Advice on pumping/building up stash for work?

[TxCat]

I can't remember for the life of me how I did this for DD1. I think I might have relied on formula to bridge some of the gaps my first couple of days back at work.

Basically, how often, and when, should I be pumping to start building a stash for going back to work? DD2 will be 4 weeks on Friday, and I'm taking 12 weeks off, but I know that time will go by fast. We gave her a bottle of pumped milk yesterday with no problem, so I'll probably have DH keep giving her a bottle every other day or so to keep up her acceptance of it. I pump during that feeding, but it's obviously just replacing that bottle. Just trying to figure out the most efficient way to do this.

[babyonway]

You are not going to like my answer but basically I pumped after EVERY feeding (even night feedings). EXHAUSTING I know!

[BabbyO]

Well, FWIW, what worked for me was to nurse on one side and pump the other at the first AM feeding. I was always fullest in the morning so I would get my pump hooked up for 1 side, and start pumping. Then I'd latch baby on the other side. The baby would always trigger a great let down and since I was pretty full I would generally manage 4-6 oz pumped each AM. I also think this helped with my pumping at work. I nursed/pumped for so long that at work it wasn't difficult to get let down when I pumped. This also prevented me from having to nurse, then pump.

I know for some the logistics of pumping and nursing at the same time seem crazy, but I never had a problem with it. A nursing bra to hold the pump flange in place could be helpful, but I never needed it. What became tricky for me was the few times that I actually pumped more than 6 oz, because the bottles I pumped into were 6 oz...so I'd be trying to switch to an empty bottle while my kiddo was still nursing.

[goldenpig]

I had to go back to work at 7 weeks. What I did while I was on maternity leave was add a pumping session every day after his AM feed, because that was when I seemed to get the most milk. He would nurse, fall asleep for his morning nap, and I would pump the rest. At first I didn't get that much extra but then my body got used to the extra pumping session and I started producing more. I was worried and thought I needed to build a huge freezer stash, but in reality you will have plenty of milk to pump when you go back to work and the baby is not nursing while you're at work. You just pump at work for the next day. So I wouldn't stress about it too much.

Currently I try to feed the baby when he wakes up and sometimes if I have time I pump before I leave for work. Then I pump once during the day whenever I can get a break--I usually get about 10 oz. (I would try to pump more at work but I'm just too busy). Then I nurse when I get home, before bedtime, and (I know you might not like this answer) he night nurses at least twice during the night. I know at 5 months he is supposed to be sleeping through the night already, but I feel like since he is only getting breastmilk it's OK if he is reverse cycling because he needs the nutrition. He only drinks about 9 oz (3 3-oz bottles) during the day, which is how much I'm pumping. The nanny does occasionally dip into the freezer stash, which has gotten pretty huge, but that's because I'm too lazy to pump on weekends. He's going to be starting solids soon when he turns 6 months, so maybe I'll try to work on cutting down the night nursing then, because I am TIRED from working full time and being on call and also waking up with the baby all night! Enjoy your baby and maternity leave, it goes by quick!

[jennilynn]

To answer OP, about a week before I went back to work, I started pumping once a day (in the evening, after all the kiddos were in bed, because that's what worked for me.) So I had seven or eight bottles stashed for my first day back. I hate pumping, so didn't want to do it any more than I have to.

Same as PPs said, you really only need enough for the first day and maybe a little extra for peace of mind. You should pump enough each day at work to replace what baby drank (I pump three times a day now, will probably cut down to two in a month or two. My baby is 2 1/2 months old.)


I know at 5 months he is supposed to be sleeping through the night already, but I feel like since he is only getting breastmilk it's OK if he is reverse cycling because he needs the nutrition.

Says who? Every baby is different and I can't imagine expecting a baby that young to sleep all night. Heck, my 3 and 4 year olds still sometimes wake up at night (although not to nurse.) Co-sleeping is what saved my sanity with young babies. If I had to get out of bed every time baby woke up, I'd lose my mind. Instead, we snuggle, nurse and both go right back to sleep.

[SoCalMommy]

My advice is to start early so you don't feel pressure or stress right before you go back to work (which can hinder your supply). I think I started to pump once a day around 4-6 weeks into my maternity leave (usually after a feeding so I still had time to replenish my supply before my DD was hungry again. But eventually I added a separate pump session during the day/night.). It may not seem like much to start, but it will add up quickly. Just remember to label your bags/containers with dates. Keep drinking water and, from what I remember, your body will adjust to the demand and build your supply.

[goldenpig]

Says who? Every baby is different and I can't imagine expecting a baby that young to sleep all night. Heck, my 3 and 4 year olds still sometimes wake up at night (although not to nurse.) Co-sleeping is what saved my sanity with young babies. If I had to get out of bed every time baby woke up, I'd lose my mind. Instead, we snuggle, nurse and both go right back to sleep.

Well, seems like all of my friends have the "my baby slept from 7 pm to 7 am starting at 8 weeks" type of babies. :angry-smiley-005: And the pediatrician has been encouraging me to stop night nursing...at the 4 month checkup he was telling me I should try to start night weaning because "it's just going to get harder the longer you wait". I think he said they should be able to sleep at least 6 hour stretches by then. It would be lovely if that were the case, but I have to take what he says with a grain of salt. None of my kids slept through the night till about 2 years old, and even after that they still wake up at night. Like last night DS2 woke up 3 times and in between that DS1 woke up crying for me twice. So I was up every 1-2 hours. SO tired! :( And I actually do cosleep with all my kids for the first couple of years. They start the night out in the bassinet or crib but after the first waking end up in my bed the rest of the night. Sometimes the baby goes right back to sleep after nursing but whenever he's having reflux issues (he has dairy and soy allergies, I'm avoiding them but sometimes there's some hidden ingredient that bothers him) he's up for 1/2 hour crying and arching. I need to get a bed rail because now DH has started sleeping in another room because he can't stand the crying, and I'm worried the baby's going to fall off. Arggh!

Sorry for the thread hijack! I'm up typing this at 1 am...should be a separate BP, LOL!

[Katigre]

I had to go back to work at 7 weeks. What I did while I was on maternity leave was add a pumping session every day after his AM feed, because that was when I seemed to get the most milk. He would nurse, fall asleep for his morning nap, and I would pump the rest. At first I didn't get that much extra but then my body got used to the extra pumping session and I started producing more. I was worried and thought I needed to build a huge freezer stash, but in reality you will have plenty of milk to pump when you go back to work and the baby is not nursing while you're at work. You just pump at work for the next day. So I wouldn't stress about it too much.

Currently I try to feed the baby when he wakes up and sometimes if I have time I pump before I leave for work. Then I pump once during the day whenever I can get a break--I usually get about 10 oz. (I would try to pump more at work but I'm just too busy). Then I nurse when I get home, before bedtime, and (I know you might not like this answer) he night nurses at least twice during the night. I know at 5 months he is supposed to be sleeping through the night already, but I feel like since he is only getting breastmilk it's OK if he is reverse cycling because he needs the nutrition. He only drinks about 9 oz (3 3-oz bottles) during the day, which is how much I'm pumping. The nanny does occasionally dip into the freezer stash, which has gotten pretty huge, but that's because I'm too lazy to pump on weekends. He's going to be starting solids soon when he turns 6 months, so maybe I'll try to work on cutting down the night nursing then, because I am TIRED from working full time and being on call and also waking up with the baby all night! Enjoy your baby and maternity leave, it goes by quick!
Actually, night nursing is very important for keeping up your milk supply during the day - I would not try to cut it out intentionally.

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[georgiegirl]

Ditto what the others have said about pumping in the AM when your supply is greatest. I wouldn't go too crazy pumping all of the time. If you can get an extra bottle every other day, that should be enough for a decent freezer stash. You can also have DH just give her mini-bottles (like one ounce) and freeze the rest. Sometimes is takes a little while for your breasts to get the message to produce more milk at your pumping time.

[TxCat]

You are not going to like my answer but basically I pumped after EVERY feeding (even night feedings). EXHAUSTING I know!

Oh my gosh! I don't know how you did that! I'm definitely too exhausted to contemplate that right now.


Well, FWIW, what worked for me was to nurse on one side and pump the other at the first AM feeding. I was always fullest in the morning so I would get my pump hooked up for 1 side, and start pumping. Then I'd latch baby on the other side. The baby would always trigger a great let down and since I was pretty full I would generally manage 4-6 oz pumped each AM. I also think this helped with my pumping at work. I nursed/pumped for so long that at work it wasn't difficult to get let down when I pumped. This also prevented me from having to nurse, then pump.


I LOVE this suggestion - thank you! I think I'll try this strategy starting in a few weeks.


I had to go back to work at 7 weeks. What I did while I was on maternity leave was add a pumping session every day after his AM feed, because that was when I seemed to get the most milk. He would nurse, fall asleep for his morning nap, and I would pump the rest. At first I didn't get that much extra but then my body got used to the extra pumping session and I started producing more. I was worried and thought I needed to build a huge freezer stash, but in reality you will have plenty of milk to pump when you go back to work and the baby is not nursing while you're at work. You just pump at work for the next day. So I wouldn't stress about it too much.


My goal is to have at least a 2-day supply in the freezer so that way I'm covered if I have problems pumping at work, or she takes more bottles than I predict, or I'm getting home late, or basically to cover any contingency that might come up. :) I'm fine with supplementing with formula if I need to, but I figure if I can stick with milk, I'd prefer to do that.



Ditto what the others have said about pumping in the AM when your supply is greatest. I wouldn't go too crazy pumping all of the time. If you can get an extra bottle every other day, that should be enough for a decent freezer stash. You can also have DH just give her mini-bottles (like one ounce) and freeze the rest. Sometimes is takes a little while for your breasts to get the message to produce more milk at your pumping time.

Oooh, I like the idea of a mini-bottle, since my only goal is just to keep up her acceptance of the bottle. Of course, keep in mind that I need to balance this with the apparent overproduction/overactive let-down issue that I seem to be having (based on the spit up/throw up thread in the Lounge). I'm trying block nursing for that, as you and Katigre recommended, so I figure I'll try to get that issue settled first and then start pumping maybe in a couple of weeks?



Well, seems like all of my friends have the "my baby slept from 7 pm to 7 am starting at 8 weeks" type of babies. :angry-smiley-005: And the pediatrician has been encouraging me to stop night nursing...at the 4 month checkup he was telling me I should try to start night weaning because "it's just going to get harder the longer you wait". I think he said they should be able to sleep at least 6 hour stretches by then. It would be lovely if that were the case, but I have to take what he says with a grain of salt. None of my kids slept through the night till about 2 years old, and even after that they still wake up at night. Like last night DS2 woke up 3 times and in between that DS1 woke up crying for me twice. So I was up every 1-2 hours. SO tired! :( And I actually do cosleep with all my kids for the first couple of years. They start the night out in the bassinet or crib but after the first waking end up in my bed the rest of the night. Sometimes the baby goes right back to sleep after nursing but whenever he's having reflux issues (he has dairy and soy allergies, I'm avoiding them but sometimes there's some hidden ingredient that bothers him) he's up for 1/2 hour crying and arching. I need to get a bed rail because now DH has started sleeping in another room because he can't stand the crying, and I'm worried the baby's going to fall off. Arggh!

Sorry for the thread hijack! I'm up typing this at 1 am...should be a separate BP, LOL!

GP - we are mommy twins! I'm in the exact same boat as you. EVERYONE around me has a baby that sleeps 8-12 hrs through the night, starting between birth and 4 weeks it seems. However, I also live in an area where everyone loves Babywise - it's like a perfect storm of factors in the area that make it incredibly well-received by SAHM and WOHM parents here alike. I've had DH sleep in the guest room this time around with DD2 because he does really poorly with interrupted sleep, infant care, etc., and that has reduced the stress level in our house considerably this time compared to with DD1 (it also helps that DD2 is a generally easier baby), but every time we hear about how great our friends' kids are sleeping, I feel like DH is giving me a Look, even though he denies it. I've told him flat-out that I'm not interested in Babywise, I don't care how much everyone else's baby was sleeping on that plan. And DD1, even at nearly 3, still usually gets up at least 1-2x/night. Anyways, you are not alone at all! I could have written your above post probably word for word, between DD1 and DD2.

[Katigre]

Actually, given that you are going back to work soon I would start a freezer stash now and NOT block feed. That will reduce your milk supply which may bite you later.

Instead, I would keep bottles around to catch the extra milk and store everything you can.

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[Tenasparkl]

I usually pumped before I went to sleep. It was annoying and we watched lots of TV shows with the annoying pump noise, but I was able to get a lot stored. I was glad to have the stockpile as he got older and started wanting more milk that I could pump at work. With my first baby I never had as much stored and she had to have formula occasionally. With DS I never ran out of pumped milk although I got very close.

[TxCat]

Actually, given that you are going back to work soon I would start a freezer stash now and NOT block feed. That will reduce your milk supply which may bite you later.

Instead, I would keep bottles around to catch the extra milk and store everything you can.

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So, should I pump off a little bit before feeding DD each time, or just hand express into a bottle to get past initial let-down? (I'm thinking briefly pumping at the start of a feed may be easier). Does this make sense? Sorry if these questions seem nonsensical but I didn't really have these issues (overproduction/over-active letdown) with DD1 so this is all new territory to me.

[Katigre]

So, should I pump off a little bit before feeding DD each time, or just hand express into a bottle to get past initial let-down? (I'm thinking briefly pumping at the start of a feed may be easier). Does this make sense? Sorry if these questions seem nonsensical but I didn't really have these issues (overproduction/over-active letdown) with DD1 so this is all new territory to me.
Yes, I would do that. Because as she grows she'll be able to handle your letdown, and the extra milk supply will help you maintain supply when pumping at work .

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[abh5e8]

my boys BOTH reverse cycled when i went to work. i let them nurse on demand (so every 2 hours or so) anytime i was at home and they would hold out all day for me. they refused a bottle. but they gained weight, were happy, met milestones and all. they also slept with me, so night time nursing was not a problem for me.

i actually think continuing the night feedings will really help you to maintain supply while pumping during the days at work. that has been my experience (and i've pumped so far for 3 babies, well over a year while working long hours and not had to supplement). most of mine STILL don't sleep through the night...although my olders (ages 2, 4 and 6) usually just get up now to go to the bathroom or wander into my room.

op, i would just start to pump a little (5-10 mins or so) after every feeding during the day and see how much stash you can build up. also pumping one side during the first am feeding is a good idea. with the regular pumping in addition to baby nursing, your body will start to increase supply, so keep pumping even if you are not getting much milk at first.