Back to school after baby

amother

Thu, Oct 20 2022, 8:29 am

This isn’t my first baby but it’s the first time I’ll be going back to school after only 6 weeks and needing to pump.
I have a 15 min break at 10 every day which I’m supposed to use for pumping. I feel like that’s not really enough time but I’ll have to make it work.
Two questions for experienced ima/teachers: I leave at 7:50 to drop off my kids and get to school on time which means my baby needs to be fed before that. BH I have a very good supply and I’m worried about getting engorged. I’ll probably have to wake him to eat at “the right time” so that we can all make it out the door. So that means he’ll be eating probably around 6-6:30…
He’ll probably need 2-3 bottles at the babysitter - he’ll be there from 8-12:30. I’m hoping he’ll only need 2 and I’ll just be able to feed him when I get home. I’d prefer not to give formula, but if I’m only pumping once during that time what should I do? I’m not going back for another 4 weeks so I have some time to build up a stock but when do I pump to be able to do that?
Any tips would be super helpful!!

realtalk

Thu, Oct 20 2022, 8:40 am

You legally should be getting a 15min break every 3hrs so if you’re working 6hrs, you should be getting a second break and it’s on the school to figure out the accommodations.

Based off the 6-6:30 feed, he’d eat again at 9-9:30, then 12-12:30 which is already pickup. If you’re only getting one pumping break at work, I’d probably wait till 7 in the morning to feed the baby, then bottle at 10, then you feed him when you get home. Have an extra bag of frozen milk by the babysitter for if he gets hungry early one day but realistically, if you’re only pumping regularly once a day you can only expect him to get one bottle a day.

amother

Pear

Thu, Oct 20 2022, 8:40 am

The biggest issue is that you plan on feeding baby so far before you leave. Can you get everyone settled with breakfast at around 7:15 and then nurse or pump while they're eating?
Because 7:30, 10, and 12:30 (ask daycare if you can nurse there before going home if you have a commute) is very reasonable.

I pack lunches before kids surface, get breakfast on the table, then they wake up, get dressed, and can eat themselves while I feed baby.

Also, insist on a longer than 15 min break- 25 is more reasonable. Legally they have to give it to you.

amother

Thu, Oct 20 2022, 9:02 am

Thanks so much!
So I’m not actually teaching for 6 hours it’s just with commute times that I’m out for so long.
I could feed him closer to when I leave - I guess during these few weeks I need to get him on more of a schedule…
I have a 30 min break at 11 but I can’t imagine going that long without pumping even if I push off his morning feeding until 7 or even 7:30. It could be that’s the break the school had in mind for pumping but it just seems really late.
The babysitter is a neighbor so no commute really - if he’s hungry and screaming I’m sure I could feed him at her house.

amother

Holly

Thu, Oct 20 2022, 9:44 am

mha3484 wrote:

Can you get the willow pump you wear under your clothes?

It's not made to be used in class or in public. It's very obvious. But it's a good option for the car.
OP, maybe find a place that you'd be able to pay in installments. I think buy buy baby has that option.

amother

Sunflower

Thu, Oct 20 2022, 9:52 am

amother OP wrote:

I wish it was in the budget… would make life so much easier!! At least just to be able to pump in the car 😁

Personally found it overrated. Easier to use my regular pump. It’s also cold enough outside that you can just leave milk in the car if it’s 2 hours ish.

I had an oversupply and pumped (at work) for a year on a similar schedule. I would aim to pump once at 11. You will most likely get more than one bottles worth at least in the beginning.

I would aim to feed the baby later like other said but my baby wasn’t really flexible (she put herself on a 3 hour schedule and wouldn’t eat a minute sooner) so I didn’t let that get to me. She usually has just one bottle when I was out but if we were off schedule she would have two and I pumped when I got home. Most important thing is not to obsess and stay calm.

If she didn’t eat right before I pumped before work/ on the way. I just put the pump under my shell and covered with a cardigan. The issue is the more you pump the more you’ll make.

Freeze now if you have extra milk (you can pump once or twice in the morning if you have nothing frozen and want some) but don’t obsess- I needed up donating all my extra milk because I was busy hoarding it.

amother

Lime

Thu, Oct 20 2022, 11:42 am

You don’t need a willow to pump while you drive. My commutes were the best time for pumping! I used to pump for my whole commute on my Medela freestyle and spectra . For my spectra, I got a plug adapter on Amazon for my car. I bought a hands free pumping bra and used a nursing cover to cover myself. If I were you, I’d take advantage of that time.

I would set everything up before I started driving.

amother

Caramel

Thu, Oct 20 2022, 11:55 am

I am not out that long for my teaching, but when my baby was little, I was out for almost 4 hours.

I'd feed around 11:45 or 12, leave to work around 12:30, and be home around 4:20.

During that time, baby only needed one bottle, around 3:00.

I'd get home and pump as soon as I walked in the door. Each day I'd pump for the next day.

As soon as baby was 6 mo old, I stopped with the pumping and that feeding when I was at school was baby food.

(And I nursed clean until baby was 19 mo old, so it didn't affect anything.)