returning to work: pumping questions

Millertime6/30/07

I return to work Dec. 8 and have a few questions.

1. How much was in your freezer stash when you returned to work and did/have you used it?

2. How did you know how many ounces to put into bottles?  DD is exclusively BF right now.

Any other tips for a smooth transition would be great.  Thanks!

Mrs_JR

1. I had about 70 oz when I went back to work.  I rotated fresh and frozen to keep my freezer stash fresh.  My system was....I froze the milk flat in the bag.  I stood them up in a container in the freezer with the oldest milk in front.  When I noticed that milk becoming 3 months old, I took it out to use and replaced it with a fresh bag.  Therefore my stash never dwindled much because the bags were always replaced.  I made it to a year! (And still BFing twice a day)

2. I went to a breastfeeding group where we could weigh our babies after feeding them.  That helped me know how much she typically took during a feeding.  I started with just a little more than that.  As she consistently finished bottles, I increased the amount.

I had supply issues and not much freezer stash when returning.  I pumped before I went to bed to meet her intake plus add to my stash.  I was able to stop pumping at 11 months because this helped me get my stash up to 160 oz.  Be consistent with your pumping times and stay relaxed.  

jennie13

I only started pumping regularly a few weeks before I went back to work.   My freezer stash was around 50 oz.   Now, 2.5 months later, I have a ton because I'm able to pump more than she eats.   I've only used some so the oldest stuff doesn't go bad.  I freeze everything I pump Friday, and thaw some for the Monday bottles. 

 We started with small bottles, and made a lot of them.  It's easier to grab another bottle than to save what they don't eat.   On DD's first day, we sent bottles with 2.5-3 oz, and we increased the amount until she would finish a bottle and not need more.  She's been at 3, 5 oz bottles since her 2nd week.  I send a 4th bottle with extra, and always use it the next day.

Definitely try to get her used to bottles soon.   I don't think we did bottles enough and she would sometimes fuss a lot and refuse one.  

 Good luck!

Libramom2b

1. I probably have about 75 oz in my freezer stash. I've not had to use it, but I do rotate out occasionally.

2. We introduced a bottle to DS around 3-4 weeks, and then DH gave him one 1X per day until i went back to work, so we knew how much he was eating.

If I was you, I'd introduce a bottle soon. Wait too long and your baby may not take one. DS has never ad an issue going back and forth between nipple and bottle.

babyluv617

I only had about 40 oz (still do). I had a major case of thrush and had to wait until it was cleared up to store anything.

I sent four 4oz bottles and three 4oz frozen bags. I told the sitter to give him the 4 oz bottle then if he was hungry too early (before 2-3hours) then give him an ounce at a time. He started going when he was three months and was taking about 5 oz every 3 hours and is now taking about 5.5-6oz every 3 hours.

 Tips: I get the most milk in the morning, so I feed ds, drop him off at the sitters, and get to work early enough to pump before I start my day. I get almost as much milk in that session as I do in three other sessions throughout the day.

bluecookie

I returned to work when DS was 4 months old and:

1) I had about 80 oz. in the freezer.  I have used some of the stash and it is slowly dwindling. I have about 50 oz. left and DS is 6 months old.

2) We introduced a bottle to DS when he was about 3 months old, so we had an idea of how much he was consuming at each feeding (approx. 3.5 oz.).  I sent DS to daycare with a few 3.5 oz.bottles, plus extra in a separate bottle.  The daycare providers were able to adjust DS's intake depending on his demand.  After about 2 weeks, I had a pretty good idea of what DS needed each day.

If you haven't started already, I recommend that you start building a stash now so you can get an idea of how much you pump at a session. 

Also, to rotate my stash, I freeze everything I pump on Friday and I send frozen in to daycare on Monday.

Good luck! 

springtime81

1.  I probably had about 80 oz in my freezer when I went back to work.  I didn't use it up until recently, my supply has decreased and I've been coming up a few ounces short every week, so I had to dip into the stash.  But I'm switching DS to whole milk during the day soon, so I will not be pumping much longer.  I wish I had made a larger stash, when I first went back to work I had an abundant supply but as DS got older I pretty much made exactly what he was eating, and then a little less.

2. DS couldn't start daycare until a week after I returned to work, just because of room capacity, so my MIL watched him for that week.  I started out making 4oz bottles, and she let me know if he was hungry after those.  By the time he started daycare, I knew he needed 5oz bottles.  When he started polishing those off consistently, I upped him to 6oz.  After starting solid foods he stopped finishing his bottles, so he went back down to 5oz, and has been there since.

Try giving some bottles before you go back to get an idea, otherwise you can just pick a size and ask the daycare providers to report on if you need more/less.