If youre breastfeeding and pumping at work

Do you have your LO on a schedule? What is it? My DH stays home with DD who just turned 4 months yesterday. Our ped said to start putting her on a feeding schedule.

She suggested:

Wake her up at 8am (sometimes she sleeps until 9am) 6oz bottle

11am 6oz

2pm 6oz

I get home around 5:30 so she said I can nurse her on demand at that point.

If youre breastfeeding and pumping at work

When I went back to work, DD was (and still is) home with a nanny. Our ped never suggested putting her on a schedule. I definitely wouldn't wake her - there is no need at 4 months, and if she doesn't have to get up, then why bother her?

DD NEVER took a 6 oz bottle. 4-5 oz was always her max, all the way until she turned 1. Even now, she only drinks a couple of ounces of milk at a time.

I always fed her on demand (even when it was the nanny feeding her with a bottle). She eventually of course sort of settled into a routine, but I like the flexibility of not having her on an exact schedule. She eats and drinks when she is hungry, and she has always gained weight just fine. I had a decent freezer stash, so pumping for each day was not an issue.

Do you know why your ped is suggesting this? I understand getting them on a schedule, but if DD is home with DH and you have plenty of pumped milk at home, what difference does it make if she sleeps in and eats when she is hungry?

Re: If youre breastfeeding and pumping at work

I BF at 6 am, they get bottle of BM at 10, bottle of BM at 2, then I BF on demand once I get home at 5.

At 4 months, they were probably eating every 3 hours though, so BF at 6, bottle at 9, bottle at 12, bottle at 3, BF on demand once I get home at 5.

The 6 am feeding I always do and then they go right back to sleep. I did that out of convenience for myself (that's when I wake up... I feed them and then can shower/get dressed, etc).

ITA about the amounts of BM too. My twins will be 1 year old on Thursday and they still take just 4 ounces each. Some babies never go over that amount. Your breast milk changes over time to meet your baby's needs.

Re: If youre breastfeeding and pumping at work

Schedule just makes things easier. I still nurse DS on demand over the weekends and when I work from home but when he is with our nanny this is what his feeding schedule looks like:

6-7am - Wake up and nurse
10 am- Bottle 5-6oz
10:30am-nap
1pm- Bottle 5-6oz
3pm- nap
4pm-Bottle 5-6 oz

I nurse him when I come home from work around 6-6:30pm and throughout the night.

Re: If youre breastfeeding and pumping at work

I should add that I have a big girl. At 4 months shes 26.5 inches long, 15.5 pounds. The ped is the one who suggested those amounts on an every 3 hour schedule.

I told my DH to not wake her up. I said we can do the 3 hour schedule but start it when she wakes. Like today she woke up at 9am, so it'll be 9, 12, 3 then on demand when I get home.

Thanks for the input, was interested in what everyone else does.

She also told us not to start solids for another 1.5-2 months. She said breastmilk is all she needs right now. Normal?

Re: If youre breastfeeding and pumping at work

I agree with doing the 3 hour schedule from whenever she wakes up. You might want to feed her before you go to work though :)

At 4 months, my first was 17 lbs!

We did not start solids until 6 months with any of our 3. BM should be the main source of nutrition for the first YEAR, so you're not at any disadvantage by starting at 6 months. Mine are almost 12 months as I mentioned before, eat all table food and eat a huge variety of foods without a problem.