Pumping and going back to work questions

imoverit · May 2014

I EBF (on demand) my DD who is 3 weeks old. I go back to work part time in August when she will be 3 1/2 months old.

1. When should I start a pumping routine?

2. How do I know how much LO is needing to eat?

2. Is it ok to pump as needed now for times where I will be gone from her like on a date night? Or should I start pumping and save up a freezer stash?

TIA!!!

CNYBride05 · May 2014

I don't know for sure, but I'd say:
1. When you go back to work.
2. Start small, with 2oz bottles. He'll likely take more. My 9 month old twins take 3oz bottles every 3 hrs or so at daycare but nurse far more frequently when they are with me.
3. Yes and not necessary, but you may feel better having a small freezer stash anyway.

ejb23 · May 2014

Unless you have a lot of freezer space I wouldn't do it everyday if you do start now. Having a stash is great but you don't need a huge one right away and you'll be pumping enough when you go back to work. Enjoy time with your LO now rather then get too obsessed with finding time to pump daily.

TheBorg7of9 · May 2014

I love my freezer stash. At 2 weeks I started pumping both sides after one of the morning feedings. I keep the milk in the fridge for a few days, combining all the milk into one jug when it's all the same temp. Then after 3-4 days I freeze into bags of 4-5 ounces. Make sure to freeze the bags flat so they take up less room. At about 12-14 weeks, my babies drop the 10:30 feeding, so I add a pumping session then too. I went back to work at 16 weeks and has 500 ounces saved. Because my stash is large so I don't rotate fresh and frozen. I just use frozen for bottles, figuring he gets the uptodate milk when he nurses.

Your boobs become adjusted to a schedule, so you should choose a time to pump and be consistent every day. Also pump anytime the baby eats a bottle

My babies eat between 4-6 oz per feeding, so I now use 5 oz bags.

88sharonlee · May 2014

I started pumping around 6 weeks, once a day after morning feed, say around 9-10 am. If I skipped a day here and there that was ok.

I used the freezer stash for holidays etc and it was nice to know that I could pump (you don't want to find out on you first day back that pumping doesn't work well for you) and that LO will take a bottle.

I went back to work at 3 months and liked having a freezer stash just in case- but now at at 5 months the stash is basically gone.

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