How do I "know" when to pump?

[SquidMommy]

Hello all~

I'm on week #3 with my kiddo, and I've got an Ameda PurelyYours. I should be able to put two and two together, right? I'm completely baffled about when to pump. If I pump before he nurses/too close to when he nurses, I worry he won't get enough to eat. If I pump after he eats, I worry that I'm not being effective/storing enough/wasting my time.

Also, I'm taking fenugreek, it doesn't look like supply is an issue (I've got a chunky bebbeh!), and I nurse him on demand. However, pumping nets me, at most, 3.5 ounces per sitting. If I'm going to go back to work soon, I'm going to have to do better than that. I pump with my son in my arms, I'm relaxed when I do it, I pump for at least 20min per breast (unless it looks like I'm pumping for dust - then I give up and try later), but I'm still getting what I feel is a small volume of milk per pumping session.

So my question is, what's the "best" method for pumping - before/after he eats, or at a completely different time? Can I get on a pumping schedule, and if so, how often should I aim for? Is there a better way to get more volume, or is 3.5 pretty good? This is a first-kid, so this is all new to me.

Thanks!

[MeepyCat]

3.5 ounces per session isn't bad.

Right now, you're pumping in addition to feeding your baby. What you're getting with the pump is leftovers (although you are also signalling your body that there's higher demand). When you're working and away from the babe, you're likely to get higher volume.

I was very nervous about having enough milk on hand for DS when I went back to work, but then I did a little math: if I put 2 oz of milk in the freezer every day between week 3 and week 12, I'd have nearly a gallon of milk. And 2 oz per day is only a little more than half of what you're getting in one session. I don't know how much leave time you have, but if it's at all reasonable, you can at least be set up for the first week, and have a little slack available in case you run into difficulty.

[carepear]

3.5 ounces is a lot. That is about one feeding. Start stashing it in your freezer. You only need enough for 1 day in the freezer plus an emergency stash. Your second day back at work you will feed her what you pumped the day before.

As for a pumping schedule, what worked best for me was to nurse her on one side for her first nursing session and then pump the other. I always had the most milk in the morning so I didn't feel like she was missing it and I was able to add a couple ounces to the freezer.

Good job mama, you're doing good!

[Llyra]

My best method-- put baby on one breast, and the pump on the other. Baby will elicit the letdown for you, and the milk will flow on both sides. Basically, you're tricking your body into thinking you're nursing two. (I really WAS nursing two... But I needed to pump for DS's special needs.) Do this at a few feeds a day- maybe twice, or whatever you decide you need) and you should have a good stash very shortly.

It saves time, too!

[SquidMommy]

Thanks, all :-)  I think I had unrealistic expectations about what was "normal" in terms of volume. The munchkin is gaining a ton of weight, so I figured he was getting more than 3.5 ounces at a go - thus why I figured I should be putting out more than 3.5 ounces per session. Should I store it in baggies, or is there a plastic/chemical hazard associated with Ziploc?

[Ellien C]

what are you pumping into?  I found it easiest to pump directly into breast milk bags. You can buy them at Target. Lansinoh and Medela make them. You might also think about the playtex drop-in  nursers for your bottle system.

Have you fed a bottle yet? I know all of the lactation literature tells you to wait 6 weeks but every successful pumping mom I know introduced a bottle around week 3 and continued with 1 or bottles per week until they went back to work. Just thought I would throw that in there. I let Daddy feed the first bottle and left the house while it was going on.

[Momsteader]

Get some Lansinoh bags. They have a ziptop and are the best pumping/storage bags. I pumped long term twice for my surrogate babies. You can actually pump all day and put it into a container in the fridge and then bag it up at night so you get 3 or 4 or whatever ounces at a time you're wanting to put into a bag (4-6 is good). This also gets a good mix of the milk from multiple sessions in case you got a lot of fore or hind milk in one session.  When I pumped exclusively, I had a pitcher in the fridge that I would pour into and bag up just once a day. Lay the bags flat to freeze on a cookie sheet, and then they will store nicely and thaw faster :)

3.5 oz in addition to feeding your babe is great!!! He is getting at least that (babies are much more efficient than any pump!). Keep up the great work and you'll have enough milk stored in no time.

[konayossie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquidMommy 

Thanks, all :-)  I think I had unrealistic expectations about what was "normal" in terms of volume. The munchkin is gaining a ton of weight, so I figured he was getting more than 3.5 ounces at a go - thus why I figured I should be putting out more than 3.5 ounces per session. Should I store it in baggies, or is there a plastic/chemical hazard associated with Ziploc?

I'm totally jealous of your output! When I was pumping for DS at work, if I was having a hugely HIGH output I might get just over an ounce from my good producer and around .5 oz from my other side. 3.5 ounces is totally awesome, especially considering you're pumping in addition to on-demand feeding. Sounds like you have a great supply going!

They make special baggies to store the milk in. I would not freeze in a regular ziplock due to BPA issues and also, unless you were specifically using the freezer-safe ones, they aren't meant to be frozen. I have had liquids leak from even the freezer-safe baggies. you do NOT want your milk you've worked so hard to get leaking out in your DC provider's fridge! I liked Lansinoh bags for storage. They are cheaper than Medela's, and they have better reviews everywhere I've checked. Remember to store the milk in small amounts (around 2 ounces--one bottle's worth). I had a few bags I filled up really full when I first started, and you just end up with wasted milk when it gets unfrozen (you can't refreeze it at that point).

[hildare]

the simultaneous pumping is a good suggestion, though.. it didn't work for us, ever.  dd liked to kick the pump or tubes or anything she could, so that just didn't happen.  if that turns out to be the case for you, if you're only feeding that baby on one side, just pump the other when you're done.  i always liked pumping after a feeding, that tended to work best.  when you are working, you'll just replace feedings, and your boobs will tell you when it's time.  if not, there's a calculator on kellymom that's pretty cool. 

[kanga1622]

I love to freeze using the Lansinoh storage bags.

The most I have ever gotten during a pumping session is 5 oz. combined. That was during a work day when I hadn't pumped for 2.5 hours. I think 3.5 oz. in between nursing on demand is great!

To be honest, DS has always taken 3 oz. bottles when we are apart. Even on full work days, he takes 4 bottles of 3 oz. each. Now that he's almost 1, he is still steadily taking that amount.

ETA: I used to pump during DS's naps so that it had been about 30-45 minutes since his last feeding and it would traditionally be 45-60 minutes before he ate again.

[JudiAU]

You need to tell your body to make more milk at spefic times. I found it helpful to do it one after we woke up (more milk in the morning) pump 15m shower pump 15m and then nurse on demand about an hour later. Helps build supply. I did the same thing in the evening.