Starting to work evenings occasionally. Confused about when to pump...

[callahansmama]

Hello, hopefully I can get some insight from you ladies. My son is 11 months old and I stay at home with him full time. He nurses on demand, usually at naps (before and after sometimes), bed time, morning and a couple of times during the night. He eats finger foods but not a large quantity and his calories have been cut back recently due to eliminating dairy and gluten to see if his diarrhea will clear up. I have no problem with him getting most of his nutrition from nursing. I am a teacher and won't return to work until Sept. (if then) but I am going to bartend casually (1 -2 evenings per week) at the local Legion to make a little spending money. I will leave at 5:15 pm and he will eat dinner with his dad. He usually then nurses at 6:30 pm but since he has been teething he wakes often and sometimes nurses at even the early wakings. I have managed to pump 3 oz since I got the call to work last night and I imagine I can get another 1-2 by the end of the day. My son will take the bottle easily but I am just concerned that he might want more than I can pump. Of course I have no idea how much he gets at each nursing session but I have read that babies usually take less breastmilk in a bottle than formula or cows milk. I will be home by 11 or 12 and will nurse him the rest of the night if needed. My question is - when should I be pumping? I don't necessarily want to pump everyday since I am only working once a week but I am afraid that these 3 oz I have pumped are taking away from what my son would be drinking during the day and that he will be getting fewer calories overall in the day. He just started walking so I figure he'll need even more as he is burning them like crazy whizzing around this place. I have been pumping after he nurses. Is that right? Will my body make enough milk for when he wants to nurse an hour or two later? Thanks for any feedback:)

[motherhendoula]

Your body can most assuredly absorb an extra pumping session once a day.  this will not take ANYthing away from your LO's current nutrition needs.  Did you get 3 ounces after one pumping session after your LO had already nursed?

Cuz thats really a lot! If i dont have that right....i would just choose a time to pump once a day...i  would do it once a day - in order to have 6 or so oz per evening at work.  I would  offer it to him in amounts of 2 or 3 ounces.  Bottles are easier to drain than breasts - so in an attempt to suck for comfort - baby will wind up eating more than you might expect.  Remember to used 'paced feeding' where baby semi upright, and bottle is held level, you can also try using a nipple that that has smaller holes in it than would be age appropriate for your LO ...like, try using a nipple marked 'newborn' or 1 - 3 months since he is nearly a year old. When to pump is really up to you - whenever you have time for it - after a nap, or during is fine...many Moms feel they have more in the AM.  Just whatever time you have, you can refrigerate separately and then combine when all milk is the same temperature

When to pump is entirely up to you.

[Thandiwe]

I agree with PP.  I know when I've tried building up a supply for pumping, something that has worked for me has been to use a manual pump and pump while nursing on one side.  The let-down is much better when I pump while nursing, I get more milk that way.  Can you get a break to pump once during the evening when you're gone?  Because, really you should be okay to get maybe 8-10 ounces pumped ahead of time, and then just freeze what you pump while gone until the next week.  If I were you, I would pump once in the evening while you're gone, then freeze it for the next week while you're gone.  Pump again the next time you're gone, etc.  Your stash will start to build up.  At 11 months, he should be just fine.  He could even have your milk in a sippy if you wanted.  And if he's eating dinner with daddy, you could always have a sippy of alternative milk (whatever that may be, whole cow's milk, rice milk, whatever you use) for him to eat with dinner, and then just have the bottle for bedtime. 

 Mama.  This is always full of anxiety.  Going back to work - in any amount - is tough when you're home with little one full-time.  It will be a transition, but only going once or twice a week is awesome; it's the best of both worlds.  Once you've done it, I'm sure you'll be so relieved.  And he will be fine; that's a really good age to go back.  They are starting to be much more independent by that age.  Have fun!!