Double breast pumping and returning to work | ExpatWoman.com
 

Double breast pumping and returning to work

397
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 26 August 2012 - 17:37

Hi Ladies!
I am returning to work tomorrow and as I am still breastfeeding so will be pumping in work. I have a double electric pump which I have been using for several months in anticipation of my return to work. However, I have only ever used it in single mode as I can't seem to manage it in double mode i.e. adjusting it correctly, attaching both funnels, holding them etc all at once. I do not appear to have any supply issues and can get over 4oz from one side when LO is due a feed (LO generally feeds from one side only at each feeding). Any tips, advice etc re: pumping and returning to work would be gratefully received! PS LO is just shy of 6 months old x

477
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 August 2012 - 09:56
these double pumps were designed by men, werent they?! i look like a contortionist when using my double pump. i am back at work too and still use my medela swing. i also dont have a problem with supply, so pumping from both breasts with the swing only takes 30mins now. i pump twice at work and feed as much as possible at home to keep my supply up. HTH
200
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 August 2012 - 22:25
Hi Gingercat, We are both march mumma's.. I have changed my strategy a few times with pumping... I use a single electric but in the end converted it to manual and still use it that way as I prefer it. Never needed a double as supply was no issue, mind you I don't work full time so it might pay or you to have the double handy if need be... When I went back to work, on days when I couldn't pump much I pumped more regularly than bubs fed at home with her carers. So if she fed every three hours I would express every two. This was just to keep up with the volumes she was drinking in the times in which I was gone. If I was ahead in my frozen stock at home and pressed for time then I would just pump at the same intervals that bubs was feeding for stimulation and generally volumes were slightly less than she drank. So stock ran a bit low and I would pump occasionally at home to make it up. Nowadays, I pump at the same intervals that she feeds (about three hourly) but from both breasts even though, like you, bubs generally only feeds from one breast in the day, I just pump both so that I don't have to pump too many times per shift and I am pumping more than she drinks volume-wise so I have a nice little stock going in the freezer.. And this is working well for me right now, I pump less than I used to and have no issues with supply or stock HTH ;-)
 
 

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