https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:13:26 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894438 Tue, 13 Aug 2019 13:21:40 +0000 mdf106 2894438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: Most women make more milk in one breast. Also, I find that my supply is better if I pump until I get a second letdown. I don't usually get much from the second letdown, but it seems to help with my supply overall. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894400 Tue, 13 Aug 2019 10:48:25 +0000 jennlin821 2894400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: to elaborate more on keeping hydrated/drinking with a straw. I used to have 2 camelback Eddy bottles, one with Gatorade (I would buy the powder kind)or juice and the other filled with water. That way I had a dedicated water bottle and what I thought of as the 'sticky' bottle.<br /> I also recently bought these straws: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ALINK-Reusable-Smoothie-Flexible-Replacement/dp/B07BJ56BP4?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_11111760011" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/ALINK-Reusable-Smoothie-Flexible-Replacement/dp/B07BJ56BP4?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_11111760011</a></p> <p>These ones are suuuper long, tall enough to stick several inches out of a blender bottle. But anyways, I like to drink my smoothies and nearly everything else (ice tea, ice coffee, etc) with them too. they have several different lengths &amp; widths, so these might work for you too. </p> <p>For adding oatmeal to your smoothie, I also LOVE it in with applesauce or apples cooked with a little cinnamon. Applesauce, cinnamon, banana &amp; oatmeal tastes like an apple pie. Try pumpkin too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894386 Tue, 13 Aug 2019 09:05:23 +0000 foodiebee 2894386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: A straw is a great idea! I drink more that way too. I'll definitely try adding oatmeal to my morning smoothie. Hadn't thought of that.</p> <p>@periwinklebee: Thanks for the tip!</p> <p>@bees_knees: Yeah, I need to figure out if they are fitting correctly or not. I did a kind of trial and error phase with different sizes and based what I use now on output and comfort, but I don't know if it's technically correct or not. I have to massage a lot while I pump, and one side is a serious under producer. It'd be great to get it equal to the other side, if that's even possible...I also changed the times that I pumped at yesterday and got a bit more than previously. I've struggled with slow refill most of all--takes me hours to refill! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894341 Mon, 12 Aug 2019 18:21:41 +0000 bees_knees 2894341@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: I (luckily) haven’t struggled with supply, but just wanted to suggest making sure your pump is working properly and the phalanges fit correctly. That can make a huge difference, and it isn’t always super apparent. GL! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894335 Mon, 12 Aug 2019 15:49:37 +0000 periwinklebee 2894335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: Moringa worked the best for me (recommended by my IBCLC), if I forgot to take it, I'd notice a difference in output. Nothing else people usually recommend made a noticeable difference. :goodluck: :goodluck: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894333 Mon, 12 Aug 2019 15:43:12 +0000 jennlin821 2894333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: So I started drinking everything with a straw, and got two camelback Eddy bottles. For some reason I drink 4x as much with a straw, vs a Nalgene.<br /> The other thing that helped me was adding oatmeal to my smoothies. I don't like oatmeal by itself, so I would blend a packet of plan instant oats or rolled oats into my strawberry banana smoothies and it seriously helped my production. My milk would plummet with week before my period, so that week I would drink 2 oatmeal smoothies a day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894329 Mon, 12 Aug 2019 14:59:58 +0000 foodiebee 2894329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: Every two hours! I'm impressed. I don't think I could swing pumping that often from a workload standpoint. I'm in a cubical, so I have to gather my supplies and go into another room to pump. I'm definitely taking advantage of the nighttime boost too and pumping twice a night right now, freezing one portion to try to build a stash up. DH took a video of LO playing that I've switched to instead of pics and I do think it's helping! Gotta do better with the water though...</p> <p>@Bluemasonjar: I feel you. I've been taking supplements since like week 3 or so. Every day I get any milk out feels like a win and something I've fought for. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894305 Mon, 12 Aug 2019 11:30:39 +0000 jennlin821 2894305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just popping in to say that when I went back to work I had to pump every two hours to get enough milk for the next day. I didn't build a freezer stash before either, so I HAD to make sure I was getting enough out. I ended up pumping at 12am or 3am for a month because that when my boobs were super producers just to build a freezer stash. I had to pump at 8,10,12,2,4 then would nurse baby at 6, pump at 8(Daddy gave bedtime bottle) nurse at 12 &amp; 3(pump extra or just pump once she started sleeping through the night) nurse at 6 and the start all over again at 8am at work. </p> <p>It mostly continued this way (pumping 4x a day at work) until she was a year and we started weaning. I never pumped that much on the weekends, just at work. And the later in the afternoon, the less and less would come out. </p> <p>I was lucky cuz I have a desk job and work was very supportive. You will find your rhythm, you can only do what you can!<br /> Oh one tip, everyone says to look at pictures of you baby. What really did it for me was her sounds. So take a video of her gurgling and giggling and see if that helps. </p> <p>And as everyone else said, stay hydrated!!</p> <p>(ETA - I could never double pump with a bra...very little would come out. I had to hold and massage my breast while hunching forward, one boob at a time. Again, just take a little time to figure out what works and doesn't work your body.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894296 Mon, 12 Aug 2019 10:20:40 +0000 Bluemasonjar 2894296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My pumping supply definitely declined as the weeks went by after my return to work. With DS 1 I was pumping 3x a day at the office, adding sessions at night, chugging water and taking supplements to try and improve. It was stressful until I let myself off the hook and started to supplement with formula.</p> <p>DS 2 will be 11 months this week I started with 2 pumping sessions at work and I am down to 1 now since my output was the same either way. We use a lot of formula in his bottles now but I am still nursing him morning and night and more often on the weekends. Trying to scrape by until 1 year with the last few ounces of my freezer stash. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894145 Fri, 09 Aug 2019 19:16:16 +0000 pachamama 2894145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a teacher so pumping is a complete shitshow. I only pumped once a day, which I think was my problem, and my supply tanked. I want back at 8 months postpartum and by 11 months I was into my freezer stash. I made until the day he turned 1 year but pumping at work really decreased my supply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894141 Fri, 09 Aug 2019 18:59:35 +0000 cake2017 2894141@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had supply issues from day one. LO1 lost weight so I started supplementing. It bothered me in the beginning but eventually I was okay with it and plan to do the same with LO2. I went back to work after 6.5 months and pumped. My supply stayed about the same(not much) but he had something. I nursed him until 18months and I don’t think he was getting much towards the end but the comfort and bonding. Overall, I only pumped at work and nursed when I got home until he went to bed. My supply stayed the same and he got formula. I just didn’t want to stress anymore so I came to terms with it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894118 Fri, 09 Aug 2019 16:07:06 +0000 Mrsbells 2894118@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: pumping at work is stressful even under the best of conditions and stress can definitely impact supply. I found that working and pumping made me so busy I wasn't drinking as much water or even eating as much and that affects supply too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894116 Fri, 09 Aug 2019 15:29:47 +0000 periwinklebee 2894116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pumped several times/day and over time lengthened the pumping sessions so that I was spending quite a lot of time pumping (have a desk job/my own office so it was usually possible) but still over time did see a substantial decrease in pumping output. My supply was also already a little short of his needs when I went back to work. However, my supply stayed strong during the sessions where I nursed LO at home. I just made up the shortfall by mixing more formula into the daycare bottles over time, and pretty sure LO never noticed the difference. I'm still bf him for bedtime/wakeup at 18 months. I don't think there's anything I could have done to avoid the supply decreasing with pumping, I was pumping a lot, several times per day at work, and using a hospital grade pump. But I also don't think it was a big deal, LO didn't mind formula mixed in with his bottles and it didn't impact our bf relationship at home, which was what was most important to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894111 Fri, 09 Aug 2019 15:02:36 +0000 bhbee 2894111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I definitely had a pumping supply drop when I returned to work with my first. Turned out to be a combo of (likely) stress and hormones fluctuating with return of AF. It rebounded to prior level after a week or two. </p> <p>Were you pumping next to baby at home? I think that can make a difference too. If you’re not already you could try photos/videos of baby while you pump. Or even just doing something truly relaxing (like reading a book on the kindle app) vs stressing over work emails. </p> <p>May not help but just some thoughts! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/supply-decreasing-once-returning-to-work#post-2894107 Fri, 09 Aug 2019 14:41:50 +0000 foodiebee 2894107@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi, Bees! I'm curious what your experiences were once you returned to work if you were BFing and pumping. I've had supply issues since day one. I was told to supplement by a LC, which kinda crushed my spirits for a while, but I've rallied and saw my supply go up a touch once I started pumping more at home. I'm back at work now and producing about half of what my LO needs per day, but I've noticed that my output is less now that I'm pumping at work. What was your experience when you transitioned to pumping outside of home? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2886418 Mon, 03 Jun 2019 08:10:57 +0000 foodiebee 2886418@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: @Mrs. Toad: @LCTBQE: Thank you all for your comments! Mrs Toad, I don't think I should leave my equipment in the room out in the open, in my case, because this room is also the room that's used when kiddos come into the office (there are toys and such in there, along with a big chair and mini fridge). I know I'll find a rhythm that works for me, I'm just really nervous about it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2886248 Sat, 01 Jun 2019 05:38:28 +0000 Mrs. Toad 2886248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: I am in a cubicle, but work has a really nice pumping room. I leave all of my pumping equipment in the room, either on the counter (washed parts to air dry) or on the shelves (pumping bra, tubing). I usually rinse in hot water after each session and wash with soap at the end of the day. The only thing I bring in is the bottles for storage of my milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2886224 Fri, 31 May 2019 22:23:40 +0000 LCTBQE 2886224@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: I work in an open office too (hate) but have a big huge desk drawer at my space. I pump in our sample closet and keep a tote bag at my desk in which I keep my Freestyle, charger, bra, spare bottles/freezer bags, and little medela milk cooler pouch. I just take the tote across the office to my pumping closet, unpack there, pump, put milk and parts into the cooler, zip it closed and put it in the fridge. Tote bag minus that stuff goes back at my desk, ideally I pump again in the afternoon, THEN I wash all my parts in the sink in hot hot water with my own dish soap and brush, and when they're clean and dripping wet I wrap them in a big paper towel and carry them into my desk drawer where I dump them out on my makeshift paper towels drying rack and they dry overnight IN my desk drawer, completely clean and out of sight. the carrying them part is helped by the fact that I happen to sit annoyingly close to the kitchen, and it takes two trips to also put my soap and brush back in my drawer but it's literally 3 steps. if I sat further I'd put them in the tote bag in their big paper towel for cross-office transport. this sounds like a PITA but actually takes all of 2 minutes. also I believe that you no longer have to sterilize, I *think* they updated that guideline so you only have to do it once before first use. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2886221 Fri, 31 May 2019 22:13:17 +0000 LCTBQE 2886221@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: AHHHHH that is so smart re dedicated storage bottles and dedicated pumping bottles! I've sort of got a rotating cast of 2-3 medela bottles hanging around my desk but sometimes I take them home and forget them and then have to pump into lansinoh bags that I physically hold onto the flanges which is not chic. I'm sort of starting to wind down with pumping at work (got super busy and am doing 1x/day more often than not :bummed: ) but am adopting this method today, great tip. </p> <p>@mediagirl: @foodiebee: I can look for it, but there was a thread here a few months ago when the CDC issued the thing saying not to put pump parts in the fridge, and one of the HB members wrote in and was like "I live in Atlanta and I work at the CDC, and literally the women who work here put their pump parts in the fridge for multiple uses between pumping sessions". I'll look for it, but I don't think it's unsanitary. Now, if I had a preemie or a baby with any health complications I would certainly be much more careful, but if we're talking healthy 4-month-old and mom who practices good basic hygiene and uses a very clean storage bag, I don't see what the big deal is ?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2886139 Fri, 31 May 2019 08:30:50 +0000 foodiebee 2886139@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: Holy moly, I'm 38w and trying to picture doing all this when I go back to work. :shocked: Do you have to carry all the parts across your office to put them in your desk?! I have a small room where I can pump and a mini fridge to keep things in, so I was planning to wash at the end of every day and sterilize at the end of every week (someone PLEASE correct me if this plan is wrong!), but it hadn't occurred to me to let everything air dry every night. We have an open office environment, and I'm just picturing lugging all this crap across the room to my desk and my clumsy self dropping it all on the floor...</p> <p>ETA Sorry @mediagirl, totally not meaning to hijack your thread! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2886097 Thu, 30 May 2019 15:26:02 +0000 agold 2886097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: I'm glad you have a backup now! Hopefully you don't accumulate more backups of things like I did! As for cleaning the parts, I never cleaned the parts at work during the day. :shocked: I kept everything in the soft cooler I toted to work every day. If I forgot my cooler (thank god for the million extra pump parts I kept at work), then I stored everything in a zip lock bag in the office fridge in between pumping. By the grace of god, I made it a year of pumping with each girl! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2886095 Thu, 30 May 2019 15:20:18 +0000 mediagirl 2886095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: @agold: I have my extra bra at work now! Ha. It's the one I hate because my flanges don't fit well through it but it's better than not having one if i forget the bra again. The last time I pumped at work, I would forget all the time (I was extremely sleep deprived, that baby did.not.sleep) so Target was my friend then, as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2886094 Thu, 30 May 2019 15:17:37 +0000 mediagirl 2886094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: you know, I do the fridge thing with my flanges and bottles attached to them. I leave them in there all day - use them 3x/day. Probably super unhygenic but what can you do...I'm busy for that! I have a pump at work and a backup at home, just in case I need to express at home (I stink at hand expressing). I have tried lots of different tricks but the thing I found works best is having my storage bottles in the cooler and separate pumping bottles. I bring 3 sets of pumping bottles to work on Monday, wash them on Wednesday and refill for Thurs/Fri. I wash my storage bottles nightly with the feeding bottles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2885838 Tue, 28 May 2019 14:32:24 +0000 crazydoglady 2885838@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: Same! It's actually what I am doing right now at my desk. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2885825 Tue, 28 May 2019 12:41:29 +0000 LCTBQE 2885825@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: ah, the one time I didn’t have the work bra I did the same. To be a man and not have to deal with this shit... I have a big desk drawer that I cleared out half of my work stuff from. I keep in it my Medela freestyle and charger, my bottle brush and small bottle of dish soap, a couple spare bottles/caps, a few spare lansinoh freezer bags (backup in case I forget bottles), the bra, and one full set of pump parts. I pump twice and keep the parts in my cooler in the company fridge between pumps, which btw I think is completely sanitary, and then after my second session I wash everything with hot water in the company kitchen sink (like, I don’t let anything actually touch the sink) and let it all air dry in my desk drawer on a bed of paper towels that I change out frequently. With my first I only had one pump and used to lug everything, it was such a pita! Now I just take home my milk in the cooler. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2885820 Tue, 28 May 2019 12:19:24 +0000 agold 2885820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: I've been there! you can do it! :silly: I accumulated so many extra parts since I kept forgetting them. Having a drive up target option just a few blocks from my work helped out a lot. I'm done pumping as of 2 weeks.. I'm a little sad, but really don't miss it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2885816 Tue, 28 May 2019 12:09:55 +0000 mediagirl 2885816@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: totally. I have a spare at home and should keep it at work just in case! I only took mine home because it badly needed a wash. I didn't get to laundry this weekend. Ooops.<br /> Do you wash your parts in the bathroom at work and just leave them there? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2885813 Tue, 28 May 2019 11:58:51 +0000 LCTBQE 2885813@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: I detest owning multiples of items I don’t even want in the first place, but I bought a second simple wishes this time around that I keep in my desk drawer, along with my pump and parts that live at work. Bought a bottle brush a mrs meyers dish soap that I also keep in my desk drawer, and it’s been nice to have fewer things to deal with lugging. Is that a possibility for you? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2885781 Tue, 28 May 2019 09:44:04 +0000 jennlin821 2885781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I could never pump both at the same time. I would hold the bottle in one hand, and holding/massaging my breast in the other. It was much faster for me to do it this way, than trying to do both at the same time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/forgot-my-pumping-bra-today#post-2885780 Tue, 28 May 2019 09:42:21 +0000 BadgerMom 2885780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I found the other day I could adjust my chair and set the bottles on my keyboard tray. But I have small boobs so not sure that would work for everyone lol. </p>