Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I feel my milk supply is dropping. Right now we are supplementing with 2 bottles of formula a day. I just started DS on rice cereal and plan to add more Stage 1 food shortly.

Was curious how long you pumped after returning to work before stopping altogether?

I'm going to go as long as I can.

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I went back to work at nine months. I decided that the stress of returning to work, leaving DD and commuting to the city would be alot and I did not want to add pumping to my list of worries/things to do (plus I was coming back at year end close=very very busy at work).

I decided to supplement with formula during the day and BF at night and in the AM. I stopped BF at 11 months.

Keep up the good work, you'll know when you are ready to stop

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I currently am pumping and have been for two and a half months. I will go until DS is 6 months and then I will just nurse him in the morning and at night. Pumping at work is difficult. I pump twice a day and have to do so in my car. Its becoming overwhelming leaving work to go to pump and not to mention people are constantly in the parking lot and the building manager came up to my car to find out what I was doing. It will be said when that day comes though.

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I went back to work when DD was 3 months old. I pumped until she was 11 months. She nursed until she was 10 months and my supply slowly dropped (for other reasons - not because I was pumping) over the course of the next month.

Can you ask your work to provide a room for you to pump? My company provides a lactation room, with a fridge and a couch. If I didn't have that, I don't think I would have made it that long.

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I went back to work FT when DS was 3.5 months old. He's almost 8 months old and I'm still pumping. I try to pump twice at work and one more time at night after DS is asleep. He's finally STTN so I usually only nurse him in the morning during the week. I try to pump after the first morning feeding on weekends just in case I don't pump enough during the week. I don't like pumping, but I plan to EBF for 1 year. I'd like to at least give up pumping in about 4 months, but I wouldn't mind continuing to nurse DS in the morning.

If you want to maintain your supply, you really need to pump at work. The longer you go between BFing/nursing, the harder it will be to maintain your current supply.

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I came back to work full time when DD was 12wks old.....she will be 5 months next week and is still EBF. I pump 3x a day while at work (since she eats 3x while I am at work) I agree with a PP in that if you don't pump at work, your supply will most definitely decrease. It's supply and demand. If you demand less, your supply will be less. I thankfully have a lactation room at work, so it's private and I feel very comfortable there. I plan to BF for a year, so 7 months to go! But I know that within the next few months I won't have to pump at work anymore - or at least not as frequently.

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I only pumped- no actually latching- and I had to pump 7-8x per 24 hour period. My milk was never quick and I had to fight for most ounces.
It can be done!!

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I went back to work when DD was 7 weeks old & I pumped from that point exclusively until she was a year old. It wasn't easy; but it can be done.

My supply went down a couple of times, but I would eat oatmeal for breakfast & use fenugreek & it quickly rebounded. I was also able to have quite a freezer stash during that time as well.

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I didn't. I work 3 12hr shifts, overnight and I don't get a break because I am the only pharmacist there. I would not be able to pump while at work and then I have to sleep when I come home. I had built up a freezer stash before returning to work and then just used that up. Once that was gone DD had to go on formula. All in all, she ended up getting about 5.5 months of BM.

Re: Working Moms - how long did you pump milk after you returned to work?

I made it for about 8 weeks. It was a pain--I'm a teacher, so my schedule is pretty set in stone.

I WAS lucky, however, because I returned to work with only 8 weeks left in the school year. So, I had the whole summer to EBF. About 3 weeks ago, we started weaning down the feedings, and now we only nurse for 2 feedings.

Pumping at work sucks, I'm not gonna lie. I was always so worried that someone was going to walk in.