Expert: Sally Wendkos Olds - 3/16/2005

Question
This is my second week back to work and my baby is 9 almost 10 weeks old.  He weighs 14 lbs 1 oz and has been exclusively breast fed.  I am afraid that my milk supply is decreasing.  I've been averaging 16-18 ounces pumping and have the pump in style pump.  Should my baby be eating everything that I pump from the day before?  What happens if he seems to need more before I get home?  Say I'm going to be home in an hour and he seems pretty hungry, should the caregiver hold off until I get there or should she defrost some banked milk to satisfy the baby?  If she does that, will that affect my supply?  Also, he seems very hungry in the evening when I get home and he's feeding at the breast.  He seems to want to be constantly on the breast, but sometimes I feel he is getting mad at the breast and pulls off and cries either because he isn't getting enough milk or maybe it's too slow.  When I pump at work, I get most of the milk in the morning at the 9am (roughly 6-7 ounces) pumping and it slightly decreases at noon(4-5 ounces) and then at 3pm I pumped only 4 ounces.  Is that normal?  I started on some fenugreek last night to hopefully boost my supply.  The baby usually sleeps from 9pm until about 2 am.  Then usually he eats between 4 and 5 am (not this morning) and then I try feed him one more time before I go to work.  I am just a concerned first time mother and would really like some advice.  Hopefully I have provided you with enough information to help me.  

Answer
Dear Michelle,

First, congratulations for giving your baby the best start in life by breastfeeding him!

You seem to be doing very well at continuing to nurse after you have gone back to work. Your volume of pumped milk is something to be very happy about. Yes, it may be a little less than the amount you were able to get before you went back to work, but that is normal. It's also normal to get most of your milk in the morning pumping session.

As far as how much your baby should be eating, it sounds as if he has established a good feeding schedule and you can pretty much let him decide if he wants all of the milk you pumped the day before or not. I would suggest that if he seems hungry about an hour before you come home that your caregiver hold him off -- maybe give him water, or comfort him in other ways -- and then he can have a really good feeding session as soon as you get home. Good for him and good for your milk supply.

From what I have read, fenugreek does not do much for the milk supply, but it does no harm so you can continue to take it if you feel it is helping.

Your son may be getting impatient with the breast because he is used to getting milk faster from the bottle, or, conversely, because the milk in your full breast is coming too quickly. Stick with your current schedule, though, and he will most likely adjust soon. This is all still very new to him -- and to you! But let me repeat that you seem to be doing very well.

I devote a complete chapter to breastfeeding for the working mom in my book (see below), which may be helpful to you.

Good luck!

Sally

Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.