Top 10 Tips for Breastfeeding Mamas Going Back to Work

This is the unfortunate reality for many nursing mothers these days. I say ‘unfortunate’ because I can think of very few nursing mothers I have worked with over the years who really look forward to going back to work and leaving their babies. While I do believe that the optimal situation is for a baby to remain at home with his mother for the first several years of life, I know that this is just simply not an option for the majority of women.

It is hard to be separated from your baby, but being able to nurse when you are together benefits both of you physically and emotionally. The look on your baby’s face when you walk in the door after a long separation as he eagerly anticipates ‘reconnecting’ at the breast makes the effort of maintaining the nursing relationship well worth it.

These are a few great tips extracted from several articles which may be helpful in helping you continue to breastfeed after returning to work or school: 

• GIVE IT TO THE BABY GIRLFRIEND! Breastfeed as much as possible when you are with your baby. You can do it, You can do it, YES YOU CAN! It is the most effective way of supporting your milk supply. If possible nurse before you go to work, as soon as you and baby are together (even if that means at daycare if you can make it there), and on any days off.
• KEEP IT ACTIVE! Stick with your feeding schedule. You should still pump as often as you would be nursing (if not more frequently). Don’t go longer than if you were with baby because it can affect your body’s perception of demand, especially if you work consecutive days.
• Pump at Home: Try adding an extra pumping session everyday at the same time even when your home with baby. Or add a few minutes of pumping to the end of each breastfeeding session to bulk up not just your supply but also your breast milk stash.
• ACTIVE Hands it’s the DEAL! Use a hands free pump bra and knead your breasts while you pump. Anytime you find a lumpy spot, massage the milk out. It really works! Its guarantee that you will get around 50% more milk!
• Honey, Stay Hydrated! Breast milk is made of water so you need to keep replenishing. Start drinking Mothers Milk Tea, Coconut Water and beverages with electrolytes.
• Pumped UP!: To kick demand and supply into high gear, try a day or two of power pumping. Spending 5 minutes pumping every hour you are awake. Be careful as this can lead to an oversupply, which can be a tricky situation to manage.
• Pay a little Extra for a GOOD PUMP: Consider renting a hospital grade pump for work. They have much stronger motors than the ones you get from your insurance company or purchase at a store.
• Get YOURSELVE TOGETHER!:  Be Organized! Make sure you have EVERYTHING you need for pumping. Consider having a back up at work, like a hands-free bra, pumping sets, containers with lids, adaptors and spare parts. Also think about your cleanup plan. There are wipes and microwaveable sterilization bags.
• Pump at work too! Find out where you can hide and seek! Find out what your work pumping environment will be like before you restart work. Maybe even take a tour. Ask a trusted co-worker that has pumped before if they can share their experience with you. They can give you tips and help you avoid pitfalls.
• Forget Facebook or InstaGram Its connection Time! Leave Everything Behind! Create a breastfeeding ritual to connect with your BUNDLE OF JOY. Just the two of Us!  Play a special lullaby while nursing, apply Kangaroo Care, sing to your baby and connect with Him or her. This is Mommy; Mommy loves you… and do the same over and over again. You will be surprised of the little things like these create awesome magical moments for your baby and for you!

PUMPING AND STORING YOUR BREASTMILK will give you detailed information about different types of pumps, how to maintain your milk supply, how much milk to leave for your baby, and how to store and handle expressed breast milk. 

INTRODUCING BOTTLES AND PACIFIERS TO YOUR BABY will help you get your baby used to bottles before you return to work. We are starting FREE WEBINARS to teach New Mommies about breastfeeding (Coming soon, just stay toon!) and it  will provide you with useful information for the person (whether it will be a family member caregiver, nanny or care centers )who will be caring for your baby while you are separated. We will explain in detail the differences between formula-fed and breast-fed infants feeding, baby poop(color, texture…) , and sleeping patterns, as well as how to handle and store human milk as opposed to formula.

There are several important elements to consider in order to successfully continuing nursing your baby when you return to work or school:

• Select an appropriate pump which will empty your beast quickly and efficiently.
• Select a care provider who supports your commitment to breastfeeding.
• Arrange breaks at regular intervals (ideally, about every three hours) during your day in order to have time to pump. Find a Private Place to Pumping the baby stuff market place, they have several great breast milk store bag,
• Find a Private Place to pump, preferably with access to an electric outlet.
• Establish a good milk supply after your baby is born and before you return to work or school. This will make maintaining your supply when you are separated much easier.

You will want to purchase or rent your pump no later than three weeks before returning to work. Even if you are at home with your baby for the first several weeks or months, it is helpful to have the pump to store up some milk to have on hand when you start working, to introduce baby to bottles so you can be sure he will take them when you leave him with a care provider, and to give you time to familiarize yourself with the operation and cleaning of your pump as well as get an idea of how long each pumping session is likely to take.

Storing some milk beforehand in the freezer is a good idea, because even with a good pump, the stimulation you get while separated from your baby will be less than you are getting while you are together. Also, there is no pump on the market that is as efficient as the baby at removing milk and stimulating your supply. When you add in the fact that leaving your baby often creates stress it isn’t surprising that many mothers’ milk supplies will drop off somewhat when they return to work. 

You may have days that are more hectic than usual, or you just may not feel good physically some days. Your baby may go through a growth spurt, and demand and temporarily exceed supply. In the beginning you won’t be sure exactly how much to leave for a feeding, although you will quickly find out how much he takes each day. Here are some suggestions on how to make the transition from stay at home breastfeeding mom to breastfeeding working mom:

• You’ll feel better if you have some extra milk stockpiled in the freezer. Pump after feeding for 5 minutes or on the other side when your baby takes one breast at a feedings. Store the milk in 2-3 ounce portions. Expect your supply to be more plentiful in the mornings.
• Try to have at least 16 ounces on hand. If you have strong feelings about not wanting your baby to have any formula at all, or if he is allergic to formula, you may want to have a little more stored up.
• Selecting a care provider is seldom easy. Leaving your baby will be much less stressful if you feel really comfortable with your child care situation. Probably the ideal provider is a family member, like dad or grand mom. If this isn’t an option, you may want to look for a mother who provides child care in her home for 1 or 2 children, or a nanny who can come into your home. Putting a baby (especially a tiny infant) into a day care center with multiple infants is probably the least optimal situation, but if that is your only choice, talks to other parents whose children are enrolled. Look for a center with the highest possible ratio of adults to infants. Drop in unexpectedly and see how things operate when they aren’t expecting a visit. Be sure to let the care providers know that you are nursing. If they aren’t familiar with handling human milk or nurturing nursing babies, look elsewhere, or share the information in Caregiver’s Guide to the Breastfed Baby with them. Take comfort in the fact that breastfeeding protects your baby from many of the nasty germs that seem to get passed around day care centers.
• Try to do a ‘trial run’ the week before you return to work. Leave the baby with his caregiver and go to wherever you will be pumping. This will give you a chance to scope out the situation – Do you have an electric outlet? Do you need an extension cord? Do you need to find out which office space will be available, and when? Do you have access to hot water to clean your pump parts? Is there is refrigerator, and if so, can you store your milk in it if needed? etc, etc. You should also let the caregiver feed the baby while you’re gone, so you can see how he will take the bottle, and get an idea of how much he will take at a feeding. Leaving him for the first time is stressful enough, but will be easier if he is left in a familiar environment.
• How often you pump when separated from your baby depends on several factors. One is whether your goal is to pump enough during the day for the baby to have exclusive breast milk feedings the next day, or whether you plan to combine formula and breastfeeding. You may decide to combine breast and formula feedings if your baby tolerates formula well and is used to it, or if your schedule at work doesn’t allow time for frequent emptying of your breasts. If your goal is for your baby to have only breast milk, then ideally you will empty your breasts about as often as he nurses when you are together. For example, if you return to work when your baby is 6 weeks old and still nursing every 2-3 hours, then you should try to pump every 2-3 hours when you are separated. If you return to work when your baby is 6 months old, eating solid foods, and going 3-4 hours between feedings, you may only need to pump every 4 hours.

Here is an ‘optimal’ schedule for the mother of a young baby who wants to provide only breast milk for him while she’s at work:

• Set your alarm 20 minutes early (OUCH!). Nurse your baby, even if he is half asleep.
• Get both of you dressed and ready to go. Pack up everything you can the night before – diaper bag, bottles in cooler, lay out clothes, etc.
• Eat a good breakfast. Don’t skimp on this, even if it is something you can grab quickly like a carton of yogurt or bagel with cream cheese. Be sure to include a nutritious drink, like juice or milk. For a quick breakfast on the run, you can make smoothies by throwing just about any combination of milk, yogurt, and fruit in a blender. Smoothies are nutritious for you, and have the added benefit of tasting good. Just make sure you eat something. A protein shake will do in a pinch.
• Nurse again for a few minutes before you leave if possible. Some babies get so much milk at the first feeding that you can’t get them to eat again, but try anyway.
• Pump mid-morning. Allow at least 20-30 minutes for each pumping session (10-15 minutes for pumping with a good double pump, and 10 minutes for assembly and clean-up). Have a drink and a nutritious snack while you pump.
• Pump again at lunchtime. If possible, leave work and go to your day care site to nurse. More and more companies are providing onsite day care, or you may live close enough to travel home and back if dad is watching the baby or your caregiver lives nearby. It may even be possible for your caregiver to bring your baby to you at lunchtime. Once again, eat a nutritious meal with something to drink.
• Pump again mid afternoon. Have a drink and a snack.
• Nurse as soon as possible after you pick your baby up from day care or return home.
• Eat a nutritious dinner.
• Nurse your baby frequently during the night. Tucking him in bed with you is a good way to make up for the closeness and skin-to-skin contact that you miss out on during the day. Some babies start to nurse more frequently during the night when they are separated from their mothers during the day. This is called ‘reverse cycle feeding’ and works well for many mothers, especially if they find it hard to pump during the day. If baby is in bed with you, you will get the rest you need while he gets the milk and nurturing he needs.

Having given you the hypothetical ‘optimal’ schedule for a working mom, let me hasten to say that this is an ideal which most mothers find impossible to implement. No one said this would be easy. Just do the best you can.

• Don’t get the idea that if you can’t pump 3 times during the day, you shouldn’t even try to continue nursing. Many mothers have work schedules that are very inflexible, and they don’t have either the time or the place to pump more than once a day, or even not at all. If this is the case, you can still breastfeed. If at all possible, try to pump at least once during the day (usually you can find time at lunch, even if you don’t have any other breaks). Pumping even once a day will give you some stimulation, help maintain your supply, and help keep you from becoming engorged. If you are only able to pump once each day, you will probably have to supplement with formula, but at least your baby will have one feeding of breast milk, and you can continue nursing while you are together.
• I often have mothers ask me what will happen if they don’t pump at all during the day, but want to nurse in the mornings, evenings, and weekends when they are with their baby. The answer depends on the baby’s individual temperament, as well as his age. A young baby whose diet consists solely of milk is likely to lose interest in nursing when your supply drops drastically, as it is certain to do if you go an 8 or 9 hour stretch without emptying your breasts. This is not true for all babies, however, so it is worth trying if you absolutely can’t pump at work. The worse thing that will happen is that your supply will drop and your baby will wean himself. Some babies seem to enjoy nursing for the sake of nursing as much as for the milk, and will continue nursing no matter how low your supply gets. This is more likely to be the case with older babies who are nursing less frequently and eating solid foods. If you can’t pump at work, expect a period of engorgement, leaking, and discomfort while your body adjusts.
• Before returning to work, you may want to discuss your options with your employer. If at all possible, try to return on a part-time basis, even if only for a week or so. You may also try to return to work on a Friday rather than a Monday so that you’ll have the weekend to recover from your first day back.
• Another reason to have a discussion with your boss is to make him or her aware of any changes you may need to make in your work schedule. For example, you may need to take two 30 minute breaks instead of one 60 minute one.

Here are some tips for dealing with leaking:

• If you feel your milk letting down cross your arms across your chest and apply pressure for about ten seconds or so. No one but another nursing mother will know what you are really doing.
• Choose bright or dark colored prints. Avoid white and pastel colors. They show leaks more. Cotton and synthetic fabrics show leaks less than silks, linens, and clingy fabric
• Wear a loose jacket or blazer to throw over your blouse
• Wear clothes that are loose and comfortable.  You may find that your pre-pregnant clothes don’t fit well anymore, so invest in a few multipurpose outfits that fit loosely. Choose outfits that button in the front or two piece outfits that you can pull up easily.
• Keep an extra shirt at work, one in a neutral color that can be worn with most outfits. This may seem obvious, but choose clothes that are washable and don’t wrinkle. Your life is complicated enough right now without adding ironing or even tumble pressing to your list of things to do.

Products We Love during Breastfeeding:

• Lasinoh: Lanolin lotion for sore nipples.
• Water: Drink Water Before, During and After.
• Warm Water Compress on both breasts to melt the breast milk fat. My Grand Mother say to use the warm water and pass a comb the express the milk… (True or False…? Try it!).
• Breast Milk Storage Bags.
• Medela PUMPS. 
• And more Tips more Products during Our Free Webinar( Please Log In to Our website: www.AngelsForBabies.Org for more Information.

OK that it is for now!  I just want to thank all our supporters and clients for everything you have done to keep our organization ANGELS FOR BABIES on and going...

 Also, WE Enjoy and Admire Ms. Anne Smith, IBCLC for your knowledge in the different articles on Breastfeeding. Thanks to all these Savvy professionals. To: La Leche League and all the Organizations of the World who teach and support Breastfeeding as the Best options for Newborn Babies…

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Best Regards,

ANGELS FOR BABIES TEAM!