Working and Pumping

Hi, I was EBF but has recently begun pumping and as a result of going out, have left my caretaker with a bottle in between my outtings/errands runs.

I'm not sure if it's because DS is now almost 5 weeks (and a growing boy), the pumping and bottle feeding, but our BFing schedule is pretty out of sync right now.  He now has stretches of not feeding for about 3-5 hours whereas he used to nurse every 2 hours.  Why are these changes happening?

How should I respond to these 'delayed' feedings?  Should I feed the pump every two hours as I would have if he wanted to nurse on the 'old' schedule?  If yes, would it trigger oversupply?  DOes that mean that I'll have to pump every two hours when I return to work at the beginning of November?

If I shouldn't feed the pump every two hours, would it signal to my body that I do NOT need all this supply and therefore LOWER my supply????

Lastly, after I pump, how soon am I able to nurse him?  In other words, how soon after pumping will there be milk available?

TIA!

At birth, babies have very tiny tummies.  In combination w/ the easy digestibility of breastmilk, newborns have to eat very frequently.

As they get older, their tummies get bigger, so they can eat more at one feeding and may not need to eat as often (though they still usually do some "cluster feeding").  They also get more efficient at suckling, so they can get the same amount of milk or more in a shorter period of time.

So as long as you are feeding your little one as often and as much as he wants, your supply should adjust to make exactly as much as he needs.  You can be sure that he's getting enough milk if (1) he's eating 8-12 x a day, (2) he's making plenty of wet diapers, (3) he's gaining weight, (4) he's happy and satisfied.

Obviously when you substitute in a bottle for a feeding at the breast, you are meddling a little with the system.  But as long as you pump for a missed feeding, you should keep up supply.  You definitely don't want to pump *too* much, b/c then you can trigger oversupply.  If you're wanting to build up a freezer stash for work, I would recommend just pumping once a day, e.g. in the morning, plus pumping when you miss a feeding.

HTH :)

*SPENCER* 41 year old Mami of a toddler!