How much are you getting when you pump?

Jessica - posted on 05/18/2009

Okay, so I didn't read EVERY reply, but I'm dealing with a severe case of jaundice in my little girl, she's almost two weeks old- I also have a three year old, though, so I have been through this before! lol Because my daughter is so severely jaundiced, due to a blood type incompatibility and an underlying blood disorder, I am having to feed her every two to three hours...which is hard with a lower supply, since I'm new at this! The lactation consultant recommended pumping immediately after my daughter stops eating, because if you empty out all of your milk, it sends your body the signal that the baby needs more. So, if you're concerned that you will not have enough milk when you go back to work, try pumping after every feeding, so that you can get more per feeding...you can also start pumping in between feedings, too, and that will help your supply. Good luck- I can't imagine having to go back to work :(

Jennifer - posted on 05/18/2009

My son is 2 months old and I typically pump 1.5-2 ozs per side. I return to work this week.

Melissa - posted on 05/18/2009

My son is 6 months, Ipump 16 ounces at about 15 min

Kerri-ann - posted on 05/17/2009

4oz is about 110-120 mls i just looked on my avent bottle i was thinking the same i'm from au too and i get confused with oz's and lb's and inches! so how many ml's are you getting i only pum every now and again as my lillt boy just wont drink from a bottle! i get anywhere from 60-100 per side it varies hope this helped??

Anna - posted on 05/17/2009

This is all great...but everyone is speaking in ounces! i am Australian and work in Milligrams...any suggestions? How manay mils in an ounce??

Mary - posted on 05/16/2009

My son is 6 1/2 months old I have been back to work since he was 2 months old. I work 40 hours a week. While im at work I use an electic pump and I pump for 30 min twice a day and get 6 oz each time. I have found that my son is definatly more agressive then my pump so he is going to get more then when I pump for the same amount of time.

Caroline - posted on 05/16/2009

I use the Hands-Free Medela pump which has the set that includes the little cooler as well. I pump for ten minutes (after let-down which takes 30 sec to 1 min). I pump twice at work (4 hrs apart) and get about 9-12oz combine. Sometimes he drinks more while I'm away, sometimes less. If I need to increase supply I'll pump about an house after he nurses. I did this before going back to work to get a supply going. Excess is in the freezer should we need it. Your body will always adjust to your babies needs so don't worry. Don't go by the feeding charts for formula fed babies (although the above mentioned website was accurate for me). As long as your child is drinking and voiding, you're doing fine. Also, if you plan to go somewhere you can't or don't want to nurse, pump before going and bottle it. It's good for about ten hours fresh. (I've nursed in the car tons of times by now.)

Caroline - posted on 05/16/2009

I use the Hands-Free Medela pump which has the set that includes the little cooler as well. I pump for ten minutes (after let-down which takes 30 sec to 1 min). I pump twice at work (4 hrs apart) and get about 9-12oz combine. Sometimes he drinks more while I'm away, sometimes less. If I need to increase supply I'll pump about an house after he nurses. I did this before going back to work to get a supply going. Excess is in the freezer should we need it. Your body will always adjust to your babies needs so don't worry. Don't go by the feeding charts for formula fed babies (although the above mentioned website was accurate for me). As long as your child is drinking and voiding, you're doing fine. Also, if you plan to go somewhere you can't or don't want to nurse, pump before going and bottle it. It's good for about ten hours fresh. (I've nursed in the car tons of times by now.)

Kristin - posted on 05/16/2009

which Medela pump do you have? I am thinking of getting one over the summer. I have a platex pump that was given to me as a gift and a Mipump I got because of the size for traveling and when I'm at work... however, time may be an issue at work (I teach), so Medela may be the way to go! Just curious!

Tricia - posted on 05/14/2009

I'm gonna quibble with Jaclyn a little. :-) The newest research says that breastmilk composition changes as baby gets older and bigger, so while bottlefed babies get bigger bottles every month, most breastfed babies do not take significantly more milk at 6 months than they did at 3. So whatever you're pumping at the beginning is probably close to what you'll keep pumping. Which is handy, because the little cooler from Medela only fits 4 5 oz bottles! :-)

Jaclyn - posted on 05/14/2009

The Medela pump is awesome... i usually get 4-5 ounces per breast with the pump in 10 minutes or less. I have not gone back to work yet, but I pump in the morning so my hubby can give our son a bottle at night allowing me a bit more sleep. My son is 11 weeks old and takes anywhere from 4-6 ounces depending if he is "snacking" or "having a meal". There is a cool website with a "calculator" so based on your babies weight you can see how much milk you need. Here it is:

http://www.justmommies.com/articles/brea...

Lindsey - posted on 05/14/2009

I work full time so have to pump 2 to 3 times while at work. I always produce more in the morning but for the most part I pump around 4-5 ounces per session. My 6 month old eats between 4 and 5 ounces so it works out perfectly. I have an electric Medela pump and it is awesome!! I pump in under ten minutes.

Elisi - posted on 05/14/2009

My daughter is 4 months and I have been back to work part time for 2 months now. Depending on how long my shift it I usually pump between 1-3 times at work. I usually get between 4-6 oz total the first pumping of the day. After that I usually range from 3-5 oz. It is sometimes more and sometimes less, but I try to pump around every 2-3 hours. I find that squeezing my breasts toward the end of the pumping expresses a little extra. Hope that helps. Good Luck!

Sarah - posted on 05/14/2009

I also only get about 4 oz. from a pumping session at work. Sometimes I'll get 6 - but that usually calls for a celebration! My 3 month old is drinking 7-8 oz. in a bottle while I'm at work so 2 pumping sessions at work will give me one bottle for the next day. I've always struggled with this topic and would like to see other feedback as well. Good luck!

Brydget - posted on 05/14/2009

How much do I get... not enough -LOL- I pump and get between 3 or 4 oz, bubs drinks 6. So I have an extra pumping session in the evening, including on the weekend and manage to get through. What worries me though is that if I am only getting 3oz a pump that my milk supply is decreasing (the whole supply and demand) so that when I do feed her in the evenings she isn't getting enough milk.

Guadalupe - posted on 05/13/2009

In the morning when I pump I get 4ounces then I try to pump every two or three hours and I only get 2 or less ounces with cuts and pain, and I cant breastfeed becuase my breasts are bleeding so much.

Amber - posted on 05/13/2009

I exclusively pump because of problems very early on and now I am back to work anyway. My son is almost four months and I pump when I wake up at 6am and get 7-8 ounces then at 9:30 and get 4 ounces then at 12:30 and get 2 ounces and at 3:30 another 2 ounces and then at 8pm and I get 4 ounces. So my total for the day is about 20 ounces and I suppliment during the night with formula.

Tricia - posted on 05/12/2009

First... It's normal to get very little milk from the pump when you're EBF. Most of the milk goes into the baby. You're pumping the leftovers. When you're pumping at work, you'll get more. At work, I generally get 5-6 oz between both breasts first thing in the morning and 2-3 oz between both breasts later in the day

Jamie - posted on 05/12/2009

My son is 8 weeks and I get 1.5-2 oz on one side and 2-2.5 on the other. Depending on how long between feedings (he likes to snack) he'll drink 3 to 5 onuces at a time. I breastfed my frist son also and started about the same as I am now, but my milk increased as he drank more. When he was drinking 7-8 oz bottles, I was pumping 3-4 oz (per side) every 2-3 hours. I pumped 3 times a day while at work and sometimes pumped at night if he only ate on one side. I was told by a lactation specialist that it's important to let them nurse as much as they want when they go through "starving baby" phases...it helps increase your supply. She also said if you don't think you're getting enough, leave the pump on for a few minutes after your milk stops flowing. Hope this helps, and good luck!

Cathy - posted on 05/11/2009

I get about 3-4 oz with manual pump. It takes a long time for me to pump that...30-40minutes.

Ruth - posted on 05/11/2009

When I pump I can get 6 oz from one breast and 3-4 from the other with an electric pump. Good look and remember to drink water.

Stephanie - posted on 05/11/2009

My son is only a month old, but I feed through pumping only (due to complications with nursing) and I usally pump 4 oz per breast every 4 hours. Sometimes a little more than 4oz sometimes a little less. He will drink up to 5 oz at a time depending on how long he sleeps. Generally speaking though, he drinks about 4 oz every 4 hours. Your milk supply should produce enough to meet your babies needs. Just make sure that you are pumping when you would normally be bf or your milk supply will deminish. Hope you find this useful! Best of luck on your return to work!

Marcia - posted on 05/11/2009

i've been curious about this myself. i don't pump all that often, but when i do, i get about 2 oz - 3 if i'm lucky (with a manual pump).