Breastfeeding and Working

The more you nurse and the more you pump the more milk you will make. If you really want to keep your milk, I suggest you stop supplementing with formula and start pumping again. Nurse her when you're with her, pump when you're not, and always pump when you miss a nursing session. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water and try eating oatmeal it can help stimulate milk production. You also might want to get in touch with a lactation consultant. You can find one on the Le Leche League's website (link below).

http://www.kellymom.com is a fantastic breastfeeding reference site, so is http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html.

Hi R.,
I was working when I had my 1st child and I pumped at work. You can only produce more milk if you pump more often (or nurse more often). I pumped at 10am and at 3pm every day and I got plenty of milk to leave behind for my son to have at daycare. I even got ahead of him and froze a lot. It's very easy to forget or to keep working, but just think about how short your time period is to do this and know you are making the best choice for your wonderful baby. You'll be happy you decided to "Go For It!" and your baby will be too.

I had similar problems with my milk. I went to a lactation consultant and she put me on Reglan (not sure of the spelling). It is a drug used for gastro problems that actually enhances milk production in lactating women. It definately helped me, but you may need to pump more often to feel its effects.

I am a full time working mom who has been breastfeeding exclusively for almost 12 months. I have not always been good either about pumping every 2-4 hrs at work. I have learned it is like others have said a supply and demand. Here are a few things that helped me: 1)I use a Medela Pump in Style. A good pump will be more effective and lessen the time it takes to pump. I also hate feeling like I am married to my pump. Pump for a couple minutes after you are empty. 2)It took a couple of days of sneaking in an extra pump or two for me to see a production change. I made a goal of 6-8 nursings or pumpings a day and tried to get them to fit around my work schedule as much as possible because I hated to pump at work that much. When you nurse, nurse both sides for as long as your baby will stay latched on. Don't take the baby off. The stimulation will tell your body to produce more milk even if your baby is using you as a pacifier. 3)Supplementing with formula worked against increasing my production because the baby did not demand more from my breasts. I've read that it works for lots of moms but it was disastrous for me and caused my supply to decrease a lot. I had to be careful while supplementing with bottle of frozen breastmilk because caretakers would give her more than what I would produce that day. I became an ounce counter because a good day of pumping during an 8 hour shift might produce 5-8oz total (one pump). My pediatrician also recommended having daycare give daughter a bottle of water to tide her over til she could be nursed to create a demand. This was in addition to the milk I pumped the day prior. 4)My daughter learned to reverse-cycle feed during the night while I coslept with her. I got to sleep and she nursed as much as she wanted. She then would take in less milk during the day. 5)At nine months I weaned her off cold turkey per advice from pediatrician, got horribly depressed because of hormones and guilt, and after two weeks of no nursings, I chose to relactate. Fenugreek, fenugreek, fenugreek! I took 3 pills 3x a day for a few days then reduced to 2 pills 3x a day. I also ate oatmeal and took mother's milk tea. Went from a couple drops in a 15 minute pump session to 3-4oz a pump. I'm not where I had been but it is working. You can increase your milk but it does take a little work. The formula was nice for the two weeks I wasn't nursing but then I had so many more bottles to clean and spent a lot of money. There's a tradeoff either way. I still spent the same amount of time feeding her with each method, too. I was so sick of my pump by 6 months of using it but if you can stick it out til the end, it doesn't seem so bad. I've got one week til the 12 month mark and the pressure to keep going isn't there anymore. I know you probably feel torn but there is more to being a mother than how your child is fed. A good book to read is Nursing Mother, Working Mother by Gale Pryor and Kathleen Huggins. A good website I went to besides kellymom.com is breastfeeding.com. The boards are wonderful. I also consulted a le leche league lactation consultant who was helpful. Also, most hospitals have lactation consultants that will answer questions, and I talked to my baby's pediatrician. Don't be surprised if you get various advice. I've learned that breastfeeding or formula feeding is a hot topic among women and there are several with very strong opinions. If you're torn, you need not make a decision until you're rested and have made yourself informed of your choices. It's what works for your life and for your child. It's totally YOUR decision even though there are probably people in your life that are vocal about what you should do. Good luck!!

when at home with baby have baby feed on both breasts for longer periods of time on each side start with the one that is producing the least amount,you can increase milk supply with oatmeal cereal oatmeal cookies oatmeal creme pies it works like a charm.I would try the advice first before quiting.Stimulation will get you back on track.

Hi R.,
There are a few steps to take to increase your milk supply. I know it's inconvenient, but start pumping at least one time at work and 2-3 times would be better. Traditional Medicinals makes a Mother's Milk Tea and Vitanica makes a Lactation Blend. Both of these increase milk production, pick the one that will work best for you. I know The Merc has both of these products. Good luck!

Fenugreek is an herbal supplement that helps.You can find it at most health food stores.Rest assured, I am not into herbals or alternative medicine. A friend of mine who was also nursing was told by her doctor that it would help. I talked to my doctor and he said it would not be harmful to me or my child. You might notice a maple syrup smell on your skin if you use it alot. It always seemed to bring me back up to normal or more than normal production when I felt like I was lacking. I used it with both my children and was able to nurse both of them til they were a year old. Good luck!

I have just went back to work part time with my 3 month old and breastfeeding. I sometimes go several hours between pumping at work. Because it is a supply and demand system, I have been told it isn't impossible, though maybe a little difficult to build back up. I have not had problems yet, so hang in there!!

I want to encourage you to continue to pump. I too have worried that my milk could be slowing down. I don't work. I've been doing the Babywise book and it has been great to get my 4 month old to sleep through the night AND he doesn't need to eat every 2 hours. I went out of town with my husband and left our son with his grandma. Needless to say he had to be supplemented with formula. I had to pump and dump while I was gone. I would encourage you to nurse more often when you're at home. That is if you want to give your daughter breast milk, which is definitely better for your daughter - especially in the long run. It may take a while, but you can build your milk supply back up. Also, Cotton Babies has a supplement that you can add to beverages that will help with milk production (check with your doctor first, because some herbs are not safe for babies) and Whole Foods sells a tea that will help with your milk production. Good Luck.

My response was going to be similar to what Gale said. If you choose not to breastfeed any longer it's nothing to feel guilty about. I didn't breastfeed any of my three children and they are all perfectly healthy. It is your choice and you should choose what fits best into your lifestyle. Your daughter will love you either way and you shouldn't feel guilty if you choose to stop.

Hi R.! It sounds like you've gotten lots of good suggestions. Breastfeeding and working can definately be done successfully. You may want to contact your local La Leche League leader. They have the most accurate, up to date info. concerning anything breastfeeding. Also, you will find their wisdom very supportive in helping sustain a nursing relationship with your daughter. Here's the link to find one in your area:
http://www.llli.org//WebUS.html

Here are some extra articles you may find very helpful:
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBMayJun00p98.html

http://www.llli.org/NB/NBworking.html

I have found La Leche League to be the most supportive environment for nursing mothers. I know that their wisdom and encouragement has helped make my breastfeeding relationship with my son successful! He is now 2 and still nurses just a few times here and there. I am pregnant with our second child due in August and look forward to breastfeeding a newborn again!!!!
Good Luck,
K.

drink lots and lots of water more than usual. It helped me also a firend told me about something you can get from GNC that is sopose to help. Sorry I'm not sure what it is called
Talk to your dr. about it to I'm sure they can help you out.

my youngest is now 18 months. i nursed him for 10months while working full time at a job i would only get one 15 min break i was able to pump one 4oz bottle out of each breast with in that 15 min. i started to notice a decrease in my supply. so my breastfeeding peer consler told me to eat oatmeal. i ate oatmeal every morning and it helped. the extra fiber helps produce milk. if i didnt eat oatmeal i was lucky to get one 4 oz bottle of milk. but if i ate the oatmeal i was able to get about 10oz total. thats a big difference. but just hang in there it will work out. good luck.

Yes, you can replenish your milk supply even in one breast, but it will take some determination and time on your part. You need to pump and nurse as often as possible (especially on the breast where the milk is seeming to decline). You will need to pump at work (at least one time)and encourage your daughter to nurse as much as possible when you are at home. If you are able to take a day or two off to work on this it will help as well. Good Luck! Kati

Basically, it's a supply and demand issue. If you want to get your milk supply up, then you will need to either nurse more frequently when you are with your daughter, or pump more often when away from her.
I worked full-time for a few weeks after my daughter was born, then went part time in the evenings. When I worked FT days, I would get to the sitter's early enough to nurse her right before I left, then pumped twice at work, and nursed her as soon as I got home. My supply changed as my baby's needs changed too. At some point, I only needed to pump once at work when I went PT, and she was asleep for the night by the time I got home, so my supply adjusted to this schedule. I was always able to pump enough for her to have bottles.
I believe that breast milk is the best thing you can give your baby, so coming up with a workable pumping schedule is how I made sure that I could breastfeed for the entire first year. It is a challenge, but it is worth it. You have to decide what is best for you and your baby. Either way, you are still a great mom, so don't feel guilty!

I worked as a front desk receptionist after my first son as born, and nursed him for 10 months (after which I found out I was pregnant with our 2nd boy) but I pumped every 4 hours while at work, and froze the bottles for the next feeding. I also experienced a decrease in production, but a beer will bring it back, and make sure you are getting PLENTY of water.
I nursed the next 3 for an average of 15 months, and it was a wonderfully close feeling, and I miss it.I hope you are able to breastfeed as long as you want to. I agree with your other responses.

First off don't be down on your self, breast feeding and having a full-time job is not an easy thing to coordinate. With that said, if you want to try and get your milk supply up, try pumping after you nurse your daughter, then also pump about three to four times at work. I know it is rough. When I went back to work I had to pump 5 times at wokr and once in the middle of the night to get enough milk for my daughter for day care. I look back at that and realize that was a bit extreme. Suplemnting with formula is not a bad thing. The other thing you can do is rent one of the the hospital grade pumps, they are suppose to be much more effecient at pumping your milk and can help increase your milk supply. Finally, you could talk to a lactation consulatant.

Good luck, and don't torture yourself too much over this, your daughter will be fine with formula if your milk supply stops.

M.

I know that it is difficult, but if you want to keep your supply up, you have to keep removing milk from your breasts at frequent intervals. I suggest that you contact a La Leche League Leader near you and try to attend some meetings. Leaders have tons of resources on combining working and breastfeeding and they can help you to find a solution that works for you. They're great at listening to your specific situation and helping meet your goals for breastfeeding, whether you want to breastfeed exclusively or just keep your supply up enough to breastfeed when you're home and supplement when you're away. Check out www.llli.org. You can locate a group and a leader near you and you can search their online resources for tips and ideas. Good luck and remember the most important thing is to love your child, regardless of how you feed her.

I had the same problem. You need to pump at least once at work if you can. That will help! It is a pain I know, but it is worth it. Drink a lot of fluids. That helped me produce more. It is a big decision to make, but it is just so much healthier and cheaper to stick with it. Good luck!

The more you pump (or nurse) the more that you will produce. I would suggest pumping at least every 3 hours if you want to build it back up again and then it will catch up to what your baby needs.

Good luck!

R.,
I share an office with our breastfeeding peer counselor and the truth is you CAN have you cake and eat it too. Your breast will produce the amount of milk you need to supplement. So, don't feel guilty about the 8 hour stretchs. I could never figure out the pump thing at work so I just bottle fed and quit breast feeding. I have since learned I could have still breast fed in the morning and at night and kept a pretty good milk supply. Try it and see how it works for you!
S., mom of three grown breastfed children.

I don't know if you are nursing at all or just pumping & giving formula. One way to try and get the milk supply back is to nurse your daughter. I speak from experience b/c I went on a 10 day trip w/o my 3 mo old son. I did take along my breast pump to keep the milk flow going. By the end of the trip my milk production has slowed to almost zero. When I got back home, I began nursing again & did so until he was 9 months old. I did also supplement with formula & pumped during this time as well. There is hope for the milk to come back!! Good luck.

The more you pump and/or nurse, the more your body knows it needs to produce. I pump an extra time after my son goes to bed, and even between feedings on weekends to be sure we make it through the next week. If you go for eight hours twice in a day without nursing or pumping, your body thinks your baby doesn't need as much.

To get more milk, try these tips (they sure helped me!):

1. Drink plenty of fluids!
a. WATER!
b. 100% juice (I like the raspberry/apple)
c. no caffeine tea (I drink Yogi Tea's Woman's Nursing Mom Organic tea a lot and get it at HyVee. It has fenugreek in it. Definately helps!)
d. I have even heard root beer! I tried it and think it helps!
REMEMBER: if you are thirsty, you are ALREADY dehydrated! This makes it difficult to produce more milk.

2. Eat right.
a. The more fruits and vegetables I eat, the more I seem to produce.
b. OATMEAL!
c. I hear raspberry anything...fresh or frozen, juice or tea, or even yogurt.
d. Try an herbal suppliment of Fenugreek. You can get it at healthfood stores. Take 1-2 caps 2-3 times/day.

3. Consult your pediatrician or lactation consultant.
a. La Leche League saved my sanity on many occasions! 1-877-452-5324 will connect you with live person with more wonderful advice! (or check out http://www.lllusa.org/)
b. KellyMom also has great info supporting breastfeeding http://www.kellymom.com/

Beat of luck to you and may God bless you! Breastfeeding really is the best thing I have ever done with and for my son! We love it!

You have already gotten alot of great responses! The only thing I would add is something that worked for me when my son went through a major growth spurt and my milk supply didn't immediately catch up to his increased demand. Give yourself one full weekend for a "nursing marathon" to increase your milk supply. Allow your daughter to nurse as often and for as long as she wants, and even encourage her when she doesn't "ask." Literally lay around and nurse all weekend. That is a great way to increse your supply and you will likely have no trouble pumping once your milk production increases to meet her demands. It will be a really special bonding time for the two of you, too! Best of luck!

R., The secret to breastfeeding is consisttency. To build your milk supply back up, be sure you are drinking enough water and milk each day. Let baby nurse as long as she/he wishes. While she may not be getting any milk, she is telling your body she needs more. I worked also while breastfeeding my two. One went 9-10 months, the other 1 yaar (I was part time then). If possible, freeze what you pump. My husband or sitter would add a scoop of dry formula and water to make an 8 ounce bottle. Encourage whoever watches baby not to feed them if possible for 2 hours before you are due home, so you can nurse again upon return-this will increase your milk production as well. Your milk production should start to match baby's needs.

I have a 7 month old and work full time. I have found that I am just now starting to not be able to keep up with supplying all breastmilk and will probably have to start supplementing at least one bottle a day soon. I would say you need to go back to pumping more at work or just do both breastfeed at night and in the morning and do formula at daycare. I pump 3 times a day at work basically when my boy would be eating at daycare but I still find my milk supply is dwindling a little bit. He also is starting to sleep thru the night and he is eating more baby food so at night when I get off work he isn't breastfeeding as much which decreases my milk supply.

Good luck.

I was not good about pumping at work either, but my supply did not increase as my son started eating more. What I found that worked best for me is to pump before I go to work, during lunch and then when I get home. That really brought my supply up, and I only had to pump once while at work. I found out that the more I pumped the better my supply got. From what I have read, we need to pump a couple minutes after you are out of milk to stimulate that you need to produce more. That worked for me as well. Hope this helps, and good luck!!

i went to school, worked and breastfed. its kinda seems to be like supply and demand. i had plenty of milk when she ate but seemed to not be able to pump. I still fed my first till she was 15 mos old. just listen to your body.

if your daughter is getting enough nutrition there is no reason for you to feel like you need to pump at work. with my daughter, she was only nursing 3 times a day (once in the morning and twice in the evenings) for almost 6 months. that's the great part about breastfeeding. you can fit it to a schedule that works for both you and your child.

Only way to keep producing milk is NURSE when you can and PUMP when your at work. You can PUMP while she sleeps. If you arent wanting to pump and your daugther is fine with taking a bottle. Its OK. Its your choice if you want to breast or bottle feed.

I too am breastfeeding and working...but not pumping. I know it is recommended to keep them on a schedule, so I try to nurse as much as possible during the evenings, over night and in the mornings (we supplement with a bottle the rest of the time). My supply stays for this, and sometimes I'll nurse a little earlier in the evenings if possible and later in the mornings. I began this routine when my son was almost two months old and it's worked great! I wish you luck!

: ) R.

You need to try to pump at least twice while at work. It's supply and demand, you know? If you're not demand enough, your body won't supply. Also, try to pump between feedings. If that doesn't work, rent a hospital pump for week or so...it makes such a difference. I don't know if you would be comfortable with taking something, but there is a tea called Mother's Milk. They sell it in the organic section at Hy-Vee. It works well. Or you can try Fenugreek. It comes in pills. You take as many as it takes for your pee to smell like syrup. You will know when you're taking enough. I had to take 9/day when my supply got low after a bad bout with flu. My palms smelled like syrup, too. My husband kept asking for pancakes and once licked my neck because I smelled so good. :)
Anyway, it helped get my supply back up. Oh, the herbs, tea or pills, won't work unless you pump or feed more. I wouldn't recommend waking her up to eat. You need rest in order to produce more. So, if none of this works, you can call your Dr. and ask about a prescription of Reglan.

Hope this helps, it's so frustrating when your supply is low. I love nursing, but I also love to be able to feed mine breastmilk in public from a bottle...I know what you mean.