Oversupply with pumping at work - Help!!

babymama619

I had over supply problems over the past few months but it is under control in the sense that DD nurses well, can handle the let down and her poops were yellow, not green. This week with the introduction of more bottles her poops seem greener and slimier.

I went back to work this week so I am pumping but I'm not sure how to handle the over abundance of milk with pumping. I send 4 - 4oz bottles to day care.

I drop her at 7 then pump at 7am, 12pm, and 4pm. I am usually back with her at 5pm or 5:30 but I can't nurse until a half hour later. The problem is if I were to pump as recommended -15 minutes or until breasts are empty I'd be pumping WAY more than 16oz. In 10 minutes I am well over 6oz. I have been stopping at that point because I don't want to increase my supply. However I'm worried about not pumping enough hind milk.

I'm also not sure how to handle first thing in the AM nursing. I was nursing 1 side and then pumping the other before retuning to work. However if I did that now 1 breast would go untouched for 6-7 hours. So I have been letting her nurse of both sides in the AM, but now I'm wondering if that is giving her too much fore milk. Any suggestions??

Thank you so much for any help!!

SnoopyLuv

Your breats will get used to it if you drop a pump. That's what I would do. If you're getting that much milk in such little time it means those bottles are probably almost all foremilk.

babymama619

I just don't know when I could drop a pumping session because I don't want to go more than 5 hours between feed/pump. The milk seems to be separating ok so there's got to be some hind milk, right?

JilllyBean

I'd feed her in the morning then pump at like 10 and 2

linzeek44

I'd also feed on just one side in the morning. Letting the other breast go for 6 or 7 hours isn't necessarily a bad thing. It will decrease your supply slightly, but it sounds like that would help in your case. 

babymama619

Thanks guys. I feed her usually at 5a and the 6:30 right before we leave. I pump in the car at 7. I'm teaching do I can't change when I pump to 10 & 2 which would be ideal. But I have students from 8-12. I think tomorrow I'll try to feed one side then pump both and expect side 1 not to produce as much because she fed off it. Then maybe I'll try to skip the 4pm pump.

SnoopyLuv

Skipping the afternoon pump might be easiest, because I imagine like many others that's your lowest producing pump?

singingirl96

I wouldn't skip a pump.  If you just came back to work, it'll take a little while, but your supply will decrease anyway...  your body doesn't respond to the pump as well as it does with nursing.  I would just freeze the extra and wait it out a month or so before deciding to drop a pump session.  But that's just me.

AnnaR29

I wouldn't skip. I had an oversupply when I went back to work. I teach also and found that my oversupply has saved me. I was only able to pump once a day at work ( ppumped morning and night to make up for the other times.) I used my extra milk in the beginning to create a stash that leaves me confident I can make it to a year. Lo is 8 months and I am slowly using my stash as I can't pump as much as I used to. Teaching is not always compatible with pumping. But I don't need to supplement on the weekends and I'm sure it is due to my oversupply in the beginning.

babymama619

Thanks @annar29 I didn't end up dropping my 3rd session today. I only pumped one side though and then fed off the other. I'm just going to watch her poop closely (who knew I'd say that?!) and see where we end up.

YellowLily2013

babymama619 said:

Thanks @annar29 I didn't end up dropping my 3rd sessiion today. I only pumped one side though and then fed off the other. I'm just going to watch her poop closely (who knew I'd say that?!) and see where we end up.

I know green poop can mean a foremilk/ hind milk imbalance. But it can also just been a green poop! Try not to stress about it too much. It will all work itself out.