New Here-Nighttime Working Mama Needs Help/Suggestions

[@llli*hpoff3]

Hello - I am a Mom to a wonderful little boy who is 13 months. Despite a rough start we have have a strong nursing relationship. He has definitely transitioned into more of a toddler schedule in that he nurses only during the morning and at night. He takes in tons of food, water, and a cow's milk/almond milk combo during the day.

I work at least one night and sometimes two nights a week. Because we still nurse at night, I pump at least once a day to supply his bottle for the nights that I am gone. I was hoping to follow this pumping schedule for at least a month to build up enough of a stash that I could stop pumping all together by the time he turned 14 months old. Unfortunately, I am just not responding to the pump as I once did. I have never had an issue, but all of a sudden, I am lucky to get even 4 oz. I am well aware that the pump is not a good indicator of my supply, but what I am most concerned about is that I will not be able to pump enough to provide a nighttime bottle for when I am away. Could I substitute cow's milk with whatever I am short on in ounces breastmilk? I LOVE nursing him at night and I know it really helps to calm him down. I would hate to lose that session and I just don't think he is ready to let it go either buuuut.....

I worked 5 nights last week, which is VERY much out of the norm. As a result, I think my son has gone on a nursing strike. Although he may also be teething and not feeling well. He nursed wonderfully on Tuesday evening and then yesterday morning cried and pushed away. Last night he did the same thing and then finally nursed well from sheer exhaustion. This morning he did not nurse and just cried when I tried to put him to the breast. He is drinking water out of a sippy with no problem and eating with no problem. I've dealt with a nursing strike before, so I know that I should just keep trying to put him to breast and cross my fingers he comes back to nursing.

I am just at a loss of what to do. I hate the fact I have to be away from him at night. I am struggling with 1) how to make up for the lost milk during pumping and 2) being on a strike from my absence coupled with his teething.

Thanks for any help/insight/commiseration you can provide.

[@llli*auderey]

Hi mama,

4 oz is a REALLY good pumping session. Normal is more like 2-3 oz per session. So if you used to get more, you were remarkably responsive to the pump. Most people have to pump more times than bottles given. So - you could pump an extra time while you're away. But also your supply should be well-enough established at this point that you can nurse on demand when you're together and not worry about pumping when you're apart. Or pump once and give him whatever you get. It doesn't sound like he's nursing enough for that to be his only "dairy" (generally people say 3-4 times per 24 hours for that), so you'd want to make sure he's getting yogurt, cheese, cow milk, or some other calcium/fat/protein source.

Re strike - sounds like you have the basics down. Could definitely be teething.

[@llli*lllmeg]

The ideas in this article are relevant for a strike at any age: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/back-to-breast/

He takes in tons of food, water, and a cow's milk/almond milk combo during the day.

Is it possible one of the reasons baby is refusing to nurse is because baby is feeling full and not at all hungry? Breastmilk is very nutritious and thirst quenching. Although of course as baby gets older, nursing gradually becomes more and more about comfort, hunger and thirst still very much play a role in the desire to nurse.

[@llli*hpoff3]

Thanks for your replies.

He nurses first thing in the morning before he has had any food and then again right before he goes to bed. I'm not so much worried about the strike, as I think it is illness/teething related, as I am about trying to figure out a way to provide breastmilk before sleep when I am away. I'm definitely not able to pump enough for him anymore and I am concerned about how to make up that difference.

[@llli*auderey]

so, the way to make more milk is to remove more milk ... ie add pumping sessions. lots of people add in the early morning as they tend to get more then. are you pumping while you're at work?