BF Mamas who work and pump

[jt2378]

I'm curious how much your LO's take in ounces a day? I know on Kellymom it says typically an ounce an hour you are away from baby. I have been giving DD three 4 oz bottles a day and I'm away from 8 - 5:30 and nurse her before leaving at 7:30 every morning. She seems fine with this but she is up so frequently at night I'm wondering if she isn't eating enough. She is gaining fine, plenty of wet diapers and all. It also seems she is not finishing that first bottle in the morning, probably because she is feeding half the night. I guess I'm just frustrated with the lack of sleep and wondering if there is anything I can do to get some sleep! Haha

Of course she would probably need to eat more during the day and I wouldn't be able to pump enough I'm sure!!

Thanks Ladies!

[abbyroad]

I'm a little curious about this, too. DS doesn't love bottles and I may be heading back to work soon. He's suuuuper into solids and eats 3 solid meals (at the pedi's rec because he dropped to 6th percentile around 6mos) so I know he won't go hungry but I don't think he's ever taken more than 2oz in a bottle at once so I'm not sure how to get more in him while I'm at work.

[judyblume14]

DD has 2 purees at daycare, plus some puffs or whatever. At night, she has some finger foods - cheese, puffs, fruits, etc., plus a couple bites of whatever we're eating, and maybe half a puree.

I nurse her at 6 am and around 6 pm.

In the 12 hours between nursing she has five 3.5-oz bottles. So 17.5 ounces total across the 12 hours, or 1.5 oz per hour. Which is only just a little more than you guys, assuming you nurse at 5:30 (meaning there are 10 hours between nursing sessions).

Hoe much is she getting by way of solids. I mean, we haven't really scaled back on breast milk, even though we've been upping solids. And the purees are 3.5-oz each. So in addition to all the milk, she gets at lease 7 addition oz of purees.

My girl STTN about 75% of the time. I don't know if it's because we are lucky, or if its because she tanks up during the day!

Are you feeding her each time she wakes up at night? Maybe she's not hungry, and she's just fussy or misses you? Maybe DH can help you with some of the MOTN wakings? Have you considered any sleep training (I have no experience there)?

[doglover31]

DS will drink 2-3 bottles with 5oz of breast milk. He used to drink 4 a day but has started drinking less since having solids. He also has a strawberry smoothie, a banana, and some form of purée while I'm away from him. He loves his foods.

However I have noticed recently that he is more interested in nursing then taking a bottle. He has never been picky about a bottle, but now he prefers boob to bottle.

[jt2378]

Thanks all, judyblume14, yes she isn't eating all that much solids but definitely getting more interested lately. I would say twice a day usually and I don't measure it so I can't say how many ounces of solids. I feed her until she loses interest. Yes I'm sure most of it is not hunger in the MOTN and more just comfort. I have tried not feeding her and she goes nuts. She does seem to legitimately be eating though so maybe reverse cycling? Although it doesn't seem to make a difference on the days I am home with her and nurse her with no bottles, she still sleeps the same. I haven't done any sleep training really.

doglover31, ya she probably just prefers the boob too, LOL

[judyblume14]

jt2378 - I will admit - when she does wake up in the MOTN - the first thing I do is give her the boob because I'm too tired and impatient to soother her any other way at 2am...

[jt2378]

judyblume14, H has tried to soothe her instead and that just fails!

[designaddiction]

Before solids, DS would take 4 5oz bottles, gone from approx 7:30am-7pm, but now with solids, and him sleeping longer in the am, he is on 3 5oz bottles. I would often not pump enough at work, so I would pump before work, after he went to bed and in the middle of the night also. Now that he only needs 3 bottles I can try to sleep through the night if LO would cooperate. Last night he was up every 2 hours, but the night before that, he slept a straight 7 hours. I have no clue why.

[jt2378]

designaddiction, I don't know if that inconsistency is worse or not, its like a tease you sleep one night and not the next. Does LO eat every time he is up every 2 hours?

[jt2378]

They all just love their Mamas! How about that?!!

[designaddiction]

May 14, 2015 9:55:44 GMT -5 jt2378 said:

designaddiction, I don't know if that inconsistency is worse or not, its like a tease you sleep one night and not the next. Does LO eat every time he is up every 2 hours?

He does eat most of the time, from 5-10 minutes on each side. Sometimes he is super squirmy and whinny and I just give him a pacifier and rock him for a minute and he's out. I never know what it will be.

I think the inconsistency is worse sometimes. I always say, maybe he is getting this sleep thing, and then he doesn't. Some day he will sleep and I will be sad that he doesn't need me as much anymore.

[doglover31]

judyblume14 I'm guilty of just giving the boob. It's so much easier. When he wakes up he's back out in 5-10 min if I stick the boob in his mouth. And If DH sets foot in DS room at night he freaks out. Only wants mama at night. That makes for one sleepy mom when he is up a lot.

[doglover31]

designaddiction DS slept from 7-3:30 the other night( usually he's up a lot). And I woke up every hour waiting for him to wake up needing me. Like you said I felt bad that he didn't "need" me. Maybe that's just the crazy sleep deprived mind talking!

[jt2378]

May 14, 2015 13:21:32 GMT -5 anniebn said:

May 14, 2015 12:42:07 GMT -5 doglover31 said:

judyblume14 I'm guilty of just giving the boob. It's so much easier. When he wakes up he's back out in 5-10 min if I stick the boob in his mouth. And If DH sets foot in DS room at night he freaks out. Only wants mama at night. That makes for one sleepy mom when he is up a lot.

Same here! If DH goes in the room, LO arches his back and whines. If he happens to hear or see me while DH has him, forget about it! It's nice to be loved and needed, but I'm pooped.

haha this exactly! As much as I love DD's snuggles, this mama is flat out exhausted! I look it too!!! YIKES

[doglover31]

May 14, 2015 13:21:32 GMT -5 anniebn said:

May 14, 2015 12:42:07 GMT -5 doglover31 said:

judyblume14 I'm guilty of just giving the boob. It's so much easier. When he wakes up he's back out in 5-10 min if I stick the boob in his mouth. And If DH sets foot in DS room at night he freaks out. Only wants mama at night. That makes for one sleepy mom when he is up a lot.

Same here! If DH goes in the room, LO arches his back and whines. If he happens to hear or see me while DH has him, forget about it! It's nice to be loved and needed, but I'm pooped.

I'm tired too! I love the bond I have with DS but I feel DH should be a perfectly acceptable substitute. The day will come though when he will only want to hang out with his cool dad and not his mom. So I guess I better enjoy it now.

[doglover31]

anniebn DH tells me I have DS while he's small. Once he's older and can do things (meaning talk, walk, is potty trained etc) that I'll never see the two of them. And I'm sure little boys like to do things with their dads....so I'm preparing myself for it. I know I will miss DS wanting me all the time.