Please help, expressing at work was going well, nw struggling a bit. :(

[jaggythistle]

I knew it would be a bit of a challenge as I work shifts, but I have had no real problems with it up to now, having been back at work for 3 months. This might be long, sorry!

DS is now 9 months and having 4/5 feeds a day, so the amount of times I need to express depends on what shift I do.

His milk/solid feeds are roughly (still fed as required really)

milk about 4 am (this one varies a bit, or sometimes have 6am instead of 4 and 7)
milk 7am
breakfast 9.30ish
milk between 12 and 1pm
lunch 2 ish
milk between 4 and 5pm
dinner 6pm ish
milk before bed - he goes down about 8pm

I have never tried to drop feeds, he has cut down himself as he has got onto his 3 wee meals a day though.

I have always managed to express at work at roughly when I'd feed him, and have managed to get 4-5 oz to do him a bottle. The amount he takes varies, partly depending on what I express but sometimes he will not finish 4oz, then next time guzzle 5 or 6.

My problem currently is the evening shift where I have to cover the feeds between 2 and 10pm. I have really struggled recently and today only managed to get ~2oz (4oz total) at a time which is only half as much as I normally leave for him. Last night I managed 6 oz total, then had to try and express a bit more before work to leave enough for DH to give him.

Is there any way I can deal with this? He feeds away happily so I am not worried about supply - he is just more efficient than a Medela Swing I suppose!

Would it be better to try and move to one feed before bed and have a snack or something in the afternoon or fiddle with the time he has milk/meals?

I have never tried to alter his pattern before, but I suppose it would take the pressure off if I was expressing once for one less feed. I don't really want to introduce formula at all though.

Any advice/suggestions welcome, hope this made sense.

Thanks in advance.

Do you think you could increase the efficiency of your pumping to get more out ? Are you doing breast compressions and hand expressing at the end of pumping to really ensure you get everything out ?

I had a drop in expressing volume at around 10 months, found by switching from electric pump to scent hand pump that I got more out. Hope you find a solution.

Doing compressions, yes, but not hand expressing - I am in too much of a rush I suppose. Will definitely try that.

I do have a hand pump too so will maybe have a go at that out of interest to see what result I get.

Thanks ladies

PS CMOTDibbler after you replied on my first expressing at work post, guess what books I have been re-reading during expressing breaks.... I am on about the eighth in the series now and am quite enjoying it to relax a bit.

Nice to have a relaxing read while you express - I swear that expressing was what kept me sane when I went back to work.

I think hand expressing really helps to get the last milk out as the pump doesn't work so well then - I think I used to get another once per breast by hand expressing

I forgot my book last night, maybe that's why I struggled even more!

I use the time check in and see how my wee boy and his Daddy are getting on at home as well which cheers me up a bit unless DH is having a tough evening with him of course..