Pumping At Work

[snance]

This was my first week back and I have pumped about 2-3 times a day (I get 1 1/2 - 2 oz from each breast) I give my baby girl the breast as soon as I get home (she feeds at least 3-4 x's before bed). Ques. How much should I be getting out of each breast, how much should I be pumping each day and I heard oatmeal increases breast milk, I don't like oatmeal, so how long do I have to eat it before I see some results?

I am supplementing with formula at daycare until I can get enough milk saved up to do breastmilk exclusively, however, I somewhat tired and I know my job is going to get more demanding, I am a Middle School Counselor.

[Jennalicia]

The amount really varies, and really both you and the baby dictate that.

With my first son, I pumped 5 ounces from each breast twice daily (a total of maybe 20 ounces a day). With the second son, I pumped about 18-20 ounces daily.

The supplies only got low when the boys went through a growth spurt (I would have to add a pumping session in the evening during those time).

To help establish the milk supply, I would pump the remainder after a feeding. This encouraged my body to make more milk.

I use a double pump for work, and it takes 15 minutes to set up, pump and store milk from both breasts. Are you using a double-sided pump? It really does make a difference.

[snance]

Yes I am using a PIS and it takes me about 15 min to get the amount of milk I'm pumping.

[Mary_Mary]

How long is it between your last pumping session and when you get home?

Is your daughter ready to eat as soon as you get home?

You might try pumping as soon as you get home and THEN nursing your daughter. Don't worry about her not getting enough. She's far more efficient at emptying your breasts completely than the pump could ever be.

Also, you might try pumping on the weekends and/or evenings. I suggest pumping on one side while nursing on the other. The football hold works best for this as that way the babys feet don't interfere with the pump. Just prop the baby up on pillows to leave your hands free. (This takes some experimentation. Try getting the propping technique down first, then add in pumping.

Doing this helps in several ways. First off, your let-down works far better while nursing than with just pumping. (I've gotten two ounces out of a breast I'd have sworn was nearly empty while nursing on the other side.) Second of all, pumping while nursing is going to put you into a slight oversupply situation so it'll be easier to pump MORE during the workday, and also allow you to build up your supply of milk to send to day care.

Even if you only get half an ounce to an ounce each time you pump it will add up by the end of the day. I usually only get 1 to 1 1/2 ounces each time I pump while nursing. By the time I get to the third pumping the second bottle is fully chillled and I add it to the first bottle pumped. I continue adding the subsequent fully chillled bottles to the first bottle until I get as much in it as I want. (For me that's 4 ounces.) I label the bottles as I go and if I end up adding milk to a bottle I started filling the previous day I always label it with the previous days date.

However much your daughter eats and you pump combined will stimulate your body to produce that much milk by that time the next day. Which means that even if you only pump a couple of ounces over and above what your daughter eats that day then by the next day your body will be working hard to produce 2 more ounces than it did the day before. This will add up eventually!

I started pumping on the weekends (and days I didn't work) when I'd almost exhausted my freezer stash. I had to produce two 3 ounce bottles by Monday or I wouldn't have enough milk to send to day care!!! By pumping just an ounce extra at three nursing sessions per day I had the six ounces I needed by the end of the weekend. I kept up the extra pumping for a couple of weeks and I now have my freezer stash built back up. I slacked off for a few weeks and now I'm back to pumping as often as possible again so my freezer stash doesn't get depleted again.

[mamaof2divas]

I have a yummy recipe for the chocolate drop oatmeal cookies. I ate these when I was bfing my DD and my breast we overflowing the next morning...although I did eat like the whole batch since I am a chocoholic...haha
Here it is:

2 cups sugar
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk

Put all on stove and bring to boil, boil for 2 mins. remove from heat, and add

1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups of Quick Oats

drop by spoonfull onto wax paper let cool and then enjoy...Super Yum and you should see results the next morning, if you eat quite a bit...haha! Hope this helps!

[amyamy1973]

I've also heard that brown rice is as good for supply as oatmeal. I think because of the B-complex vitamins. Also, are you ingesting anything that's bad for supply? Peppermint tea? Cold or allergy pills?

[Jennalicia]

I never heard about the brown rice, but I eat it all the time. I also have steel cut oats for breakfast sometimes (or grits).

I treat what I take the same way that I would in pregnancy: with caution! I realize that many things that can be taken will get into breastmilk, so if I have even as much as a headache, I try everything else prior to medication.

[Stephanie]

I second everything Mary Mary said.

How much is your dd eating at daycare? A problem that often arises is that a daycare provider can overfeed a breastfed baby.