It's happening again;(

[@llli*katebrownrn]

So my little man is almost 9 months old. He is ebf when I'm there and takes pumped milk and some solids when I'm at work. Normally I pump 5-6 oz the first two times I pump then 4 oz the last time I pump. So tonight I can barely get 4oz the first with only one letdown (normally 2) 5 oz the second one with my normal 2 let downs and 3 1/2 oz the third. I didn't pump enough for him to even eat while I'm gone and my freezer stash is pretty much done. I'm about to freak. The one thing though is he's not hungry when I'm home. Oh and I've changed the valves and I usE a hospital grade pump at work. Any ideas???? TIA

[@llli*esthervegan]

as you know, milk production is dependent upon how often your breasts are called upon to produce milk. i'm sure you've read that 2 ounces per pumping session is considered normal and that breastfeeding children on average consume 24 ounces over a 24 hour period.
so why the dip in your milk output? perhaps your body requires an increase in the amount of times per day you pump? perhaps your little man is efficient at nursing directly from the source and doesn't mind waiting for you after work.
but you said he's not hungry when you get home. so maybe he is eating more solid foods then you imagine. Is he drinking anything other than breastmilk from his bottle?
Your little man might be happy and content with the dip in your supply provided that he is being fed something other than breastmilk.

[@llli*katebrownrn]

What I mean is he's not hungry when I'm home and he's nursing only. He usually eats anywhere from 17 to 18 oz when I'm gone to work which is usually 15 hours. I don't own a pump because I'm a nurse and use one of the hospital pumps. I'm just not sure what to do. Tonight I pumped 11 oz and now I'm way short.

[@llli*esthervegan]

having a pump at work is awesome! having a pump at home just to stimulate /express could be the jump start needed to plump up your supply.
it's not easy being away for 15 hour shifts. i know you wish you had copious amounts of expressed breastmilk available for him.

[@llli*mommal]

I have heard that a lot of working moms hit a wall at around 9 months. I don't think this is just you. Maybe this is just temporary- this could be the dip in supply that hits before your period, or maybe you're having an off week. If this isn't temporary, the only way to cope is to increase your pumping frequency and duration- and if you can't do that at work you want to do it at home by pumping after you nurse.

You're really, really close to the point where it won't matter as much whether or not you're short a bottle or two. At a year you can supplement with cow's milk or goat's milk or solids- and you're just 3 months away from that point! So I think that in your shoes I would buckle down and pump at home, make up the shortfall, and remember that this is temporary. If that is unworkable, then supplement with formula until you hit a year, and then switch to whole cow's/goat's milk.

[@llli*katebrownrn]

The crazy thing is that I had tons in the freezer. I had actually thought about donating. The thing is now what I have is going on 6 months old and I had to scald it all because of excessive lipase. So the other night my dh defrosted some because little man woke up early and it was nasty. Such a bummer

[@llli*katebrownrn]

I wonder if I can get my insurance to pay for a pump rental. Anyone know?

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

with Mommal. Look in the pumping forum, and you will see most of us had a hard time pumping for our babies at 9 months. Pump more often, nurse more, try herbs and even medications if necessary to get over it. EPing, it took me a full two weeks to get through, and I did introduce cow's milk at 10 months to take a little pressure off me. But hang in there. It wont be too much longer and you can pump wean and keep nursing when together.

My insurance company would not pay for a rental last year, but things have changed, you could ask.

If you scalded it, it should be OK. I mix freezer milk with fresh so my kid will take it.

[@llli*katebrownrn]

My dh gave him the scalded but little man wouldn't take it and when I went to dump it the milk was stinky. So maybe it was just that one but I'm not really sure.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Try mixing it with fresh.

I wonder if your scalding process was inadequate? It should not smell like vomit or super stinky after being scalded.