How much milk for BF mom to leave w/day care?

[Bmore Mom]

Hi -

My son will be 4 months old when I return to work. I am currently breastfeeding my son, which is something I would like to continue to do. I believe I have coordinated my work schedule for him to take two bottles while I am at work.

In preparation for my return to work, I am currently pumping 4-5 oz. each morning from the breast on which my son doesn't nurse during his morning nursing. I really empty it out, so I am wondering if that is about what he takes per feeding these days. That would put us at 20-25 oz a day, I think, since he nurses 5 times a day. (I don't know if this makes a difference, but I use the Avent Isis (the hand pump) to express my milk.) I do know that his sucking works better than any pump at expressing milk, so he may be taking more.

Once I go back to work, my plan will be to continue to pump during the morning feeding, as well as at 11 and 2, when he would normally be nursing. Since I only nurse one side at a time, I plan only to pump from one side at a time. I don't know if I will be able to express as much milk when I pump later during the day.

I ask b/c I am trying to figure out how much milk I should leave for the nanny each day. Since we rarely give him a bottle now, I just don't know how much he will need. So I guess my questions are: how much milk do I need to leave at home? Can I mix the milk I pumped and froze when my son was first born with milk I pumped yesterday? Lastly, what can I do to maintain or increase my milk supply if I am only able to pump 10 or so oz. during the day?

I really appreciate your advice! Thank you.

[josephsmom]

I think your 20-25 oz. should be plenty. DS usually went through 16 oz. a day before we started adding solids. Good luck!

Helene
mommy to Joseph 12/29/01

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Yes, you can mix what you have frozen with fresh milk. Mix it just as you are about to defrost it, or afterwards. If you have a little to add to a bottle that is already frozen, you can do that and put it back in the freezer, but if you are adding more fresh milk than what is already there, it will start to thaw.

I think you should pump both sides when you are at work even though he only eats from one. Better to get more milk than you need than not enough. The pump won't get out as much as he does, so you might need that milk from the other side.

We started at the babysitter at 4 months. I drop her off at 7:30 AM and my husband picks her up at 5:00. I get home at 6:30. At first, I was sending 4 bottles of 4 oz each, and she would only drink three of them. Then, the next week we moved up to 5 oz in the two morning bottles because she was draining 4 oz dry. After two weeks of that, we are now sending two 6 oz bottles and two 4 oz bottles. I think that as she got used to the babysitter, and got used to eating out of a bottle regularly, she started to eat more. Or maybe it is a growth spurt, I dunno.

As for pumping, I pump both sides in the morning before I feed her. She still gets enough because the breast makes milk as long as baby is suckling. I get about 7 or 8 ounces at that pumping. I pump at work at 10:30 and 2:30, or as close to that schedule as I can get, and get 6 oz each time. So, at this point she is eating 20 oz a day and I am pumping about 19 or 20.

I have a lot of milk in the freezer, so every day she gets two frozen bottles and two fresh so that I can rotate through my freezer stash.

If your nanny is coming to your house, you have less to worry about. She can just thaw out another bottle if she needs one.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03