Nursing and Work

I breastfed my daughter for 18 months and pumped for the first year of that. I was blessed with an ample supply and great support at work...but it definitely takes a special effort. I even went on business trips and she never had to take formula--though I agree that you shouldn't feel guilty if it comes to that.

Do you have a good pump? Single or double? I used an Ameda and loved it...had a "pumping partner" at work that had great succes with the Medela Swing. I liked mine because it was electric plus would run on batteries or in the car (which I have done while someone else was driving).

One of the best ways I found to increase my supply was to pump before I nursed first thing in the morning. Due to some hormonal thing, your supply is generally higher in the morning. It is estimated that a pump will only clear about 60% of available supply so there is plenty left for the munchkin...and it is fat rich hindmilk. I also changed my shields on my pump due to my breast size--I am a DD and found the larger shield gave me a better result.

I also took Fenugreek and drank Mother's Milk Tea to support my supply...I became a little obsessed with maintaining my supply. Going to formula just wasn't a financial option for me.

Drink water. 80 ounces a day. Avoid excessive caffeine. Avoid antihistamines (decongestants and cold medications)--they will dry you up. Maintain a healthy diet with lots of lean protein, fruits and vegetables. I know this sounds like what we should do anyway, but I found that I got distracted once I went back to work and had to go back to the food diary I used while I was pregnant to keep on track and make sure that I was eating and drinking enough.

One last thing to consider, he could be experiencing a growth spurt...expecially if this morning hungry thing is new. It can take a few days to a week for your body to adjust to the new demands. I love this website for all sorts of breastfeeding advice and information.

www.kellymom.com

Good luck. You can do it!

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I also wanted to add, that it is normal that you have a good flow on Monday and then by Friday there isn't much supply. Per my lactation consultant, be sure to nurse him as much as possible when you aren't at work and that should keep the supply good for the new week.
I totally agree with the previous response as well. There are some medical reasons that could do this, so if it does not get better try checking with your doctor.

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If you are not already, try pumping at break and lunch time at work. Find a quiet place where you can relax. Doing so should increase your milk supply for your son.

If you are already doing this, or you start doing this and it does not increase your milk (or at least stop it from decreasing) see your physician. There may be a medical reason your body is slowing production down. There are several things your physician may try or have you try to increase your supply.

Please be prepared. Sometimes a body just stops on it's own and there is no explanation. If so you will need to start your son on formula. Do NOT feel guilty about this. You certainly have done everything you could to give your son a GREAT start in life.

Also be prepared to supplement feedings with formula (NEVER give the formula instead of or before the breast while you are trying to increase your supply). Only offer the formula if he is done breastfeeding and he still seems hungry. Only offer an ounce at a time to determine how much he needs/wants over and above what he gets from you.

Good Luck and I hope it works out!!! ;-)

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Breastfeeding works by supply and demand. If you feel you aren't producing enough, feed or pump more often.

I would suggest drinking lots of water, getting some exercise and taking fenugreek - if your supply is truly low. Your body may just not respond to the pump - try looking at pictures of your baby or even sitting your baby in front of you while you pump. Also - I have more luck manually expressing.

Make sure you are eating enough calories throughout the day. I added a pumping in the evening after I put the baby to bed. That seemed to help. I was very tired but I was able to keep up breast feeding and pumping until my son was 8 months.

I know this is a hard one but stress will also affect your supply. Try and relax when you pump or feed.

I completely understand! My little guy is 6 months old and I feel like even when I'm home, he's nursing every couple of hours for me to keep the supply going.

I too would recommend fenugreek seeds. Following my cousin's advice, I went to Central Market to the bulk spice section. I got a huge bag of whole fenugreek seeds for $1.51. I then put a teaspoon of seeds in a teaball and pour hot water in the mug. I let it steep for about 10-15 minutes, add a splenda and drink the tea. It's much more cost effective than buying the "Mother's Milk" tea and I've found it's working really well. I will warn you however that it's tinting my milk a pale green -- so don't freak out if you're taking fenugreek in any form and your pumped milk has a slightly different hue. :-)

I also recommend www.kellymom.com. I think I'm on that site at least once a week! Good luck. You're doing great.

When I went back to work, I had to start drinking about 2 gallons of water a day to keep my supply up. Also, start pumping more often. Try pumping right after your son nurses. That always helped me increase my supply. Good luck!

Congrats on sticking with it! First of all, 4 month olds do still need to eat at night, and are usually ravenous first thing in the morning. THey have started noticing the world around them during the day and often take in less calories because of this. They make up for it at night! It's totally normal for him to be hungry even after feeding all night!

As for pumping, I hear you! I worked with my first, and pumping was a nightmare for me. I had ample supply but didn't respond well to the pump. That said, my son had nothing but breastmilk for the first 7 months of his life, and barely had solids until a year, so breastmilk sustained him. I managed to pump enough. He was 22 lbs at 6 months old and never had a drop of formula in his life! Here are some of the things I would suggest:

Make sure you are drinking enough water. Keep completely hydrated.

Eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning.

Mother's milk tea (Kroger even sells it in their natural food section) can help tremendously.

There are herbs (fenugreek and blessed thistle) that you can take, but I wouldn't do that as a first resort.

What about your pump? Are you using a Medela PIS (most popular one, it seems)? The flange/horn thing (the part that actually touches your breast) is often too small for most women. They sell other sizes as well. I had to get the size large ones, and it really helped me to pump more. The regular size that came with the pump restricted milk ducts and I wasn't getting enough with them. You can buy the bigger ones online.

I actually yielded better results with my manual Avent Isis than the Medela PIS! It's really a great pump.

And most of all, relax! Take the moment when you're pumping to think about your wonderful baby, look at pics of him, bring the pjs he wore the night before and smell them, drink your water, and revel in the moment that you are providing sustenance for your little one. Relaxing will help a lot.

And very importantly: nurse as much as he wants (on demand) when you're together to keep supply up. Don't worry about bottles on the weekends (or whenever you don't work). Just concentrate on nursing. It's even sometimes recommended to take a "nursing vacation" where you don't work one day and just nurse on demand. It will help up your supply to keep you on track.

Good luck! it's not easy pumping, and I congratulate you! There is no shame in giving formula, but I tell you - it CAN be done to pump for your child and never give a drop of formula.

Your son is ready for a little rice cereal at night or in the morning!!

It's no harm in giving your baby rice cereal at 4 months. Try it even if your doctor is against it. He's not full after drinking only breast milk.

First off - great job on trying to continue nursing after returning to work! I have an 18-month old who I nursed for the entire first year while working full time. Definitely not easy but well worth it. Mothers Milk Tea worked for me. Make sure you are getting enough water but not too much (after 12 cups/day it can actually diminish your supply). One other thing that seemed to help me was that I nursed completely on demand when I was home and I was nursing up to 8-9 times a day on the weekends to get the supply back up for pumping during the week ahead. Good luck!

i used the mother's milk tea, it tasted awful but worked really well to increase my milk supply when i was pumping. it is made by traditional medicine and you can find it in the organic section at kroger or at HEB. I have told 3+ other mom's about it and they all raved about the increase in supply.

Hope this helps
C.

I too am BFing a 4 month old (almost 5 month old) and pumping at work. It's normal to get less as the day goes on. I pump 3 times at work, am, lunch, afternoon. I can get 8-9 ounces in the morning, and I'll be lucky to get 3-4 in the afternoon. Your prolactin peaks overnight, so milk production is highest in the morning. Are you getting enough for the bottles the next day? If not, try Fenugreek and/or Blessed Thistle. I have to take them to pump enough for my son.

Hi there! I feel you about nursing at work. I actually think the atmosphere interferred while I pumped at work. Although my door was locked, if someone knocked or my phone rang, I got distracted and it lessened my flow of milk being pumped out. They always say your milk is by demand so if you can create a comfortable place to relax and pump while at work that may help and try to pump more often to increase the production. Like others have mentioned, fenugreek herb pills will help produce more also. Good luck and keep it up!

YOU ARE AN AWESOME MOMMY!! You have great advice already that really works. Just some ideas: take one of your babies blankets & a picture of your angel with you to work. The scent & sight really do help. Eat, drink lots of water (although my sister was a lactation nurse for years said beer, just 1, can help increase production). At work if you can nod off a little while pumping, those little naps keep you refreshed and going.
I nursed my twin boys till they were 10 months & my last baby till she was a year and worked all the while. She went straight to cows milk & a cup, never had a drop of formula. But the boys needed it. If that what your baby needs, then thats the best thing to do! It's alright, you are a Great Mother!
Do you have some support to talk to/lean on? I had my sister to call when I was unsure or was overwhelmed at times with nursing. Call on others when you need it. No question is silly if peace of mind is needed. You know you can go to Mamasource and a helping hand/voice will be there!

Drinking A LOT of water helped my supply increase...

The hardestt part of doing this is relaxing enough to produce milk. Pumping in the middle of the work day may not be very conducive because you are in the middle of juggling work. Whatever you can do to relax will help with your milk production. Co sleeping and nursing until the baby is asleep late at night helps you get the sleep you need...when baby starts keeping you from sleeping, move him to his bed. (Helps to have a king size bed for dad's sake :) Good luck :)

Hi I.,
First off, CONGRATS on your little one.. They are really precious arent they?
I have a 9 mo and I still brestfeed her. I would advice you to drink lots of water (actually, and fluids minus the alcohol and soda) throughout the day. The longer the gaps between feeding/pumping, the lesser milk you will make. So, even if you have to get up in the middle of the night to pump, I would suggest you do that. (I would get up at 3am just to pump.. would be up for just 15 mins..)

Fenugreek helps A LOT!!!! I would soak the seeds overnight, and keep eating 10-12 seeds at regular intervals throughout the day! (I know they are bitter, but I wouldnt mind going through that trouble for my Angel!)

And, like the other person said, having your baby's picture or her clothes around you while pumping is useful. Another suggestion one of my friends gave me was, to use a bigger size nipple sheild while pumping, that way ur nippled is not squished. It surely did good to me.

Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Hi I.,

Have you been eating enough and drinking enough water? I know that my supply lessens when I don't do those things. I teach Kindergarten, and have a hard time finding time to snack throughout the day. I have recently noticed a decrease in my milk production, too, and a friend recommended Fenugreek to help stimulate my milk production. My daughter is 6 months old and going through a growth spurt...I can't keep up, and had to add a bottle of formula per day to her diet this week. I just started on the Fenugreek today, so I'll let you know if it works or not. Keep up the great work!

L.

Lots of liquids will help make more. Good luck

pumping is not the most fun thing to do..... and, if you are at work, i bet you are thinking, ok hurry hurry hurry...
when i was pumping, friends advised me to imagine i was nursing my son, and like magic more milk would just come. make sure you are not too cold, either. basically, whatever you can do to relax will help. way to go, working mama!

When I was in that situation, I contacted a La Leche League leader and they helped me alot to continue the nursing relationship. Good luck.

When I went back to work after my son was born, I also pumped at work....i found staying hydrated with lots of water and taking Fenugreek supplement helped me keep going....until it got to hart to continue at work that is. I got mine at a health food store. good luck