Hellobee Boards

I definitely notice a decrease in my output with my first and second pump sessions.

Lately I haven't been pumping in the morning because she usually wakes around 6 to nurse, so I'll nurse her at 6 then put her back down before I leave for work. If she sleeps through and I pump I get around 4 oz (but I only pump one side because she usually nurses the other side at some point during the night).

At work I pump twice: Once at 10:30 and once at 2. I usually get 8-9 oz from my 10:30 pump and 5-6 oz from my 2:00 pump (for a total of 13-14 oz).

My output definitely decreases as we get later in the day.

Here's what is typical (barring dips in my supply):

Nurse anytime from 6-7
Pump at 10 for 30 minutes: 6-10 oz. (depends on MOTN wakeups)
Nurse at 1 pm
Pump at 4 for 30 minutes: 4-5 oz.
Nurse again at 6 pm

If I have a meeting at 1 pm, I pump instead of nursing and usually get 4-5 oz.

I nursed her around 6am. I would pump at work around 9 or 10 and get 4-5 oz. depending on my schedule that day, I would pump again between 12-2 and get 4-5 more. I usually bring home 10-12 oz daily.

@LovelyPlum: Oh, I want to add, I found that I had to do massages while pumping at work - not sure if I felt I had to do them as much while I was at home, but definitely had to do them at work!

@Meltini: oh, good point. I forgot all about the second let down.

I don't think I would go down to 2 pump sessions, because you are still establishing your need to maintain supply during the workday with pumping.

It took me about a week to start responding normally to the pump at work. Once I did my outputs increased. It is normal for me to get the most in the morning and each time I pump gets less than the time before, my last pump of the day is a little sad, but I do it because I need every last ounce, and because I want to maintain the supply.

My schedule in the very begining looked like this:
4:45- wake up and pump (I always pump even if lo woke up a lot over night, the only exception being if she JUST woke up and I fed on both sides)
9- pump
12-pump
3-pump
6-go home and feed baby
8:30-pump before bed

I have a lot of pumping times because my daughter was close to sleeping through the night at that point, and I needed all the milk I could get to keep up with her, and I always hoped for extra to freeze! I always pump for at least 20 minutes, by I try to wait for my 2nd let down if it comes after 20 minutes. I would try hands on pumping (massage), and I would try looking at photos of your LO while you pump, it sometimes helps you get the loving feelings you need for let down. A coworker of mine also had success videotaping her LO nursing and that is the only thing that helped her get enough output.

Oh also your amounts seem okay to me (like I said I have to work for every ounce it is normally barely enough), but if you still feel full that seems like it could be a problem.

Also, you don't need to leave more than 1-1.25 oz for each hour you are gone according to kellymom.com (great resource). So if you are gone for 10 hour, the max you need to leave is 12-13 oz. As long as you are pumping that much, you should be fine!