Is anybody else heading back to work soon? Frozen milk stash?

[BeanSprout Mama]

I wondered if anybody else from the DDC was headed back to work soon? I have a couple more weeks at home and I am really not looking forward to being away from my little guy so soon (although I do admit I miss my job sometimes!) and I'm trying really hard to build up a great milk stash before I head back. I'm expecting to have to supplement with formula eventually, just because I don't think I'll be able to pump often enough to keep up with him. But, I got 4oz pumped this morning and that brings my frozen total to 77oz right now! I was hoping to have 100oz frozen, at least, so it's great to know that if I continue to be diligent with pumping I will probably get there before I go back.

What are the other september WOH mamas planning to do for work? When do you go back? Who is going to take care of your baby while you are at work? how are you feeling about going back?

[aleatha5]

I'm back to work. Vincent is 3 months old. He is staying with his grandmothers (they take turns watching him) or occasionally with his great-grandmother. It is definitely harder on me than him. I cry when I leave him, but he is happy as a lark. I am worried about the pumping issue. I can feed him at lunch, so that is nice, but he eats so much when I am away, and I am NOT a champion pumper. I can only ever get 3-5 ounces at a time. I need to post a thread about getting more. Any suggestions?

Like you, I kind of missed work, and when I am here, it is nice...I have adult conversation, I do things, I don't snack all day(!) but I keep thinking I am missing my son's precious infant days and missing all his smiley happy mornings. Sigh, I just wish I could do both, bring him in here and play with him and work at the same time....

So, anyway, this has been a rambly reply, but I feel you.

[2boyzmama]

Aleatha...you might talk to his grandmas...maybe they're feeding him too much? Ask them to feed him 2-3 ounces, then take a break and see if he really wants more. Maybe that will stretch your milk supply a bit. Beware, though, this may make him reverse-cycle a bit, he might try to eat more overnight which means less sleep for you Connor reverse cycled on me, got to the point that he took only 4-6 ounces ALL DAY LONG, but literally was attached to me all night long. I had to stop cosleeping to break him of that, it took about a month to get him turned back around.

As for pumping...can you add a pumping session at home? Here's what my pumping schedule looked like with Connor (went back to work at 3 months)...I woke up at 6am and nursed him on the left while I pumped my right simultaneously. Then I double pumped at work over lunch (I would sometimes pump once in the morning around 9:30am, but usually I couldn't) then as soon as I got home around 4:30 I would nurse him on the left and pump the right simultaneously. Then as soon as I put him to bed I'd double pump just a bit (not a full pumping, I was always paranoid that he'd wake up as soon as I finished emptying my breasts!)

With Ian, I didn't pump in the mornings at home. I woke him up at 6 to nurse, then I double pumped at work at 9am. Then I came home for lunch, nursed him on the left and pumped on the right. Then usually double pumped at work around 2:30, but sometimes I skipped that pumping and nursed left while pumping right as soon as I got home. I didn't do a nighttime pumping with him.

I always get a bit more if I do breast massage while I'm pumping, when I think the spray has stopped, I can usually get another half ounce just by manually massaging for another few minutes.

Some women really respond to a picture of their baby, a dirty onesie, a short video on their phone. Me? I LOOK at my pump and I let down, lol!! I think my body thinks it's another baby or something

[confustication]

I don't have a freezer stash. I work out of the home for about half my time, and from home for the other half. I generally hand express, because when I pump I don't let down well- never have. Hand expression though means I can get about 6-10 oz at a time (Moo!) I nurse him at lunch when I'm out and he does reverse cycle. I'm sleep deprived, but I won't begin working to turn him around again until he's about 6 months old...

He's with his dad when I'm at work, and his dad will call if he needs to nurse (there are times he just won't take a bottle...) I'm blessed to work in a seting where this is ok -and early on he went to work with me...

[rebeccajm]

I went back to work last Tuesday, and he was 6 weeks yesterday. I was/am NOT happy about going back so soon, but we just couldn't afford for me to take off any longer.

I had about 10 3-4 oz bags frozen when I went, and we haven't had to use a single drop of it. He has still managed to have all fresh milk since I returned to work. I work 5 mins from my mom's house, where he is staying for now. I pump a fresh bottle every morning. He usually feeds around 6 am here at home. My mom feeds him the fresh bottle at around 9 am. I pump at work at about 9:30. Then I go and feed him on my lunch break at around noon, bringing the 9:30 milk with me for his afternoon enjoyment, lol. And of course, I nurse him every evening. (I have a crazy good supply, thank goodness! I am also pumping once in the afternoons at work, refrigerating it, and giving it to my 2 y/o with breakfast in the mornings. )

I am so thankful to have this arrangement and to have my mom. She is wonderful for doing this! It surely takes the edge off being away from Sawyer, knowing he is in great hands, and I get to see him at lunch every day!