My three-month-old still eats every two hours during the day. He gets kind of desperate if I try to push it much past there. I have been doing weighted feedings, and he is taking between 4 and 6 ounces at a feeding, so it isn't like he is just snacking. But he is sleeping mostly through the night, from 8 PM until 4 or 5 AM. And he is huge. He is 12 weeks and almost 17 pounds. I am worried because I go back to work next week and will not be able to pump every two hours. I am a teacher and I have students, and there is not someone to cover my class, so I will have to pump before school at lunch and after school. I don't know how I will keep up with 5 ounces every two hours. A sleep consultant I hired wants me to add a little bit of oatmeal to help him stay full. My doctor said it was OK if I wanted to try, but I am wary of starting any kind of solids this early. Has anyone had a similar experience with a big baby eating so much, so often?
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DS1 was still eating every 2 hours, around the clock at that age. But he was 97 percentile and was taking in more like 3-4 ounces a feed. I'm guessing all that tanking up is why your baby is sleeping well! Some women have great luck pumping large volumes just a few times a day
Fingers crossed for you! -
Is there any way that a teacher's aide can come in while you pump in between your breaks? Since your body is used to nursing every 2 hours, you will start to leak. I was in grad school when I had my son, and I would leak during class if I didn't pump at my scheduled time.
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@travellingbee: I'm also a teacher/school librarian but I have a more flexible schedule. I pump in the car driving to work, once during my team meeting time (I arranged to miss the first half every day), and once during my lunch. In those 3 pumps (at 7 am in the car, at 10 am in meeting, and 1 pm at lunch), I pump 22 oz.
So you may be able to do it, if your boobs are used to producing that much for your baby.
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@travellingbee: What are your exact hours, and when is your lunch? Is it 8-3? Lunch around 11:30? You don't have specials or planning period?
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@FancyGem: Not for what I do. I'm a reading specialist, and it would be very difficult for someone to just fill in for me, not to mention the only teachers aid we have is a special ed aid who is busy all day.
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DD1 was really big and ate every two hours until she was nine months.
DD3 is doing 3-4 hours between feeds and is bigger than DD1 was.
Don't know what to tell you about pumping. Hope your boobs get the memo and cooperate -
@Anagram: 8 to 3:15. My planning period nd my lunch back up to each other so I have lunch at 11 and then my planning . Until 1230.
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Any way you can do a trial run? Have you SO feed LO defrosted milk while you pump on your pre-arranged schedule? That way you have an idea of how much you produce (although it varied day to day for me) and how much LO will eat by bottle in the time you are away.
Something that helped me is that I pumped every night before I went to bed and could get an extra 3-5 oz. Without this pump, some days I would have been short.
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Are you opposed to supplementing with formula if necessary? I struggled with supply for both of my kids and when I went back to work had to supplement with formula. I just couldn't pump enough for what they were taking at daycare. With my second child I was much better about not stressing about it! I pumped what I could and then would give formula for the rest of the feedings.
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I was also going to ask if you were OK with adding in a little formula.
@Canoli: Same story for me! I stressed so much with my first, and it's been much easier with the second just accepting supplementing!
I am doing that now with my second LO and did it with my first as well. I don't have the greatest supply, and I pump 3x a day and get enough for 2 bottles, but I supplement with formula for the third bottle of the day... but on the weekends I still just nurse.
We also introduced oatmeal earlier, at around 4 months, for this LO and he's been loving it.
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With your lunch and planning period back to back like that, you really are very limited
Ideas:
- pump 11:00-11:20 and 12:10-12:30 (not ideal, I know, but it's like two short feedings 70 min apart and it sounds like your body already does lots of feedings close together)
- ask to rearrange your schedule (our reading specialist does this often)
- ask to cancel any duties you have (recess, lunch, after/before school)I'd be more comfortable with supplemental formula vs oatmeal at this age.
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@travellingbee: I'd also say to try to pump both at 11 and 12. That could be a pain, but it may get you extra ounces. After you let your boobs adjust to the length of time between pumping, you could take milk boosting supplements. You may not need them though if he's eating 4-5oz every two hours then you have a lot of milk in there! Plus, you may be able to cluster feed in the evenings until he grows out of eating so much. I wonder how many ounces he's eating total for the day? Does the ped think he's getting too much?
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What time do you leave for work? What time do you get there? Assuming you feed your LO before leaving for work, wondering if you could pump after that feed and then again when you get to work.
That being said, I have a similar schedule some days (teacher with a rotating schedule) where I pump before work and then not until 11:30-12. It's been fine, and my LO ate very frequently as well at that age (though I never did weighted feeds so idk how much). Basically I would pump enough for the two feedings if I had to go for a longer stretch.
Yes, you'll prob get engorged and leak at first but I stopped leaking after a while (just wear nursing pads until you're sure!) and your LO will also probably nurse a bit more once you get home and in the evenings. But I think it will be ok. And I assume you'll be on summer break before too long!
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@travellingbee: I think if you feed your baby at home early morning (like 5 am), then pump in the car on the way to work 7-7:30, then at 11:30 and 3, then when you get home, you should be fine! Just make sure you are really pumping till totally empty each time and your boobs will hopefully keep filling up a lot.
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I would pump for a long 30 minute session to empty at 7am, then again at 11 when you get your first chance, then a short pump again before lunch is over if you have time. If not, just get home and nurse him. Then I would do a 30 minute to empty around 10pm before you go to bed. If you train your body for long pumps 3 times a day that should get you a decent amount. Some moms I know set an alarm at 2am and would pump then because they made a crazy amount of milk at that hour but that's dedication!
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