How to maintain your milk supply

Milk out = milk in → when you pump, you're telling your breasts to produce milk. If the milk stays in the breasts, it says: “make less”. The quantity of milk a breast can store strongly differs from person to person.

Pumping

How often? There is no standard answer to this question. It depends on how much the breast can store and how long you'll be out to work. Let's say 3 times a day (working day of 8 hours) is a good average (pumping electrically and 2-sided during 10-15 minutes).
Ideally you try to follow your nursing scheme as if you were at home. Express as much milk as your baby would drink. The milk you “harvest” will be used the next day in the nursery.
Realistically you just pump as many times as you can fit into your working day. Don't panic if you need to skip one pumping session. Milk production won't stop in one day.
It's good to have extra milk in the freezer (begin to make a small stash some 3 weeks before going back to work): it can be very useful on 'down' days. Just follow your breasts and the quantity your baby drinks, and make sure you feel comfortable.
Weekends and vacations are a perfect time to “catch up”. It's also handy to pump right before you're off to work (morning breasts = full breasts) of before you go to sleep.

Problems

Painful, swollen breasts. It can take up to one week for your breasts to get used to a fulltime pumping routine. Follow you body. Try to avoid too full breasts – this could cause plugged milk ducts or mastitis.
Get used to pumping before you go back to work. Try to boost your production just a little bit in order to have a little extra. You can do this by planning a daily pumping session in your home nursing scheme. Be patient!! It takes a few days before pushing up really reaches te desired effect. Don't give up too soon.
Zen. Don't stress. Pumping goes a lot smoother when you don't pressure yourself. Any breastmilk is better than none at all. It's not about all or nothing. Pumping handsfree is perfect to continue reading, e-mailing or working. Don't stare at your breasts, don't try to express milk with your eyes.

Production decrease.

• Check whether the pump is good enough and whether the shields are the right size (standard is 24 mm, a lot of women need a bigger size, 27 mm). Old pumps can lose their power. Full breasts should be “empty” after 15 minutes of pumping.
• Avoid being tired and stressed. Compensate with an extra pumping session and nurse your baby more often when you're together.
• Some herbs (fenugreek, nettle, anise, fennel, ...), as well as almonds, sesame seeds and oat stimulate milk supply. Motilium can also help.

At the nursery

• Bring fresh milk from the day before. Mark the bottles with the date. Small portions of 120-150 ml.
• Fresh breast milk can be kept in the fridge during 4 days. If not used, throw it away.
• Check your stash in the nursery every day and fill it up. Store the surplus in the freezer at home (only freeze freshly expressed milk!). Storage bags are very handy. Use special milk bags because the quality of normal freezer bags is not OK.
• Make sure there are a few portions of frozen milk in the nursery, as a backup. You'll never have to stress about whether there's enough milk.
• Explain them how to store and heat the milk (only in a bain-marie, never in microwave). Don't let them administer too big portions, it's a shame if breast milk is being thrown away. Nurseries are used to formula...
• Use a bottle with slow flow. Your baby is used to slow breasts, if the bottle is to fast, he will swallow the wrong way.

Comments

Don't listen to the nursery, Kind en Gezin, the paediatrician or whoever, if they tell you pureed fruits and vegetables are necessary for vitamines or whatever. Babies are made to drink breastmilk exclusively up to six months of age. It's easy for the nursery to put all babies on the same scheme, but don't give in if it's not what you want!

You have the right to pump at work until your baby is 9 months old. CAO n°80bis, most recent modifications on October 13th, 2010. Your employer should give you the necessary breaks and provide a heated, well ventilated room with a socket, a fridge and a comfy seat. Do not accept a toilet! You can officially apply for it (2 months in advance), “lost” salary will be compensated by your national health service, or you can just try to work it out with your boss. This last option is highly recommended!! Combining work and breastfeeding is an advantage for him as well!

Please don't feel ashamed, you shouldn't. If you are, it's the result of society not being used to pumping and working. Really doing it is the only way to get people to accept it – and then it will be less trouble for future moms!

Check out this excellent website: www.workandpump.com