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

[campbellchick]

Hi Candice, thanks for your support.  I had a look on the KellyMom site last night and did a rough calculation.  DD ate 160ml at daycare yesterday morning as that was all I sent in the bottle and she drained that.  I guess it didn't seem like she was still hungry or screaming for more as they didn't use any of the frozen stuff I left there.  Next week I might try sending in 180ml and 200ml and see what she eats for both feeds.  The calculator said about 180ml was the high range and I think she woke a little after her feed was due.  Also another question for you - I can pump as many times as needed at work (most of the time anyway), so would I be better off pumping only twice at work or three times?  DH was encouraging me to try pumping 3 times during the day as I will be away for about 10 1/2 hrs, but I wasn't sure if I would actually get more milk by doing this or not.  She would obviously only eat twice during that time and then I am planning on feeding her the moment I walk in the door from work, so I was thinking twice would be better, then try to get another pump in during the evening too? 

Jessica - big hugs I hope it all goes well when you start work.  I was also worried about the pumping starting to diminish my overall milk, but I think if you keep up BF'ing your LO whenever you are with her this would also really helps to keep your milk supply up.  I hope it goes well, let us know. 

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

campbellchick 
 
 
Thanks! I am just going to try to stay positive. My goal is a year. I am sure I will be posting with my questions and success stories! 

[clh]

Hey, Kerrie!  I honestly dom't know the answer... It really depends on you & your body & how you respond to the pump.    With J, I kept ~3 hr between pumps/feeds (even when he stretched longer at daycare).  I'd do something at (about) 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, & 10.  I kept that up until I started weaning him.  With Isaac, I dropped to doing something at 7, 11, 3, 7, & 10 at about 8 months.  It is really just what works for you.  I'm sorry I can't be any more specific than that. 

[shark]

Campbell chick,

I would probably aim for 3 pumps but try to make the last one 3-4hrs before you plan to BF so baby has plenty to eat.  One thing I discovered was timing never works as planned, if you plan to leave work and be home by 5, you probably won't actually get to sit down and latch baby on until 5:30 so plan accordingly so you don't get too engorged! 

Good Luck!

[liacarmen]

I'd go for three pumps too and see how it goes - you make more milk the more you remove milk, so it can't hurt! I did three pumps in an 8 hour day, about 10, 1 and 4 then feed at home about 5:30.

[campbellchick]

Thanks for that, I might try to do about the same.  I won't be getting home until 6.30pm, so it seems I'll definitely have time to fit 3 pumps in there!  First big day tomorrow - I'll see how I go!

[clh]

{{hugs}} Kerrie!  Let us hear how it goes. 

[lidiayy]

Hi All,

Kerrie - first of all, I hope your 1st day at new job went well, couldn't have time to come earlier. 

Now about what you've asked me: I don't know what exactly I'll be doing when I run out of my stash. Things have been a little crazy since last friday. DD started to eat a lot at daycare (200 ml) and she had NW on friday (at 4 am), on sat (2 and 5 am), which is very unusual for her, as she has STTN since she turned 4 mo. I think it can be the 5 mo GS, but not sure though.    Although Tracy and DD's Dr don't want me to feed her at night, I ended up feeding her as she was screaming and nothing else would make her happy.

Due to this fussiness and NWs, we decided to start solids (juice, fruit) a week before we were planning to do. I was told that once they learn to eat solids, LOs normally drop the lunch time feed. Is this correct?

In two weeks I won't be able to go to daycare to feed her at lunch time    as local legislation only guarantee 1 hour away from work until baby turns 6 mo. Not sure what to do, maybe pump during the day, maybe not... It's been hard to pump at work 

So far, I have 4 daily pumping sessions: 7, 10:30, 6:30 and 11:00. This has been enough for me to send 1/2 a bottle and also to freeze some milk.

HTH 

Hugs to all

Lidia

[liacarmen]

Don't feel bad about feeding her at night, you know you're baby best. I think there's a lot of pressure about what you're supposed to do, but heck, if she's crying and you want to feed her - go right ahead and don't give it a guilty thought. Are your pumps at work yielding enough for the next day at care? I found at about 6 months I really had to step up my pumping schedule and pump an hour after feeds on the days I wasn't working to keep up. It was a lot of work, I wont lie, but it was worth the effort if you're committed to doing it, you absolutely can make it work.

[campbellchick]

Hi girls, well have started my new job and so far so good!  Except Holly only allowed me to get 4hrs sleep last night  so very tired today.  And of course yesterday on my first day, she woke up at 5.30am right when I needed to get up and get ready  .  Apart from that she is loving daycare - was very happy there yesterday, slept and drunk all of her milk.  My pumping is going well - I am averaging close to 8oz in the morning and around 5-7 in the afternoons.  Only pumping twice a day at the moment so hopefully if this continues I can just do twice which will be enough to feed her the following day.  Oh and also, my hours are better than I thought they would be - I finish work at 5pm, so should be able to be home by 5.45pm at the latest, not 6.30pm like I first though 

I do have a question though - can anyone recommend a hands-free pumping bra I can buy online?  I bought one, but it doesn't really work too well as the slits I put the pump through doesn't hold it tight enough, so I need to hold at least one bottle while pumping (which kind of defeats the purpose of it ). 

Lidia - I wonder if Milena is going through a GS at all or she might just be ready for solids.  I think your call on feeding her at night, do what works for you.  I am still feeding Holly at night as sometimes it is the ONLY thing that will settle her.   I hope you can keep the pumping up.  Do you think your work will allow you to still go and feed her even after the 6 months?  It still amazes me that companies are not more receptive to pregnancy & breast feeding like they should be  .  I hope you can work it out, but don't put too much additional pressure on yourself to keep it up if you just can't. 

Anyway, gotta run as I am at work now and probably should be working    Kerrie

[clh]

Kerrie, glad to hear things are going well!    You could try making a hands-free bra with a bra you don't like/don't mind cutting up. 

[marensmama]

On kellymom there's a way to hang elastics from your nursing bra's clip to hold the bottle...
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/hands-free-pumping.html

Still waiting for my pump to arrive, so I haven't tried it out yet.

[ladyv]

HI everyone!
I'm backto work afte the summer off.  Carmen is 81/2 months and I'm so glad to have made it this far with BF (it wa s arough start, but we haven't looked back!)  Problem is, like most, dwindling supply. It was fading when school ended, and now after the summer, I have to pump twice at work plus twice once I'm home to get 3-4 ounces for her bottle she takes while at daycare.
Ugh.
My question:
Should I initiate a dream feed now and not worry about the small amount at daycare?

She wont take more than 6 ounces (when I gave her frozen stash) and the other day left an ounce in her bottle when I sent her with 5.5 oz, but when I only have 4 oz, I've sent her w/4 oz of formula supplement and she takes it (well, today she didn't- not sure what that heck!?!?)

I'm afraid supplementing w/formula will dry me up!

I've tried fenugrekk which worked in the past, to no avail.

I'm very sad about this. Nursing has been such a tender and sweet part of our life together and I hate for it to end b/c of work!!!

[liacarmen]

I hear that! Tell me this, you're pumping 3 or 4 times for one 5 or 6 ounce bottle to send to daycare? I had the same thing happen at about 6 months, I had to pump a lot to make up enough for the days I work. When you go back to work, are you able to pump for the missed feedings? You'll get more then than you do when your feeding and pumping all day - it might just sort itself out.

[campbellchick]

Thanks for the suggestions on the hands free setup - Nicole, I hope your pump turns up soon.  There is nothing like waiting and waiting for things to arrive, I was very eager to get mine to try it out!  I just love it.  I'll check out the kellymom link too.

Ladyv, good luck with the pumping, I really hope it works out for you.  I personally think supplementing will decrease your supply, but you could supplement and keep the pumping up too (even though you might only get small amounts), but that may maintain your current supply.  I think if you drop pumping sessions or feeds when introducing formula, that will definitely decrease your supply.  But good luck, big hugs to you!