this may sound idiotic, but how do you manage to feed your baby and pump enough in one day if you plan on working the next?? I'm going to be working part time after maternity leave and am hoping to do two 10 hour+ days to get the hours in, but is it possible to pump and feed enough in one day in prep for the next??? Is there enough supply? and if there is, are you just pumping/feeding all day long basically?
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Re: bf and pumping question
It might seem very time consuming but what you can do is nurse and when baby is done nursing, move to your pump. Pump both breasts till nothing comes out. What this will do is set up a "demand" for the next meal's "supply". Your baby is the best pump you can have but when you need extra milk for a stash you need to be prepared.
I would set my nursing times for Emma, once she was established. It might be a 30 minute nursing session and she might be done eating at 20 minutes, so I'd pump for the remaining 10 minutes or till I had nothing else to express.
My son would only eat from one side at a time. So I would feed him then pump the side he didn't use. Then next feeding he would eat from the pumped side and I would pump the other. I got to the point where I could feed and pump at the same time eventually.
Also you must be taking some time off so you can try to stock pile while you are home and you are going to have to pump those 10 hours you are at work and hopefully you will get enough for the next days supply.
If you are going to go back to work at say, 8 weeks, I would start adding one pumping session a day at around 5/6 weeks. You can decided when is the best time. For me DDs longest stretch of sleep was from around 8/9-12, so I would nurse her at 8, then pump around 10 before I went to bed. That way there was plenty of milk left for her to eat at 12, and I was able to get a few ounces a day in the freezer.
Then once you are back at work, you MUST pump every 3 hours (or whenever your kid normally eats). That way you keep your supply up, and you have now provided the milk for tomorrow.
Make sense? Hope that helps!