how much should I be producing?

[bedeilly]

Hello - My DS is 9 and a half months old, and I'm still pumping and nursing. I work full time, so am only nursing in the am and pm (more on the weekends). My question is this - how much milk should I be producing these days? I've never felt like I make enough, but I understand this is common. I tend to pump between 12 and 14 ounces per day, in addition the what I bfeed. This is sent with him to daycare in bottles, in addition to a jar of food, some yogurt, and he snacks on Cheerios if he's still hungry. After DS's recent 9 month doc appoint, my ped said he should be getting most of his calories from solid food now, which confuses me since he still seems to nurse and drink bottles quite a bit - and I'm reluctant to cut down significantly on nursing, etc. Are there any general guidelines as to how much he should be eating/drinking each day, solids vs. bmilk? Help! I'm happy to keep the pumping going, though am noticing my production waning a bit these days, not feeling as full or engorged, not needing to pump as often (I do once in the am before I leave for work, then again at 11 am and 3 or 4pm.)

[kohlby]

He should be getting most of his calories from breastmilk, not solids, until at least a year. Pumping is a poor indicator of supply. There is no guideline of minimum solids. I have one child who ate 0-100 calories of nonbreastmilk a day, at 18 months! He didn't eat one single bite of solids until 11 months. Even my daughter who did like solids at the average age was a grazer until closer to 2.

Also, it's hard to know what your son is getting when you're nursing. You can't know. I've heard of babies who eat a mere 4oz during the day while mum is at work and then get their fill on breastmilk from the tap during the evenings and night. If what you're sending to daycare is keeping him content, then I'd just keep doing what you're doing.

[Stephanie]

12-14 oz is a great output for pumping at work.

I agree with pp, solids aren't necessary and should not be a main source for calories until after baby's 1st bday.

[Amy_G_]

yeah, what they said.
just keep on doing what you are doing.
breastmilk should still be a huge part of his life at 9 months. at 12 months, maybe only half of his life ;) but I breastfed mine for 21 and 29 months each, so I wasn't planning to wean at the stroke of 12 months on the calendar. if you have no plans to do so, then continue as you are doing.

[whitnessforhim]

I agree that breastmilk should be his main source of calories for the first year, not solids.

I think your daily production is right on the mark. My DD, 9mo. today, drinks 8-10oz during the 9hr period that I am away. I nurse at nights and on the weekends like you. I work full time and pump 3x a day at work, typically producing 14-15oz a day. So I'd say your supply sounds just fine.

I'd say 14oz of BM in a 9hr period is actually on the high side of intake but sounds like he's perfectly satisfied with that. So it sounds like youre doing a great job and have nothing to worry about.

[pumpkinhead7]

I never pumped more than 12 oz when I was working and pumping. I pumped from the time my son was 7 months until somewhere around 14 months. 14 oz sounds like more than plenty!