Block pumping???

[@llli*mer.mer]

Has anyone ever heard of this? I was using my APY and started to be able to pump 8 or more oz from one side, getting engorged long before next session and plugs that luckily always came out. This was in 15 min. I started getting 3-4oz but each day it got worse and worse. It was as if any stimulation not only let me express but make more. Finally i quite using the APY and went manual. I've been doing this for 2 weeks and i'm still getting 5oz in 15min from one side (which is fine for me) and not close to empty. I'm just so much more comfortable between sessions now I love using the manual pump.

Just now it takes 30 minutes to do both sides. I'm still getting plenty adding to stash most days (sometimes i get caught out before i can make it home to put up)

Is it possible to block pump WITH the manual? Is this ok sounding? I just worry about screwing up my supply even though my boobs seem to take ESP orders. I swear I could nurse trips or quads if i had to.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

I only had a manual for like 5 years. I got a double electric when I was asked by a local mom with IGT to pump extra for her baby. So, yes, I think it's possible to pump enough -- if you are OK with spending the time at it and respond well enough to a manual -- with a manual pump. Most working moms can't spend the 30 minutes every couple of hours, and need to cut thst to 15-20 minutes, so they need a double electric to pump both sides at once. Most mkms also don't respond quite as well to a manual pump, so a double electric may work better for most, but it's worth a shot.

I'm not sure what you mean by block pumping though, unless it's the schedule that most pumping mom fall into.

Don't be shocked if you can't pump that much forever though

[@llli*mer.mer]

I was thinking about the block pumping like block feeding which I do at home. Since I can get 5 or more oz per side and DS is only taking 3 sometimes 4oz per feeding only pumping one side every 2-3 hrs. One of the reasons I even bring it up is that DS has been constantly having green slimy poo. He used to have some yellow seedy and green seedy poos but I haven't seen those in a while. I'm trying to figure out if its the over supply or a food sensitivity. I'm cutting out dairy as of today but know that will take time to see the results. I'm not really worried; he is happy and healthy gaining and plenty of wet and dirty diapers. I just like to know for future reference. I'll keep an eye on it and see how it goes but i feel better knowing I'm just different like I typically am

[@llli*mommal]

What if you just stopped pumping after 3-4 oz?

Honestly, I'd bet the green poops are a consequence of oversupply, since it sounds like you do have an oversupply issue.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Try mixing your bottles after a whole day, as this helps balance the fats, and if you naturally have an OS, this is quite helpful when bottlefeeding

[@llli*mer.mer]

Well DS started having 'normal' BFed poop the day after I posted this after weeks of the green slimy stuff and I had a ton of cheese so it isn't a dairy sensitivity. As usual when I finally think I need to ask a question it clears up. I wait so long too so as not to freak out about things. Anyways, I have been sorta mixing the bottles but I'll put them in one big one then divide instead of the way I was doing it. I was just worried about stopping after 4 oz and causing too far a dip in production. Crazy I know with OS but I feel like I didn't work this damn hard to BF to have pumping screw it up. Thanks ladies!

[@llli*phi]

I used to be able to pump 10 ounces at a time for several months, but my supply evened out after about 6 months, and I started getting 3-4 ounces at a time without much intervention. I woudn't worry about stopping at 4 ounces. You can always start pumping for longer times again if you see too big a dip in output. For me, milk supply regulating was pretty gradual.

[@llli*joe.s.mom]

When I was pumping for a stash in addition to nursing, I usually only pumped one side at a time, which was better since I also had crazy oversupply, and I learned that double pumping in addition to nursing will ratchet oversupply into the triplets/quads/whole football team zone really quickly! I also think that using a manual pump to build a stash at home when you're already nursing could be a really good idea for a mom with oversupply, because the manual is not as stimulating as an electric pump, so it should aggravate oversupply a little less than an electric pump.

But once I was actually back at work, there was no way I was going to pump one side at a time, or use a manual pump. I just didn't have the time! So I mimicked block feeding (which I was doing at home) when I pumped at work (I always did both sides at once) by pumping a little less frequently than is usually recommended, but for a longer period of time, to fully empty both breasts. Then I mixed the bottles as Susan said. So I pumped every 3-4 hours, but for 30 minutes. Both sides.

When I first started this program, I was wondering if I should pump only one side every 2 hours which would mimic my feeding at home the best, but it turned out that pumping both sides every 3-4 hours did the same thing, and saved me a TON of time. I often made 10 oz during my morning pump, but my afternoon pump would be half that. (I had crazy morning supply. )