Breastfeeding

Question for exclusively breast feeding moms

i will be going back to work soon, and my 8 wk old baby is exclusively breast fed. How can I find a routine to pump and store when I am only breast feeding. Sometimes I feel like if I pump, there won't be enough milk for her when she's due for a feeding. And how many times a day should I introduce the bottle? If I introduce her to bottle, do I give her the milk I just pumped? If I do that, how can I add onto my stored milk if I'm just giving her what I pump. My goal is to have enough milk stored so when I go to work she won't run out incase she demands more. 

Re: Question for exclusively breast feeding moms

  • What I did is feed my baby on the one side and then pump on the other throughout the day. Then when my DH came home, he would give her a bottle and I would pump (to keep up supply). I also started pumping the one side she didn't eat from after she started sleeping through the night because I get a full 5oz from being engorged. This helped me start building up a supply during my maternity leave. Or if I pumped enough throughout the day, I would freeze that too. I ended up having a out 50 oz stored before I went back to work. I just took about half of it out of the freezer the night before I went back to work and then when you're pumping at work, it's for the next day 
  • Pump after feeding and store that milk. Once you get back to work, give the previous day's milk to the CG to feed and nurse while you with baby. Continue pumping after feeding if extra is needed.
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  • I would pump after feeding as well.  I didn't usually get a lot, but it also helps build your supply which can take a hit when you go back to work.  If your LO is sleeping well at night, I would also pump right before you go to bed to get a little extra.
  • I would pump after feeding LO while she was taking her first morning nap. At first it took a few days to get anything, and even then it might take a couple days to get a full bottle's worth, but I just labeled it with the first date and then combined chilled milk from multiple days. Then once I filled one up I'd freeze it or use it. When LO is drinking from the bottle, I'd pump what she would have eaten, usually one full bottle's worth.
    DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
  • 4N6s4N6s member
    When you go back to work, you need to be making the same or more that your baby will eat while you're gone. When my baby was 4 weeks old and sleeping through the night, I would feed her and pump before I went to bed. After she woke up for the first time, I would feed her and then pump again. I gained a large stash! 
    I introduced the bottle in the first week. I would assume you should start trying soon because I've heard nightmares of the baby not taking a bottle. 
    The more you pump, the more you'll make. 
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