After my recent bout of sickness, my freezer stash is nearly gone. I started out with about 100oz, but now have less than 30 oz. She typically gets frozen milk on Mondays and I freeze what I pump on Friday. I plan on pumping when she feeds in the morning and freezing that? I already have to pump in the evening to make up what she needs during the day.
-
Can you pump twice at night? I sometimes pump right after LO goes to sleep and then again before I go to bed if I need to get a little extra for the next day.
-
Have you tried power pumping? Can you add an additional pump session in during the day? Can you pump after every feed?
-
The other time to add a pump would be on weekends when she takes a long nap.
It sucks, but over time I just ran down my freezer stash. Remember thats what its there for!
-
@T.H.O.U.: I know, but I feel like I can't get sick or have to pump and dump because there isn't enough.
@Adira: I haven't tried power pumping yet, but I will. I can't pump anymore at work than I do right now. I pump every three hours while I am there.
@JennyG: I'm afraid to pump twice right now because she is waking up every two hours. I will start pumping the side she doesn't feed from and freeze that.
-
@avivoca: Can you pump more at home? I used to have to pump after nursing in the morning before work, three times at work, and twice at home (after nursing, and then just stand-alone when I wasn't nursing in the evening anymore). And the last session was was an hour+ long power pump when I was trying to get my supply back up!
-
Also - are you pumping weekends? I used to pump after every feed on the weekend and that really helped build my freezer stash!
-
@Adira: I haven't been pumping weekends. I plan on starting that this weekend. The last few weekends I was either still on the medication that had me pump and dump or too sick to really sit up long enough to nurse, let alone pump. I think I'll add an evening pump session and only pump one side until she gets through this sleep regression/growth spurt. Right now, she goes to bed at 7:30 and gets up to eat every 2 hours starting at 10:30 or 11:00. Last night she started at 9:30. I am mainlining caffeine today.
-
@avivoca: I'm in the same boat as you are. After our stomach bug adventures at the end of january and Fi's low weight gain i burned through everything in my freezer and we had to start supplementing 1 bottle a day of formula. Now that i've regained some of my supply if i pump over 12 oz in a day that goes for use in cereal or in the freezer.... I think i have about 16oz that i added over the last 2 weeks. I've been pumping 3 times at work, at 10pm after she goes down every night , and after the first feeding in the mornings on the weekends. Its really hard to build it back up.
-
@Chillybear: I made lactation cookies and have been eating them quite a bit which has helped my supply. I also notice a huge gain in supply if I eat healthy, homecooked meals, so I am really trying to make that happen every day this week. I have a tub of formula just in case, but I'm hoping to not use it if I don't have to. I'm not against formula, but I want to use it as a last resort.
-
@avivoca: For us, sending 12 oz a day of BM wasnt cutting it and we had to add another 4oz bottle in each day at daycare. I had nothing in my freezer so we hit that last resort point where we needed to start formula and started sending a 4oz formula bottle each day. Fi doesnt seem to mind or notice the difference and is now gaining well on the 25th percentile so unless my body starts magically producing 16oz everyday we're just going with it. I'm already pumping as much as i can, taking more milk plus, drinking water and mothers milk tea, and eating well and i'm consistantly getting 12 oz sometimes a bit more. She's getting as much of my nutrients as she possible can. I felt guilty at first but i'm at the point where theres not much more i can do
-
@Chillybear: Right now, 12 oz. is working for us, but not for much longer. I'm stretching out my stash as I can, but it is rough!
Reply
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
11 comments