Balancing Breastfeeding and Working

I worked for the first year of my first daughter's life and it was difficult. I pumped 3 times at work, breast fed when I was at home and pumped again before I went to sleep. I did house work, with my DH help at night but mostly on the weekend. Eventually DD weaned herself off at 7 months just as my supply was dwindling. So it worked out I would spend the 15 minutes pumping staring at a pic of my daughter knowing my sacrifice was for her. I have 2 now and stay at home. Number 3 is on the way and working is not an option, but I know working mothers work hard to balance it all and I commend them. I was there too once.

The best advice i can say is routine and dedication. I myself am a sahm but my friend worked and breastfeed her son for the first year. She said that at work she had scheduled times of the day to pump and when she was home she nursed. When she was home she felt like it was a good way to wined down from the day and it was nice to have that bonding time with her son. Weekends were for house work so for her she balanced well. But she did say that it was tough at times. She said she could never go out to lunch with co-workers because she always had to stay in and pump but she said for her baby it was worth it. I think that if woman really want to breastfeed their babies they will find the time and make the effort for it to work.

I am a SAHM but for me that doesn't mean that I don't work too. I have a 5 month old that I am nursing right now and then I have 5 older children too. I find that my nursing allows me some time where I get to sit down and think about the day, how it is going and what I still need to get down (during the morning) or reflect on how the day went and the fun things that we did (during the evening and night). Sometimes it is difficult because it seems like as soon as I sit down to nurse something goes wrong that needs my attention, but I try to put it off until I am done with the baby. I think I spend a lot of time planning my day around her nursing schedule but it gives me a chance to unwind every few hours. I have been lucky to be able to stay home with my last 4 children as I worked with the first 2. I was never a good pumper and so when I went back to work with the first 2 that was the end of my nursing them.....but I have been able to nurse the next ones, some to 6 months and others to a yr. I find that I just have to commit to the task and let other things at home slide a little, so I can be there for the baby. My thoughts are I would rather the kids remember that I spent time reading/playing with them than that I had a spotless house with the dishes always being done.
J. SAHM with 6

Hi Amy,

I would like to say that I am a tad offended by the way this is asked. I am sure you didn't mean it to be, but the reference that SAHM don't also wear the different hats. I have 6 kids, 10 yrs apart. I have nursed all of my six kids. I pumped and stored my milk for 9 mo until my son, that was delayed, caught on to nursing. I go to bed burned out often and don't get the break in the day for lunch out or even a quiet ride to work.

I can tell you that my sisters, 3 that nursed and worked, only nursed for 3-4 months. All of them had a great deal of support from their husbands. When they came home and nursed, this was their time to unwind.