Sorry it has taken me awhile to respond ladies, you know how time consuming newborns can be! Thank you for all the responses and some great advice to try out!

@mi.mommy, thank you so much, I'm trying my best for my littles!

@kellyelaine, I would love for Leon to continue sleeping in our bed! His Daddy doesn't sleep as lightly as I do though and likes to roll around and kick in his sleep, so I make myself the barrier between the two of them.
What would you recommend I do when Leon starts rolling and crawling?

I've not yet heard of pace feeding but I'd definitely love to check out some of those videos!
Whenever we have given him a bottle of my milk, he ends up drinking up to 7 whole ounces and very quickly, since the flow is much faster. He eats the same way when I breastfeed, constantly hungry it seems. We try soothing him every other way, but he just always wants to suckle. He also chokes, dribbles down his chin, and spits up a lot when using breast or bottle. He's been gaining 2 whole ounces a day, so I know he's getting plenty to eat; I'm just worried he's eating too much or too often!
About how often should I be pumping a day while I'm still at home breastfeeding?
And how much milk, ideally, should I try to have saved up for when I return to work?

@kellyelaine, thank you for your encouragement ! great - bc I don't replace any feedings. This night I watched a movie and let him even sleep after feeding at the nipple :) I was suppose to sleep but the movie was catchy... I just love to have my boy close to me and I love breastfeeding and for sure will try your advise!
My point is that I feed him before leaving the house but sometimes 1h later he is hungry while mama is in a restaurant and wants to enjoy her food and has no interest in sitting there for 30min to feed 😅

@mi.mommy, don't compare yourself to others! That's normal! 2-4 ounces is what you get when you replace a feed and you haven't pulled milk in 3-4 hours!

The medela is a pretty popular pump, but you have to make sure to change the parts often or it won't run as efficiently as you need!

@kellyelaine, I feel like it is nothing 😒 because two of my friends are pumping 3-4oz every time. And here comes me... with a 25min pumping in between with 1.5oz. Sometimes I'm lucky in the morning and have 55ml (closer to 2oz).

I use the Medela pump in style, do. you know something about it?

I have tried it and along with a good pump it helps!

@mi.mommy, do you need to save any right now? You're going to be replacing the nursing sessions with pumps so it won't be a problem! But, I will say that 1.5 ounces between nursing is amazing. 😍

@kellyelaine, omg - your tips are great. Most of them I knew but the one with the recording of a crying... have you tried it out? Because I can just pump 1.5oz in between and can't recreate a proper supply since I pump twice and one of the feedings takes one and I have just 1.5 or less that I can save a day :(

@mandi.marie, the safest way is to put pillows on the right/left where your arms rest and some behind for yourself to not lay flat (you are on an angle where your child's head is higher than his/her butt). Than you use a swaddle blanket which you fold in a triangle and lay it on his/her back and use the ends to tuck it under you. Does it make sense :)?

And don't worry, you are doing the best you can and it sounds that you are a great mom!!

@mandi.marie, the American academy of pediatrics recommends that baby rooms with you for the first year. If you want a personal recommendation, skip the bassinet and snuggle that baby in your bed! Everyone will get more sleep and you'll get that much needed baby time. My kids were 14 months and 16 months when they went into the big girl bed and they loved it.

If you want to take out those pumps it would help you regulate! Stop pumping to empty is the first step! Just hand express until you feel comfortable everyday. In a few days it will feel better. As far as going back to work goes, every 2-3 hours you will need to pump at work. By the current laws your allowed a clean private room (that's about a bathroom) to express your milk in as long as there is over 50 employees at the company and they need to give you adequate time (20-30 minutes) as many times as you need until baby is 12 months. They can make you clock out to do it though.

I'm not sure if you've ever heard of pace feeding, but it's SOOOO important in your situation. Whoever will be watching baby when you're at work needs to pace feed or your supply will not be able to keep up. I can link you videos if you'd like them. Baby should get no more than 1-1.5 oz every hour that you're gone or they are being over fed. Never more than a 4oz bottle either! That tiny stomach can't handle more than that but a bottles flow is so much faster than the breast. Babies get over whelmed and just drink as much as they can if they're not pace fed. It causes stomach stretch and will deplete your pumped milk quickly.

Also, you should be pumping an oz every hour you're gone. Most woman sit down for 20-30 minutes with a onesie that baby wore the night before and a video they've recorded of baby crying and get 3-4 ounces from both breasts. Gentle massage helps bring a letdown on, make sure you change pump parts when needed, and always keep something close that smells like baby!

Wow, information over load. Sorry about that! I just kept finding things I needed to say! Please ask as many questions as you need!

@princess_xox, I'm definitely in agreement with you there... I'd rather Leon be spoiled and know that Mommy is always there for him. Besides, I'm just as needy as he is and I freak out whenever I'm away from him for any amount of time. He's just my first and only child, so I want to make sure I don't make any huge mistakes that I'll regret later on! Plus, I feel like all the research and advice I come across and can take into consideration helps me, personally, feel more confident in my choices as a Mommy!

@kellyelaine, I know every baby is different and Leon could still very well change his sleeping habits, but I'm wondering if we should get him a co-sleeper, rather than the bassinet we currently have. I think his biggest problem with the bassinet is that he's not directly next to me or on top of me, and he can't see me when he's in it.
Just curious, how long would you recommend keeping him in a co-sleeper for, before moving him to a crib in his own room?
As far as breastfeeding goes, I'm still not quite sure how to regulate his feeding with pumping, without causing engorgement. I was pumping every day, once or twice a day, until I got every ounce of milk, but my breasts were becoming engorged every day and leaking everywhere; it was very painful! I would like to figure out a good schedule for when I have to return to work in a few weeks.

@mandi.marie yyuup my little one bobs around to. Lol i would just say persistant is key. In the begining he hated sleeping mext to me. I did it longer and longer. Lol. I cnt have him not sleepnwith me now i feel empty. Lol yeah as long as im directly next to my little one hea fine. He likes to feel my face if not hell scream lol. Its easy to nurse when the cosleep. The only thing is i get lazy n nurse from one boob. I regret it in the morning. Lol . Idk i told his doc and she said itll create bad habbits. Like eff it. My baby needs me. Lol no bad habbit in that. I still need my mum! Lol

@mandi.marie, as far as cosleeping, we have the crib attached to the bed with the side removed! I just scoot over and nurse then scoot back. Works like a charm for us! Beds are the same height and we have no space between them!

I bet your milk is starting to regulate. That sounds like what happened to me. Your breasts may start to feel soft but that doesn't mean you're losing your milk! It's absolutely normal. I always get a big push of milk during the cluster feeding and then it goes back to normal after. If it continues shoot me a message and we can go over more options!!! 😌

Thank you @srabe86! I definitely want him close, especially with convenience for feeding. My biggest concern is safety and I know our bed isn't/won't always be considered "safe", especially as he starts rolling around and crawling on his own.

M daughter didn't sleep in her crib until about 4 or 5 months. I wanted her near me I think mostly because I was lazy and didn't want to get up. It was so easy to just pop my boob out. Lol I think it's normal for him to be this way.

@princess_xox, my little guy hates being swaddled too!
Wow, I don't know how you've done it for 10 weeks! I am incredibly uncomfortable, my tush goes numb, and I can barely sleep when he sleeps on his boppy in my lap, or on my chest. I had a cesarean that I am still recovering from, and he kicks my incision when he sleeps that way, and he likes to bop and roll around a lot.
He's getting better about laying in our bed, as long as I'm directly next to him, but it's still hit or miss.
We were planning on getting an actual crib for him, but I don't know if that will really even be an option for us, or if we'll just need to continue co-sleeping. I know they don't usually recommend putting a baby in a crib to sleep in their own room until they are around 6 months, and everything could be completely different by that point.

@kellyelaine, Ideally I would like to continue co-sleeping, I feel much more comfortable with him as close as possible!
I have become such a light sleeper with him around and don't even move an inch while I'm sleeping next to him, as not to roll over him or hurt him in my sleep. The main problem is that his daddy is not such a light sleeper and moves around a lot while he sleeps, so I have to create a barrier between them with my body. I'm also worried for when Leon starts rolling over on his own, that he may roll off the side of our bed.
I have been considering looking into a co-sleeper that attaches to the bed, as opposed to a bassinet or crib. Any advice as far as that goes?
He's still figuring out the ins and outs of breastfeeding. The lying down position is generally how we nurse in the middle of the night, while he sleeps next to me in bed, so I am able to get a little shut eye. Lately, however, he has been choking while feeding and spitting up quite a bit, with milk coming out of his nose. I'm wondering if that position has anything to do with it.

@cheyenne.frazier, I let him go through grunting, whining, and crying, but I cannot stand it for long when he turns red in the face and starts screaming to the point where he chokes himself up. He definitely knows that a good cry will get him attention and he uses it against us, so we're trying to let him go a little longer each time. He's starting to get into a better routine, as far as eating, sleeping, and changing go; just trying to work on sleeping location at this point. Weird part is that he'll sleep on his back just fine on the boppy in my lap, but hates sleeping on his back in the bassinet. He likes sleeping on his tummy the most, like when he's laying on my chest, but I don't feel comfortable putting him in the bassinet like that to sleep.

@mi.mommy, I've been told not to spoil him, as well. I personally, want for my son to know that I am and will always be there for him. I don't want him to have to self-soothe or even give him the possibility of dealing with separation anxiety. Plus, it breaks my heart to see him turn red in the face and scream.
What is the safe method of co-sleeping they showed you in the hospital?

@mandi.marie my baby is 10w and ive been sleeping with him on my chest like 4 days after we came from the hospital. He used to love to nap in the swing now hell only sleep 30 mints at most. I finally got him comfy with laying next to me. My baby hates being swaddeld. Lol but from what the doc told me you cnt spoil them till like 6 months. But what i did was put his crib right next to me and took the side of andnattached it to the bed. I let him sleep on my chest then put him down and ly as close as i can and hold his tinny hands. Sometimes hell sleep 2 hours. Sometimes a little less.

@mandi.marie, co sleeping isn't a bad habit! Babies are biologically programmed to want mama! It's for safety, comfort, and food! Remember that little peanut knows nothing about the strange world but your voice, smell, and milk. You're his only stability!

Have you tried the side lying position for nursing? I sleep with my baby attached to my breast 😂 it's a life saver. More research!

I know it's hard but sometimes you have to let them try to cry it out some. I mean obviously if he's uncontrollably crying for 10 minutes then pick him back up. We kept Kenzie up as much as we could through out the day. So when it came to bed time we gave a warm bath, lotion her up, fed her burped her and laid her down. Sometimes she's stay asleep and sometimes she cries. For about a week I'd let her cry for about 5 minutes, I'd go in and rock her for a little bit, the second week I went a little longer and so forth. Eventually she'd fall asleep after about 10 minutes. You might also want to try how your laying him down. Kenzie always had to be on her left side. I kid you not she would immediately wake up if you laid her in any position other than that lol

Ohhhhh ❤️ your post just helped me so much! Going through the same but I've been told that you can spoil a child with love and till they are 3-4 month they don't even know it but for sure I'll research what @kellyelaine, said!! By the way, there is a safe cosleeping - they showed it to us at the hospital!

Thank you very much @kellyelaine, it always helps to hear that you're doing a good job! :D
I'm a little obsessed with researching everything so I will have to look into the fourth trimester, I hadn't heard of it.
Yes, Leon is 5 weeks and we are solely nursing. He cluster feeds most nights, nearly nonstop, which adds to the lack of sleep. Plus, as you mentioned, all he wants, day and night, is me!
I just don't want to let his co-sleeping in our bed go on for long, to where we can't break him of it.

Hey mama! I know you don't want to hear this, but when you're going through is incredibly normal! Do a little research on the fourth trimester! You're such a good mom being concerned about it and reaching out for help!! Are you nursing? If I read the post correct baby is about five weeks which is in the middle of a large mental leap, all baby wants is you! Hang in there mama, you're doing great. 😘