Please help, DD 8mo returned to work, supply all over the place!

[Halfbaked]

Hi, I would really appreciate any suggestions as to how to deal with this.
I returned to work full time 3 weeks ago, I'm a teacher so have done 3,4 then 5 days so not in a proper pattern yet, which might be half the problem.

DD is 8 mo, bottle refuser but has taken up to 3oz a day from a sippy cup. Some days she will take milk at nursery, other days completely refuses. She is eating well, and feeds from me morning, afternoon and evening so I have no concern about her wellbeing.

I am expressing at work and usually produce 8-9oz a day. I've always had a big supply. If I don't express I become engorged and leak alot and it is very uncomfortable.

Over the past two weeks I have had 3 milk blisters and keep getting hard lumpy boobs, which thankfully I've managed to relieve by getting DD to feed, although, as she eats more this is becoming more difficult. At weekends I leak at night, but fine during the week. I really don't want to develop mastitis and don't know what to do try and make my supply meet demand.

Should I be pumping at the weekend too?
Should I just pump a little bit, so I can still send milk in with her? Or give up all expressing?

I would only express when you are at work so she has milk to take to nursery with her but I wouldn't express at weekends or when you are with her.

I have just returned to work full time myself (my DD is 10 months old) but my supply has never been "generous" so am not bothering to express at all - just feeding when I get home (boobs are tingly but not uncomfortable and don't leak). But we are all different., I suppose.

Can you perhaps tell her nursery/CM to try and avoid giving her any food/snacks in the latter part of the afternoon so she is hungry when you collect her and will take a full feed so you will be able to get rid of the lumps!

I am sure it will settle down in time.

Thanks, I'm not expressing at the weekend, but that's when it's worse. I think I'm expressing more than she would be taking in the week IYSWIM. Good idea about the snack, I'll talk to the nursery.
I probably need to be more patient and wait for my supply to settle to the new routine. It's just the milk blisters are so sore, I can't imagine how bad mastitis would be.

since she is not needing all the milk, can you express for less time. Just enough to take the edge of and get comfortable. Hopefully this should lead to less supply.