Pumping Enough Milk Retutning to Work

As soon as I was done feeding i would pump what was left which adds up very quickly andd started buildign up my supply. It was hard to do because especially after night time feedings all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. But i stuck with it and built up some supply to freeze for when I went back to work. THe other thing to do is do go back 1/2 day if you can so you can do both.

You could begin with this. While baby is nursing on the first side, pump on your other side. This takes advantage of baby stimulating your letdown, which will help you get more milk. Then, when baby is done with side #1, put him on side #2. The breasts make milk while he nurses, so he won't go without, and your breast will get the message that he was really, really hungry and it needs to make more milk for that feeding. You can do this for every feeding if you want, or just choose one or two a day that you think you might be able to pump even after you go back to work.

This solution worked for me. I make enough milk, but not much extra, so I understand your concern. The pumping while nursing at home rounded out my daily supplies when added to the milk I pumped at work.

I'd suggest meeting with a lactation consultant - try La Leche League for someone in your area. Some pediatricians' offices also have LCs on staff. I remember having the same concerns when I returned to work, but honestly can't remember how I went about building up a supply before returning to work. I do remember that I used the frozen supply as a back-up in case I did not pump enough from one day to the next. For instance, what I pumped on Monday was what I sent to daycare on Tuesday. I spent LOTS of time obsessing over how much I was pumping and how much I had in the freezer.I attended a working moms BFing support group and found it VERY helpful. I remember once my frozen supply got down to only 7 ounces. However, in the end, I never had to use formula but did end up throwing away what amounted to nearly FOUR GALLONS of frozen milk when my daughter refused to drink it from a sippy cup anymore.(You can only keep it in the freezer for about 3-6 months, depending on whose guidelines you follow). She still wanted to BF though, and weaning was hard. She was 2 1/2 when we finally succeeded. Good luck to you - BFing takes a lot of work and the more support you can get the better! One other thing - the type of pump you have really can impact the amount you pump. I used an electric double (Ameda Purely Yours)for the first 6 months, and then it wore out. Next I rented a hospital grade pump - it was amazing and my output was greatly increased. I'd highly recommend renting or purchasing a hospital grade pump if you are able to swing it financially. Rental was $35/month.

You may have heard this already but I found the easiest way to combine pumping and breastfeeding was to do it simultaneously. With a little bit of coordination (and a few pillows) you can pump while the baby nurses on the other side. I found it easiest to do while sitting on my bed. To get the most from pumping, I would pump the side my son was due to eat on and allow him the breast he had had last. It also would help to do it at the same time every morning. After a few mornings in a row, you'll be able to pump quite a few ounces at a time. I hope this helps.

J.,
My son, my firsborn, turned a year old in January and I SOOOO know where you are coming from. I found that the closer it got to my maternity leave being over, the more stressed/anxious I was over my breast milk supply in the freezer! Here are some of my words of wisdom: First: don't stress out over this, if you run out of breast milk, you run out of breast milk. I did run out of my "stash" as I called it. Although it's nice to have a little on hand, remember that you can always pump more. I ended up pumping during the day (after I went back to work )and because my son was a big boy (big eater) I took all of the breast milk that I had pumped that day plus some. I ended up adding Similac Advance with Iron (next-best-thing-to-breastmilk) to the large measuring bowl to get the ounces needed for the next day, mixed it all together and then made the bottles. My son got mostly breastmilk, but a little formula substituted did not hurt a thing and it made me less stressed over the whole thing. I do know this: stress/worry/anxiety over this will cause you to pump less! You certainly don't need that. The lactation specialists told me to pump after my son ate during the day and you are right, supply and demand is the way it is. Pump, pump, pump, but don't feel like you are a bad mother if you have to substitute a little formula here and there. It will be o.k. Breastfeeding is supposed to be a relaxing and bonding thing to do, if you only do it for 3 months that's more than a lot of women do. Good luck.

I'm a new mom, too. I have found that the best time to pump is right after my daughter has fed. I'm not taking anything away from her since she's already nursed. Try pumping after each nursing until you think you have enough milk stored. Your supply will decrease some when you return to work, but your body will make sure you have milk when you need it. All you have to do is let your body know you still need your milk. One way to do that is, if you can, pump serveral times while at work. Just be sure to find a safe place to keep what you pumped cold. I hope this helps to out.

You already got a lot of feedback but I would just add to it my support and what worked for me. I went back to work when my son was 12 weeks old and didn't need to use formula routinely for the first 3 months I was back at work. I would nurse him first thing in the morning and then pump like an hour later right before leaving for work. Then my husband brings my son to work (I am lucky there!) and I nurse him at lunch and also pump after he nurses. Then I would get home from work and nurse him, nurse him again before he went to bed around 7:30, and then pump once more before I went to bed. I was able to keep up with his demand this way. I had also frozen a lot of milk but used it only occasionally and then ended up throwing it out b/c it all went funny. It wasn't actually spoiled--I can't remember the name for it but basically there is some enzyme that causes some women's milk to taste sour when it is stored. The solution is to scald the milk prior to freezing it. I wish I had known my milk was going to do that before I'd gone through the effort of pumping like 30 bottles over several weeks! I'm not sure I would've had the time and energy to scald it anyway but it was so sad to throw it all away. Anyway, you may want to see if any of the milk you have frozen thus far smells or tastes funny before you put a lot of effort into freezing it. Good luck! You can do it!

I had a problem with not getting enough milk for my son when I went back to work. I would pump whenever his normal feedings would have been if I was with him. Then, at home, I would pump as soon as he was done eating to empty myself out. A lot of times I didn't get a lot of milk, but it did help to increase my milk supply, and every little bit helps. Also, a friend of mine took an herbal supplement called phenugreek (not sure of the spelling) to increase her milk supply. She was able to get an extra ounce or two out of every pumping once she started taking it. Hope this helps!!

C.

I pumped at work with my two children. It is best to keep pumping at regular intervals every four hours. I breastfed them for 18 months. You really need a good pump. Medalla double breast pump is the best.

Pump off of one side at a time, that way if he's hungry he will have a full breast. Also, if you can manage it, try pumping from one side while nursing on the other. You should be able to get more out of the breast that way.

Have you tried pumping after you feed your baby. That will increase your milk supply but you know that he is full from eating.

You will want to pump after you feed your baby, not before. That way, you're tricking your body into thinking it needs to make more milk, and will increase your supply. When you go back to work, you need to try and fit in as many pumping sessions as you would feed your baby during that time period. If your baby would normally eat three times while you're at work, you should try and pump three times. If not, your supply will decrease.

Hi J.! I have a 9m/o son and returned to work at 6 weeks. To store milk I pumped about 1/2 - 1 hour after his morning feeding (your milk supply is at its highest in the am). Also if you're lucky and he starts sleeping for longer intervals during the night try for a week waking up at the same time and pumping- this was a great help in building my supply. (If you are nervous about pumping and than him waking up with nothing to eat, you can wait and let him eat from one breast than pump the other- trust me you will be so engorged the first few times he sleeps longer times that one breast will fill him) I went back to an 8 hr work day and pumped three times spacing it out so I could still feed him before I left and when I got home. Definately try for 3 if not 4 pump times during those 12 hours if you are able. And remember to try and nurse at all other feedings when able.

If you find he is eating more than you are storing you can try a bottle of mixed formula/breastmilk or giving one supplemental bottle while at work. My friend did this and her mind was at ease b/c he was still getting the goods from breastmilk but without the worry of her supply completely diminishing.

Good luck!!!

I agree about pumping after the baby has nursed. I also found I had a lot of milk in the morning and not as much "extra" as the day wore on. If that is the case for you too, try and fit it into your regular morning routine so it's part of your day, not a stressful thing. It is critical to have a good pump, and I like Madela too. Good luck! D.

Whether your supply decreases with pumping or increases is individual. The real answer is that pumping isn't the same as nursing. My supply increased from pumping.

I didn't build up a supply before going back to work. I just pumped the day before and gave her the milk the next day.

Good luck.

Hi J.,

La Leche League of Tidewater is a good resource for helping moms who are breastfeeding.

###-###-#### or www.lllusa.org/VA/WebTidewaterVA

Hope this helps. Good Luck. D.

First of all, your milk supply won't necessarily go down when you starting pumping more, etc. I have a couple of friends who because of problems with latching, etc. ended up pumping exclusively and were able to have enough milk to keep their babies in breast milk for over a year. The more you pump or breast feed the more you will produce. I would add one or two additional pumpings now, in between feedings. So if you are nursing every 3 hours, then pump and hour and a half after nursing, nurse again an hour and a half later pump an hour and a half later and nurse an hour and a half later. You would be surprised that in just a day or two your milk will adjust. In addition, there are lots of things that you can do to help boost your supply like mothers milk teas, limiting caffine, drinking lots of water, etc. There is a ton of info on the web re boosting supply.

But the bottom line is that with the stress of work, etc. lots of women's milk does slow down, but you have to cut yourself some slack. Even if your baby has to have a bottle or two of formula a day to supplement the breast milk, he is still getting the benefits of breast milk. Also if pumping during the day doesn't work, that doesn't mean you can't nurse in the morning and at night. My some continued to nurse in the morning and at night for two months after I stopped pumping during the day. Each kid is different and you will have to just try it out. Just don't be too hard on yoruself if you have to supplement. I would definitely add extra pumpings during the day now, though.

Hi J., the first thing to do is not worry too much, because stress can decrease your milk supply. I have been back at work for seven weeks now, and have had a good experience with pumping. I'm sure you'll do well!

I have found that the best way for me to provide what my baby needs to eat is to mimick the way he nurses. He usually eats on only one side during any given session, so I pump on only one side at a time. I do use breast compression while I pump, so I can be sure to get out all the milk I can. I pump three or four times during the day, depending on how long I'm here, and then he has that milk to eat the next day. If I have any extra, I freeze it in a storage bag.

I nurse him while I'm home (evenings/nights and weekends), so I'm not skipping any meals, so to speak. :) Good luck, I'm sure you'll do well! -D.

J.,
Congratulations on your baby boy! When I prepared to go back to work, I would pump on one side and have the baby nurse on the other side, and then switch. The good part was I had a lot of stored milk (and I was very proud of myself). The bad news was we had a power outage the week before I was scheduled to go back to work and I ended up throwing out my entire stash.

So don't stress yourself out... that is the one thing that will decrease your milk flow. Enjoy the time you have with your son, and if you don't have enough milk for the day, supplement with formula and pump whenever you can.

Best of luck!

I nursed both of my children. It took me a long time to figure out the science of nursing. I know it sounds crazy but the best time to pump is immediately after you feed your baby. It actually increases your supply. I had so much milk pumped I ended up having to throw it out. But, you really want to start bottle feeding so the baby excepts the bottle. I waited too long for my daughter, and she refused it. Best of luck.

Looks like you have good advise about pumping...I will warn you that if you pump while you are at work, you will most likely notice that there are days when there is very little milk being pumped. I totally freaked out and thought that the milk supply was drying up. But, I'm still nursing/pumping exclusively and there is apparently enough milk for the hungry girl. So, don't freak out and give up if you pump very little milk sometimes at the office. Pumping is not always as efficient as your little sucker and also there is a hormonal response to nursing that pumping at the office can't replicate. Take pictures of baby to work and pump in a calm environment. Take deep breaths and just relax. And don't worry when you don't get much. Somehow, it all evens out in the end.
The herbal stuff is GREAT! There are nursing teas made by Yogi that you can buy at whole foods or other stores that have that kind of thing. You can get fenugreek in pill form at most any store that sells herbal supplements (GNC, whole foods, trader joes, etc). Also, there is this stuff called "More Milk Plus" made by mother love. It is a liquid herbal "shot" that does amazing things for milk production.
Good luck! and just try not to give up. I freaked out so many times, but here we are at 5 months (2 months of being back at work), and we're doing great! Every day pumping can be different. Two days ago I pumped only 6oz, and yesterday I pumped 18oz!