Breastfeeding Moms
I am really worried that I will have to start supplementing my little guy with formula while I am away. I work full time, 12hr nights on L and D. So, I am gone all night from him and all day while he is with my parents during the day so I can sleep. I was doing ok but then DH decided to blow through almost all my milk one night because he was fussy. (he's teething) I, of course, yelled at him for this and told him if it seemed to early for him to be hungry to see if it was teeth bugging him and he should have tried teething tablets first. That has now put me behind in my fridge stash and I don't know how to recover. I pump 4 times at work, every 3 hrs, before I go to work, and then when I come home and wake up again around noon to pump and then feed him when he gets here at 2:30.
My question is, how can I build my fridge stash back up? I really, really, really, REALLY don't want to give formula but will have to if I run out. I feed him just fine when we are together. He is almost 5 months, we co-sleep, he is not on solids, and hasn't had a lick of formula. I am already taking blessed thistle, fenugreek, and taking my tea. I get about 12-16 ozs (depending on AF) at work, 3-5 before I leave for work, and another 4-6 when he is gone while I sleep.
Thank you ladies in advance, I hate formula with a passion and don't want to have to supplement. I have been beating myself up over this and my DH just doesn't see the big deal.
Replies
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Quoting Rayawni:
I am really worried that I will have to start supplementing my little guy with formula while I am away. I work full time, 12hr nights on L and D. So, I am gone all night from him and all day while he is with my parents during the day so I can sleep.
So you're gone 24 hours straight? We have other nurses here who work it in different ways so they're not separated so long. And keep in mind you need to wake and pump, every two hours. Might be easier to just keep baby with you.
I was doing ok but then DH decided to blow through almost all my milk one night because he was fussy. (he's teething) I, of course, yelled at him for this and told him if it seemed to early for him to be hungry to see if it was teeth bugging him and he should have tried teething tablets first.
Yep.
That has now put me behind in my fridge stash and I don't know how to recover. I pump 4 times at work, every 3 hrs, before I go to work, and then when I come home and wake up again around noon to pump and then feed him when he gets here at 2:30.
Baby needs 1 - 1.25 ounces per hour.
My question is, how can I build my fridge stash back up? I really, really, really, REALLY don't want to give formula but will have to if I run out. I feed him just fine when we are together. He is almost 5 months, we co-sleep, he is not on solids, and hasn't had a lick of formula. I am already taking blessed thistle, fenugreek, and taking my tea. I get about 12-16 ozs (depending on AF) at work, 3-5 before I leave for work, and another 4-6 when he is gone while I sleep.
So a minimum of 19 ounces? Honey, you don't need to build your stash. You're pumping PLENTY and baby is probably getting overfed. I would skip leaving him elsewhere at any time.
Thank you ladies in advance, I hate formula with a passion and don't want to have to supplement. I have been beating myself up over this and my DH just doesn't see the big deal.
You're doing better than you realize. You need 12-15 ounces in the fridge when you go to work on a 12 hour shift. No more than that. You're poumping more than that on a minimum. So keep doing what you're doing, keep baby with you whenever you're home (you work L&D.... you know the three Mom Guarantees of death, taxes and never sleeping a full night again).
You've got a "good" problem here. And there's not really much you need to do to fix it... you're doping everything perfectly already. I simply would stop leaving baby with the parents.
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I agree. ^^^ -
Unfortunately when I work two or three in a row he has to go if DH doesn't have the day off. He has to be at work by 0700 and I don't get off work until 0730. When he is home with me, DH brings him back to eat whenever he wants. He has started only sleeping in short spurts through out the day and then sleeping a lot more at night. He will eat every 2 hrs during the day and then sleep 6 hrs straight at night. That's when I'm home, he seems to wake up more when I'm gone. If I don't get any sleep there's no way I could make it at work. It's crazy busy and unpredictable, I'm lucky I get to pump as much as I do.
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Hmmmm, could you afford to cut a day out?
Quoting Rayawni:
Unfortunately when I work two or three in a row he has to go if DH doesn't have the day off. He has to be at work by 0700 and I don't get off work until 0730. When he is home with me, DH brings him back to eat whenever he wants. He has started only sleeping in short spurts through out the day and then sleeping a lot more at night. He will eat every 2 hrs during the day and then sleep 6 hrs straight at night. That's when I'm home, he seems to wake up more when I'm gone. If I don't get any sleep there's no way I could make it at work. It's crazy busy and unpredictable, I'm lucky I get to pump as much as I do.
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How much is he taking and how much are you able to pump?
Do you massage and compress while pumping? Hand express after pumping?
Forget the fenugreek, take more milk plus or more milk special blend, works WAY better
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send hubby to the store to "buy" the formula. once he sees the cost of a can of crap he'll see the big deal. :)
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Any way you could sleep at your parents so they can bring him in to you to nurse? If not you've got to wake every 2-3hrs to pump -
Quoting melindabelcher:
Any way you could sleep at your parents so they can bring him in to you to nurse? If not you've got to wake every 2-3hrs to pump -
I agree with this
Quoting melindabelcher:
Any way you could sleep at your parents so they can bring him in to you to nurse? If not you've got to wake every 2-3hrs to pump -
I really wish I could but I am currently the bread winner for the family.
Quoting Precious333:
Hmmmm, could you afford to cut a day out?
Quoting Rayawni:
Unfortunately when I work two or three in a row he has to go if DH doesn't have the day off. He has to be at work by 0700 and I don't get off work until 0730. When he is home with me, DH brings him back to eat whenever he wants. He has started only sleeping in short spurts through out the day and then sleeping a lot more at night. He will eat every 2 hrs during the day and then sleep 6 hrs straight at night. That's when I'm home, he seems to wake up more when I'm gone. If I don't get any sleep there's no way I could make it at work. It's crazy busy and unpredictable, I'm lucky I get to pump as much as I do.