Going Back to work...Is My Feeding Schedule Normal for a 4 1/2 Month Old?

It sounds like you are right on track, or at least to where I was. My little one at a little more frequently in smaller does, but was pretty close to yours! If you can pump on the breast that she isn't feeding on first thing in the morning or last thing at night it helped me bring up my supply. I just made it part of my routine to pump on the opposite one every morning. That brought up my supply and allowed me to have a good frozen stash in case my little girl at more than I pumped at work. You can also try these pills that helped me if you need to bring up your supply:

http://www.motherlove.com/product_more_milk_plus_veg.php

I waited until my little one was 6 1/2 months before starting solids, as I heard that was best and she wasn't really interested until then. Good luck to you & I hope you have a smooth transition to work :)

You are doing just fine

YOu are doing just fine! My daugher in law Pumped the breast
@had the baby drink from abottle When she went back to work Good luck A.

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I am a working nursing mom as well. I attended a breastfeeding support group at Glendale Memorial Hospital regularly when I was on leave. The group meets every Thursday at 1 p.m. They have a scale there and you weigh your baby before and after they eat, so you know exactly how many ounces they are taking during a feeding. Babies drink until they are full on the breast and then they stop. With a bottle, they will often drink until the bottle is done, regardless of their hunger level. It is possible that your daughter is getting less on the breast than she is getting with a bottle.

There is also a breastfeeding support group at Holy Cross in Mission Hills, which is closer to you. At least for the one at Glendale Memorial, you don't have to have delivered there and it is free. You should call and find out if it is the same at Holy Cross.

It is also true, however, that a baby can get more milk from the breast than a pump can. If you think your baby is getting more milk by breastfeeding than you are able to produce pumping, you may want to try renting a hospital grade pump for a month. They are more efficient than the regular grade (though not as good as the actual baby). Also try taking fenugreek and blessed thistle to increase your milk supply, available at Whole Foods.

To rent a hospital grade pump, go the the Medela website. You can search there for people who rent hospital grade pumps that live in your area. You could also rent a scale for your baby there too if you can't attend the support groups and want to get a good sense of how much your baby is eating.

Working and breastfeeding is quite a challenge. Pumping can be quite a chore, but it is so worth it for both you and your baby! Keep it up!

Totally normal! My ounces vary every time I pump. My daughter will take a bottle between 5-6 oz and sometimes I just pump half that pump that much. I was told and read that the baby is the most efficent way to get milk and pumping is not the same, so don't gage it by how many ounces you pump. I also found this webiste which was very helpful www.kellymom.com
I have a 4 month old and going back to work in two weeks and plan on pumping and was concerned on how many ounces to put in the bottle.
Keep it up...you're doing great!

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Hi there, Sounds like she is doing just fine. Maybe you can pump one extra time a day to catch up. Maybe at the 3:30 am feeding (I know thats not what you want to do, but I did that)
I do agree with the doctor about putting her on solids at 6 months old. I tried to feed my baby girl rice cereal at 4 months and she got constipated. I tried again at 6 months and everything was fine. Their tummies can handle the solids better at that age. My 15 month old drinks 7 ounces of milk a few times a day, so 6 ounces for a 4 month old is plenty!!!!
Congratulations on pumping that amount of milk at one sitting!!! I was a pumping freak! I think I was pumping up to 5 times in a 24 hour period. On top of feeding her as well. I had a freezer full of bags of milk. I wanted my husband to be able to feed her and I didn't want to have to breast feed in public. I was able to give her breast milk for 8 months before my body decided it was done. Slowly my boobs decreased the amount I was producing. I tried taking fenugreek, and it did help a little, but I finally decided I was done. But, I was able to feed my daughter breast milk for another few weeks with all the milk I had in the freezer.
Good luck to you!!!