Not pumping what she would eat, need help before return to work!

[W8ing4ours]

I EBF my daughter, she is 7 weeks today. I think she eats about 3-4 oz every 3 hours (not sure though), but when I pump (really just doing it to try to see what I get) it seems like I only get 2-3 oz. When i go back to work at the end of February I need to be able to pump what she eats at daycare. How can i do that if i get less pumping? I try massaging and doing breast compressions but it only helps a little. I really dont want her to have to have formula! Also, id like to have some back-up frozen stash but I feel like I only make what she needs because if i pump right after she eats I get like 5ml out of each breast. Any idea how to create the stash then? just keep pumping after each feed? (sounds exhausting again )Thanks for any advice!

 

[JZW]

I'm building an 'in case of emergency' stash. I feed her from one side twice in the morning when she wakes up and pump the other side. I normally get 4oz in 6-7minutes. I can get more if i pump for longer/do breast compressions but there's no need to at the moment so I don't. Try a warm drink and warm flannels on your boobs beforehand to encourage the milk to flow. Keep pumping even after the flow slows down to encourage your breasts to make more milk.

If you really want to up your supply, pump after every feed even if your boobs feel really empty. This will signal them to make more milk. Keep the pump parts in a zipper bag in the fridge so it's less hassle. Don't forget to drink loads of fluids

 

[cutie4evr01]

Does she have one longer sleep? Try pumping an hour or two into that and you should be able to get a little more. Or you can pick a set time each day (right after her first morning feed, or an hour later, for instance), and pump at the same time each day. Although you may get none or very little the first few days, over time your supply should pick up so that you are making more at that time.

As far as keeping up with her demands once you start back, you may not have a problem at all. If she does eat more than you pump, just add in a pump session to make up the difference. I pump around 9pm every evening (my kids go to bed at 7) and use this milk to make up the difference if I didn't pump enough at work, or else I put this milk in the freezer. I did the same when I was BF DD1. It sounds like a lot of work to pump an extra time, but really you get used to it, and I'm always just sitting around on my computer or watching tv at that time anyway so it's not too much hassle.

 

[iow_bird]

^ I agree!! If you add a pumping session in at the same time every day for the same amount of time each session your supply will adapt.

Your work should give you enough time to pump, so if you normally feed every 3 hours you should be able to pump every three hours at work. I work an 8 hour shift and went back to work when LO was 5.5month old. I would feed just before leaving the house in the morning, express at lunchtime and then feed as soon as we got home. I found LO reverse cycled a wee bit needing more feeds overnight. I also made it very clear to the daycare the LO was not to be supplemented in anyway, and we got to 1yr with expressing and daycare.

 

[cheese lover]

During maternity leave I would pump at ~9 am which was about 30-60 minutes after LO's first morning feed. I would use that milk to give her a bottle in the late afternoon (after 4 weeks old). She would only ever take ~2 oz from the bottle and I could always pump more while she was drinking the bottle so I would gain my freezer stash there. Once I was back to work i was able to pump at least as much as she was drinking while at daycare. Once my supply started to drop a little (pumping supply, not true supply) around 6 months, I added an evening pumping session ~9 pm to make up the difference. I also noticed a bump in my daytime output when I added that pumping session.

The amount of milk you can pump while Bfing full time is very different than the amount you'll be able to pump when you're at work. You might have to work a little with the # of pumping sessions and timing to get the milk you need but you should be fine. I panicked a little before I went back too but we're still going strong at 9 months in.

 

[skris4]

^^What PP said. Also I just wanted to reassure you that you will eventually be able to pump more if you pump at the same time everyday. I used to pump just a little more than 1.5oz per session @7weeks and now can pump around 4oz (10 weeks now).

 

[lisaf]

I also recommend an evening pump session. Also feeding on one side in the morning and pumping the other.

 

[cheese lover]

^WSS I usually feed on one side first thing in the morning but I don't have the time to pump until I get to work. I live about 15 minutes from work so its not long but I don't get the boost that pumping while feeding gives.

 

[W8ing4ours]

A lot of great advice and reassuring to hear that pumping should express more the more regularly I do it. I am going to try and just feed on one side in the morning too, so I can pump the other. Thanks everyone!