Working moms/mums - come share tips and get support too! #2

[RachelC]

Continued from https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=66647.0

This is an area people often need some help with so I thought I'd start a support thread for working mums who breastfeed.
You may be a champion pumper or perhaps someone who only breastfeeds a couple of times a day. Share your experiences and ask for advice here.

However please do feel free to start separate threads as always if you want a wider audience!

[lyndsy_p]

Marking, even though I am not BFing anymore, hoping to give some help to those who are.

[clh]

Just marking my spot.  Also, you can do this & make it work! 

[liacarmen]

Not much activity here - are all the working moms working too much to goof off on the internet between (or during) pumping sessions?

I'm on the one month countdown to supplementing some ebm feeds while I'm at work with whole milk. My pumping output started diminishing around 6 months and despite all my efforts has not regained it's original glory of up to 17 ounces a day. I'm lucky to get 7 out of two pumps at work. I pump like a fool to make up the difference, just had a week off and managed to sock away 30 ounces. I am so proud, it was my goal to bf exclusively for a year w/o supplementing formula and I'm going to make it! No easy feat for a working mom!

[Ekaump]

I am a teacher and am off for the summer.  My lo is 15 weeks old.  I was hoping to stock up on milk to freeze this summer, but so far it isn't going so well.  I am lucky if I get 3 ounces a day to freeze.  I usually feed her and then when she moves to the other side, I pump the first side.  She eats 6 times a day (every 3 hours during the day) and sleeps through the night.  I am a little worried that I won't be able to keep up with her when I go back to work mid- August.  Any suggestions on how to get more milk to freeze?

[clh]

Liacarmen!  WOW!!!    17 ounces!!!    I'm sat astounded!  (can you tell?  )  I NEVER had that much output, even in the beginning.  Good for you making it your year.    I'm proud of you, too.  We just made our year last month.  I agree it's not easy.  Isaac had some formula in the NICU the first couple of days, but we started bf'ing then & never looked back.   

Welcome Ekaump!  Honestly, 3 oz after feeding your lo is better than I could ever do.  Does your lo take a dream feed?  Mine never did, so I pumped at that time (~10 pm) to get additional milk.  It's good you're working on your stash now.  That'll help come August.  Gotta go, but keep asking questions, we'll try to help you through.  It really can be done. 

[Ekaump]

Okay- so 3 ounces a day is good.  I just wasn't sure what to go by.  It seemed like I should be able to get more than that.  She still does her dream feed.  I tried to take out a feeding a couple of weeks ago, but she started to wake up in the middle of the night again and I didn't want to go back to that   I thought in the next couple of weeks I would try it again and pump for the 10 o'clock time again. 

[liacarmen]

You might try to pump both sides an hour after your LO feeds and see if you get more milk that way. They say the pumps just remove the milk that's there, not inspire you to make more - so you'd probably not going to get tons right after a feed. It also helps to establish a time of day that you always pump so your body is prepared for it. Shoot for a morning time because you make more milk in the AM. If you are really ambitious, I would try for an hour after the first feed in the morning and an hour after the second feed. Make sure you're drinking an absolute ton of water, that helps. Sleeping through at 15 weeks - how lovely!

[MichelleDJ]

I'm sitting at my desk in my office pump in one hand typing with the other!! Working mum in action!!

My top tips for helping to pump at work - is to have lots of photos perhaps even a 'slide show ' but also record your babies noises onto your mobile phone and listen to it when you pump.

If ever I go to pump and not much comes out I look at the photos and listen to the noises and then about 2 minutes later I'm in full flow....

Good Luck !!

[clh]

so 3 ounces a day is good.  I just wasn't sure what to go by.  It seemed like I should be able to get more than that. 

Well, to be honest, what is a "good pump" for one is awful for another & great for a third, even though they pump the same ounces.    You kind of get what you get.  Point of reference, I have to pump ~3 times for 2 of Isaac's current bottles.  It has changed as he has grown, his needs have changed, my output has changed, etc.     Do remember that your pumping output (even at a replacement pump, where lo is taking a bottle & you're pumping) is NOT an indication of your supply.  Lo is very efficient at removing the milk, better than any pump is going to be. 

Liacarmen & Michelle (welcome!  ) gave you some good pumping tips.  Also, some women have good luck visualizing flowing water:  stream, rain, river, Niagra Falls...   

Gotta run...  be back later.

[lidiayy]

  Hi Girls.

  It's time for me to join this nice group. I spent all my 'Y' time today reading pps 
  CLH - thanks for the tip. It's good to see that I'm totally normal by being a pumping maniac. 

  A question to get started: if my LO nurses for 10 minutes and I "dream pump" around 4 Oz (on good days 5Oz) - 10 minutes to get this amount, can I say that she'll need more than 4 Oz  (considering that babies are more efficient than pumps)? By Kellymoms milk calculator, the 6Oz bags I'm freezing seems to be OK, but I feel a little concerned about that.

  Thanks

  Lidia
 

[clh]

Welcome, Lidia!    Glad you could find some tips & reassurance in the previous posts. 

Remind me how old your lo is...  Which feed(s) are you looking to replace?  How many times are you feeding total? 

I found that the "how much to give" question is kind of a trial-and-error thing.  All I honestly know to do is to tell you to try.  Kellymom gives a good place to start, but each lo is different.  Neither of my boys took more than 6 oz at a time, ever.  Others take more.  Some take less.    When you start, I'd fix bottles that you think your lo will take, and send some extra so so she has some extra if she needs it.

I think when mine started daycare at ~4 months, they each were taking ~4 oz in each bottle.  That slowly grew up to 6 oz, and then shrank to less, all as their needs changed.  Their caregivers were always good to tell me if they were still searching for more at the end.  And I could tell when they didn't need as much (daycare didn't throw out the milk, so I could literally see).  I also have a full serving (or 2) frozen in the freezer at daycare in case something happens to his bottles (spill, liner break, etc) or he needs extra for whatever reason. 

I have found that freezing in 3 (or so) oz bags worked well for me.  If I was missing only part of a bottle, I wasn't thawing for a whole bottle.  If I needed a full bottle, just thaw 2 bags. 

HTH... 

[lidiayy]

 Hi Candice,

 Thanks for your reply. My LO is now 17 weeks and she'll be going to day care in 2 weeks.

 I have around 50 bags of ~6 Oz in my freezer  (DH is also complaining b/c we can't store food anymore ) I don't want to waste her precious liquid but as I've started pumping since DD was 2 mo, I had no idea of what would be necessary (I thought that it was better to have an extra than leave her asking for more).

 I've read somewhere that our BM changes accordingly to baby's needs, right? In this case, should I need to mix "older" frozen milk with fresh one? i.e. should I send a bag of frozen milk and a bottle of fresh one (IF I manage to pump a bottle - I think I would only be able to pump at night on a regular basis so, 3-4 Oz will probably be what I would have of "fresh milk"  )

 I'll be able to BF her in the morning (before leaving), at lunch and at night. The daycare I'm planning to leave her has a different routine comparred to ours. They bottle feed babies at 10 am, 1pm, 4 pm. They give solids/juice/fruit at 12 pm, 2 pm, accordingly to what has been indicated by LO's doctor. My LO is flexible 4 hours EASY (7 am, 11 am, 4 pm, 6 pm and 8:30 pm). Little by little, her feedings would probably need to be adjusted to daycare times, as she is going to stay there from monday to friday, full time (7:30 am - 6:30 pm).

 How did you girls manage to go through Separation Anxiety (the mom's one?) 

 


 

[clh]

WOW at your stash!      That's great!  My personal opinion is that it can never be too big.    Extra is definitely good.

BM does change as lo grows, but I wouldn't think you'd have to use frozen preferentially over fresh.  You may get other advice, but my "order of use" is generally fresh first, then frozen (starting with the oldest bag).  Yes, you can mix the frozen with the fresh to get the appropriate amount in the bottle.

Will the daycare work with you on schedule?  Would they still follow baby's current schedule, as she's still so young & then slowly transition?  I'd think this was important, at least at first until she gets used to their schedule. 

As for separation anxiety...  well...  it's hard.  I can tell you that being able to bf at lunch will definitely help.  I was able to do that with both my boys, and I just loved those special times with them.    With J, I actually hung out at the daycare for the first week or so.    But they were very accomodating & understanding.    {{hugs}} hun.  I understand.

[lidiayy]

  Hi girls,

  I need your expertise and help. I've been thinking of a plan for my return to work.
  I don't know how it works in other countries but it's common in here that a week prior to mom returning to work, both mom and baby go to the daycare for adaptation. They say that this adaptation is for the baby but we all know that it's mainly for the poor moms who will suffer from separation anxiety  ... i'm just kidding. It's meant for the mother to know how the daycare works and either for the mother to give instructions for the caregivers.... Probably you all have done the same.
  (spoke too much - sorry!  )

  Anyways, when back work I plan to BF her at 7 am / 1:30 pm / 8 pm and she will be bottlefed (my milk) at 10:30 am and 5 pm. I have milk stored for those 2 bottles but I plan to keep BF'ing her on weekends.
  Today I pump at:
  7 am (after feed) - get 1 Oz or 1 1/2 Oz. When she STTN, I can get 3 Oz (after feed)   - but hurts to be engorged, though 
  6 pm (after feed) - get 1 Oz or 1 1/2 Oz
  11:30 pm (dream pump) - get 3 - 4 Oz.

  During this adaptation week, I need to simulate how things are going to be so I plan to pump at 10:30 am and 5 pm.
  After July 28th, I think I'll only be able to pump at 11:30 pm daily. Do you think my supply will drop drastically? I'll try to pump at work at least once/day but not sure if i'll make it.
  Should I pump more during this adaptation week? I'm also worried to "over pump" and become engorged from 28th on... 

  Sorry for ramblings... I feel anxious and can't talk to anybody about this. People here are not used to pumping and DH can't help. 

  Any suggestion / comments will be very welcome.

  Lidia