Exclusively Breastfeeding while working full time

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amother

Oak

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 12:41 pm

Did anyone successfully breastfeed exclusively while working full time? With my last child I started working when she was 6 months. I had to supplement with formula because I didn't have any space to pump at work but she still managed to nurse for 2+ years. This time I will prob have to go back to work at 6 weeks or less but really like to bf exclusively with no formula. Is this feasible?

Chayalle

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 12:49 pm

I worked full time and nursed each of my girls, but I only pumped until they were a year old. After a year, they took cow's milk in their bottles while at the babysitter, and I continued to nurse morning, evening, and weekends until they were about 18 months, and my youngest to 21 months.

I used to pump twice while at work - at around 11 am and again around 2 pm. I would nurse right before taking to the babysitter, and again right when I got home. I used the Medela pump, and put my milk in a zippered pouch in the fridge at my office.

myym

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 12:49 pm

It certainly is! I did it with 5 children, bH. Of course you need to pump every 3/4 hours or so, but if you do pump and nurse the baby when you are home it should work out. Every workplace is required to provide you with time to pump as well as a place to pump. Worst case pump in the bathroom. Been there, done that. It is all worth it! I personally prefer hand pumps for this reason. Much more ability to pump wherever. The medulla hand pump is like $30 on amazon. Best of luck!

besty

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 1:01 pm

yups! doing it so far I pump twice a day and some days go out to nurse my baby instead of lunch break....my babysitter is a block away from my office

mha3484

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 1:02 pm

Yes with the caveat that I work very close to home. I organized my morning so the last thing I did was nurse before leaving the house. I would nurse at lunchtime and the second I walked in the door around 5. He took one pumped bottle in the afternoon. I detest pumping so that bottle eventually was replaced with solids.

Faigy86

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 1:03 pm

myym wrote:

Every workplace is required to provide you with time to pump as well as a place to pump.

To the best of my knowledge, only larger employers have this requirement, and the time to pump does not need to be paid time...

Member24

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 1:05 pm

I went back to work when my daughter was 6 weeks ( Sad

) but I had my new best friend with me- a good quality double electric pump. I also has one at home. I was seriously either pumping or nursing round the clock. Did it for about a year until I stopped. It did get easier once LO was eating solids.

amother

Babyblue

Wed, Jun 01 2016, 1:06 pm

I EBF'd my first child without formula and am now EBFing the second, who will be starting solids soon when she turns 6 months. I work 45-50 hours per week in the office and more hours from home. It's doable for some, but there are a lot of factors that play into it.

Pumping conditions. I am lucky in that I have my own office with a locking door, so I am usually able to pump as long and often as I want. I try to pump three times per day, but sometimes I only pump twice. I keep my pump at work and only carry parts and bottles back and forth. I recommend buying at least 2 sets of parts (3 is better).

Child's preferences. My first child ate 18-20 ounces of pumped milk per day at daycare, so it was hard work keeping up and I often had to pump extra on the weekend or at night. My second child eats only 14 ounces per day at daycare, so it's a lot easier to keep up and I manage to add to my freezer stash most weeks. Also, some babies won't eat frozen milk (google lipase).

Freezer stash. Many people manage with only a small stash. I needed a large one because sometimes random things would happen to reduce my supply and it would take a few days to build back up. I had a longer maternity leave, about 4 months, so I had time to build a sizable stash both times. With my first child, my stash was almost gone by her first birthday because I got sick a few times and sometimes missed too many pumping sessions due to a mix of work and poor planning. With this one so far, my stash just keeps growing and I rarely dip into it.

Good luck and try not to stress too much. Even if you supplement, that won't take anything away from all the good things you are giving your baby with whatever amount of nursing you can do.

amother

White

Thu, Jun 02 2016, 3:14 pm

I pumped until my daughter was 18 months old (obviously in smaller amounts, since she was eating real food and drinking cow's milk).

The earlier you return to work, the less established your milk supply will be, and the more your daughter's intake will increase. So, what I had to do: even though my daughter only nursed every 3 hours at home, I had to pump at work every 2 hours in order to get the same amount of milk. I strongly recommend pumping more frequently than your baby eats - otherwise, your milk supply may not stay up enough. I know plenty of people who went back to work before their babies were 3 months old and tried to pump just twice at work and they ran out of milk by 6 months or earlier.

So what I would do, was I got a really good double electric pump (I love medela! their pump is stronger than some others), and then pump for just 10-12 minutes every 2 hours (because after 10-15 minutes of pumping, the amount of milk I got was very little and it was just wasting time). It was a pain in the neck, but get a handsfree pumping bra - they are a life saver - I would catch up on reading for work while pumping, or send e-mails. Depends what you do. I shared an office with another woman, and we locked the door, and I put a nursing apron over me while I pumped and she just ignored it. And I was able to pump from when I went back to work all the way until my daughter was 18 months (as she got older and starting eating lots of solids, I reduced the number of pumping sessions at work), and she never had formula the entire time I worked - not once.

So it is doable but requires commitment. You can do it!

observer

Thu, Jun 02 2016, 3:16 pm

Yes, I nursed all of my children while working. I pumped on my breaks. If there were some days I didn't get enough, I would pump in between feedings or early morning.

Miri7

Thu, Jun 02 2016, 3:43 pm

Yes, it's doable! Especially if you plan ahead and don't stress.

I returned to work at 8 weeks with my last and knew that I don't produce a lot of milk and tend to get little when I pump. So from day one of my milk coming in at home I began pumping to trick my body into thinking that demand was higher than it actually was.

This gave me more milk and built up my freezer stash.

Pump as much as you can when you work, especially at first.

I would pump first thing in the morning before my baby woke. If we woke at the same time, I would nurse her on one side and pump the other.

If you have a car commute, some people pump while driving. There are new attachments that are slimmer and can fit under a top. I didn't so this but a friend does. Great way to multi task.

I rented a hospital grade double symphony Medea pump. Amazing!

I found tips on the site kellymom to be helpful.

HonesttoGod

Thu, Jun 02 2016, 3:54 pm

Yes I did it for 4 months but then work was stressful and due to the stress and lack of time to pump my supply dwindled and I switched to formula.
It may not be easy but if you have a good pump and a comfortable place to pump it is most definitely doable.

amother

Oak

Thu, Jun 02 2016, 4:17 pm

Miri7 wrote:

If you have a car commute, some people pump while driving. There are new attachments that are slimmer and can fit under a top. I didn't so this but a friend does. Great way to multi task.

I rented a hospital grade double symphony Medea pump. Amazing!

I found tips on the site kellymom to be helpful.

Yes I do have a long commute. How do you pump and drive?

imanewmom2010

Thu, Jun 02 2016, 4:36 pm

Depends what you do how difficult it will be I returned to work with 3 month old baby. I managed it until 6 months 5 without formula. I lost my milk bec I wasn't pumping enuf since I work 12hrs 3x/ week and can go 12 hrs without even getting a break. I pumped on my way to and from work in the car with my Madela pump in style.

RedCurls

Thu, Jun 02 2016, 6:01 pm

It is doable but what I don't think is coming through is that it's hard! All the mothers here are amazing! I'm doing it now too but have had to learn to let things go and focus on all that I'm giving my baby. Best of luck!

Marion

Fri, Jun 03 2016, 9:10 am

#2 & #3 refused bottles; I found a daycare space in the building next to where I was working and went every 3 hours to nurse. #4 was fine with pumped bottles.

#1 was a whole other kettle of fish...I didn't go back to work until he was almost 9 months old and he did get some formula.

observer

Fri, Jun 03 2016, 9:53 am

RedCurls wrote:

Yes, it is very hard! For sure! I saw someone else mentioned this too, but I also would pump in the beginning few weeks and keep my supply a bit higher than the demand and create a freezer stash.

HonesttoGod

Fri, Jun 03 2016, 10:28 am

observer wrote:

Yes, it is very hard! For sure! I saw someone else mentioned this too, but I also would pump in the beginning few weeks and keep my supply a bit higher than the demand and create a freezer stash.

Yes I mentioned above, it is totally doable but hard!
I also kept a huge stash in my freezer, I literally pumped from week 1 when my milk came in at least once a day. I always used to nurse one side in the AM and pump the other but eventually it all fell apart and I just couldn't do it.

To the poster who asked how to pump in a car, many pumps come with a wire to attach to the "cigarette lighter" in the car. Or USB connection. Buy a pumping bra (that holds the pieces) connect it all, switch it on and drive.

mmyy

Fri, Jun 03 2016, 11:01 am

I managed to do so till my dd was over 2 years, for sure the amount went down as she started with solids but for the first few month I was use to pump 3 times a day (left the house at 8:30 and came back at 5:45) at my office in the bathroom
it wasn't so comfortable as I was the only lady in a men office but it was worth it to have my baby getting only breastfeeding milk

observer

Fri, Jun 03 2016, 12:04 pm

HonesttoGod wrote:

The Medela freestyle is meant to be a portable pump that can be used on the go, while driving, etc.

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