3 Month Old Breastfeeding Working Pumping

I'd pump during your long drives, every time. Even on your way home - the pump is incapable of emptying your breast and even the superior suction force of the baby's mouth cannot completely empty the breast.

I'd recommend storing the milk in 4 ounce increments - and tell your sitter to give ONE bottle if baby seems hungry. Wait 30 minutes, if baby still seems hungry and nothing else works, give ONE more bottle. Spacing it out will allow your infant's stomach to realize just how much was consumed - bottles flow into the mouth and fill them up way sooner than their brains can account for - with breastfeeding they have cycles of suckling to eat and suckling to comfort, not every suckle is giving them milk when they nurse.

If she's anything like my newly 6 month old - she'd prefer to space out feeding (if allowing someone to feed her a bottle at all!) so she can be minimally satiated and wait for Mommy's return.

BOTH my children would rather wait for my return, even if it's over 6 hours. They did fine, tho I'm sure the caregiver wasn't always happy LOL

Is it possible for you to make a pumping schedule?
Forget the days when you're at home. On days when you need to go out, can you build a schedule such that you forcibly make a half hr break time between your work stops? Maybe schedule long pumping sessions during the evenings when you'll definitely be at home, keep 1 or 2 shorter sessions during the day.

Once you are able to arrange your timings like that, you can also try to follow the same schedule even on days you're at home (BF instead of pumping..)! This idea may also help in not letting you go dry due to any irregularity in feeding/pumping. It may take a while and some planning to get this going, but once you get into the plan, it'll help you loads..

PS: If I were you, I'd still keep some formula for back-up. If DD needs feed urgently and there isn't milk, she can have formula. But you can still catch up and pump later without skipping your 'schedule'..

Congratulations on being able to stay home for 3 months! That is fabulous. Only 3 more to go before solids will start to help fill the voids when you are away. In the mean time...

Pumping at work is just as much of a commitment as breastfeeding itself (sometimes I think more of one). It is important to try & keep to a schedule as much as possible, or it will eventually start to affect your supply. The fact that you can work from home some days is wonderful & will help you keep your supply longer but while in the office it would be best to try & pump at least twice, three times would be better. If your workplace is open to pumping they should also be open to letting you set up a schedule and working meetings around it. Remind them that the longer you pump & breastfeed the less likely you will be home with a sick child.

Another way to help store up milk for when you do start to have less profitable pumping sessions is to pump after you breast feed when at home. You may only get one or two ounces each time but it adds up & you have the added benefit of already experiencing let down while feeding so the milk is already flowing. The down side of this is you don't get the cuddle time after feeding.

Another way to help is to be sure that the last thing you do before you leave for works is nurse, as well as the first thing you do when you get back. If you are away for 8 hours she may then only need to be fed a bottle twice while you are away. This also make it easier for you if you can only pump twice.

Also if she is already sleeping through the night you can always try changing her schedule to adding a feeding at night so she may not want as much during the day.

Good luck!

I would say take every opportunity to pump, a lesson I learned the hard way. Don't take the chance of losing the supply. It's a temporary feature as it is, and one you don't want to lose before you're ready.

I've always had to work full-time, so I hear you!! The sad truth is, yes, eventually your supply will go down. This is true even if you are able to pump regularly. My friend is letting me borrow a pumping bra - best thing ever! I've worn it while driving so I can pump hands free. It also allows me to get work done, too. When you have days like today, pump on both of the first two drives. The more frequently you pump, the better your supply will be, even if you get out just a little each time. It's still better than one pumping session. Best of luck to you!

Do you have a hand's free bra and a car adapter? I pumped on the road to/from work sometimes.

Try eating oatmeal and drinking mother's milk tea and pumping whenever you can. You might also need to pump after baby goes to bed, at night or slip in a pumping session before you go to work, but after baby is fed.

Try not to stress. kellymom.com may offer tips to make the most of your pumping. Just a few ounces at a time is perfectly normal, and you are right to nurse her as much as you can to help maintain supply. If you mostly feed her on one side at a time, consider pumping the other.

Hang in there. I pumped for a year working FT so I know how it can be.

I went back to work at 3 months and she had been exclusively breast fed. I worked 6 hours a day five days a week and there was no way to pump and save the milk because of my job, so she started drinking one or two bottles of formula at day care. But, worse than that I got mastitis.

Be very careful of pumping erratically. Once you are on a schedule, your body is producing that milk and not pumping can lead to clogged ducts and mastitis. I learned my lesson and fit in the pumping sessions even if I only had 10 minutes. I had a hand pump that came apart and fit in the backpack that I carried my laptop and other work supplies in, in a gallon ziplock bag (wow, we women are resourceful!) I pumped and dumped in restrooms all over the place... My supply did not deplete. I was able to BF her the rest of the day/night and all day on weekends until she self-weaned at 11 months.

Do you have a battery pack for your electric pump? (you'll need an electric pump!) I suggest pumping in your car. Yes, it's possible to make it discrete. Good luck - and what a lucky little one that you are putting so much effort into making this work! :D I'm sure you're up on the ice pack thing - if not, ask!