Help! Pumping for the First Time! Need Advice!

Since she's never needed to drink from a bottle before, you might try to give her a sippy cup instead. An 8 month old is old enough to learn how to use a sippy cup, and it would save you the job of transitioning from the bottle to a sippy.

I would call the daycare center and ask them how much milk they recommend. They won't be able to give you a definitive answer, but there will be other kids her age at the center. Just knowing how much each of them drink each day will give you an idea.

When I need to be somewhere I get most of my pumped milk in the morning, DS nurses on one side and I pump the other. Some women aren't able to pump much at all, by 8 or 9 months with my oldest I was unable to pump ANY, even though I had the supply and he continued to nurse until he was 18 mos. So, don't judge supply based on pumped amounts. I freeze in 4 oz increments, that was all mine would take. Call the daycare and see if they have a freezer. If they do, you can send frozen milk and they can thaw what they need only. If not, send fresh and if she doesn't drink it you can freeze it for later. Once milk is thawed, it must be kept refridgerated and consumed within 3-5 days (depends on who you ask) and can't be re-frozen. I'd offer a bottle and make sure she takes it now, rather than waiting until right before you go. Neither of my boys (3 and 2 months) ever needed the special nipples or bottles marketing for breastfeeding babies. We have just regular bottles and nipples, and haven't had a problem going back and forth between breast and bottle. If you are going to be working, you need to be sure to pump at work the same amount that you normally nurse during that time period. Your supply can drop very fast if you don't! Hopefully you will be able to pump enough to refill what she drinks at daycare while you are at work. Good luck! I personally find pumping tedious, but it's worth it in the long run!
ETA: I've used the NUK and Lansinoh breastmilk storage bags and haven't had many leaks. They freeze laying flat and can save lots of room in the freezer, and since they are thin they are easy to thaw running under warm water.

I would try to get her used to one bottle a day before you take her to daycare. If she doesn't like bottles, try sippy cups with the nubby spouts.

I started pumping when DD was tinier, but I ran across some old forms from daycare and she still did take 3 bottles per day. I would give them at least 2 bottles of about 3-4 ounces per day, with that much as spare. Make sure that they have a real freezer for you to store the spare in, or you'll end up like me with a half-frozen mess lost in the "slightly colder" compartment of a dorm style fridge. I would start by pumping after she nurses in the AM, when you are likely to get more milk. That will be your go-to supply when she starts. I would freeze for now, but later when the milk will be used the next day, just keep it in the fridge. I kept 4-6 bottles for pumping into and I kept them in a cooler at my desk so they were not tampered with and I did not forget them. If I got just a few ounces and they'd all fit in one bottle, I combined them from that session. Never had a problem. I rotated about 10 bottles between storage and her needs. I pumped 3x over a 9 hr day, sometimes using hands free to review papers or pump in the car. I used smaller bottles, in part because she never needed bigger ones and in part to discourage them from giving her big bottles. I measured them at night and labelled them 1,2,3 so that if I was short or the milk was older, she got that before it spoiled or she got the shortest bottle when she was closest to being home.

I highly suggest you get (if you do not have) a really good pump like the Medela Pump in Style Advanced or Ameda Purely Yours. Your insurance may cover it.

Kellymom.com is my go-to nursing resource. They also have bottle feeding and pumping tips.

Figure about 4 ounces every 3 hours.

I went back to work full time with both my kids at 3 1/2 months. With my older one, I waited too long to try the bottle (8 weeks or so) and she fought it for a while. It was really tough. My husband had to feed her and I left the house. Not fun at all. With my second, we tried a bottle at one month and it was really easy.

8 months is going to be tough. She is used to you. I would start sippy cups or bottles right now at least once a day. She might struggle at day care for a while but she won't starve herself. Eventually she will take it.

If you find you're not pumping very much (my supply always dropped pretty low around 8-9 months) try the herbal supplements More Milk Plus. You can find it at any Whole Foods, Sprouts or health food grocer. It helped supplement my supply so that I could still produce enough milk without having to resort to formula.

Good luck!

Good luck!

At that age, both my kids were taking about 4 oz every 4 hours. Yes, I agree with you that it's a great idea to have her eat her solids at daycare so you are still getting lots of nursing time at home.

For what to send: I would send two 4-oz bottle since she will be there 6 hrs. Then send some frozen 2-oz bags of milk, so if the need to supplement a little more, they can. I used a schedule kind-of like this (mine was an 8 hr day, but might be similar to yours):
8:30AM - nurse at daycare one last time
11AM - 4 oz bottle
1:00PM - solids (whatever solids you are giving her)
3:00 PM - 4 oz bottle
Pickup time - nurse immediately

My kids would take any bottle. But, for my sanity, I used wide-mouth bottles with slow-flow nipples. Wide mouth bottles, because they help keep your baby's latch wide, like she latches on to you. And slow-flow because breasts don't change flow rates as babies grow, having bottles change flow rates as the baby grows is just a marketing thing.

Some babies are picky about bottles, so don't buy a lot of them at once. Just buy 1 wide-mouth bottle and see if she'll take it. If she likes it, then buy more of those. If she doesn't, buy a different one. We personally used Avent and Gerber, but as I said, my kids weren't picky.

For pumping, make sure you pump at the same times that you would normally nurse if you were home, to keep your supply high at those times. If you don't get enough pumping at work, you may need to add in one at home. First thing in the morning is a good time for this, if you can find the time, because your supply is highest in the morning.

Do you have a pump?
Have you tried pumping?
If not you better start now.
See how much you can pump.
See what brand pump you like and works for you.
There are so many different brands.

Then, you need to see if your baby will even drink from a bottle.
I breastfed both my kids.
My daughter, WOULD NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT, drink from a bottle. Even if I tried SOOOOOOO many different ones.
My son, however would drink from a bottle.
I use the MAM brand with him. It is BPA free, reasonably priced, and has a natural nipple and it does not make a baby gassy, and it comes in cute colors!
I LOVE these bottles. I got it from Amazon.

Again, you need to start NOW... with pumping, getting the equipment, and getting bottles. And see, IF your baby will drink from it.
Or use a sippy cup.

July is coming up quick.

I agree that you might be better off with a sippy cup and not a bottle.

Anyway, I know you said you nurse on demand, but is she on any type of schedule with her nursing? Both of my kids generally nursed five times a day at that age - first thing in the morning, before a.m. nap, before p.m. nap, after p.m. nap, and before bed. So, on a schedule like that, figure your daughter would need milk 2-3 times at day care. Each bottle/cup would probably be about six ounces at that age, I think. I'm like you... I always nursed and didn't do many bottles, but I think that's a pretty good estimate.

Has your daughter ever had a bottle? Does anyone else feed her so you can go out sometimes? If not, don't be too surprised if she resists drinking milk from a bottle or sippy cup entirely. My older one was fine if someone gave him a bottle of pumped milk, but my younger one pretty much always refused it.

At 8 months, she can also start having some very simple snacks like puffs, since they melt in your mount and don't require any chewing. It could be a good supplement if she refuses the milk.

Medela has a nipple called a Calma that might work well for your little one. It's supposed to be more like nursing. Milk won't come out unless they are actually sucking. That said, I'd try a few different nipples to see what works best for her. She'll figure it out, and so will you. Try not to stress.