Two week update...

Well turns out I didn't have the time or energy for daily posts lol.
At the two week mark my little one is drinking about 2.5 ounces every 2-4 hours depending how long she sleeps in between. At her two week checkup she was 8.6 two ounces above birth weight, eight ounces above hospital discharge weight.
I'm getting between 35-50 ounces per day. About 20 of which goes to feedings and the rest is frozen nightly in 6oz milk bags after I make the next days bottles.
I have cut back my pumps to about 6 per day over the last week and my supply is still keeping up with me.

Storing the b. milk and pump cleaning

I have found what I think to be the least complicated.
I was previously pumping into bottles then using that bottle for the next feeding, lots of washing and rotating.

Now, I spent one day pumping and filling a large container with the milk I didn't need for feedings. (a 64oz juice bottle)
Then I used the bottle to fill ten four ounce size bottles with two ounces of milk each, and with any left over milk I filled six ounce freezer bags for storing..

Now whenever I need a bottle, I grab one of the ten ready made ones, and whenever I pump I add it to the jug.
Once a day I repeat the process of cleaning all ten bottles, filling them, freezing the extra, and starting fresh. As the tem bottles are plenty for the day, and the jug fills enough for the next day.

Some people frown upon using a large container because it can harvest more bacteria and you are mixing old and new milks. However it is only used for a 24hr or less collection before it is used or frozen so I don't have to worry about any of it going bad.

During the day instead of washing my pump parts after each use, I put them in a ziplock bag in the fridge and wash them once a day when I make my bottles. In theory because breastmilk stays fresh in the fridge, the ones on your pump parts will stay fresh also. This saves some time on cleaning....
Baby wakes I grab my bottle and my pump parts, pump while feeding. Return pump parts to the fridge and put my fresh milk in the container and head back to bed. You can rinse the pump parts first before returning them to the fridge to avoid getting milk drips anywhere when you reuse them.

Day four. Huge increase! Yay.

Today I made enough to cover all feedings, and have extras in the fridge for tomorrow.

Here's my pump schedule.
12:00am 2oz
3:00 3oz
6:42 3oz
10:25 3.5 oz
2:40 4oz
5:24 4oz
7:26 3.5oz
9:30 3oz
11:25 2.5oz
TOTAL 29ounces/780 ml!

Here's what she ate.
3:00am 2oz
5:00 2oz
7:30 2oz
11:00 2oz
2:40 2oz
5:45 2oz
7:45 2oz
10:25 2.5oz
TOTAL 16.5 ounces 495mls
A difference of just about 13 ounces left over after all feedings.

Two poppy diapers. Wet diapers every changing. No gas. No spit ups.

Tomorrow I plan on splitting my sessions to freeze half and store half so I have enough for daily feedings and enough to start building a freezer stash for later.

Hospital stay, days 1-3.

My first pumping took place about two hours after delivery. I was worried it wasn't enough, as it looked like only a few drops, but the nurse said it was an awesome amount and more then plenty, and that she wouldn"t have gotten anymore then that being on the breast.

My goal was to pump every two hours but I didn't stay completely on schedule with company etc.

I had also gone into the hospital knowing there was s possibility I may need to do a few formula feedings and I was comfortable with this option. This allowed me to send her to the nursery on night 1, and allowed me to get some rest, while I still woke up to pump, I was able to store it for her morning feeding when she came back.

Below is a list of my schedule, how much I produced, and how much she drank. You will notice that sometimes each side produced differently. And you will see where the formula was substituted has a larger ml amount then the bm feedings because its not as thick/strong as bm allowing her to want more of it.

I will note that on the nights she had formula, she was very gassy and spitting up, and sort of restless. So I believe I made the right choice going with pumping because since we have been home and there is no substitutes, she hasn't had ANY gas.

DAY ONE I delivered at 12:30 so this is based on half a day. When one number is posted it was a combined total. I pumped for 15-20minutes a session.
2:45 15ml
5:24 5ml
7:00 1ml
9:10 1ml
TOTAL 22ml, four sessions.

DAY TWO
1:05am 5ml
6:45 2ml
10:15 5ml
3:20 5/4 ml
6:00 10ml
8:30 14ml
10:45 13ml
TOTAL 53ml seven sessions.

DAY THREE
1:00am 7/6ml
6:00 15/23ml
8:10 30ml
10:25 40ml
1:00 35ml
4:04 40/25ml
8:58 45/35ml
TOTAL 331ml, eight sessions

For day three I combined some sessions to even them out for more balanced ounces/times.

Here is what she drank:
DAY ONE
4:45 15ml
7:20 5ml
9:10 2ml
1:10 20ml formula
5:30 20ml formula
TOTAL 62ml (aprox two ounces)

DAY TWO
8:25 25ml
11:05 5ml
1:00 15ml formula
3:30 5ml
5:50 4ml + 10ml formula
7:45 12ml
9:45 14ml
TOTAL aprox 90ml (3 ounces)

DAY THREE
12:40 35ml formula
3:45 15ml
5:40 15ml
7:25 15ml
10:15 24ml
1:00 25ml
4:00 40ml
6:30 40ml
9:44 45ml
11:45 50+ml
TOTAL 305ml (10.1 ounces)

In the hospital, during labor.

When I went into labor, the nurses had asked me if I was formula or breast feeding. I replied that I was pumping. I thought this would cause an issue, or would cause them to ask me to try and nurse but it didn't. They seemed familiar with the topic and were not pushy at all.

I was told I would be provided with a pump, storage bottles, and labels. I had brought my own pump, but hospital policy required me to use there's, which was just a more fancy medela system. I was provided with small two ounce disposable storage bottles, a set of new tubes/horns which were mine to keep, and disposable nipples.

The labels were printed with my name and info, and gave me a place to fill in a date and time it was pumped.

Baby doesn't eat for 3.5 hours after birth so that gave me plenty of time to pump before hand.

Learning your machine.

If you have never used one before. I recomend reading every part of the manual and putting the machine together and seeing how everything works, to familiarize yourself with it.

If you are going to attempt to try and pump before going into labor to see how it works or feels, I would not recommend doing so before you are considered full term. As pumping can cause contractions and early labor.

Additionally you should also know that after labor it still causes Mini contractions or cramping as natures way of getting your uterus back to normal.

How/why I decided to exclusively pump.

While I have nothing against breast feeding itself, it was never a comfortable option for me. I just couldn't see myself doing it in public or in front of family or my children. It was more personal then i liked.

With my two older children, I just went straight to formula with no second guesses. I wish I knew what I know now back then!

My daughter had to be put on alimentum after weeks of being miserable and trying every other formula on the market. Along with having to take persciption acid reflux pills. She had Colic and acid reflux and was always screaming and projectile vomitting. It caused her to be smaller in size and have dental problems. At age eight she's the size of an average five year old (she's almost nine)

My son had similar issues but not as severe and he was still gaining weight so he ended up on soy formula, and still have spitup and gas issues.

I decided to do my research to see my options, and came accross a story of exclusive pumping. Right away I thought it was interesting, yes it seemed like mote work, but the more I read the more it seemed like it was for me. I could provide my baby with the healthiest option, I can still bottle feed, and we both will get added benefits of "breastfeeding". Not to mention it can save thousands a year in formula, especially when my first daughters was $40 a can!

Some benefits include, lesser chance of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and other problems for mom. Helps get mom back into shape and burns calories. Helps the uterus return to normal. As far as baby, reduces risk of sickness, allergies, diabetes, cancer, less spitting up, healthier check ups, and most important in my book, research shows that for every 90 SIDS cases, 3 were breastfed and 87 were formula fed babies.

So I decided that was what I was going to do!

Getting a pump.

I was able to purchase a semi second-hand pump from a family member at a great price. However a lot of insurance companies will provide reimbursements for breast pumps after baby is born.

I purchased a medela pump in style (metro bag) this set retails for between 3-400$. While buying used equipment isn't recommended by the manufacturer you could buy a used system for the motor itself, but purchase your own tubes/horns etc for sanitary reasons...just the same as you could rent a hospital pump.

You will definitely want a double electric setup, and a nursing bra is a huge plus! At first I was holding and pumping then I purchased a nursing bra that holds the pumps right inside for hands free use. Its faster and easier! Double pump hands free! A cheaper alternative to a nursing or pumping bra is to buy a sports bra and cut a slit large enough for the horn to fit through. Yes you will have a giant hole in your bra, but its easily covered by your breast pads.

If you are able I recomend a second setup for travel. I have my pump "station" next to my bed where I don't have to move or rearrange thing. For now I have a battery operated single pump and a hand pump for travel, but I will have a second double electric setup once I recieve the one from my insurance. This one will be kept in the car for travel and visits with family etc.