Pumping at work

I returned to work and am having trouble pumping enough for my babies. After two weeks back we have depleted our freezer stash. I am gone from 8-6:30 and pump at 10:15, 1pm, 3-4 and at 6. I have a Medela PiS.

To get through 4 feedings each I need to pump 24oz. I am only pumping 13-16oz/day. I try to pump in the morning, but the babies nurse constantly from about 5-7am and then I need to hurry and get out the door. I have never really had an issue with supply when nursing, but obviously the pump isn't the same. I look at pictures and videos of the babies while pumping and can produce anywhere from 4.5-7oz per session. I find I pump more if I skip a session, but then at the end of the day always end up with the same amount.

The only way I can see being able to produce enough is if I pump at night twice also. This is so hard. With work and the needs of the babies and 3 year old I am worn out and crash most nights around 10 so that I can get a few solid hours of sleep before one baby wakes up.

Maybe there is no alternative? I would love any suggestions. I think I am coming around to the fact that I will need to supplement with formula, but the idea still bothers me. DS has horrendous reflux finally controlled with Prevacid and my diet. Adding formula into the mix is daunting...

 

This is a great site that is directed at adoptive breast feeding but the concept is the same and relates any mom trying to increase milk supply.

You can skip numbers 1 and 2 as they don't relate to you.

http://asklenore.com/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/increasing_milk.shtml

Emptying the breast 8 to 12 times daily is key!
Of the easy things you can do.. Oatmeal made a big difference in my supply!
And WATER, WATER, WATER.

The truth is it is just time consuming and difficult with two AND life.
Even a small amount of breast milk is amazing.. it doesn't have to be all or nothing.
Good Luck!

 

I did not see the link that Amy posted, but my pumped supply increased a lot by massaging the breasts as you are pumping, towards the end of your session. It really helps! There was this study done that massaging increases supply by quite a bit. Take a look at this video HERE! It is only 9 minutes. Well worth the time.

 

I agree with water, water, water. I have a one liter container that I fill up first thing in the morning and I always try to drain it over the course of the day. In addition, I drink some coffee and either tea or soda. Then I try to drink another liter when I am at home in the evening. You may want to drink even more as you are increasing your supply to make sure that you are very well hydrated.

In addition, when you are pumping, pump until you are getting nothing and then let it run for another minute or two every time you get the chance. If I am having a week where my supply just doesn't seem to be cutting it, that normally helps to pick things back up.

Also, I found that my supply actually increased after I had been at work pumping for a few weeks, so it may start improving for you soon as well. One last thing you might try is checking the fit of the breast shield. I haven't had to change sizes on the breast shield this time yet but with my singleton it made a pretty good difference when I found one that fit better. Here's some info on the medela website: http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/13/choosing-a-correctly-fitted-breastshield

PS - I pumped at work for about a year with my oldest and am pumping at work for the twins now, using the Medela PIS. It IS definitely hard work. That's why I love having these boards so that we can get help and support when needed.

 

I agree with all this advice, but I'm also trying to figure out why they need 4 feedings in 10 hours. If you are nursing before you leave, that should give a 3-4 hour cushion before a bottle is needed. Then, at the end of the day, you can ask your child care provider to hold them off until you get home and nurse as soon as you get home. They could have feedings at 10, 1 and 4 and that is 2 less bottles you have to worry about.

The kellymom website had a good calculator for exactly how much milk your babies should need, because another thing that often happens is babies overfeed when they are given bottles.

I also reiterate the advice to try different flange sizes. I had started with one size and thought I had a decrease in supply. I tried a different flange and I started pumping more again. Apparently my size had changed as time went on.

 

Also, supply responds best to a baby, but you can simulate a growth spurt by power pumping on a weekend. Otherwise, make sure you nurse nurse nurse on the weekends.

 

I was only pumping 12-15 oz/day when I first went back to work despite trying everything (that was pumping 3 times a day for 30 minutes each time to get two letdowns). I decided to take domperidone and ordered it online. I was then able to pump 18-22 oz most days. Even then, my twins would take 12-16 oz each depending on the day so there was often at least one bottle of formula (4 oz) a day--12-14 oz seemed to be the comfort zone where I came home to happy babies who were ready to nurse but not desperately hungry. I recently weaned off the domperidone and my twins are periodically STTN (I couldn't handle the engorgement since it's an "artificial" supply) and my supply has taken a big hit. But they are eating solids now so their formula intake hasn't increased much.

I don't really have any advice, just commiseration. I have never pumped at home for the same reasons you mentioned and I also had supply issues with my first. My first was exclusively breastfed but I feel I have done my best to this time to balance as much breast milk as possible with judicious use of formula for supplementing. Formula has greatly improved my sanity this time around as I never have to worry if someone will go hungry if I don't pump enough.

Some people produce a lot of milk. I do not. I have PCOS which is a known factor for low supply.

Most of my friends told me their babies take 12-16 oz/day as well, with 12 oz being really common so I don't think your babies are drinking too much if you're gone for 10 hours. 12 oz for each baby while you're at work would be less than half of what they need for a 24/hour period (average range is 25-30 oz according to kellymom for a 24/hour period, but there is also variation among babies and factoring in growth spurts, etc).

 

Thank you all for your advice. I will try a bigger flange. I do drink a ton of water, but should probably drink more. I used these last few days as a mini BF and pumping marathon so hopefully will have increased supply when I go back to work on Wednesday.
I think my husband may be over feeding the babies. He is impossible to get information out of, but gives them a bottle shortly after I leave and usually within 30-60 minutes of me returning home. I asked him to hold off, but he says it is impossible. DS is a major screamer and I think he uses the bottle to settle him when he doesn't take the paci. I can hardly ask him to stop, I use nursing the same way when I am home. I am hoping to add in another 2 pumping sessions at work this week and try to convince DH to make smaller bottles.

 

I don't know that your two are over-eating per se. Mine drink about the same and they pretty much just stay on their weight curves. Best of luck! I'm right there with you in terms of needing to get supply up. I took a week off from work and I'm having to build my supply back.

 

Make sure it's a slow-flow nipple or he may get too much unnecessary milk. When you nurse and comfort nurse they can suck in a way where they don't get milk. This doesn't work with a bottle.

 

I always had to pump 1-2x more than feeds they took while I worked (i.e they ate 4 times it would take me 5-6 sessions to pump enough). Pumping on the drive to and from work was my solution, a little tricky at first but easy enough once you figured out the logistics.