My Breastfeeding & Pumping Journey
Its official! I am a mommy to my beautiful little girl - Melia Zeineddine <3
I have been getting a lot of questions about my experience with breastfeeding and pumping so I wanted to share my journey with all of you! I have been using the Lansinoh SmartPump Double Electric Breast Pump, and I wanted to write about some of the things I loved about it, and how it has helped me along the way.
I am so grateful to say that I got lucky with breastfeeding. Melia latched on right away with no issues at all, and my colostrum came in right away. I think it took about 5 days or so for my milk to come in, but Melia was great at feeding every 2-3 hours which really helped my body learn to keep producing milk.
The first two weeks she slept a lot, so I would wake her to feed about every 3 hours, and in between feedings I would pump. The reason why I did this is because I wanted to train my body to make as much milk as possible!
The Lansinoh SmartPump Double Electric Breast Pump was so easy to use right from the beginning. It is very user friendly and very easy to put together and take a apart (which is very advantageous when you have a baby who needs you 24/7 now!) Also, the Lansinoh Pump has different speed and suction settings, so I can easily choose between different levels to make it as similar to how Melia feeds as possible. I also love that it has a close system design to hygienically keep breastmilk from backing up into the tubing system.
At the beginning, my breastfeeding and pumping routine was roughly feeding every 3-4 hours, and pumping every 1.5-2 hours. Now, my routine has changed since Melia is feeding more often. She is cluster feeding which basically means she feeds every hour or so during the day (sometimes more). At night is when she sleeps a good 6-7 hours straight , so instead of pumping during the day, I pump right before bed and store it in the fridge.
Once Melia goes back to feeding everything 2-4 hours, Ill introduce pumping into my daily routine again, and not just my nightly routine. But for now this is what seems to work for us! I also love that I can either use both electric pumps, or one electric pump at a time. Some nights I have enough to pump from both sides and I use the Simple Wishes Hands Free Pumping Bra (HIGHLY recommend!!), and other nights I have the option to pump only on one side if need be.
The pump itself is very easy to use, and the suction cups are very comfortable and pain free! Its also very easy to clean and put together / take apart which I love because I need as much time-saving products as possible in my life right now!
I never really knew what to expect with my breastfeeding and pumping journey, I wasn’t sure if I would have a lot or a little, or anything at all. I can honestly say though, that using the Lansinoh Breast Pump helped me bring in milk, and now helps me safely and comfortably pump my milk so that I can store it for the days when we leave Melia with family. It’s also wonderful that my husband can take part in feedings as well!
I also never pump without the Simple Wishes Hands Free Pumping Bra! I have so much to do around the house, with the newborn baby, my work, blogging, Instagram, etc., that I always need my hands for something! So this bra saved my life because before I had it I would have to stop everything I was doing in order to pump. Now, I don’t have to feel stuck, and I can get other things done while I pump. Multitasking is something that all moms know how to do all too well!
If you have any questions about either product, send me a DM on my Instagram. I would be happy to help however I can, or answer any further questions you may have about breastfeeding, pumping, or the products! I hope this blog post helps you with feeding your baby and choosing a breast pump (if you choose to pump)!
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Photos by:
Grey Loft Studio
@greyloftstudio
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@carlamariabruno
youtube.com/travelwithmetv
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Until next time! xo
Carla Bruno
