Working moms

[Bellybump89]

Any tips on how to establish breastfeeding when you have to go back to work at 6 weeks?

I'm newly pregnant again and I'm trying to figure out a game plan for after the baby is born. Any tips from full time working moms of pumpers appreciated

 

[TriChick]

I'm getting ready to go back this week after 6 weeks off. The only thing I can suggest (other than nursing on demand to establish supply) is to start pumping and storing once a day about two weeks prior, to start a stash. Doing this has lessen my anxiety a little about going back. Also we started introducing a bottle of expressed milk every few days around that time, to ensure we worked through any bottle/nipple preference issues well in advance. Though I'm still not 100% sure that it will be smooth sailing, these steps (along with investing in a good pump) make me feel much more prepared for the transition. Good luck! (And I'm stalking this thread for more tips from the experienced mommies!)

 

[src]

I went back to work when my son was eight weeks. At three weeks, I started pumping one side while he was nursing on the other. I did that for a week to build a stash. I had my husband start giving him a bottle at four weeks to get him used to the difference and I pumped both sides during that feeding. I continued pumping one side for another one or two feedings, depending on soreness. It took some getting used to the pumping - I HATED the way it felt for probably the first month. Now I'm back at work (just 3 days a week) and I pump twice a day. My insurance covered an electric pump, so check with yours, they're expensive!

We do supplement with ready made formula mixed in with the bottles to stretch supply. He probably ends up getting 80% breast milk overall I'd say. On my days off, my husband still gives him a bottle. I usually just use a manual pump on the side my son would have fed on. I'm not worried about supplementing affecting supply or anything since he only gets it in a bottle when I'm not around and am pumping anyway. I just breastfeed him on demand the rest of the time I am home. He's 13 weeks now and so far, so good!

 

[Skittleblue]

I had to go back at 8 weeks. My dd had bottles from day 1 (thanks to jaundice and a crappy pediatrician and hospital staff) so we knew that wouldn't be an issue. You will want to start your lo on bottles a week or two before going back. If it's family that your lo will be staying with, make sure they know that a breastfed baby shouldn't be allowed to chug a bottle and how to "pace" them. My daughter was fed 12 oz in 5 hours my first day back because they just didn't know how the difference between breast and bottle meant that she would take so much more. It also helped me to have sort of set times for pumping. I noticed that if I was even 30 minutes early one day, I got less that day. It was like my body learned to expect it. I don't know if that's normal, but it definitely happened to me. The other big problem I had was getting busy at work and not drinking enough, therefore pumping less. Really watching my liquids was huge.

Everyone told me to work on a freezer stash, and that's not a bad idea, but I didn't understand that I couldn't just rely on it if I had a day that I got less. If you're pulling from your freezer stash, that's that much less your telling your body you need, which does end up decreasing your supply if you make it a habit. You probably already know that, and I did once I thought about it, but it didn't really register to me when I first went back.

I hope something in all of this is at least a little bit helpful.

 

[Bellybump89]

So much useful information here! Thank you so much everyone

I think I'm gonna talk to my boss and see what she says about having a designated room I can borrow at work to pump in.

I am defintely going to check my insurance and see if they will cover a pump. My old pump broke! And thanks for the tip about the freezer stash