# How much milk should a pump session yield?



## Nantucket (May 2, 2007)

Ii'm going back to work in 3 weeks and have been pumping since Feb. 1. I thought I was doing okay- pumping in short intervals (10-15 min) 2/day and yielding ~4 (at most in the morning when I'm engorged). In the evening, more like ~2-3oz.

My DH had to feed DS (2.5 mos. old) pumped milk last week and he drank ~6oz. So what I pumped (4oz) wasn't enough so DH had to use part of the stash. DS's appetite surprised me so I rented a Lactina to see if it was the pump that wasn't yielding enough milk for me and I am managing to get ~6oz when I'm engorged... Is this enough?... How am I going to produce enough for DS to drink during the [email protected]







I've been drinking fenugreek tea, mothersmilk tea, and eating oatmeal for breakfast...

Should I buy a Lactina if I can get more milk?

Thanks!


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## cdmommie (Aug 7, 2007)

First off, you will really need a good pump. I use the Ameda purely yours, but I don't work so I can't say for sure that it would work for you. My SIL works full time and uses the Medela Pump in Style and says it works great! I get about 8 oz in the morning AFTER dd has already nursed. SIL says she does about 8 oz in the morning, then she pumps 2 more times at work and gets like 6 oz each time. The thing I found matters the most in pumping is the letdown. I love my pump because I can adjust the speed and the strength to make it just like my baby's style and letdown will happen immediatly and usually a couple more times durring the session. If you are not letting down well, you will not have any luck pumping. Hope this helps! Good luck!


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## YummyYarnAddict (Sep 24, 2007)

It really varies from woman to woman and from pump to pump. Some women have a great supply for nursing and just can't respond well to any pump while others have no trouble responding to any type of pump and still others have to use a particular type of pump to get a decent response. When I was pumping for my dd, there were 4 of us in the office who were pumping and we all had the Medela PIS and access to the "nursing room" located in the hospital where we worked and we all had different results. I was the "newest mom on the block" and had no idea that my ability to get 16oz in a 15 minute session was not universal and everyone else wanted to know what the heck was I doing. I didn't smell like maple syrup and I wasn't mainlining oatmeal and I was schlepping about my Medela PIS just like everyone else was. Someone else was taking fenugreek and drinking Mother's Milk Tea and eating oatmeal and barely getting 4oz in 20mins and she had to supplement with formula. Another mom pumped just enough for her dd to use every day and had formula back up "just in case." I found that I had to pump 3 times a day or I would end up painfully engorged and I was carrying about 50oz home every night and I had a huge freezer stash because I was sending my dd to the sitter with freshly pumped breastmilk from that morning and she never used what I pumped during the day. It got to the point where I almost felt guilty to be producing so much milk so I tried to hide it.

It really varies and it's so hard to compare. Really. Whatever you're doing is good.


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

Everyone is different. But try to aim for AT LEAST 3 bottles of 6 oz each for an 8 hour work day. Try for a little extra back-up for growth spurts. I also get very good results with my Lactina, but I have an over supply. Many women also have to pump in the evenings after feedings to make up the difference.


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