One-sided Nursing and Pumping

inrut4dj

I currently nurse from one breast at a time. LO is a power eater and I produce a lot of milk so she only nurses about 15-25 minutes each session from the one breast. (She's up almost 2lbs from her birthweight). I am beginning to pump so I can start a stash for when I go back to work in late January. If I'm only feeding from one breast per session, how do I handle pumping? Do I pump the other breast or should I wait some time and double pump? I really only want to pump twice a day max right now so I'm wondering how to logistically handle this without creating an uneven supply between breasts. Does anyone else nurse from one side at a time and how do you handle pumping?

ann_jeremiah

You can double pump after you nurse.. you could also pump the other side while nursing... tricky, but possible.

quickstepstar

My DD also eats out of one side. In the morning I double-pump since I usually get 4-5oz even from the side she just ate from, esp if I wait a little bit to pump after she eats. At night is about the only time I would pump from one side only, right after she eats, since if I don't I get too engorged at night between feeds.

kelstar824

Crash Into Me:

I honestly wouldn't worry about pumping at this point.  Let your milk regulate for now, and then add in pumping in mid-January.  You say you already produce a lot of milk, that's wonderful, but pumping will cause your body to make even more milk, which can cause you to have an oversupply and that's really a b!tch to deal with. 

Long story short, I've been back to work for 4 full weeks and haven't had to use any of my frozen milk.  I even had to start over with the frozen supply when I returned to work, so I had nothing in stock.

 

I have to give a different opinion on this from my own experience of pumping and working... 

I waited to pump until just before I went back to work, like PP suggested. Unfortunately I went back to work with only a small freezer stash, which was completely depleted within 1 month of being back to work.

For whatever reason, I do not respond to the pump as well as others do and have had to supplement with formula on a few occasions. I really wish I had a freezer stash for when I go away to an out of town wedding next month.