School, Work and Breast feeding mommy...ohh my

Well. I start medical terminology on the 16th this month, along with hoping to start work sometime in February. My daughters 5 months old and breast fed. She just started on solids so my milk supply has adjusted to what she needs so of course it has gone down. Im in a bit of a panic to store up milk for when I start school and work. School is only 3 hours a day 1 day a week and the work will be about 4-6 hours a day 3-4 days a week. How does everyone do it?? I pump but it's not often I end up with enough "extra" to pump. I have 3 boxes of Traditional Medicinals "Mother's Milk" tea so I can try to up my supply enough to stock pile milk. Not only does she need milk to drink but also milk for her cereal and veggies. Has anyone tried fenugreek?? Does it really work?? I have an electric pump but it's not hospital grade. I'm thinking about hitting up WIC. I mean, I'm not usually one to take when I technically don't need but I have been told a hospital grade pump is your best bet for keeping up supply. I have a hand pump I use to get some quick milk for her food ( off subject statement: who ever decided hand expression was easier is crazy!!) So how do all you working/nursing mama's do it?? Formula is absolutely NOT an option. I guess if I lost my like she'd obviously have to have something but I'd like to avoid it at all costs.

*milk

I rent a free, i guess borrow, hospital grade pump from Wic ( all new parts sterile and they provide freezer storing bags), you could do that? Also I did Fenugreek when I went back to work and It really helped me! I started taking one or two a day and after talking to an LC she said i need to take MUCH more, I had no Idea so I started taking 4-5 a day and it really made a difference within days for me. I was able to pump and freeze a stash of 50 ounces, and my SO burned threw about half before i could keep up with what i pumped at work and brought home ect.

I would feed her right before leaving. Then when I got home I pumped before feeding her to trigger my body for more.

Make sure while you're pumping you're squeezing it down with the suction of the pump to help get out more milk. Just letting te limo go itself wot get much. You have to coax it out.

What kind of pump do you have? You don't NEED hospital grade if u have a good one. Hospital grade is more helpful for exclusively pumping or pumping for preemies or if you have supply issues to begin with.

You may notice she nurses a lot more through the night. Let her. This will help keep your supply up.

For fenugreek you start with 3 pills 3x a day. U should smell like maple syrup. The issues this can cause is 1) a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. This will be evident through green poop or not gaining weight. Fenugreek sucks all theater out of your body so it makes an excess of watery milk. 2) since it pulls so much water from you you NEED to drink a crap ton of water. If you don't you'll get dehydrated and lose milk supply.

Quoting Mommy519:" I rent a free, i guess borrow, hospital grade pump from Wic ( all new parts sterile and they provide ... [snip!] ... a stash of 50 ounces, and my SO burned threw about half before i could keep up with what i pumped at work and brought home ect."

You know.. I never even thought to call my LC.

Quoting lolajessup:" I would feed her right before leaving. Then when I got home I pumped before feeding her to trigger my ... [snip!] ... it pulls so much water from you you NEED to drink a crap ton of water. If you don't you'll get dehydrated and lose milk supply."

I have a Madela pump I got at my baby shower and a lansinoh hand pump. the hand pump kind of hurts too :/ and i really don't drink as much water as i need to. i was just talking about that today.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Elsie Grim:</b>" I have a Madela pump I got at my baby shower and a lansinoh hand pump. the hand pump kind of hurts too :/ and i really don't drink as much water as i need to. i was just talking about that today."</blockquote>

You should be good with the Medela. I mean if u can get a hospital grade one cool, but I'f not you'll be fine.

If you don't drink enough water I wouldn't do fenugreek.

Eat lots of oatmeal   and do the tea

Quoting lolajessup:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Elsie Grim:</b>" I have a Madela pump I got at my baby shower ... [snip!] ... but I'f not you'll be fine. If you don't drink enough water I wouldn't do fenugreek. Eat lots of oatmeal   and do the tea"

mmm. i love me some oatmeal lol when i was pregnant i was really good about drinking water but now it seems i just drink a lot of juice and milk. I haven't been very good about soda lately either but thats a whole other subject lol Thanks for the help!!

<blockquote><b>Quoting Elsie Grim:</b>" mmm. i love me some oatmeal lol when i was pregnant i was really good about drinking water but now it ... [snip!] ... of juice and milk. I haven't been very good about soda lately either but thats a whole other subject lol Thanks for the help!!"</blockquote>

Good luck. Just pump as much as you can throughout the day an night as well.