2.5 Month Old and Pumping

[cavecricket]

Hello!

We are super excited about bringing our new baby to Disney! We are Checking in Sept 4th for 14 nights!!!

I am going to try to pump breastmilk for the baby for as long as I can and maybe start introducing formula by the time we are in Disney.

I am curious how big of a challenge pumping in Disney will be?

I am a FTM so I have no clue how often the baby will eat....I know I am not interested in trying to keep bottles cold while in the parks and then trying to warm them for feeding so It seems like pumping will help with that...kinda like supply and demand. But I have also considered using the Enfamil premade no refridge needed bottles to go, the ones where you just attach the nipple and feed.

Any advice, or tips would be much appreciated!!!

 

[camlace]

I am confused...are you nursing or pumping? If you are pumping you will need to keep the milk cold while touring the park until it is time to feed...maybe I misread something.

 

[cavecricket]

Sorry, right now...I am not in love with the idea of "nursing" but that may change. I know I will definatley pump.

I know a lot will depend on my "supply" by that point right? I could pump in the morning, throw it in the fridge head to the parks with the premixed enfamil....feed....head to the hotel for rest, pump again....head back out with enfamil....feed baby the pumped milk at bedtime?

Want to use the pumped milk in the hotel and at the pool only so I dont have to worry about keeping it cold in the parks...

does this make sense or am I nuts?

 

[lathamary]

You do not need to keep breastmilk cool. It will stay fresh at room temperature for 4 - 6 hours, some sources say up to 10 hours. It depends on your milk. Mine stayed fresh for about 6 hours at room temperature. It will stay fresh in a cooler with an ice pack for 24 hours.

I brought my Medela pump in style to pump in our hotel room, and brought a medela manual pump to pump around the parks. I have pumped all over disney world - literally! In the bathroom at Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney; in a comfort station at Fort Wilderness, in the bathroom at the Swan resort (very posh!). My favorite places to pump, though, were the Baby Stations in the parks. They have electrical outlets in the nursing rooms where you can plug in your pump if you bring along your electric pump.

My system was to pump ever six hours, feed him that over the next six hours, pump again, feed him what I pumped over the next six hours, and so on. He was a terrible nurser, so I didn't do much nursing. I made more than enough milk when I pumped, so it worked well for me.

Here is a good site about breast milk storage; maybe you will find it helpful:

http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/11/collection-and-storage-of-breastmilk

 

[cavecricket]

"My system was to pump every six hours, feed him that over the next six hours, pump again, feed him what I pumped over the next six hours, and so on."

Great system! I had no clue BM could last that long without refridgeration...that makes things easier for me already!! Thanks for the tip!

 

[lathamary]

Great system! I had no clue BM could last that long without refridgeration...that makes things easier for me already!! Thanks for the tip!

I'm so glad I could help.

It's so easy. And you will be thankful when you get to change nice smelling poops instead of those nasty formula fed ones

 

[ShannonMB]

I just thought I'd throw out an endorsement for giving nursing a good try. I know it's not for everyone, and that all baby/mama combos can't master it. I won't go into the health benefits for mom and baby, everyone knows all that, but I will say how much easier life is when you do it (at least it was for me)!

Supply and demand totally taken care of. Perfect temp of milk at all times, at the ready. No bottles to clean/sterilize/try to keep cool/get warm. Never without it at an inopportune time. When baby wants to eat at night, get DH to bring him in -- no stumbling to the kitchen to make a bottle. Free!!!!! Oh, yeah, and the stinky poop thing!

I worked FT when DD was a baby, and the only time I pumped was when I was at work and she would normally be eating. Then the next day, she would eat what I pumped the day before. We did this for her first year, and I never had to spend a penny on formula. I think a lot of people see BF as a pain, but I can't imagine any other option being easier.

Best of luck with your first baby, OP!!

 

[carolinagirl121]

I agree with the giving nursing a try. It is a whole lot easier than dragging all the associated parts and pieces around (and a whole lot cheaper)! I know nursing isn't for everyone, but for me, it was so much easier than pumping. If you do decide to pump, I would recommend a single mechanical pump. I had the double pump when I returned to work (pumped at work, nursed at home), but I was such a klutz that I could only use one at a time anyway. Good luck! Being a mommy is WONDERFUL!

 

[Amyhoff]

I know you are not asking, but I also have to encourage you to give nursing a try. I started attending Le Leche League meetings when I was pregnant and it really helped me when the baby came. I'm sure they have a group in your area that would love to have a pregnant momma!!

 

[designermv]

I am going to be nursing and pumping at Disney in a few weeks (with a 5-month old). I will let you know how it goes! I am bringing my Medela PISA and stripping it out of the big bag it came in and transferring it to a smaller bag to take to the parks. I bought a Medela Harmony but it doesn't have nearly enough suction to work effectively for me. YMMV.

I'll also add my support for giving nursing a try. I never thought I'd love it like I do. Easy, cheap, healthy, and a great way to bond with baby. It can be hard work at first, but it's totally worth it!

Edited to add: I nurse DD when I am with her, but work full-time so I pump 3x a day. I'm going to continue to pump at Disney so I don't get too full when DD is being lazy.

 

[Samar]

If possible, give nursing a good try A really helpful book for me was The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.

I'd think it would be a huge PITA to pump while at Disney, store the bottles and whatnot when you can just feed the baby straight from the source (less time consuming). The only time I could see pumping coming in handy is if you were leaving LO with someone else while you and your DH enjoyed Disney by yourselves. And if you're pumping or nursing, skip the formula. That stuff is expensive

I nursed all 3 of my kids and while it does have a small learning curve, it went smoothly until they all self-weaned before a year.

Good luck!

 

[mjkacmom]

I have to agree with the others. I mostly formula fed, but tried pumping with #3 (she was in the NICU for a few days, and wouldn't latch when she got home). What a PITA! It was like doing double feedings - pumping, and then feeding the bottle.

If you FF, always give the bottles at room temperature. That way, you can just bring some powdered formula along, and add water to it. No need to keep anything cold, and then have to heat it up.

 

[Jenny-momof3]

Getting ready to hit the world with my 4 kids...my newest little one is 8 weeks.

I'm nursing and have to nurse a MINIMUM of every 3 hours. Often he can't go that long. I also pump some since my kids are older and sometimes I need to leave him for their activities, etc. I can really only go 3 maybe 4 hours before I am so uncomfortable if I don't pump or feed him. So the plan on only pumping once or twice a day probably isn't going to work.

And I definitely wouldn't introduce formula for the first time in Disney. You just never know if they may have some sort of intolerance to a particular kind. You'll want to work that out either before or after your vacation...or you could have a VERY miserable baby on your hands!! 2 out of my 4 kids could only use a certain kind of formula.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

Another idea for keeping milk fresh if you are going to be somewhere with a freezer is to freeze the milk and it will slwoly thaw over the course of the day. I loved nursing much more than pumping, but unfortunatly I had to work, so I ended up pumping more often than not.
When.if you get to the point that you want to use formula, I recommend the similac or imfamil singles for something like disney... it's already premeasured and you just add it to a bottle of water when ever you are ready to use it.

 

[3boys4me]

I didn't love the idea of nursing either, but once my first son was born I found it pretty easy. It takes some getting used to and I know a few people that just didnt give it enough chance. I nursed my first for just under a year. My second son was born with some issues and was in the hospital for 2 months and i pumped as much as i could. It is a great option if you can't nurse for whatever reason, but there are bottles to clean and pump tubing and other pieces that will have to be washed between pumping. I found pumping to be much nore time consuming than nursing. Nursed third for almost 2 years. Anyway, my point is I didn;t think I would enjoy nursing but i really did. The baby care stations in the parks are great, you can have privacy and your dh can sit inside and relax while you nurse or pump in private. I used them to nurse and never had to wait to get a room. Any breastmilk you can give your baby is great. Congratulations on you pregnancy!

 

[bwilcox]

I just wanted to add that if you are going to use formula, I would introduce it before you trip. BF babies sometimes have trouble transitioning to formula, and that is a stress you don't need on vacation! I also want to recommend getting a Medela pump. They are very expensive, but they worked SO much better than all the cheaper versions I tried. Worth the investment!
I agree with everyone who said give bf a fair try. It isn't for everyone, and it may very well not be for you, but it is so much easier than pumping and lugging bottles around everywhere!

 

[bumbershoot]

Definitely give it a try!

And by that, I definitely mean getting to know women who do nurse, so that you're not surrounded by naysayers, or worse, people who give BAD advice.

Seriously, nursing is generally so easy. Are there difficulties sometimes? Sure. But once you get that worked out, it can be so simple. No fussing with things, you've got your supply *right there*.


I've known a few women who *had to* pump (one baby had "bubble palate", another baby had cleft palate), and wowie was it a pain! They were never at peace; they were always either pumping or feeding.

And FWIW even though I'm a "lactivist", and not just that, but an advocate for very extended nursing, BUT I'm not a big "nursing in public" person who would just whip it out wherever I was. Even at my MIL's or dad's (both of dad's wives were big into nursing, and he is a huge advocate of it as well), I would go into a private area to nurse. I did my best to be modest and discreet with DS even when he was a newborn. Well, except for one of our first nursing sessions, when MIL, her sister, and sister's husband, came to visit just as DS got hungry, and they didn't leave, so they got full frontal, LOL...but that was just necessity and their being totally OK with it (they aren't American-born, which is why it didn't phase them at all).

But anyway, you don't have to be all about showin' the "milk supply area" just b/c you nurse.

So get to know people who will give you good information, and give it a nice, solid try. You might be surprised at how normal it feels to you, and how simple it can be especially once you both get the hang of it.

 

[lathamary]

I am bringing my Medela PISA and stripping it out of the big bag it came in and transferring it to a smaller bag to take to the parks.

I did this when we went in 2008! It's just a square metal box. It has some sharp edges, so I covered the sides with duct tape. I wrote "BREAST PUMP" all over it with permanent marker so that airport security wouldn't think it was a bomb.

 

[MamaJessie]

I have to say, nursing is 100x easier when traveling. No packing, mixing, cleaning, refrigerating, heating... just eating I nursed in Disney, I just brought my udder cover

 

[gabriellyn]

I just want to throw this out there in support of nursing - with all of the food recalls and tainted Chinese formula, etc - nursing really IS the best option. I always liked the idea that I knew *exactly* what my babies were eating - whatever I ate for my last meal! LOL No melamine or salmonella or gosh-knows-what - just pure breast milk perfectly formulated for my babies.