https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 31 May 2026 11:01:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749201 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 12:38:15 +0000 bubblegum 2749201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JennyPenny: Fingers crossed your supply works out when you start work next week, my fellow April mama!! I did my lunch pump and got 4oz total. Not great but I didn't get to pump for the full amount I needed. When I pump at about 3 I'm hoping to go for at least 10 minutes </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749199 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 12:35:25 +0000 bubblegum 2749199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skinnycow: Yay for frozen supply!<br /> @Pollywog: wow!! That's a long lasting supply of milk! Good for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749198 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 12:33:41 +0000 JennyPenny 2749198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With DS1 my supply dropped significantly once I started work. I think I just didn't respond as well to the pump as I did during nursing. I'd get more than I needed on Monday and less than I needed by Friday so I was barely scraping by each week. </p> <p>So far with DS2 I have an oversupply though so it'd be ok if it dropped a bit when I go back to work next week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749197 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 12:33:28 +0000 bubblegum 2749197@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nanilani: I love your comment! You rock! 100% all mommas should do whatever works for them </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749178 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 11:58:17 +0000 Pollywog 2749178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I first came back I had plenty of milk and a stubborn baby who completely refused bottles for 4 months. So months 2-6 I made more than what he should eat, months 7-10 I was right at what he'd drink. 11-12 I was always short and relied on my freezer. 13-15 I was good again. 16-17 I am short. But that's the plan-- I'm using up my freezer stash. No more pumping after 18 months </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749175 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 11:51:12 +0000 skinnycow 2749175@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My supply was pretty good after returning to work. I pumped at 9, 12, and 3 and would get 15-20 oz per day. DD drank 15 oz/day at daycare so it worked great.</p> <p>My supply dipped when DD was 10 or 11 months old but I had enough frozen BM to get her through 12 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749154 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 11:11:44 +0000 nanilani 2749154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bubblegum: Looking back I'm not sure whether all the stress I put on myself was worth it. It wasn't even the BF vs FF thing. I don't care how anyone chooses to feed their baby, and DS had already had plenty of formula in the NICU. It was more of a personal challenge to meet a goal I set for myself than out of pure altruism to give my baby "the best" (quotes b/c the best thing is to just feed the baby however you can, obviously). I guess what I'm trying to say is allow yourself some limits as to what you're willing to put up with and try not to drive yourself crazy over it like I did. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749142 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:34:27 +0000 bubblegum 2749142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nanilani: Aww not discouraging! It's super helpful to hear everyone's experience so I can be prepared to know it can go either way. DD just turned two months and honestly my hope is to make it on breast milk (even if I need to add the occasional formula bottle) until 1 year. So I have 10 more months to go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749133 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:24:06 +0000 nanilani 2749133@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My supply dropped continually until I stopped pumping around 13 months. Some of the drop was probably normal adjustments - I started with what was probably oversupply and a healthy freezer stash, both a result of needing to pump from day one when DS couldn't nurse. At first (8 weeks pp) I could get what I needed out of three 15 minute pumps and even two 20 minute sessions, but I had to ramp back up months later. I got back up to three or four pumps a day (some during my commute), sometimes up to 30 minutes at a time, and was barely covering the next day's needs (not counting my freezer stash). Granted, our pediatrician kept encouraging me to send more and more milk, as much as DS was willing to drink, because he's off the charts tiny. I tried more pumps, power pumps, pumping at 2 am, fenugreek, anything to build supply . . . but it kept dropping. I tracked it all in a spreadsheet, and it was so depressing to see the numbers getting lower and lower. That said, between my efforts and the frozen milk, we had enough to send only BM through his first birthday and BM/WCM mix until 14 or 15 months. </p> <p>I hope that's not too discouraging, and that you have it easier than I did. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749129 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:20:57 +0000 bubblegum 2749129@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: aww thank you! I have give her formula before it was for about a week and only once or twice at night for that week. Right now I have about 6 bottles at home, 5oz+ each so I'll add my two bottle from work. My supply doesn't get low but fingers crossed I keep it up. Thanks for the support love</p> <p>@kayla0416: I started early too! Started pumping when she was 3 days old. But no nursing just pumping straight up. I wanna trick this old body of mine lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749127 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:12:54 +0000 kayla0416 2749127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bubblegum: I think what really helped me is I started pumping early, at about 3 weeks postpartum. So she was exclusively nursing, but I pumped a bit during a couple of her naps, and was able to "trick" my body into over-producing. By the time I went back to work, I had worked my way up to pumping an additional 8 oz. on top of what she was eating each day so I continued to overproduce. I was really ocd about it haha, but it worked out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749124 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:05:41 +0000 snowjewelz 2749124@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bubblegum: Don't worry! With my first, I was just too tired/stressed to pump extra at home too; I just made do with what I had and supplemented with formula when I had to! Worked out fine! My supply this time is just slightly better and I also knew to work a little harder during maternity leave to build up a stash so I don't pump extra now at home either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749123 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:04:19 +0000 bubblegum 2749123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kayla0416: Holy crap!! Check you out! That is amazing!!! You are my pumping inspiration! I hope that's the case with me </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749121 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:02:44 +0000 bubblegum 2749121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: @lawbee11: Super jelly of freezer supply mommas! I wish! I always have a good supply in the fridge but I never have so much that I would have to freeze.</p> <p>@Boopers: I only pump, no nursing so hopefully I don't lose my supply. That's awesome that your supply was great though! Fingers crossed it's the same for LO2 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749120 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 10:02:18 +0000 kayla0416 2749120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I went back to work, I started out pumping twice, around 10am and 2pm. I actually was able to pump much more than I expected and built up a huge stash. After 2 months back, I switched to pumping once at noon, and that almost always got enough for daycare the next day. But I have always responded very well to a pump. I also only nursed her from one side in the morning and pumped the other side. I was realllllllly full in the morning and would get 6-7 ounces from one side. When she was 9 months, I dropped my morning pump and supplemented from my stash, and when she was 11.5 months, I quit my work pump and made it to 1 year using up my stash. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749113 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 09:58:03 +0000 lawbee11 2749113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine remained pretty consistent until I stopped pumping at 12 months. I pumped twice a day for about 20 minutes each time and never had to supplement (I did have a freezer stash which I dipped into on occasion but I tried not to rely on that). Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749111 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 09:55:45 +0000 Boopers 2749111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thankfully my supply kept up while I pumped twice a day at work. I pumped every four hours at work. I do think my son nursing a lot while at home and a few times throughout the night helped me keep up a good supply. I'm curious to see what will happen when I have LO2 and have to go back to work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749106 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 09:53:42 +0000 snowjewelz 2749106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD1 - Plummeted and had to start supplementing at 6 months and dried up at 9 months. Really blamed busy season and inability to pump enough or at regular times. </p> <p>DD2 - My supply is a little better this time. Work is so busy that I can only pump twice. She eats at 8am, I pump at 11:30 and 2:30-3 and then feed her at bed time, 7-7:30. She is 6 months tomorrow and I'm juuuusssst making enough! I have a better freezer stash this time around, but I'm also open to supplementing a little bit to stretch everything out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/back-to-work-for-pumping-moms#post-2749103 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 09:49:27 +0000 bubblegum 2749103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hello ladies!</p> <p>I am back to work today and as a pumping mom, I am curious to see what happens to my supply. I usually pump every 4 hours and get 6 or more oz each time. So my plan is to pump at lunch (12pm) and again at 4pm before I leave. I think I should be fine. DD is strictly on breast milk so fingers crossed!</p> <p>How was your supply after you returned back to work? </p>