Returning to work and pumping

anyanc

For those of you returning to work in the next few weeks...are you stockpiling milk in the freezer and how much supply? How often are you pumping at home? I find it hard to plan how much supply I'll need to start me off in those first few days. Thanx.

sugrrrplum

I've been back to work for awhile now.  I didn't really have a plan as far as pumping during maternity leave.  I was nursing and supplementing with formula here and there when DH or MIL were on baby duty (and letting me sleep a bit).  I continued to pump when it would have been time to nurse or as soon as I would wake up.  Everything I pumped went into the freezer and that's how we started our stash.  Of course, we had formula around so I didn't stress to much about how much I was storing.  

 Now I basically only pump at work and nurse when I'm home.  I work 3 12's overnight and pump about every 3 hrs.  Some of it gets pumped into the medela bottles for DH to use the next morning, and some goes into Lasinoh bags for the stash, it all depends on how much is in the fridge when I leave for work.   

 

RebeccaLovesChris

I EP and pump at work.  I got myself from pumping when I was on leave from 7 times a day down to about 5 times a day, sometimes 6.

I pump about 35-40 ounces a day and she eats about 25 on average.  What I do is pump for a day, and out of those 40 ounces, I make them all into 4 ounce bottles and keep them in the fridge and use them on weekends and morning/night.  Then for all of the days until I run out of those bottles in the fridge, I freeze everything else that I pump.  Then I give that frozen milk to my mom/day care and they give her that during the day.

I was planning on freezing everything and then thawing out the oldest and using it, but I totally got lazy.  It's so easy at the end of the day to either make a bunch of bottle or bag up and freeze.  She is still using up the older milk, just using it during the day and someone else has to thaw it, haha. 

DogCat&Baby

sugrrrplum:

I've been back to work for awhile now.  I didn't really have a plan as far as pumping during maternity leave.  I was nursing and supplementing with formula here and there when DH or MIL were on baby duty (and letting me sleep a bit).  I continued to pump when it would have been time to nurse or as soon as I would wake up.  Everything I pumped went into the freezer and that's how we started our stash.  Of course, we had formula around so I didn't stress to much about how much I was storing.  

 Now I basically only pump at work and nurse when I'm home.  I work 3 12's overnight and pump about every 3 hrs.  Some of it gets pumped into the medela bottles for DH to use the next morning, and some goes into Lasinoh bags for the stash, it all depends on how much is in the fridge when I leave for work.   

 

This, except I freeze everything I pump at work and the oldest freezer bags are used to feed DD along with formula when I'm at work.

kel716

If you're able to pump at work the same number of times she eats, I wouldn't stress too much about a stash unless you want one. I might pump one extra bottle/day, but keep in mind that if you're pumping at work you'll probably be able to supply the next day with what you pump that day. 

I essentially go back to work when DD is 5 mos.  I'm a teacher, and this is the last week of my mat. leave.  There are 3 more days of school next week where I'm working and then it's summer, so I have to have milk for her for Tuesday.  What I get on Tuesday is what she'll eat Wednesday. 

For the last few weeks, I have been pumping once/day and stash that.  I EBF all day and add the one pumping session.  DD has been going to bed around 10 and sleeping until at least 6 if not later, so I've been pumping around midnight and going to bed since that pump probably won't impact her.   

Everything I pump initially goes into Lansinoh bags and to the fridge.  Every few days, I take the bags that are more than 3 or 4 days old and freeze them.  This way, I always have about 12-15 ozs in the fridge and my stash is growing.  The biggest reason I leave those in the fridge is because then if I am out, a bottle can be given.  If a bottle is given, I make sure I pump at *least* what she is eating and my normal extra. 

mrs.gee

I've started pumping every morning after he eats. I try to empty the boob he was on with breast compressions and just let the other one flow. I don't empty that one in case he wants to eat again soon (made that mistake once and had to feed him the pumped milk). I stop when I get about 2oz. I go back to work the end of June so by then I'll have around 80oz with only a modest amount of work every day. 

Babies only need around 25oz of breast milk a day. I think it will be reassuring for you to have some freezer stock pile since you don't know how well you'll respond to the pump at work, especially those first few stressful days back. GL.  

JG362009

My goal is to have 200 ounces by the end of my 4 month maternity leave.  I had about 150 after 3 months the first time so hopefully this is do-able.  It gave me enough of a cushion so I could travel and not completely stress and I never had to supplement with formula, which is also my goal this time, too.