I have from yesterday is still not clear and all of my normal stuff isn't working. I have the count down to mastitis going in my head so I need this thing gone ASAP before I freak out!

I don't combine...I feel like it makes the milk smell funky. I heat the left over oz and then heat up another bottle if he is still hungry.
 

Lanie

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Messages
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Hey pumpers! I asked this question on the newborn thread, but will ask it again here since it prob won't be answered there...what do daycares usually do with unfinished bottles? Do you think they stick them back in the fridge? I hope they would, and I know it prob varies from daycare to daycare, but if I was taking care of a bunch of babies, each with a bunch of bottles, I could understand that they might not be able to save it.

And regarding that link drk sent me....it was me thinking. It had a milk amount calculator, and am I reading correctly that a baby that is one month old will eat the same amount per day as a 6 month old?!? Just that a one month old will eat spread out over 8 feedings, whereas a 6 month old will consume the same daily amount over less feedings? I don't see how that is possible? I have 2 books in front of me that "beg to differ". My Baby 411 book says a 6 month old will consume 40 ounces a day, whereas a one month old should only need 22 ounces. That's a HUGE difference, and according to Kellymom, that is incorrect. Am I interpreting this correctly? I'm not saying Kellymom is wrong, or that you are wrong drk, but I want to know what the right info is?

My baby is 3w4d and was taking 3 ounces every 3 hours like clockwork (his own doing). He still seemed hungry after every feeding, so I increased it to 3.5 ounces. So far, he's okay most of the time, but there are times when you can tell he's still hungry. My pedi said it would be okay to do 4 ounces every 3 hours if he needs it, or to do 3 ounces every 2 to 2.5 hours. This was just today, so I haven't tested it out yet, but after reading Kellymom, it was starting to concern me that I'm raising a little piglet!
 

Kunzite

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Lanie - Is your book talking about formula? BM will increase in fat/calories as the baby gets older... thus the same amount.
 

Lanie

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Messages
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The book says breast milk OR formula. The breakdown is this (according to the book)
nwbrn--19oz, 368 calories per day
1month--22oz, 432 cal per day
2mo--26oz, 530 cal per day
3mo--31oz, 630 cal per day
4mo--36oz, 720 cal per day
6mo--40oz, 787 cal per day
9mo--liquid + solid food, 930 cal
12mo--same as 9 mo, 1000 cal

so as my baby gets older, my bm changes composition? Wow...that's pretty cool!
 

AllieLuv83

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Lanie sorry that I didn't reply. I think every daycare is different and maybe it varies from state to state. My daycare can heat a bottle and then reheat it w/in an hours time. If the child does not finish within the hour then it gets dumped. That's why it is such a trial and error to get the right amount of milk in the right amount of bottles so very little is wasted.


I was under the impression that BF babies eat the same amount of oz just spread out over less feedings. Right now my son is 3 months and still consumes about what I can only assume to be 30oz a day. The increase would make sense in formula since the fat content and calories do not change unless you increase the amount given.

Charlie will drink anywhere between 10-16oz on a given day at daycare, he is there for 3-4 feedings. I nurse him in the morning at 6am, then when we get home at around 4:30 for a little snack, then again at 8pm before bed and once during the night. So he eats 7-8 times a day at an average 4oz per feeding.
 

turtledazzle

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May 1, 2006
Messages
584
Lanie|1295056643|2823181 said:
Hey pumpers! I asked this question on the newborn thread, but will ask it again here since it prob won't be answered there...what do daycares usually do with unfinished bottles? Do you think they stick them back in the fridge? I hope they would, and I know it prob varies from daycare to daycare, but if I was taking care of a bunch of babies, each with a bunch of bottles, I could understand that they might not be able to save it.

And regarding that link drk sent me....it was me thinking. It had a milk amount calculator, and am I reading correctly that a baby that is one month old will eat the same amount per day as a 6 month old?!? Just that a one month old will eat spread out over 8 feedings, whereas a 6 month old will consume the same daily amount over less feedings? I don't see how that is possible? I have 2 books in front of me that "beg to differ". My Baby 411 book says a 6 month old will consume 40 ounces a day, whereas a one month old should only need 22 ounces. That's a HUGE difference, and according to Kellymom, that is incorrect. Am I interpreting this correctly? I'm not saying Kellymom is wrong, or that you are wrong drk, but I want to know what the right info is?

My baby is 3w4d and was taking 3 ounces every 3 hours like clockwork (his own doing). He still seemed hungry after every feeding, so I increased it to 3.5 ounces. So far, he's okay most of the time, but there are times when you can tell he's still hungry. My pedi said it would be okay to do 4 ounces every 3 hours if he needs it, or to do 3 ounces every 2 to 2.5 hours. This was just today, so I haven't tested it out yet, but after reading Kellymom, it was starting to concern me that I'm raising a little piglet!

I send BM bottles to daycare with for my LO. My daycare will feed him a bottle and if he doesn't eat it all, re-refrigerate and then reheat and try again within an hour. If he doesn't eat it at that point, they can't try to feed from that bottle again. They will keep the leftover milk if you want them to, however, but you have to take it home with you (I cannot leave milk overnight there).

As for ounces consumed, the two LC's I have talked to concur with what kellymom says. Breastfed babies don't really change how much they consume from months 1-6 if they are exclusively breastfed. The breastmilk changes in composition to meet the babies nutritional needs. Formula fed babies do increase their ounces consumed because they have to eat more to get more calories. Breastfed babies who start eating solids prior to six months may also change the amount they consume because they get some calories from the solids.

That being said, my LO (turning five months old this weekend) does consume a little more now than he did a couple of months ago. He used to consume 4 oz bottles four times per day (other feedings are breastfeedings) and now has 5 oz bottles instead. So he's eating about 4 more ounces per day now than he did at 3 months. Of course, some days he doesn't eat all of the 5 oz and will only do 4 or 4.5 oz. Some days I'm hungrier than other so I figure the same happens for him.
The "normal" range for EBF babies' consumption is 19-30 oz, with an average of 25 oz per day. My LO has always been a little on the higher end of that range -- but he's a big boy (88th %tile for weight).
 

Lanie

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 20, 2008
Messages
1,793
Thanks for Chiming in girls. This is so interesting bc my book is so off of what kellymom says. It has to be referring to formula only. That's the only explanation I can think of. But it's not a typo bc it says the same stuff in different words in another chapter of the book. Argh. Oh well. I guess my LO is just a good eater :o)
 

Logan Sapphire

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2003
Messages
2,405
Lanie, my son must be an odd one as well because he definitely ate a lot less at 1 month as opposed to 6 months or even now. I know because I recorded what he ate and how much I pumped, and I was able to freeze a lot more milk than I am now. He peaked at about 36-40oz and is now down to about 28oz at 9 months. I know he's not being overfed b/c he's never thrown up and will forcefully push the bottle away, turn his head, kick at it, cry, etc. to indicate he's not hungry. I just let him dictate how much he wants to eat and he stops when he's done.

Also, his daycare has rules about how many times they can reheat and leave it out. We also can't leave bottles overnight. I've decreased that amt I send by 3 oz b/c I don't think he's drinking everything and daycare has to then throw it all away.
 

icekid

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 17, 2004
Messages
7,476
I am super worried that I will have to give up breast feeding/pumping due to this awful candida infection ;(

It is so incredibly painful and nothing seems to be helping get rid of it. My only saving grace at the moment is that I wrote myself a prescription for Jack Newman's all purpose nipple ointment WITH ibuprofen and that is making the pain bearable. I even emailed the famous Dr. Newman himself and he really had nothing to add to my hard core treatment regimen. But did say a good latch will reduce pain. Uhhhhh yeah thanks. I am totally at a loss about what to do. Hubby keeps suggesting formula because he hates seeing me in so much pain, but it just pisses me off. Sigh.
 

Lanie

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 20, 2008
Messages
1,793
Icekid--I say go to formula personally. You gave it an honest shot, you did it for awhile, but sometimes something has to give. I say happy momma equals happy baby, and you'll get to spend more time with him this way, rather than use up all of your time and energy dealing with this. I read some of these bfeeding boards and can't believe some of the hell these moms go through just to bfeed. Yes, it's a fabulous bonding experience, it's great for them, BUT I don't see what worth it is if the mom is going crazy and putting up with horrific pain. You don't get a medal at the end for sticking it out. Maybe I'll get slammed for this, and I would prob be banned from la leche league for my thoughts, but if you formula feed for whatever the reason, you don't have to throw away the Harvard application for your baby. It's not worth bleeding, oozing, itchy nipples.
 
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