After a very generous 6 months of maternity leave, I am back at work and trying to figure out this whole pumping thing. During maternity leave, I would exclusively BF with maybe one bottle a week - usually when out on the weekends and I didn't feel like always needing to stop and sit and BF. After the first few months pp, I would pump a couple times a week at 4am (if I was up randomly and my daughter was sleeping through the night) and would pump 5 ounces easily - one side at a time (I would switch after one let down, for a total of maybe 20 minutes - 10 minutes on each side). I would pump sitting comfortably on my couch, watching Gilmore Girls, drinking water or tea, wearing yoga pants. I have a pretty good refrigerator stash, but am trying to cycle through that slowly and replenish it as I go.
Now I am at work, this is my second day and I am struggling to pump 8 ounces throughout the entire day (but my boobs HURT all the time, I know there is more milk in there). I have a Pump in Style at the office and a Symphony at home. I can bring the Symphony in (it's just a very heavy machine to lug into the office, when I'm not really sure it's a suction issue). I just cannot get my boobs to give up the milk. I have my own office with a lock on the door, I've tried single side pumping, double side pumping, with and without a hands-free bra, and I just don't know what to do. I've looked at pictures of my daughter, videos of her, and all that makes me do is be sad, no real let down. I get some production for maybe 10 seconds and then it's nothing. I use pumpin pals flanges, but honestly everything about the entire pumping process right now is SO uncomfortable. Work clothes are so much less comfortable than maternity leave clothes, my office chair is so much less comfortable than my couch, my nursing bra feels like it's too tight, even the flanges are leaving red marks on me (which I think is because I running the pump for so long and I'm so engorged).
It just is all so awful and terrible and I don't even know where to start to get this on track! I am considering going home early today just so I can nurse, and I'm stressed if these past two days can mess up my supply (my body thinking that the demand isn't there). I just feel like I am very bad at pumping and very VERY bad at pumping in an office environment. I have a lot of leeway in terms of things I can do (I am considering bringing yoga pants and a tank top and just changing quickly into comfy clothes and sitting on the floor of my office to pump tomorrow), I am willing to do anything right now and then slowly pare back the crutches as time goes on - I just honestly would be happy with one successful pumping session where I feel physically comfortable afterwards! Is this normal pumping growing pains or am I just incompetent?
Submitted October 05, 2016 at 01:45AM by CarpeCarp http://ift.tt/2dr4AVF breastfeeding
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