What Is a "Normal" Amount of Breasmilk to Pump During Work?

I have a 4 month old and am producing almost double of what she eats in a day. I am a little nervous that this will not last though. I get about 20oz and she eats maybe 12oz a day. Do you pump until there is nothing coming out?

I also work three days a week from 8:30 to 4:30. I pump between 14 and 18 ounces. A couple of months ago when I was having some trouble with my supply I started pumping every night before I went to bed. It was a bummer to have to pump every night (even the days I didn't go to work), but I was able to keep up with her needs for the days she did go to daycare.

Breastfeeding while working outside the home is hard! I think any mom who does it deserves a standing ovation. Good luck, I hope you're able to find something that works for you.

S.

I got mastitis and the flu at the same time this year. My son was around 8 months. After this my milk production went way down. I work part time so I pumped 2-3 days per week. I would normally pump 4-6 oz per time. The lactation consultant told me in order to get my suply back up, I should pump an extra 15 minutes after I would normally be done (even if nothing is coming out). It seemed to work, because I was litteraly pumping next to nothing. Toward the end, I usually never pumped more than 4 oz. As far as the daycare goes, I think people get so hung up on how much formula fed babies drink that they think breast fed babies need the same. Is there another reason the daycare thinks he needs more milk? Anyway good luck and you're doing great!

I also pump at work and work 3 days in the office and 2 days from home. When I'm at the office I pump at the same times that I would be nursing.

My daughter is 7 months old and is now nursing 5 times a day with solid foods as well. She has eaten about every 4 hours since birth. During growth spurts she nurses every 3 hours.

I only pump 2 times at work. She has only ever taken 6 oz. during a bottle feeding and I tend to pump between 6-10 oz. at a time. What I have found is that when I have a day that I pump less and actually need more, I will pump for about 5 min. half way between two feedings or right before bedtime to make sure that I have enough for the next day. Another thing I have been doing lately is thawing milk that I have frozen so that I have extra milk to mix with cereal during the times that I am home and nursing. That way I do not have to pump and then nurse her at the same feeding.

If I feel like she has not nursed as much after she eats the fruits & veggies, I will sometimes pump to make sure I get emptied out. I then have this as extra for another feeding or I freeze it for another day.

Our schedule is:
Nurse first thing in the morning
Cereal & bottle (or nurse)
fruit & veggie & bottle (or nurse)
fruit & veggie & nurse
Cereal & nurse at bedtime

Hope this helps.

I pumped exclusively for 2 months & pumped both breasts at the same time & would only get 2-3 oz at a time. I was successful at breastfeeding though. I think my body just wasn't into the whole pump thing. I stayed at home so the only reason I had to pump (I should have still to be able to go out on dates & such) was because I had problems with my daughter with nipple confusion. I actually found manually expressing it made more come out for me. You should search that online it will show pictures it is hard to explain, you basically use your hands but you have to be careful & learn the right way. Also I would just say do it more often, although that never worked for me. You can also find a milk bank (not sure where you live) or a mother that has extra milk.
Brekka

Hi Lauri,
You're doing a great job! I breastfed both of my kids and also worked part-time. It always seemed to depend on the day on how much milk I produced when I pumped. I will say I had a better time with my second baby...I borrowed a Medela electric/batt operated pump. But even with that sometimes i could only get 5 oz. at a time. I had to remind my self that the baby wasn't going to starve and to calm down. It is such a stressful thing for us Mom's to be at work and worrying about our supply! Both kids were also fine and didn't have to supplement with formula. At six months they started on a little rice cereal and fruit during the day. Eventually veggies were added. At eight months we started on meats. After they turned a year we were only nursing in the morning, after work and night time. Hang in there. You're doing a wonderful thing for your baby:)

I used to pump twice during work (10 am & 2 p.m.) and pumped 7-9 oz each time - about 3 oz from one breast and 5 oz from the other. Weird, huh? I always made sure to cup & press the sides of my breasts to make sure the milk was emptying all the way. I'd pump or nurse around 6 am, 6 pm and before bed.

I know this will get some criticism but when I felt I wasn't producing enough milk, I would drink a non-alcoholic beer. My mom said German nursemaids used to drink a beer to keep up their milk supply. It's something about the hops, I think - not the alcohol. Anyway, It worked for me. Good luck!

Lauri, When I went back to work with both of my kids I was working 5 days a week. I started out great, getting about 16-20oz per day, plus I pumped at home because my daughter is such a light eater. By the time my kids were 8 months I was lucky to get 8oz at work, even though I was still pumping 3 times a day. I notice that with both kids my supply dropped as things at work became busier and more stressfull. 4th quater is very busy where I work. My kids were both born in Feb. and by Oct I was making so little I just guit pumping at work. I had plenty frozen to last another 2 months for my daughter. I also guit nursing shortly after since both of them seemed to like biting me!!!
Hope this is helpful for you.
P.

I have a 3 month old, work full time(m-f,8-5) and pump at work. I use the Medela Pump in Style double pump. I have been so lucky to have a great supervisor who works with me & understands how important this is to me. I plan to bfeed for at least a year, and do not want to supplement with formula. I take fenugreek capsules and TRY to get 8-8oz glasses of water a day. I pump around 9, 11, 1, and 3 and usually get anywhere from 17-20 oz per day. I typically get the most at 9. My daughter eats about every 2 hours when I am home, so I am trying to stick to her schedule!

Good luck and congrats! I hope this helps!

My son is 5 months old and I pump two times per day and usually get around 5 ounces each time. Like you said, things can really vary from person to person, but I would keep up with pumping as much as you are at least. Have you tried acupuncture or fenugreek to help increase your supply more. I know many moms who started producing more when they stopped thinking about how much they were making as much. I know how it goes though, I always worry/wonder if I am producing enough milk for my little guy. Hope this helps!

Hi Lauri,
If I remember correctly I pumped twice at work and got 12-15oz combined. Usually 8oz in the 1st pumping session (around 10am) and 4-6oz in my afternoon session(about 1pm). I did use an herbal supplement called Fenugreek though. I pumped this amount for a good 10 months and then my supply did end up decreasing to like 8oz and I did have to supplement but only for 1 month. I had some frozen breastmilk I was using to also supplement for a month also. Finally by 1 year I decided to be done and went to mixing formula/milk until my daughter was used to just milk in a couple weeks. I started a new job that's why I didn't continue pumping until it was time for whole milk. Good luck.

As a standard, the less you breastfeed, the less you will naturally produce milk. A pump can never do as good of a job as a baby. Even a good pump. The only way you can expect pumping to work is if you pumped at least every 2-3 hours through out the day, and breastfed exclusively at night. With time, even with scheduled pumping, your body will naturally start to `close shop' and gradually decrease with time, even if you're pumping a couple of times at work. And as you probably already know, introducing formula can mean even less milk production.

If you're serious about upping the amount of milk you're pumping, you're going to have to up the amount of times your're pumping and breastfeeding, keep fluids up, and make breastfeeding hours as productive as possible. Keep in mind stressful schedules, not eating enough, and blocked milk ducts also contribute to less milk production.

I recommend reading up on this by going to the La Leche League site at www.lalecheleague.org or read "The womanly art of breastfeeding" published by the La Leche League.

Your baby is getting older, so you are producing less milk. I had the same issue with my daycare--they fed my son the same amount of milk from about 3 months through a year, and just added food. Which, I think, is how it is "supposed" to be ideally, but my guess is that most exclusively nursing moms (I pumped full time w/ #1; I nurse pretty much full time w/ #2) nurse a little less as time goes by after starting solids. I also remember being frustrated--when I first started pumping, I'd get a fullish bottle from each side--like 5 oz (what is a Medela bottle?)? And by the end of pumping, I got a full bottle from both sides together. I do think it's your body's way of slowly weaning the baby, but it makes it hard for daycare and for you. Good luck!

Oh--can you maybe nurse RIGHT as you drop him off and RIGHT as you pick up so that he's covered a little more, needing pumped milk a little less? That was one thing I tried with only modest results.

I am away from home from 7:30am to 5pm. I feed my son before I leave and 1-2 times after I get home, and he's still waking up at 4:0am or so to eat too. During the day I pump twice, at 10am and 2pm and have been getting 12 to 14 ounces. He now eats three 5oz bottles during the day so I have been dipping into my freezer supply and it's almost gone, so we'll have to supplement a couple ounces of formula each day some time in the near future. He is 6.5 months. I could probably get my supply back up if I pumped 3 times a day, but it just won't work with my work schedule.

I don't have an answer to your question but a recomendation for a supplement- if you want to got that route. I had a reall low milk supply so the LC recommended taking Fenugreek (herbal supplement) and that helped increase my supply. YOU have to take about 9 pills a day but it seems to work for most people. There is also some type of mothers tea you can drink. Most healt food stores carry these items or GNC. Good luck!

Lauri,
I typically get 2 oz a pumping session. When I first went back to work with my babies I was getting about 4-5 oz a session but the pump is never good enough at getting out the milk as the baby so even if she can get out what she needs from you in a day the pump can't. Right around 4 months I always slow down to 2 oz and I am such a freak about getting milk for her that I pump right in my cube, I put up a curtain and just sit and work at my desk! I actually pump more than frequently than she would eat (4 times during my 8-5) because I really want to squeeze out every ounce I can! BUT even though I try really hard there is a point where they just need more. I HATE having to give her formula but I heard the best advice ever "every ounce of breast milk you give her is amazing!" So if I can get out 8 oz and my mom has to give her 4 oz of formula those 8 oz are SO good for her! Plus I am saving a butt load of money! lol Good luck and it is such an amazing sacrifice you are giving your little hunny, keep up the good work!!!

I usually pump on average 4oz per pump... so 12 oz if I were to pump 3 times during work.
Two things I would consider. 1) Pump according to his normal feeding schedule (does he eat every 2hr or 3hr?), and 2) bring a picture of your little sweetie. I have noticed a considerable difference if I'm focused on thinking about him or looking at a picture of him while I'm pumping. Your doing a fab job by the way...
Have a happy fourth!

I have stopped nursing during the day (my son made that decision he will breastfeed during the night). I pump at 5:30 am and depending on how much he eats at night I get about 16 oz (if he sleeps the night) to 10 oz. I then pump at 9:30, 1, 4:30, and 9 getting 3 oz from left and 4 oz from right each pumping. I usually end up having to freeze about 5 oz because I have extra.
I have a medela double pump.

Ok, I am expecting # 2 and have been reading up on breast feeding since I had a lot of dificulties with the 1st one. The way I understand it is that even when no milk is coming out, you should keep the pump on a little bit. This tells your body that you need to make more milk and will increase production. I haven't tried it, but that is how I interpreted the book I was reading. oh, and I belive an 8 mo old should be drinking about a quart of milk a day...48 oz. but since you breast feed, there is really no way to tell how much he's eating during those feedings. Just do the best you can. If you have to suplement to keep your baby full then that is better than not having enough for your baby.

Hi Lauri,

Don't worry - I obsess about how much I'm making and how much he is getting too. After I went back to work, I usually pumped between 7 and 9 ounces total and I pumped twice at work. My son was only 2 months old when I went back to work. I'd also usually pump again right before I went to bed to match how many times he ate without me during the day, but would get very little at that time - like an ounce or less. He would eat 3 times while I was at work and usually took 4-5 ounces, so I did supplement with formula and he did fine with it. I couldn't ever pump enough to make all three bottles for the next day, so I always had to tap the frozen "reserves" or use formula. I don't know if you find this too, but I also deal with decreased supply at the end of the day. In fact, I often supplement with formula for the last feeding of the day as well, which I know everyone would say you shouldn't do, but my son will go on and on and then get upset because there is nothing left and he isn't done! I find that a busy day, being tired, or stress greatly affect how much I make, but I can't spend the day relaxing on the couch to make more milk, so I've just got to do what I can! I guess that would be my advice - just do what you can and don't stress too much about using formula because I'm sure it will work fine.

I'll just tell you my story because I'm in a hurry.
I worked FT and pumped 9 and 3pm and left to daycare to Bfeed the baby before she ate her baby food lunch. I pumped about 6-8oz. from 3-6 months at least and around a year it went down to 2oz. maybe 4oz. a day I'd get. As the child nears a year and the foods increase the milk changes and becomes more liquidy and the baby fills up faster on it. We were on baby foods by 6 months. I stopped pumping at about a year but still Bfeed her to this day. Good luck. You may need to substitute but we rarely had to. I'd just pump after she'd feed on me in the evening and so I pumped two times before I went to bed. You may want to pump after the morning feeding if you have time or try some Fenugreek tablets. Contact a local hospital and discuss with a lactation consultant for free.

I am currently breastfeeding my 13wk old, but I do supplement with about 6 oz of formula per day. I started supplementing initially because of a low milk supply (I actually stopped BF altogether for a couple days when my little one was just 4 wks old). Anyway, to build up my milk supply again, I was prescribed 10mg of Reglan every 6 hours (Reglan is safe to use when BF, and very little passes through to breast milk). This medication is amazing... it really increased my milk supply quickly. If you are concerned about not supplying enough milk, maybe you should talk to your OB/GYN or a lactation consultant about your options. Hope this helps.

When I started back at work in January, I pumped quite a bit - usually about 6 oz. per pumping session. But I was part-time for the first few weeks and just pumping once a day. Once I went back full-time in February, my supply took a dip, and I had to pump four times/day (three during work, once before bed at night) to get the roughly 18 oz. my son ate at day care during the day. But the past two weeks, ever since the day my son turned nine months old, my supply has taken a dramatic plunge. I no longer get any milk at my nighttime session, and I get anywhere from 7 to 10 oz. during the day. We just started to supplement with formula this week (mixing his bottle half and half with milk and formula). I also wanted to avoid using formula, but it got to the point where we had no choice because my body just isn't responding to the pump like it used to anymore. I'm a little upset about it because I really wanted to go a year without using formula, but I have to feed my baby and my body isn't cooperating.

That amount is still awesome. I work a five day work week and only pump out about 6 to 8 oz a work day. I have to supplement him with formula. I have tried sleeping with him and nursing only my off time but I can't keep him full enough on that alone so I have to supplement him. But as everyone tells me and I have read on several support websites. Even an ounce or two a day is better than none at all. And it is great to hear of a mommy nursing for that long. My guy is only 3 months and I am struggling too. Good luck!

It is so nice to hear somebody going through the same thing I am and to know that I am doing the best for my baby. I too pump 3 times a day (9,12 &3) and get anywhere from 10-15 ounces, it varies from day to day and am frustrated with that. I did take a big dip in my milk production a couple weeks ago and for a straight week pumped 4 times a day at work (very difficult to do) and then nursed twice before my son went to bed and pumped before going I went to bed. It was exhausting but seemed to help increase my milk supply a bit. It helped for a couple of weeks and now this week I have been making only about 12 ounces. I have continued to pump before bed which gets me an ounce or two additional. I know that I am doing the best I can for my baby, and am trying not to stress if I need to supplement with formula. Knowing some/majority of bm is better than none. You have made it this far and have a healthy baby so try not to stress out too much and nurse when you can! ( I also started doing word finds while I pumped to help me relax)

Lauri,
I usually pumped right around 12 oz a day pumping 3 times at work. There were times when my son wanted more than what I sent to Grandmas. I think sometimes they eat more out of a bottle. I would do some extra pumping on my days off and over the weekend so I could supplement with my own milk. This would also help with your supply. I also found something as simple as watching my water intake made the difference of a couple ounces.
Hope this is helpful!
S.

Oh- I feel your pain! I feel the same pressures at times from my son's dad, and even the pediatrician that my son is not getting enough breastmilk! (Even though his growth chart is normal and he's gaining weight adequately! He is on the small side - tall and lean - but my brothers and I were all the same way when we were babes)
I've done so much research because people were stressin' me out (which doesn't help with milk supply!), talked to a lactation consultant, the La Leche League, etc. The average (exclusively) breastfed baby takes 28-32 oz of breastmilk in a 24 hour period. (This is no supplements - formula, solids, etc.) (From the La Leche League book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding)
It is hard to judge what a baby is getting at the breast. But typically it is more than what you are pumping, b/c no pump - no matter how good it is - will extract what the baby can!
I pump M-F, 3x/day at work. Typically, about 4 oz every 3-4 hours. But it can range = 8-14 oz/day. I also pump before I go to bed and usually get 3 oz or so. My son will be a year old next week. Yes, I'm going to make the year mark and more! =) I've been doing this since he was 2 months old. We have not had to supplement with formula at all. He is also getting about 3 meals/day, and a snack (puffs, kix, finger food) He started solids at 6 months.
Also, the amount of breastmilk he consumes typically will go down if he's started solids. I think that some people are basing a lot on information for formula fed babies and that the baby is sucking down a 5-6 oz bottle in 5 minutes and is "still hungry." Babies will typically drink more out of a bottle (faster flow, sucking reflex) even if they are not "hungry."
Please feel free to message me anytime to talk about breastfeeding or anything else!
Good luck and great job mama!

Pumping is such a challenge ~ I admire you for doing it. But now that you've got it down, try the one thing we American's don't think of first: Beer. Beer is the supplement women use in Germany and much of Europe to bring in their best breast milk. It works great. You can also eat Rye bread.

It is the rye in both the beer and the bread that makes the milk come in.