Pumping like mad but can't keep up with dd's demands - what to do?

[MrsBadger]

She'd happily down 3 x 6oz bottles a day at nursery but even with a double electric pump twice a day at work I am getting max 12oz a day.

Do I just give her as much as I can get and hope she's happy, or should I think about techniques to up supply, and/or offering formula () or cows' milk?

(8mo, not especially interested in solids, mostly cosleeping and bf on demand all night)

At 8 mths, your options widen, MrsB...no need to be pressured by expressing. Do what you can, and bf when she is with you, and she can have other fluids* or sloppy solids if you worry about her hydration levels.

12 oz expressed a day is very good ideed!

• She doesn't need formula, by the way....or cows milk. She can have water.

i 'built in' an extra feed 'for the pump' at night to keep up with dd's nursery demands. she weaned late, probably due to egg and dairy allergy.

this extra feed meant that i could express on the three weekend nights too, and put them in the freezer. at one point she was having 18oz of ebm a day.

You could pump in the morning as well - that was usually when my supply was at its highest.

But I agree with tiktok - she can have water and other things. If she is getting 12oz from expressing plus feeds from you morning and evening there should be no problem.

Mine was a nightmare - would never take milk from a bottle so I ended up expressing and using it for making semolina etc. He survived perfectly well for the 3 days per week I worked on just water and morning and night breast feeds (from 6 months on).

So don't stress - and appreciate what a good job you are doing.