Mine came in right away and I started pumping my first Monday home (a week ago today) I pump 8 minutes and get 7-8 ounces each pimping session twice a day so I'm freezing about 15 ounces a day. I go back to work full time the first of April. Does it sound as if I'm freezing enough? Should I pump 3 times a day?
I keep reading that shell eat 24-30 ounces a day and that seems like so much! Second time moms... How much did you store?
Re: How much milk are you freezing?
If you are only bottle feeding while at DC then you should be fine. I am only freezing 6 oz. a day and I go back to work at the same time and I'm not worried. You'll still pump once you go back to work, right? I didn't want to pump too much because I didn't want to get too much of an oversupply.
I would think that you are in a sense pumping enough each day for your LO to eat while at DC (3 bottles @ 5 oz each every 4 hours).
I posed this question to a breastfeeding support group and a lactation consultant. I presume you will continue to pump once you go back to work? If so, the consensus was that you should have 30 oz frozen total to go back to work with. What do you plan to do with all that milk if you continue to pump when you're back at work?
It sounds like you're building up too much and could even give yourself oversupply issues.
DD #1: 2012; MMC: 2014; DD #2: 2015; It's a boy! 3/31/2018
Remember, she will eat 24-30 oz a day, but that wil linclude mornings and evenings/nights when you are home with her. When I went back to work with DS1 (he was 5 months old), I think he took about 15-18 oz while with the sitter, and I BFed the rest of the time. Depending on your schedule and baby's schedule, it may be a little more or less for you. Of course, this was awhile ago, so I may be off on the amounts, but you get the point - only a portion of the 24-30 oz needs to be in bottles.
When I go back this time, I would like to have as much stored as possible. If you have the storage space, and aren't having oversupply issues, I say store as much as you can. That way, if for some reason one day you can't pump at work, you know you have lots of backup. (sometimes my work schedule made me miss a pumping session, and once my pump broke while I was at work...it happens). It was also nice to have lots of extra to have DH help with middle of the night feedings once in awhile when I went back to work. I am hoping to have about 60 oz. stored before I go back. If I had more room, I'd have even more.
As long as you plan to pump while at work, I think you could probably store about 6 oz a day right now and be just fine.
Exactly. 6 if I'm feeling highly motivated
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