Pumping Questions

[Greenlea]

I am nursing my almost 4 mth old.  I work 3 days a week and he is at the sitter for 10 hours each day.  I built up a frozen supply before going back to work, but now that supply is all gone.  I've been taking More Milk Plus and trying to pump more but I don't really know if I'm doing it the right way.  Let me know what you think, cuz if I don't figure this out he's gonna have to go on formula PT and I really don't want that.

I have a double electric pump and a hand held pump.  I bring my handheld to work and use the electric one at home.  I only pump once while at work and can get 6-8 oz, on a good day I have gotten 10 oz but that's few and far between.  I wait until I'm engourged I guess until I pump at work.  Somedays I don't pump at all because my breasts dont feel like they need to.  If I try pumping while not engourged, I hardly get 2 oz.  Is there a way to get more at each pumping if I pump more often?

While I am at home 4 days a week, if I try pumping on my days off I get hardly anything, mainly cuz I never get engourged.  I've tried not feeding him on one side during the night so I can pump in the morning, but he refuses and wants to nurse on both sides.  I guess I need to get a let down to get a good pump, but that never happens if I'm away and I even have a delayed let down when he does nurse.

Please help, I really don't want to do formula and am trying to go back to work FT so it will get even harder. 

[Buzzer Beater]

I think ten hours at work is a long time to go only pumping once. If I did that I'm sure my supply would dip. Can you try to pump every two hours, at least for a bit? Over a week or so that stimulation should help to bring your supply up.

[homemademom]

I'm currently pumping so I've been reading a lot about this lately. But the OP is right, you have to pump much more frequently, especially if you're trying to build your supply up.  Even if you get small amounts to start, it'll be stimulating your breasts to produce more. Can you take your electric pump to work?

Here's a link with tons of information: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html

[BarefootGirl]

Sounds like you definitely need to pump more.  While you may not get much at first, think of it as "placing an order" for more.  If you keep asking your body for more, it will hopefully respond.  And definitely bring your electric pump to work.  Also, don't wait til you get engorged.  Your breasts will make more milk faster the more often they are emptied.  You don't have to wait for them to get overly full.  Good luck!