Any part-time pumping moms?

bunsee23 · August 2011

DD just started daycare last week as I'm preparing to go back to school full-time to finish up my masters. This means I'm nursing during the first part of the day and pumping the second half (at least 3 nights a week I get home after she's down for the night). I noticed that DD takes about an ounce or two more than what I'm typically able to produce per session (pumping every 2.5hrs)-- which after looking at kellymom, I realize this is normal-- I was more wondering what you guys pack for milk feedings (5oz, 6oz bottles or more than that per feeding?)... Reverse-cycling doesn't really work for us since I'm not there in the evenings to make up for lost time...

So I guess I'm wondering three things:

How often do you pump when you're away from LO?

Do you just dip into your freezer stash to make up for lost oz's?

If you don't pump anymore, why/when did you say enough was enough...?

bunsee23 · August 2011

Mrs.Bones:

Me!

I nurse DS at 6-ish AM, and then again before bed, around 6-ish PM. He takes bottles during the day, 3 6-oz bottles, and 3 jars of food.

I have depleted my entire freezer stash, so now we supplement with Enfamil. Prior to adding in formula, I just pumped 3x/day at work, and divided it up among the bottles. I also did a pump before bed at 10PM.

If I dipped into the stash, I tried to arrange it so that I kept the defrosted milk in one labeled bottle. That way, if he left a bottle for whatever reason, and it was NOT the defrosted milk, I knew I could give it again the next day. Defrosted needs to be consumed within 24 hours, fresh pumped is 5 days.

What helped me reach the "enough is enough" point was when the 10PM pump started to yield only 2-3oz. And I was emotionally and physically DRAINED from not making enough and depleting my freezer stash. I started to add in formula and it lightened the stress load.

ETA: I dropped the 10PM pump b/c it was making me crazy. I just dropped another day pump, so now I'm down to 2x/day (when I first get to work at 8:30, which usually gets me about 5-6oz, and then one more time at about 2PM, which gets me 2-4oz.)

Honestly, though, when *you* feel like you're done...for WHATEVER reason...it's okay. It's really truly okay.

I totally feel you on this-- my 10PM pump used to be my go-to session to make up for the dip into the freezer stash... Now, after working part-time and then taking a 4 our block of classes at night, I just sit in our room before bed with the pump and glare at the bag. The past few nights I've pumped 3oz when I used to pump 5-6.

I guess I'm dealing with guilt that I'm just not doing enough for C if I can't EBF/provide enough BMilk for the first year, but I have to finish my masters by Fall of 2012 or I lose credit for the classes I've already taken (this is a whole 'nother issue in life...)

I know that formula is cool-- esp if I'm able to mix it with breastmilk, I'm just stubborn. A stubborn, dried-up biitch at 10pm.

MSC03 · August 2011

I almost always come up short in my pumping/bottle ratio. I usually make up for it by pumping at night about 3 hours after she goes to bed, but our pedi just gave us the go-ahead to top off her bottles with WCM when I come up short.

Right now she gets 2 5 oz bottles while I'm at work. It used to be 3 bottles but she dropped one on her own.

bunsee23 · August 2011

Thanks for your input Bones, it really helps to be able to hear that I'm not the only one with the pumping frustration!

I will feel out the next month (or as long as my stash holds up) and figure things out from there I guess. We've been doing mostly BLW-- she's a pretty decent eater, but it's harder to measure how much she's actually taking in, so what used to be something I never had to measure or worry about has become something new to obsess about.

Just out of curiosity, do you still do bottles during the days that you're home with your DS? Or do you try to slip an extra nursing session in?

FirstBabyMomma · August 2011

I can't really officially answer this yet since I'm in the same position as you, more or less, but I did just want to throw in that if you are comfortable with it (and if your doc okays it- mine did), you could intro small amounts of WCM to make up the difference. Like you, I pump about 1 oz less than she typically takes in a bottle.We have started giving her a 3 oz bottle every day with 2oz BM/ 1oz WCM, and so far it's been going well. The plan is, when she goes to daycare the bottle she gets will be 4 oz BM and 2oz WCM- so she's still full but I won't burn through my freezer stash as fast (I have about 12 bags of 4 oz, and I plan to only pump at lunchtime. She'll only need one bottle while I'm away from her).

I know the situation is slightly different and I get that some people aren't comfortable introducing WCM before a year, but for us, I didn't want to transition her twice in such a short period of time since we never supplemented before. Just a thought!

bunsee23 · August 2011

MrsSummitCounty:

I almost always come up short in my pumping/bottle ratio. I usually make up for it by pumping at night about 3 hours after she goes to bed, but our pedi just gave us the go-ahead to top off her bottles with WCM when I come up short.

Right now she gets 2 5 oz bottles while I'm at work. It used to be 3 bottles but she dropped one on her own.

I'm hoping this happens for us-- as of now, DD takes 2 5oz'rs and one 7oz'r while at DC and then another 7oz'r at night before bed (on the nights I'm not there)... If she could just drop one of those 5ers I could probably keep up until we get closer to the WCM go-ahead.

FirstBabyMomma · August 2011

bunsee23:
Thanks for your input Bones, it really helps to be able to hear that I'm not the only one with the pumping frustration!

I will feel out the next month (or as long as my stash holds up) and figure things out from there I guess. We've been doing mostly BLW-- she's a pretty decent eater, but it's harder to measure how much she's actually taking in, so what used to be something I never had to measure or worry about has become something new to obsess about.

Just out of curiosity, do you still do bottles during the days that you're home with your DS? Or do you try to slip an extra nursing session in?

I am curious about this too! I want to nurse full-time on the weekends in hopes that it will keep my supply up at least until her bottle can be 100% WCM.

bunsee23 · August 2011

FirstBabyMomma:

I can't really officially answer this yet since I'm in the same position as you, more or less, but I did just want to throw in that if you are comfortable with it (and if your doc okays it- mine did), you could intro small amounts of WCM to make up the difference. Like you, I pump about 1 oz less than she typically takes in a bottle.We have started giving her a 3 oz bottle every day with 2oz BM/ 1oz WCM, and so far it's been going well. The plan is, when she goes to daycare the bottle she gets will be 4 oz BM and 2oz WCM- so she's still full but I won't burn through my freezer stash as fast (I have about 12 bags of 4 oz, and I plan to only pump at lunchtime. She'll only need one bottle while I'm away from her).

I know the situation is slightly different and I get that some people aren't comfortable introducing WCM before a year, but for us, I didn't want to transition her twice in such a short period of time since we never supplemented before. Just a thought!

I totally agree with this-- I should probably talk to my pedi about some of these concerns. I really don't want to supplement with formula and then turn around and start WCM...

Who would've thought this would turn into such a science!

bunsee23 · August 2011

FirstBabyMomma:

I can't really officially answer this yet since I'm in the same position as you, more or less, but I did just want to throw in that if you are comfortable with it (and if your doc okays it- mine did), you could intro small amounts of WCM to make up the difference. Like you, I pump about 1 oz less than she typically takes in a bottle.We have started giving her a 3 oz bottle every day with 2oz BM/ 1oz WCM, and so far it's been going well. The plan is, when she goes to daycare the bottle she gets will be 4 oz BM and 2oz WCM- so she's still full but I won't burn through my freezer stash as fast (I have about 12 bags of 4 oz, and I plan to only pump at lunchtime. She'll only need one bottle while I'm away from her).

I know the situation is slightly different and I get that some people aren't comfortable introducing WCM before a year, but for us, I didn't want to transition her twice in such a short period of time since we never supplemented before. Just a thought!

I totally agree with this-- I should probably talk to my pedi about some of these concerns. I really don't want to supplement with formula and then turn around and start WCM...

Who would've thought this would turn into such a science!

bunsee23 · August 2011

Mrs.Bones:
bunsee23:

Thanks for your input Bones, it really helps to be able to hear that I'm not the only one with the pumping frustration!

I will feel out the next month (or as long as my stash holds up) and figure things out from there I guess. We've been doing mostly BLW-- she's a pretty decent eater, but it's harder to measure how much she's actually taking in, so what used to be something I never had to measure or worry about has become something new to obsess about.

Just out of curiosity, do you still do bottles during the days that you're home with your DS? Or do you try to slip an extra nursing session in?

I will aim to nurse 99% of the time when we're together, to keep my supply going. I will do a bottle if he comes home with an unfinished one from daycare (and then I pump to make up the nursing output), or if we're going out somewhere and it's easier to do a bottle. But, I've gotten to be very adept at NIP, so I try to do that. I just carry food with me everywhere now as well.

Word! I tried that this weekend, and she seemed satisfied-- my breasts seem to be ridiculously particular about who gets milk these days. I guess that's okay...? Confused

sarahandeddiejune212008 · August 2011

I've been doing this for awhile now. I had to use up most of my freezer stash towards the end of last school year because of this. I actually pumped 5 times a day. I've always struggled with pumping though. This year I'm going to attempt to get 4 sessions in. I just want to make it to 1 year. After that she will probably get mostly whole milk during the day and nurse at night until she is weaned.

adam&te · August 2011

I BF in the morning around 5:30 & then before bed time around 7:30. I used to pump before I leave the house around 6:15, I still occasionally do this if I have time, if our day is going smoothly or if my husband is home to help watch LO. I used to l pump 3 times while at work 9, 12, 3 ish.... I am now down to 10 & 2:30ish. I have never pumped before bed (milk supply is so low by that point of the day, its not worth the effort/stress).

On my days off, I nurse when possible.

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