Working moms/mums - come and share tips and support!

[MJMom]

muriel, don't know why I didn't mention that!  I have 3 full size pictures of my LO up in the mother's room at work!  The mother's room at work is only 2 yrs old, so I'm ring-leading this effort to get an Anne Geddes print in there as well as have all the previous moms who used the room to provide pics of their LOs with other pertinient info, like how long they BF'd to give later moms inspiration! 

6-7 oz?  Suzanna, when will I get that much!?!?  LOL!  if I pump when LO eats, I only get 4-5 generally.  If I forget and I'm an hour late pumping because I'm caught up at work, then and only then will I get 6.  Never more than 6 and it's a struggle to get that!

And muriel, yes, I find that I am at work to do a job, and go home.  I used to work late, bring my work home.  I do NONE of that now.  At 5, I get up and leave what ever is there behind.  I may check my black berry at home, but I'm not an addict like I used to be.  I just find my job pretty darn meaningless these days.

[Muriel - Elisa's mama]

Alissa, well I see our little ones have only 3 weeks apart (yours being the oldest!) so may be it comes with the time in which we are in?? I find it somehow difficult to be at the same time a mum, a super working one and thinking I am should still be or feel like a sexy woman in addition!! well managing the three looks to me like a difficult juggling act and at this time I only feel like I want to be a mum!
mmm...he! sorry!! I also feel like having my body and energy back but that always comes 2nd!!

[MJMom]

Muriel,

You must come join Suzanna and I on the March / April '07 birth chat!  It's for all LO's born in oddly enough... March/April '07!  Here's a link!  I'm quite attached to my birth group!  Great group of ladies and we're all going through about the same thing!
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=89114.0

I hear you though... I'm all about 2 out of 3 for now.  With work totally being in the back burner.  I'll have to admit though (sans the 1/2box of oreos I ate yesterday... yes... a 1/2 box... I ate my days worth of calories in oreos) but besides that, I do feel pretty good most days.  DH and I went out for dinner on our anniversary.  As I was walking through the bar to the ladies room, I felt a mountain of stares and actually noticed guys turning their heads as I was walking through!  BOY DID THAT FEEL GOOD!!!!  Heels and a backless dress always help a situation like that, but still!  I had to brag to DH when I got back to the table too.   

[mj_romo]

Hi ladies.  I'm hoping to get some advice.  I have a 5-mo old daughter and will be returning to work in a couple of weeks.  I'm a college professor, and my boss thought he gave me a good schedule for teaching and pumping, but what he gave me ends up with me having to pump at a different time every day.  On M/F I'll be home with DD and BFing on demand, with pumping, too.  I'm home in the mornings, and can pump at a consistent time then; it's afternoons that are the problem. 

On Tues, I can pump at 4:30, on Wed. at 3, and on Thurs. at 5.  Then, Saturday's, I teach a 9-5 class where I can probably pump before class and then again at 12.  Every night but Tues I'll be home for her 7pm feeding; that night I'm not done until 10.

I'm really afraid I'm going to have problems and not be able to supply enough EBM for her because of this wacky schedule.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Will I be more dependent on the morning pumpings to supply her?  Are Sun/Mon and Fri of on-demand BFing going to be enough to keep my supply regular?

[MJMom]

In the mornings, will you be feeding her directly in addition to pumping?
IMO, you will probably be fine if you're only exclusively pumping four afternoons a week.  It sounds like you will have a lot more time with your LO directly at your breast than I do which is what stimulates the milk production.  I understand the pump doesn't actually stimulate the production, it just extracts whereas the babe will actually stimulate the production. 

[marcimommy]

Hi Mandy - my DS is just 2 days older than your DD 
I have been back in the office and regularly pumping since June so I got a little experience already. I'd say don't worry about the schedule. I almost never pump at the same time. +- 1 hour is OK according my experience. the first weeks will be hard becuase your body will have to adjust but don't get panicked just keep pumping whenever you can. Getting enough milk doen't depend on pumping exactly at the same time every day. You will have to find a quiet place where you will be able to relax and have a pic of your LO with you or just close your eyes and think about her. It will help your let down.

Alissa - I bottle feed my LO 4 times out of the 5 and pump 3 times a day and I don't have any problems maintaining my supply (oooops, I hope I didn't jinx it  ) But you're right normally theu recommend to BF whenever you can to keep the supply. I guess I have crazy boobs or a very good pump! LOL 

[MJMom]

I guess I have crazy boobs or a very good pump! LOL 

I envy your crazy boobs!  

Mandy, in other words, you're getting advice from both ends of the spectrum, crazy boob lady and dwindling supply boob lady.  Between the two of us, we'll get your milk supply issues sorted out!  LOL!

[Muriel - Elisa's mama]

mm mm - well I think I don't have crazy boobs nor low suplly!! so Mandy here the view of the "boobs of the middle"!! 
well, i work 4 days a week full time and have meetings scheduled not always by me so I had to be a bit flexible on my pumping times, i was pumping once in the morning and once in the afternoon for four days. I was trying to pump at 11.00 and then at 15.00 but it had to vary sometime of an hour around those times, and still it went fine. The only problem I could see was when i pumped to late afternoon I had one day the impression it was too close to the BF time with my LO then and that I got not enough milk then for her, but she caught up the feed after. And this problem only occurred one and it was also after 4 days pumping already! So in my view with your pumping times, you will be just fine!!!

Alissa - sure I will join your birth group!! sounds cool to have a birth group!!

Muriel

[gena]

okay, i skimmed this thread and i think i got the gist.  I think you will be fine as long as you get the same amount of pumping or nursing during the day.  when i went back to work (I am a middle school teacher) I added an extra pumping at night. I nursed him at 6:30 and then would pump at 9:30.  I did this to have enough milk and hopefully make some for his cereal as well.  At first i did not make much but overtime with my commitment I starting getting enough to meet his needs and have enough milk for his cereal.  I dont know if that helps or if you are already doing this.  I sure hope so.  Way to be commited.  Keep it up. You rock.

[MJMom]

OK, I could just cry.  Tuesday night, I had a work function, so I didn't BF my LO, but I pumped instead.  Last night I tried to feed LO before bed, like I always do.  And I DIDN'T HAVE enought!!!  It took one night.  Count it!  ONE NIGHT for my supply to dwindle!!!  So, I had to feed her a bottle of that precious precious EBM that I barely can pump enough of during the day!!!

I'm not going out again without my LO until I'm done BF'ing. 

I did just get approval to work from home on Wednesdays (like, 2 minutes ago!!!) to help keep my production up!!  (That was a funny conversation...  There was a group of us and he had just said how the hardest conversation he had to have with his kids was the sex conversation... it made it very easy for me to then say I had a supply issue for BF'ing!    He had also mentioned in the same conversation that his wife BF'd all their kids.)

I also borrowed a co-workers pump so I could have one at home and one at the office so I don't have to keep lugging it back and forth!

I've read about "Baby moons" where you basically spend a weekend letting your LO eat often and plentiful to increase production.  Has any one ever done this?  MJ is on a solid 4 hr EASY and I don't want to turn her into a snacker or create NW's. 

[Muriel - Elisa's mama]

OK, I could just cry.  Tuesday night, I had a work function, so I didn't BF my LO, but I pumped instead.  Last night I tried to feed LO before bed, like I always do.  And I DIDN'T HAVE enought!!!  It took one night.  Count it!  ONE NIGHT for my supply to dwindle!!! 

oh dear!! lots of hugs!!!
sure must feel like  a rough time but sure your milk production will come up again, jut eat plenty and drink as much as you can that always help! i never did the baby moons but i can imagine that as much your baby is sucking as much it makes milk come. But i would do on last resort, especially if your 4 hrs easy works fine! may be if you think you don't have enough for now, top her with a formula bottle. Just make one before you BF and have it at hand for when you finish BFing and you will see what she takes. May be it is not so much so that makes you feel a little better and not worrying about enough EBM pumped or not! if she already get part as BF she still gets all the good stuff!!
Did you try drinking fennel tea? i know this helps me a lot, may be worth to try also.
did you also had to work a lot the last days? may be stress does not help for the BF?
in any case, think you are doing your best and don't worry too much, may be it comes bcak by itself in a couple of days!!
{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}

[MJMom]

Did you try drinking fennel tea?

I have not.  I will add that to my shopping list of galactagogues to buy this evening!  I'm also going to buy blessed thistle and alfalfa as well as mother's milk tea.  I already take fenugreek.

I started taking more fenugreek this morning and did get an extra 2 ounces from my first pump, so I was a little encouraged.  I normally only get 4 oz, but got 6 this morning.  Back to 4 for my early afternoon pump, but I'll take what ever the milk gods want to send my way!! 

[Muriel - Elisa's mama]

courage alessa!! you are on the good way!! and remember you will always pump less that what your LO takes, pumping is only taking the milk out of the breasts! so this means you have more milk for your LO that what you are pumping in any case!!! and i tell you a bit of fennel tea (it tastes strange but you get used to it!!) and yoiu will soon have too much!!!
lots of hugs!

[marcimommy]

LOL Alissa this should be our new greeting "May the Milk Gods bless your boobs"
I am not doing so great right now either. DS and I both are coming down with a cold and the lack of sleep has taken it's toll on my milk supply. Also I don't drink enough fluids. You ladies seriously will have to scream at me time to time to go and get a bottle of water.

[MJMom]

LOL Alissa this should be our new greeting "May the Milk Gods bless your boobs"

I think that's fantastic!

Make the Milk Gods bless all of our boobs!!!

And I will definitely try Fennel tea.  My trip to the store is thwarted with a torrential downpour and a tornado warning, but I will definitely go tomorrow and pick some up.