Pumping / Breastfeeding 🍈🍈 - a game of millimeters
Let’s start with the fact that breastfeeding/ pumping is really really hard. You are constantly exhausted and depleted because it’s an Olympic sport 🥇. So I wish looking back now I had given myself more grace and has also just listened to my gut more and blocked out all the noise. Now looking back I realize I didn’t need a lactation consultant- what I needed was:
1) more sleep 😴 (so note to future self - give yourself a break and let dad or abuelita give baby a bottle 🍼 lol)
*Meaning if baby boy/girl are cluster feeding just hand baby to dad + bottle while you pump and let yourself relax. At least that’s going to be my rule for the next time because cluster feeds KEELED me 💀🏴☠️
2) massages for my poor back 💆🏻♀️
3) constant water and electrolytes 🚰
4) protein shakes 🥤 so I could make protein shakes lol
5) some good TV shows 📺 and outdoor walks/ sunshine ☀️
Unfortunately when it came to lactation consultants - I had three different ones, they were so prescriptive on EXACTLY how you should breastfeed and what I realized is that there really isn’t just ONE way. And truth be told the sessions only stressed me out because the baby was not gaining enough, I wasn’t producing enough, I shouldn’t be using the Haakaa so much, stop breastfeeding and pump exclusively, and of course…
even though the pediatrician and three consultants said there was no tie of any sort lactation consultants continued to insist that they specifically needed to check for it. So I personally would just say do what works for you and your baby!
So here are some products that I used to help the girls out:
I would place these into my bra as I was prepping to pump or feed baby and warm the girls up and I think these made a world of a difference- ESPECIALLY when I had clogged ducts to help massage them out with a little oil
NOTE: I was able to get these on sale during the prime sales
Haakaa Manual breast pump (4 or 5.4oz)
God bless the Haakaa. Im sure lactation won’t love me saying this, but it worked for me- but I would breastfeed or pump on one boob while I added suction and attached the Haakaa to the other and I swear it helped increase my milk production because there was more “demand”. Which as someone who was always struggling with production this was soooo sooo helpful.
Alsoooo on one of the many many times I had a clogged duct (from pumping) I would fill the Haakaa with super hot water but not scalding and a tablespoon of epsom salt and suction on to the side that was clogged and after 10 minutes I would feel it loosen the duct 🙏 Honestly bless this product!!
But if the Haakaa and epsom don’t work hoping into the shower and massaging it out should do the trick- but don’t overdo it or become obsessive like me because the girls need some feast too and it could just make it worse. So give it a try but if it doesn’t work watch some friends and sleep and reassess the next day 😅
Legendary Milk Sunflower Lecithin
THESE 🙏 If you are clogged duct prone take these preemptively. I took at least one a day and I truly feel like it was so so much better of a journey. Also when I did get clogged ducts I would take 2-3 a day to help loosen it. These were also amazing when I began weaning
This is honestly not necessary, but I will have to say it is so nice when the nipples are being extra sensitive and sore.
Other Legendary Milk supplements ( Liquid Gold, and Lactivist Drops)
One lactation consultant said this was just a placebo effect, but hey placebo or not, these helped me LOL! Adding a photo of all their supplements because i know some work better for others. But these two were my pumping power couple lol!
One of the two biggest takeaways that I had was
Give yourself grace, and you do not have to do anything ONE WAY.
I ended up just breastfeeding morning, middle of the day and night (with no more pumping) and just supplemented with a bottle of Bobbie formula here and there, and EVERYONE was much happier. That seemed to solve the clogged ducts and honestly i enjoyed everything so much more. It was still hard but that took away the clogged ducts somehow.
The second takeaway which was truly traumatizing at the beginning of my pumping journey was that you are likely using the wrong flange size because we really aren’t being set up for success here. If you are using too small of a flange it is likely destroying your nipple- we’re talking I would feel the water in the shower and it was so sensitive it would hurt.
i tried the Willow Gos, and unfortunately no matter which flange size I did, without fail, I would get a clogged duct, so I quickly stopped using those. I am intrigued by the momcozy M5 so maybe on the next run I’ll give those a shot 😮💨😝.
Hope this helped!! But less is more in my opinion (…unless we are talking about ounces lol)! 🫶 Happy breastfeeding/ pumping.
The above amazon links are paid links that help support me as a creator 🙏 thank you!
