Pumping back at work

[@llli*sciencemum]

This is my first full week back at work. I'm pumping 3 times a day. I've had good success the first couple days but I've noticed I am coming up short of the 12 oz I need. I have a freezer stash, so not too worried yet.
Is there an adjustment period with pumping 3x day and will my milk supply start to increase? I drink plenty of water, am eating milkmaker cookies and oatmeal and using that tea to aid in lactation. I have had some stress in my life and wasn't dealing with it well. But now I'm focused on dealing with stress better.
I've read/heard/been told consistency and persistance with the pumping will pay off. Am willing to stick it out, but just wanted to know if there is an adjustment period that I'm going through and things should work out. Thanks!

[@llli*mommy2lilah]

How long do you pump? How long are you away from your baby?

[@llli*sciencemum]

I pump 15 min per session. I leave around 6 am and am home by 6 pm (long commute). I leave him 4 bottles with 3 oz each. Pumping for more than 15 min might be hard with my work schedule, but I could try one session longer than 15 min if necessary. Thanks

[@llli*mommy2lilah]

I would try to pump longer if you can. If you can pump for 5 minutes past the time the milk stops coming out, that can help your body to know to make more milk. The other thing you can do (sorry to suggest it!) is to pump once on each weekend day at the same time that you pump at one of those times during the work-day and that should also stimulate your body to make more milk. Actually, it doesn't have to be at the same time, but it would help if it were. You would get a little bit extra to save for days you are short and hopefully send a message to your body to make more milk.

[@llli*toddlerandtwins]

What sort of pump are you using? A poor quality pump can mean lower pump output.
Are you doing compressions while pumping? This can help your production.
Find ways to squeeze out more time to pump. Don't wash everything. Most moms on here wash the parts once a daily (or even less often). I wash my parts at the end of the day, or take home to wash overnight. I store in a ziploc bag in between pumping. Keep everything setup so you can pull it out, hook up, and pump. Depending on your job, can you work while pumping? Depending on how it affects your stress, you could check emails, do work, etc, on a laptop while pumping.

[@llli*mommal]

So you're gone for a full 12 hours? If so, I think you may need to find a way to squeeze in a 4th pumping session. 3 pump sessions per day means you're probably going 4 hours in between pumps, which is too long for many moms. Aiming for something closer to a typical nursing frequency- every 2-3 hours rather than every 3-4- should ultimately yield more milk.

[@llli*mommy2lilah]

You know, you said you have a long commute. Are you driving? Do you think you could pump hands free in the car during the drive?

[@llli*sciencemum]

Thank you for all the advice. I will definitely pump longer and go about 20 minutes. I have to go to the medical clinic to pump, there's no place to pump in my building other than the bathroom. So getting in a 4th pump is too hard with my work schedule. I'll look into pumping during my commute if I get desperate, but I don't feel comfortable doing that right now.
I just thought there might be some stabilization time for my body to adapt to this new schedule and perhaps next week my milk production will go up. Has anyone had experience with this?
Thank you.

[@llli*sciencemum]

Oh, and I'm going no more than 3 hours or so between feeding my baby and pumping. I feed him before I leave for work then go into pump every 3 hours mode, then feed my baby when I get home.

[@llli*mommy2lilah]

My experience was the opposite - that at the beginning I would have a ton of milk and then as time went on, I had less. I responded really well to the pump though. I would usually get more milk on Monday and less on Thursday. I think it will help for sure if you pump a little bit longer.