timing pump sessions

[@llli*gwendlynsmom]

Hi! We're back in school, and I'm just getting used to the new schedule, making it work. One day a week, there's a class in a building 5 min walk to and from the lactation room I've found. The teacher only gives a 10 min break in the 4 hr class, so not enough time for a pumping session. Also, there's no break time between that and the next 4 hour lab, so I have to wait over 5 hrs til getting a decent 20 min so I can pump for 10 min, get there and back, and wipe my parts / close up bottles real quick. (I was in such a hurry yesterday, I spilled a bottle. Will have to be more careful.) So my question is, should I just deal with it (a little pain, wet bra, very uncomfortable, etc) and then my body will adjust to the 5 or 6 hrs until a break to pump, or, should I leave my ipodd to record at my desk so I don't miss anything, and inform the teacher of my need for 10 more minutes than the rest of class? She's a very strict teacher, so really I want to make this work in the best possible way. She locks the door at start of class time / break time is what she said 1st day of class in lecture. I already get to school early to pump before the class starts.

[@llli*joshuas.mommy]

For most moms, 5 or 6 hours is going to be too long to wait to pump. If you have an older baby (over 6 months or so) and a well-established milk supply and it's only once a week, it probably won't affect your supply much, but at minimum it will make you uncomfortable and put you at increased risk for plugged ducts and/or mastitis. If you have a younger baby or any supply issues, I definitely wouldn't chance it by going that long. I think your best bet is to talk to your teacher and explain the situation and see what she says. Don't be overly apologetic about it, this is a health issue for you and your LO. Chances are she will accomodate you. If she doesn't, you can consider your next steps then, but it never hurts to ask. If you don't ask, you don't get. That's something I learned a long time ago and it's served me well in life Good luck!

[@llli*gwendlynsmom]

Thanks for the reply. Just wondering, is 4 hours ok for a day or two a week?
We nurse on demand at home, if that helps. (Just a lot to get used to, since she ate about every hour at home before, now she's up more at night so changing schedules for us all here.)
Also, by midterms she'll be 6 months, so depending on how things are going at the point, we'll reassess the situation. I am producing well at this point, but am worried about the 8-9 month "slump" with pumping? Is this a concern?
I emailed a detailed explanation to the professor, and she replied to "do what you need to do." So I will be able to take the pump break I need. Huge relief, and so glad I asked. Yay!

[@llli*joshuas.mommy]

Ideally you want to be pumping every 2-3 hours most of the time, but the occasional 4 hour block should probably be okay, as long as it's just a couple times a week. You'll just have to try it out and see. You want to mimic your baby's nursing schedule as closely as possible. Clearly you're not going to pump every hour, but if she eats that often you may want to aim to pump every 2 hours if possible.

The 9 month slump is something that happens to a lot of people but not everybody. I was quite concerned about it too, but ended up not having an issue. DS is 10 months now and I haven't noticed any change in my pump output so far and am pretty confident we'll make it a year with no problem. If you do hit a slump, the thing to do is add more pump sessions and/or pump longer per session. The increased pumping will help you produce more and get you over the slump.

Good for you for talking to your professor, and glad she was accommodating. Good luck!