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Pump It Up: Tips for the Nursing Mom Returning to Work
Maternity leave has come to an end, and that means it’s time to think about pumping. It’s not my favorite thing to do, but it is a big part of the breastfeeding experience for working moms. Interested in hearing what other moms had to say about this topic, I took a look at the pumping and working questions here. Everyone seems to have their own way of doing things once they get back to work. But what should a mom do before she returns to work?
I’ve found a method of preparation that works for me. Perhaps these tips will be helpful to you as well. The first time I returned to work after maternity leave, I went back to part-time – just two days a week. I pumped twice a day at work with a manual pump. That worked just fine for me. This time around, I’ll be working full-time – three days in the office and two days at home. I’m going to stick with the manual pump for now and see how it goes since I’m already comfortable with it. (To find the perfect pump for you, check out Which Breast Pump Is Best For You? A little hint: if you choose to go with an electric pump, check with your insurance company to see if they will reimburse you for any part of the purchase. This may mean that you have to buy it through a hospital, and most offer them for sale at their women’s boutique.)
To prepare for returning to work, I began pumping at home a few weeks before so as to build up a milk bank, and to get used to pumping again. I decided to pump any excess left over from a feeding (rather than introducing a let down separate from what my daughter induces), since she occasionally nurses only on one side. This keeps my body from producing too much, preventing engorgement.
Last time around I think I started pumping way too early before returning to work, which led to my body thinking it needed to produce more milk than necessary, which led to engorgement, which subsequently led to my disenchantment with the whole process!
Lately, I’ve been pumping 2 to 4 ounces every day or two. I haven’t encountered any engorgement, and my freezer hasn’t been overtaken by Gerber storage bags!
I’ve already asked my husband and mother-in-law – who between them will be taking care of our daughters while I’m at work – to keep track of ounces consumed during the first week I’m back at work. I’ll be interested to see what my daughter actually eats while I’m at the office. It will give me a better idea of how much to pump in order to keep her satisfied.
While I’m not thrilled about going back to work, and even less thrilled about having to pump while I’m there, I’m confident that I’m prepared to pump successfully.
Do you have any tips that I and other mothers returning to work might find helpful? Please share your thoughts!
Jennifer Dennard is a married, full-time working mom of two girls who enjoys blogging and tweeting (@SmyrnaGirl). Her maternity leave at an end, she recently went back to work at Billian Publishing as Internet Content Coordinator.
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teri willis , September 24, 2009
I breast fed both of my girl, but that was before the Gerber breast bags. The bags that are sold today hold alot of breast milk that your baby may, or may not eat at one serving. The milk should not be reheated and used because of bacteria. As you already know this is such a precious comodity that can not be replaced as easily as a can of formula. What I did was obtain good quality ice cube trays that held one once of liquid...
Thao, September 24, 2009
Congrats on wanting to continue pumping. My twins are 7 months and I nurse and pump at work. I have a Medela pump in style backpack unit and an easy expression hands free bra. You can order at Amazon. It allows me to easily attach the shields without taking off the bra, just move the bra up and you are set. I can also still type on the computer or read so that the 15 minutes go by fast...
Lori, September 24, 2009
I started pumping 3 weeks before I was due to return to work. I had a hard time producing enough milk to feed our daughter let alone pump extra for storage. So I was a bit discourage to have only pumped less than an ounce the first few days of trying. I kept at it and eventually I got up to where I was pumping 3 oz. from both breast three times a day while at work. I did use the electric pump, which I highly recommend...
Mummy of 2, September 24, 2009
I am pumping now and I am finding that my 4 month old is now eating more during the day, however, I do not pump as much as he eats. I, at one time, had a good supply going, then was sick and unable to pump for 24 hours due to medication. So my supply went down and never came up. So now with him eating more, I really don't have a supply, where I could go away for 24 hours and him have enough milk...How would you suggest getting the supply back up to where I am making as much as he is eating.....
Alicia, September 24, 2009
You need to pump a few times at home. This will give you several pieces of information you need, how well your equipment works, how long it takes and what type of clothing works best for you.
Good luck!
Liza, September 24, 2009
I went back to work when my son was 7 months old and pumped 4 times a day at work and soon after, only 3 times a day. I suggest storing your pump parts in the refrigerator or cooler and not washing them in between sessions to save time. It's also a good idea to have at least two sets of pump parts so they have time to dry and you can pack the night before. I used bags for storage and then the bottle for the last pump of the day...
noelle, September 24, 2009
My baby is 6 weeks, and I recently started pumping at home in order to build storage. When we go back to work, I will pump at work while the daycare she'll be at will feed her expressed milk. Then in the afternoon, I'll go visit her and breastfeed her at daycare. I have a Purely Yours pump, and since I'm new to this I couldn't really say if any issues I'm having are pump-related but it seems like a good pump to me and was far cheaper than the medela, if you're strapped...
Nicole Kobman, September 24, 2009
when I first returned back to work as an occupational therapist there were few times to pump as most of my day was patient care. I found 15 minutes in the morning, then I would take my lunch break to go to his daycare which was thankfully very close by. I would pump again around 4pm. When my job moved me too far from his daycare to go feed him, I would pump during lunch in the bathroom (not the most comfortable place but it was private)...
Sarah, September 24, 2009
First of all, there's no such thing as too much milk in the freezer!
Second, if you're using a Pump-in-Style don't use the breast sheilds that come with it! Get the soft shields and/or the large shields (I got the best results switching back and forth every few days!)
Karen, September 26, 2009
Congrats on doing this! It is not always easy at work, but it can be done! I just wanted to offer this for anyone who is considering pumping - check with your insurance company about a breast pump...
Shari Hintz, September 27, 2009
I'll be going back to work in 6 more weeks, and not looking forward to all that pumping, but this time around I did get more of a headstart.
Last time (2 1/2 y.o. daughter) I found a couple of things helpful...
1)Purchased extra pump parts so I had 3 sets and could use a different set each time I pumped during the day (pumped 3 times a day) and washed them all at home...
