Paul asks…
Breastfeeding: Pumping frequency vs amount?
I’m breastfeeding and pumping as well since I have to work. I’m trying not to pump too much so that my body doesn’t start to produce too much milk.
Does it matter more how often I pump or the amount that I pump out? I have a great supply, so I have pumped 9 ozs in 15 minutes…I’m wondering if that will increase my supply too much. Also do I have to pump more than once in 8 hrs (when I’m at work) to keep my supply up, or would one time with a large amount do it?
James answers:
I just finished going through all of this. You need to think about how much milk your baby is going to drink in 1 day. If you baby only drinks 12 oz while you’re gone than you only need to make 12 oz regardless of if that is once or twice or 5 times a day.
However, if you pump less often your milk supply will diminish. So I think its better to pump less at one time but more often. Also make sure that you keep up with pumping at work. Sometimes I’d get busy or have a meeting and then go too long without pumping and if that happened a couple times, I could start to see the decrease in my supply right away. Stress at work decreases your supply also. Drink lots of water and eat healthy! You’re still providing for your baby!
Don’t worry about an over abundance of milk though because it is really smart to freeze extra milk for later. You never know and one day your baby might drink 6 extra ounces (or daycare spills a bottle) and you want to be prepared for that. Also, in my case, while I was weaning and slowing down my milk supply, I had enough milk in the freezer that my son could have my milk for an extra month after I stopped pumping. Milk is good in the freezer for 2-4 months depending on who you ask and if you time things right, take advantage of your abundant milk supply and your baby can keep drinking even after you stop!
Great job and keep up the hard work!
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