So I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding my 19 week old but in 10 days time I’ve got to start work which means leaving her with my partner for 4 hours in the afternoon. I started pumping to built up a freezer stash 6 days ago with the hope the by the time I start work I’ll be able to pump about 100ml every morning and use the freezer as a back up. (Checking online it says at her age she might want up to 150ml in the time I’m away)
I started with a hand me down Medela battery powered pump with mixed results. She’s gone from one sleeping habit to another during the week too which I think has affected it. At the beginning of the week she was waking 5ish and just wanting the nipple so we co-slept/nipple napped until morning then I waited 30 minutes after she woke up to pump (assuming she’d already had enough breakfast being at the nipple for some time) this was fairly good and I got 70ml one morning.
But now she’s gone back to a normal sleep pattern of waking at 4 for a feed going down fine and then waking up in the morning, it’s totally thrown it off. I feed her in the morning then wait 30 minutes then try to pump. I never get more than 30ml. I panicked yesterday and thought it must be the old style pump, so I bought a Momcosy S12. I tried the same routine this morning and disaster. Firstly I bent over so lost the first bit of milk and with the other I only got about 20ml again. The problem is that my baby will currently only nap on the boob when we are at home so there just feels like there is no time. With her 30minute morning feed then waiting 30 minutes to pump then 10 minutes pumping on each boob then we are pushing into 1.30 wake window territorio so she gets fussy and needs a quiet dark boob time.
Is there any need to wait 30minutes after the first feed to start pumping?
if you pump too close to the time she wants to feed/rest on the boob she’s more likely to get fussy because there is less milk?
Should I just do one side pumping instead of two sides?
Am I over thinking it and should I just pump when one boob feels big? As long as it‘s not too close to expected feeding/sleeping time?
I know it would be easier if she didn’t boob nap but that’s what we are dealing with right now and with the days remaibing my main focus is milk making! We’ll deal with the nap later on.
Thanks in advance - I feel really anxious about it all, going back to work and leaving her but also really angry that the country I live in doesn’t have longer maternity leave to allow a baby to breastfeed until it should have the right to.