Breastfeeding Supply?

Question

Before I start I want only serious answers and please NO bashing / judging or debates please. I am still breastfeeding my 10.5 month old son. Neither of us are ready to wean / be weaned from breastfeeding. I am leaving (with my husband) to go on a 10 hour drive and will be gone for 4 days / 3 nights and our son is staying here. I have tried pumping to create enough milk supply for when I am gone. I don't know how much I should have here for him. I also can not get anymore supply as I'm only getting one ounce from pumping (for 45 minutes), but my son is getting enough to eat when he nurses. My other question is: Will I still have my milk supply when I return from our vaca without nursing him for that long? Thanks for your advice / answers in advance.

Thanks so far for the great advice. Our son does get other foods. He eats one stage two or three jar of fruit and baby oatmeal for breaskfast, one stage two or three jar of a vegetable and baby oatmeal for lunch and one stage two or three jar of baby dinner with baby oatmeal for dinner. After he eats his dinner, he tries what we have for dinner, so he is eating a small amount of "real people" food and he drinks some water from a cup or 1/2 water 1/2 juice from a sippy cup with his meals. I still nurse him 5 times a day or about there. Another question. Should I have the breastmilk / formula in a bottle or his sippy cup or regular cup. He doesn't use a bottle now, but I don't know what I "should" be doing. Thanks again for all the advice so far!

Answer 1

#1 a one oz output is completely average, so you have plenty of milk.

#2 You will need about 19-30oz of breastmilk per day depending on how much other foods your toddler eats, but I would aim for 30.

#3 If you don't tend to have supply problems you should be fine after that amount of time but you are going to have to pump. Not just to keep your supply up but to prevent engorgement and possibly more serious issues like mastitis.

Answer 2

Congrats on breastfeeding thus far.

If you can, leave him with roughly 25 ounces for each day you will be gone. You might want to get some Fenugreek, and use breast compression when you pump. If you've got the time, you should be able to make quite a good stash for while you are gone. Now, when you're gone, you will need to pump every day. If your son nurses 5 times a day, pump 6 or 7. If he only nurses 3 times a day, pump 4 or 5. This will help keep your supply up while you're away from him. And when you come back, he will "help" you get back to where you were before you left. But with extra pumping daily before your trip, you may not experience that much of a supply drop anyways.

What kind of pump are you using? I would highly recommend you rent a double electric. I use a double electric (Medela Pump In Style) and it's perfect for occasions like this.

You shouldn't have any problem with your supply, if you do, definitely take some Fenugreek and eat 5 minute oatmeal every day. I swear by it!!

Answer 3

First of all let me give you my background. I nursed my now 2 year old son for 15 months and I am currently nursing my almost 5 month old daughter. Most doctors recommend a baby to be breastfeed at least one year, so do not think it is strange for you to still be nursing. Human milk is the best choice for your child and you should feel proud for providing it to your son :) OK...now to your questions...I know it is important for you to bring your breast pump with you when you are away from your son. I think you may already know this, but just in case I will tell you again. When you are not with your son you should pump at the times he would normally eat. You can try pumping on each side for about 10-15 min.(maybe less depends on how full your breasts are or how much your son normally drinks) maybe every 6-8 hours. It is important to pump while away for two reasons, 1) so that you may keep your milk supply and 2) so that you do not get an infection from the swelling in your breasts. To know how much milk you should have for your baby check out this link
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html
I had to leave my daughter last week for 13 hours because I was in a wedding party and this milk calculator was useful for me. I hope I was at least a little helpful. I hope that you and your husband will have a wonderful and I am sure much deserved trip together :) Your son will do great I am sure of it, good luck :)

Answer 4

Hi there! I too just stopped nursing ONLY because I had medical issues. We both WISH we could still nurse! :o( I would recommend pumping at the same time that you nurse. The let down from nursing will help empty the other breast that is pumping. I had to build my supply that was also and it after a day or 2 I would get enough milk to feed baby at each feed AND pump a good 6-9 ounces on the other breast but I had to pump the same time as nursing to do this. It is a bit tricky to get the hang of at first, but a boppy helps a lot! Also, as long as you keep pumping while on vaca, you should have no problems when you return!

Answer 5

Kudos for your dedication to breastfeeding!

First of all, my lactation consultants told me never to pump for more than thirty minutes. 20 minutes was my average goal, 30 if I had issues with letdown. If you need to increase your supply, you can pump more frequently, or you may need a better pump. You may need more practice and/or better technique. It's a learned skill that comes easier to some women than others.

Second, if you do not pump any milk while you're gone, your supply will dip drastically and you may be very uncomfortable. I would take the pump and make sure to get at least three pumping sessions a day. It's easy to do in a car, even while it's moving.

As far as how much milk to leave, leave as much as you can and leave formula too. Then you'll have peace of mind. If you can't stand the thought of your baby having formula, call around to other breastfeeding moms and see if they can spare a few frozen bags of milk.

Have a great time. Try not to call your babysitter too much!

Answer 6

It sounds like you might need to get a better pump. If it is only for a short time, I would even go to your local hospital and rent one. They are much better, and will get much more then one oz in 45 minutes.

Also, when you are on your getaway with your husband, I would also bring the pump with you. Pump your milk there, even if you don't plan on saving it. That is the only way to keep your supply going. As nursing works only on supply and demand. There is still a small risk that you might not be able to nurse when you get home, because he might get to used to the bottle. I do hope that does not happen to you.

I am sorry i can't help with how much to leave, but, leave as much as you can in the freezer. Also, leave formula with your babysitter as well. If I had to GUESS (note, it is only a guess) I would say to leave him with at least 3 bottles of 8 oz each per day.

GOOD LUCK!!! Have fun on your vacation, enjoy the peace and quiet.

Answer 7

I think that it's wonderful that you are still nursing! Keep it up as long as you both want to!
Try to pump as much as you can. As long as you pump when you are gone, you should be okay. You might lose a little but not much.
Pumps can get like 2/3 of your milk.
Just in case, I would have a fomula that you have picked out.
you have to realize that at 10 1/2 months, he is eating other foods too! Good luck and have a great time! Hubby and I are getting a night away. i have never been away from her it 2 years!

Answer 8

Kudos on being a dedicated nurser!! You may want to get a cheap manual pump and "pump n dump" on the trip. You will still have milk after 4 days, but you may have less of a supply than he asks for if you do not stimulate the milk while you are gone. Plus you run the risk of engorgement or mastitis. Good luck!!!

As to the ammt of milk to have on hand, count on 4-5 8 oz bottles a day. If you have to use a little formula to make it thorugh it won't hurt, just mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with the milk.

Answer 9

you should calculate how often and how much he eats when he nurses. Then instead of pumping you should try expressing milk. It better simulates breast feeding which might give you more milk.
Also, increase your milk by feeding/expressing more often until empty until your gone.
And you should be okay to keep breastfeeding after you come back as long as you keep up with your normal schedule while you gone.
Remember, your body produces breast milk as a supply and demand thing. If you don't use it, you'll lose it.
So it might seem like a waste to pump/express when he is not there, but this will insure you will still have milk (and enough of it) when you come back.

Answer 10

Proud of you! I am planning to breastfeed my son til 12 months.

I would say, try to keep pumping on your trip. If you can find a place to store the milk, you can save them and bring them back home; otherwise just pump and dump to keep the milk supply going. 4 days is a long time and you don't want your body to get the signal as to shut the milk supply down.

Best wishes!