Breastfeeding

Tips on how I increased my milk supply / September 9, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

Pumping can be incredibly discouraging. It’s tiring. It’s tedious. It’s time-consuming. You can’t just strap the flanges on and let the machine go full speed on your boobs and expect good results. Pumping is an active process that you have to engage in. If you watch your LO (little one) nurse, they tend to vary in speed and depth of their suckle, so what makes you think you can pump at one speed and suction for a full 40 minutes and have the same outcome? The answer is you can’t. And honestly, you have to be in the right mindset with all the factors in place for it to be a good pump session. Being positioned wrong, having the wrong bra, being dehydrated - these all can have an impact on your output. So I’ve put together some tips that have worked for me and a few of my friends.

But first, disclaimer: The content on my website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

So not all of these will work instantaneously. It’s going to take some time and a whole lot of patience to see changes. Be kind to yourself, mama. You’re going to do great, you ARE doing great. You are a great mama no matter how baby is fed, whether it’s breastmilk for formula. But if you’re really wanting to breastfeed, I hope these tips help you toward that goal!

Seek assistance from a lactation consultant

Before you discharge from the hospital, ask to speak with the lactation consultant. You want to make sure that you get your baby’s latch assessed. If your baby’s not latched correctly, it can really do some damage to your nipples making breastfeeding harder than it already is. If you plan on pumping, it’s a good idea to bring your pump in to be sized for the correct flange. It’s also good to ask how to pump to get the most out. Sometimes you think that something is meant to be easy, one click of the button type of thing, but pumping is much more than that. Write all your questions down before you deliver, so you get the most out of the session. When you go home and you need help troubleshooting it, see if you can speak with a lactation consultant at baby’s follow up appointment. You can always ask for help.

Ensuring you’re using the correct flange sizing

As I mentioned above, using the correct flange size is important. You won’t be emptying your breast effectively if it’s too big, and it can really damage your nipples if it’s too small. This is one reason to bring your pump when you deliver. Sometimes using lubrication like approved nipple balms can help prevent chafing as well.

Using thermal packs to help with your letdown

I find that when my breast are “warmed up” (literally…) they put out the most milk. That’s why I like to pump after a warm shower. If not, I’d say invest in some thermal packs that you can just pop in the microwave and place on your chest before you pump. Sometimes that helps with the letdown, and it can actually make it feel a little better. My letdown is very painful, so the heat packs really help relieve that pain.

Hand expressing to help stimulate your breast

In the earlier days of lactation, right after birth, you’ll notice that your milk is super thick and can look gold. This is that nutrient dense colostrum you’ve heard about! It’s extremely hard to get out with a breast pump on those first few days, so the best way to collect it is by hand expression. The important thing to remember when using your hands to express milk is that you want your fingers to be at the BASE of your nipple, and instead of “pressing” your fingers together to “squeeze it”, you want to press STRAIGHT BACK against your chest and COMPRESS forward. If you squeeze at the nipple, you’re going to get sore, but you’re also pinching off the milk ducts where the milk would come out. Always hand express after pumping because the pump will leave behind some of that fatty hind milk!

National Breastfeeding Week: An appreciation post for all mommas who tried their best / August 5, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

Like most mothers, I had already set a goal for myself to breastfeed my child as soon as he was born. As a nurse, I was obsessed with the thought that all of my knowledge and experience helping other moms breastfeed, that it would come naturally to me. Although it felt like it did, my son didn’t gain a lot of weight, still experienced jaundice, and was supplemented with formula. In those early weeks, I was really hard on myself.

Maverick’s first feed, straight out the womb

Breastfeeding is a lifestyle choice that mothers make. It is something that many mothers work at because let’s be real, this shit is hard. It consumes an unimaginable amount of time throughout the day whether you’re pumping or feeding your baby straight from the teet. On average, I spend almost 4 hours of my day pumping or nursing Maverick - a lil boy that STILL loves to nurse at night. And to protect my supply, I will force myself out of slumber and hold those flanges up to pump milk out, even if it’s just 2 ounces.

Breastfeeding is a commitment. When others say, “at least you get a break from your kid when you go to work, etc.” Is it really a break? Can I use pumping as “an excuse” to take a break from work? Because I can tell you that it’s the last thing from being relaxing. Pumping is hard work. It’s stressful. And when you don’t make as much as you thought you would, it’s heartbreaking. Knowing that you are your baby’s sole nutrition, there’s a lot riding on these “relaxing pump sessions” everyone gives moms such a hard time about.

Breastfeeding is tough, but so are you momma. Remember all that you’re doing for your baby. Enjoy that bond that only you and your baby have during those late night, early morning nursing sessions. I applaud all of you for doing your best.

Whether you breastfed for a few days, a few weeks, 6 months, or you’re still going - you did that for your baby. Celebrate that.

A mom's review of the hands-free Elvie breast pump / June 22, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

I gave in and I bought the Elvie.

The 2 biggest reasons I purchased the Elvie: compact size and easy to use at work

I only lasted 2.5 weeks with bringing the Spectra S1 from home to work. I only lasted 2 days using the Freemie Liberty pump at work. I think the main issue I had was dealing with the tubing and all the parts that came with each pump. Or how awkward they were shaped and how difficult it was to smash them into a bag to put in the fridge inbetween pumps. Either way, I gave up very quickly and decided to purchase the Elvie. I did purchase it from Target because they take open box returns. I was afraid that I wasn’t going to be able to get the same amount of milk out as I would with my hospital-grade pump, so I wanted to be able to return it if I didn’t respond well to it.

Down & Dirty of the elvie pump

CONS

2-2.5 hour battery life
Relatively warm after pumping
May leak if you move too much or bend down
Frequently needs to be readjusted at beginning of session
Cleaning & drying the bottles is difficult

PROS

Completely hands free pumping
Quiet pumping
Quick & easy set up/clean up for at work use
Small in size, easy to transport
Smart app can be used as a remote and pump log

What are some of the features that make this product great?

The size is definitely a great feature of the Elvie. It’s so compact, that if I have a large enough top on, it just looks like I have giant boobs. This also means that carrying it in your purse or in your work bag is so much easier than lugging around the Spectra S1. This is a game changer for me because I really dislike having a lot of things in my bag. The dimensions of the Elvie are 5” x 4.3” x 2.7” and each pump only weighs approximately 8 oz! So it won’t stick out too far from your chest, it’s a little wider so it forms to your boob a little better, and it’s not too heavy in your bra.

It’s relatively quiet for a pump. In the hospital, you can’t really hear it with all the movement going on around you. I think my milk spraying out into the pump is louder than the pump itself, which says a lot about my letdown because it’s so forceful, haha.

It’s easy to assemble and it’s easy to clean. So I’m the person that utilizes the most out of her Medela quick wipes. There is no sink in our lactation room, and I still cannot bring myself to wash my pump parts in the break room sink. So I use Medela quick-clean anti-bacterial wipes in between pumps and store them in gallon size Ziplock in the fridge. The breast shields and the spouts are so easy to clean that wrapping up my session doesn’t take 10 minutes anymore. (I used to break everything down and then set it up again each session, NOT EFFICIENT AT ALL.) The one thing you want to make sure of is making sure all the parts are assembled correctly. Even the smallest little thing off with the valves could cause you to not have a good suction.

They make it fool proof to size to your breast shield. They have the standard size breast shields of 21mm, 24mm, and 28mm. They have lines on the breast shield that you compare to your nipple and it helps you choose the correct fit. Apparently there are also cushions that you can order to help with sizing if you’re in between sizes. Update: I looked it up and they’re literally silicone inserts! One is from a brand called BeauGen.

Lip of valve caught on pump will not give you suction

Make sure valve looks like this before placing flange in

What are some downfalls with the Elvie?

I haven’t come across too many downfalls with the Elvie yet. So I could be a little biased after using it for ~1.5 weeks. I have noticed that I have to readjust a lot in the beginning of a session. Sometimes the suction isn’t working so I redo all the parts, and I sit there finagling my boob into it. Putting it on is what takes the most time for me. It also gets pretty warm, so from what I’ve read and been told, you may need to change your breast shield size if you’re feeling the warmth of the pump and it’s uncomfortable. I haven’t had to do that because the 24 mm fit well for me, but there are cushions that you can purchase to make the fit a little better.

Cleaning the bottles is probably my least favorite part about the Elvie. The grooves tend to scratch me a lot, so I have to take caution in cleaning it if I don’t want to turn my fingers. So I just cut a sponge in half to clean it, that way I’m not trying to shove a big sponge inside. I let it air dry on my little lawn rack, but I come back to it and shake it up a bit to break the bigger water droplets.

The last thing is that the Elvie is the battery life is unforgiving through a 12 hour shift. The Elvie will only last me about 2.5 pumps before I have to charge it. It says it’s supposed to hold a 2.5 hour charge, but I’ve made it to about 2 hours before having to plug it in. That’s assuming that my pumping session lasts anywhere from 30-35 minutes. Typically my pump sessions don’t last this long with the Spectra, but since it’s not as strong a suction, I leave it on a little longer.

How does connecting to the Smart App benefit pumping?

I honestly love that it has it’s own app that serves as a remote control to the pumps, and it logs each of your sessions for you. The pump itself uses an Infrared light to get a real time measurement of how much milk you’ve already pumped. It’s not always accurate but it does help when you are full on a bottle and need to make a quick switch to not overflow. What’s also nice is that it will stop pumping if you’ve reached that limit. There is also an automatic switch from massage to expression mode, something you can also control from the app.

What’s included in the box?

So now that we’ve gone through my pros and cons (so far), what’s included in the box? The Elvie comes in a beautifully square box that displays the pumps as soon as you open it. It includes the following:

2 Elvie pumps
4 5-oz bottles with caps (extra 3 pack is $34.99)
4 breast shields (2x24 mm, and 2x28 mm) (replacement 2 pack is $29.99)
4 spouts and 4 valves (replacement 2 pack is $16.99)
4 pump seals (closed system!) (replacement 2 pack is $16.99)
4 bra extenders (replacement 4 pack is $14.99)
2 USB cables
2 bags for the pump itself

The current price for the Double Elvie is $499, but Target and Amazon have sales that can drop the price to $425. Save your registry coupon (did not do this, my mistake) to add on another 15% discount during those sales, dropping your total price to $390!

Tips from my experience on starting breastfeeding: The learning process / May 15, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

So I did a thing… I started coursework towards becoming an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)! I think it’s just a small step toward broadening my career toward women’s health, and I am learning through courses and personal experience on what works for myself and mommas. You would think that breastfeeding comes easy because so many healthcare providers will say things like, “it’s natural” or “it’s our innate ability” or even “you’re born to do this!”

But the truth is, breastfeeding is a working relationship between a mother and her baby.

I know one thing, most of the time the issue with breastfeeding is due to a lack of knowledge about how to start or how to keep going. So I’m going to just go over how I started breastfeeding and what I did to make sure that when my supply regulated, it would be enough to feed Mav every day + more for a freezer stash.

The Q&A

How did you even start breastfeeding? Is there a right way or any recommendations for the first latch?

Get that baby skin-to-skin as soon as they’re delivered! Your hospital team will most likely do this anyways because it helps calm baby and regulate the temperature as soon as baby hits that cold, out-of-the-womb fresh air. This will start the sensitive period with the baby, which is also sometimes known as the Golden Hour. (I personally don’t like calling it that because the Golden Hour has a different meaning in the military when it comes to medical attention). The sensitive period includes a few steps to include the birth cry, a quiet alert state, body stability, and the initiation of the first feeding. You’ll want to be patient with baby during this first hour. Give baby all the “welcome to the world” cuddles. Holding baby and allowing baby to wake up and take in all of the senses of your body will help prepare baby for the first latch. Once baby starts showing the cues such as stepping or crawling toward your breast, rooting or suckling on their hands, then they’re ready to try and feed. Making sure you’re in a good position to support baby’s head correctly, and the body so you don’t get tired is important.

What are some of the benefits of breastfeeding right away after delivery?

There are many benefits that come along with breastfeeding right after delivery to include: oxytocin release, stable blood sugars for baby, colonization of good bacteria between mom and baby, and limiting cold stress. Oxytocin is good for momma because that’s what helps the uterine contract in order to deliver the placenta and to contract the uterus after delivery. This is important because having a boggy (soft) uterus can lead to bleeding, which can be life threatening. Most hospitals have a standard protocol for running Pitocin after delivery to help with this process, but it’s always better to get it naturally by cuddling baby! Colostrum is great for helping with baby’s blood sugar because it’s so packed with all the nutrients baby needs. Babies tend to be pretty sleepy and calm after delivery, as you are going to be after laboring all day! Remember that baby worked hard too, so the colostrum is perfect for filling their little tummies so they can continue to sleep.

Skin-to-skin promotes good bacteria growth between the momma and baby which helps with keeping baby safe and helping fight infection. It also gets baby to be familiar with who momma is by the smell of your skin. This also helps regulate their temperature more effectively than the warmers. Babies still have trouble regulating their temperature even months after birth, so it’s important that they have you help them maintain it.

When did you start pumping or expressing milk for baby?

I started right away. I asked to be with baby for at least an hour, and they let me stay with him until he was done feeding. This is because my baby had to go to the NICU to be monitored for his respiration. Once I was transferred to the postpartum unit, I was given a hand pump to help express colostrum to give Maverick through the night. Colostrum is like a shot of nutrients for baby. It may not be a lot, but know that it is enough for baby!

I started pumping as soon as my milk came in a few days later. In the first few weeks, your supply hasn’t regulated yet. Your body works off of supply & demand, so if you’re not removing that milk enough either by pumping or by nursing baby, then you will likely notice a decrease in your supply. The problem that some women can run into if they’re choosing to breastfeed and pump is an over supply of milk. I’ll admit that I was very paranoid about having a low supply and then returning to work struggling to keep Maverick fed, which is why I started pumping 1-2 times a day in the beginning.

Mav wanted to eat at White Sands and I mean… I couldn’t say no

Do you feed on demand or on a set schedule?

I feed on demand when I am with Maverick. Every day I’m with him, I really try to hone in on his hunger, elimination, and sleepy cues. It may seem like I feed on a set schedule because Mav is like clockwork and feeds every 1.5-2 hours. Now at night, he’ll have a 5-6 hour stretch of sleep, but by then my boobs are so full I wake him up and make him feed. Feeding on demand is the best way to regulate your milk supply. If I miss a feeding with him because he’s napping, I will pump with my Spectra S1, which I’ve reviewed in a blog. But remember, your baby is your best pump. So if you can manage to wake baby up enough to feed, try that (unless you need sleeps too, then pump and sleep girl.)

Do you recommend sleeping or waking up to pump at night?

You’ll read a lot about “MOTN pump sessions”. MOTN stands for Middle Of The Night. In the first 2 months before Maverick slept longer stretches, I would be up every 2 hours to feed him anyway. Now that he sleeps longer stretches, I try to feed him right before I go to sleep and then he wakes up around 2-3 to have a sleepy feed session. If he doesn’t wake up, my boobs will be aching enough to wake me up to pump, so I’ll pump. If your milk hasn’t regulated yet, I would recommend doing a MOTN pump to keep your supply up. The longest most IBCLCs recommend for not pumping or nursing is no longer than 5 hours. With that being said, the best time to pump is in the early, early morning. After a few weeks of pumping, you may notice that your breast feel fuller in the morning, and this is due to a higher prolactin level at that time. So if you’re trying to build a stash, it’s best if you do force yourself awake to get that milk, girl!

What would you recommend if I don’t want to start pumping that early, but still want to make bottles just in case?

Bottles are great for those times where you’re on the go and you really can’t feed baby, or if your partner wants a turn to bond with baby through a feeding. If you aren’t wanting to start pumping early on, you can always catch your letdown from the other breast while baby feeds. This can be done using breast cups or the infamous Haakaa. The Haakaa is a non-electric, hands-free way to catch your letdown. It’s a silicone breast pump that uses suction as it’s method to draw out milk as baby is feeding. I’ve been able to catch up to 4 oz in a Haakaa in the early morning.

When would you seek help from a lactation consultant or certified lactation educator?

BEFORE YOU DISCHARGE THE HOSPITAL. It’s so important that you go home feeling confident in starting your breastfeeding journey, even if this is going to be your fourth kid. You want to make sure your baby is latching correctly so both of you are comfortable and you save your nipples from a whole lot of pain. You want to know the different positions. You want to know the importance of skin to skin. All of these questions can be answered by your healthcare providers, to include your OBGYN/midwife, RN, and lactation specialists. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER in breastfeeding, and you can never have enough.

That’s all folks ~

… for now! Like I said, there’s so much to breastfeeding that you’ll always have something new to learn. I’m working on making a printable for pumping sessions and tracking baby’s daily stats of diapers and feedings. I’m also making a few graphics for how to store your pumped breast milk.

A mom’s review of the Spectra S1 breast pump / April 9, 2020 by Jaclyn Sison

Looking for the right breast pump among so many options can be so difficult, especially if you’ve never had to deal with one before. The only breast pump I had any experience with was the Medela Symphony and that’s because it was what we lent out to new moms in the hospital. I thought that I wanted a Medela pump, but after reading so many mom reviews, I decided on the Spectra S1.

There are so many great things about this pump. Some of the features that are included in this pump are:

Quiet hospital grade suction with different cycle settings

Differentiate from expression and letdown (massage) mode
Closed double pumping system
Rechargeable battery
Night light - super useful at night so you aren’t fiddling with your cellphone!
Lightweight approx. 3 lbs
Price: $200 (Can be covered by insurance!)

Why the cycles of letdown and expression are so great

I really like that this pump has both of these functions, my travel pump does not have this option. The different cycles are supposed to resemble how baby would be on your breast. The letdown cycle, controlled by the top middle button with 3 wavy lines, is locked in at 70 CPM, with 5 different suction levels. This is supposed to mimic the first time baby latches when they’re sucking fast to get the milk to release from the ducts. This normally takes about 2 minutes on average to happen, and you can help it along by massaging your breast in the beginning. The only thing that you have to keep in mind is that the pump does not automatically start on letdown, you have you press it once you turn it on.

The expression cycle is when the milk is steadily flowing and this is when baby will have a suck, pause, swallow motion. There are 5 speeds of 38, 42, 46, 50, and 54. It has 12 different suction levels as well. I would recommend starting at a slower cycle and lower suction speed when starting. Having a strong and fast suction does not always yield more milk, in fact, if you’re uncomfortable it may actually hinder your milk production. Another tip to make this easier on your nipples is to lube them up with nipple balm so they slide comfortably in the flanges.

A pump that suckles, not sucks

A small thing that I noticed was the vibration of the flanges when pumping. It’s actually kind of soothing to have a different sensation so it’s not just a straight suck from the pump. Spectra prides itself on it’s natural nursing technology which mimics a more natural feeding session that other standard pumps may not offer.

Closed Pumping system feature

The closed pumping system just means that as you’re pumping, the milk will never come into contact with the pumping motor. The Spectra has a good back flow system set up as well so the milk you’re pumping is going directly into the bottle or bag that you’re pumping to. Pretty much, the milk isn’t going to be exposed to unnecessary bacteria.

Stay at home pump or travel pump?

I definitely do not see myself traveling with this pump to work or anywhere else. The odd shape of the pump makes it a very awkward thing to pack in a tote bag. I did originally choose this pump so I could bring it to work without the worry of having the find an outlet in a private space just so I could use it. I do like that I can carry it anywhere in the house though.

If you had to only have one pump though, at least you know traveling with this pump, you’ll always get a good milk turnout. Plus it’s very easy to clean if you did have to travel with it!

What’s all included in the box?

1 Spectra S1 breast pump
4 Breast flanges (2 x 24 mm, 2 x 28 mm)
2 Tubes
2 Duckbill valves
2 Back-flow protectors
2 Spectra wide neck storage bottles
1 12-volt AC adapter

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