Pumping Routine at 3 Months
We introduced a bottle to our baby around 4 weeks to get her used to one bottle a day while continuing to breast feed her. Now that I’ve been pumping and breastfeeding my baby for a couple months, I thought I’d share my current setup and routine that is working for me and my family.
Pumping Items
I didn’t like my regular nursing bra for pumping so I got one special for pumping and I liked this one best
Milk Storage
We keep milk in a separate tiny fridge in baby’s nursery because our bedrooms are upstairs. It makes it easier for us for milk storage and feedings in the morning!
Cleaning
White tub basin
Willow pump brushes (comes with pump)
Pumping Routine
6:15am - I wake up before my husband and baby wake up for the day to get my pumping session in. This is my choice so that I can get in a workout in the morning without missing too much time with her!
6:30am - I change into my pumping bra and start pumping. I usually only have to pump for about 6-8min these days to get at least 4oz! While pumping, I usually get soap and warm water into my white tub for soaking my pump parts later. I love the hands free pump so that I can do other things while I pump instead of being stuck in a corner by an outlet.
6:40am - Empty milk from containers into haakaa silicone bag, rinse pump parts in warm water, and place in tub to soak for at least 5min! While my parts are soaking, I usually set up the bottle and fresh milk, and change into my workout clothes.
6:50am - Wash pump parts!
7:00am - My husband wakes up with baby to feed her while I workout!
You can also check out my morning pumping routine in action here!
Notes about feeding:
We usually bottle feed only once a day, unless I am out without baby and there is a feeding emergency where she is hungry and I’m not home. We are doing a bottle feed so baby gets used to it for when I got back to work and she is in daycare!
Bottle feeding at 7am consistently can be a challenge depending on when baby’s middle of the night feeding is! She seems to really only like drinking from the bottle when she is very hungry.
A lot of the time, baby doesn’t drink a full 3-4oz at 7am and will drink some and then wants to play a bit in the morning with us and will finish the rest of her bottle around 8:30am before she naps.
MOST IMPORTANT: Every baby is different, so we are just trying to follow her cues and what seems to be working for her and us as a family! Please remember that this is just my experience and every baby and family has different needs - just because this is working for us doesn’t mean it will be best for you!
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