I was able to exclusively breastfeed my first son and LOVED it.  I planned on doing this with my second son who is due at the end of May.  However we found out that the baby is going to have a double cleft lip and palate.  All of the doctors I have asked (including the ones at the cleft clinic) claim that I will not be able to naturally breastfeed. 

I insist on giving my son mommy's milk.  But it looks like I am going to have to pump and then feed from a specialized bottle. Since I never pumped before I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions out there for pumping.  I bought a Medela Pump in Style breast pump as in reviews it seemed most moms preferred it.

No matter what the doctors state I will attempt to give my son the breast. Who knows we may be the exception to the rule.  But with the severity of his cleft it is highly unlikely he will be able to draw milk from the breast.  So any suggestions, ideas or experiences that they would like to share I would appreciate it.

You may want to start pumping now. Then you will build up your supply and have something to give him before he is even born. You won't get much at first but keep at it. How old will he be before his cleft palate is corrected?

Yay to making this work!  Good for you!  You are so right about getting breastmilk into the LO .. It'll help him recover from any surgeries he may have so much quicker too.

I am sure they will help you get started pumping at the hospital.  I worked full-time so pumped 2x daily for my daughter's first year of life.  For the first several weeks after my daughter was born i was unable to successfully pump any milk at all -- but eventually I got there.  Pumping is as variable as breastfeeding - for some, milk just flows, for others it takes more work.

Pumping can be psychological too -- I had to concentrate on a picture of my baby in order to induce the "let-down" response - at first at least ..  It gets easier.

You can try pumping now as Cathy reccommended -- but I would not expect to get ANY -- but maybe you will.  It will allow you to get used to the equipment at least before you have 2 little ones underfoot!  It is awkward at first - ok, so it is always awkward having cones and tubes attached to your chest!! lol  The pump you got is the same as I have, and it is a very good pump.

Also, keep the pump setting on LOW. The first time I tried pumping, I did not get any milk, so I kept turning up the intensity -- bruised my nipples!! lol, so keep it on low even if you're not getting any milk.

You'll figure it out!  Good for you for doing this for you LO!

Thanks for the advice ladies.  I will keep it all in mind and I see my doc this Friday so I will check and see what he thinks about starting early with the pumping.  Never thought about that.

Cathy: His cleft lip will be repaired in 6-8 months and then they usually repair the palate between 1-2 years.

My mom also bought me some Mother's milk tea. I am going to try that to help build up my supply also.

I agree! All hats off to you for trying to make this work!

The reason I thought of the early pumping is because I found out that they tell Mom's who are adopting a newborn that they can breastfeed too. It really surprised me but apparently there are vitamin supplements you can take along with using the pump. It must work for some people. I would contact a lactation consultant. They seem to know more than the drs do about this for some reason. You would think the dr would know more but in my experience the lactation consultants are better for this kind of advice. If you called the hospital where you are deliveriing they will probably talk to you free of charge.

They tell you not to use the pump until breastfeeding is established which is about 3 weeks after they are born. This is to avoid the baby having nipple confusion and also to make sure you have an ample milk supply.

In your case though I can't see how your baby will ever be able to latch on to you given that the problem won't be fixed until he is at least six months old. I'm not a dr though. I'm just attempting to be logical and realistic.

In the end you may not be able to breast feed for as long as you did with your other child but whatever you can get in is great for him and great for you! You also will be able to say that you tried. That was a big deal to me because I have reason to worry that my daughter will have a food allergy since I have one. Breastfed children are less likely to develop them but if she does I can say that I made an attempt to prevent them.

Anyway, please keep us updated. I'd love to know how everything turns out.

Btw, my daughter has to have surgery this week. She is 7 months old so I know how scary that is.

Watch out for bruised nipples!

there is a cream out there to soothe the pain of ur nipples after u pump or breast is safe for the child so u can still use it and breast or pump at the same time

Pure lanolin will soothe the nipple after pumping and is safe for baby if it gets in the milk.  Also, putting it on before pumping lubricates the nipple to prevent chaffing from the pump.  It also provides the moisture that helping stimulate milk flow that is missing during pumping otherwise. 

I'd reiterate the advice of someone else about paying attention to the psychological aspects of pumping.  Relaxation techniques and visualization help.  Also, using gravity is smart at first (I still do it); so lean forward and let gravity aid in directing the milk down and out.  I always use my pump on the highest setting, no other setting works for me.  GOOD LUCK!

Pure lanolin will soothe the nipple after pumping and is safe for baby if it gets in the milk.  Also, putting it on before pumping lubricates the nipple to prevent chaffing from the pump.  It also provides the moisture that helping stimulate milk flow that is missing during pumping otherwise. 

I'd reiterate the advice of someone else about paying attention to the psychological aspects of pumping.  Relaxation techniques and visualization help.  Also, using gravity is smart at first (I still do it); so lean forward and let gravity aid in directing the milk down and out.  I always use my pump on the highest setting, no other setting works for me.  GOOD LUCK!