Breast feeding and work

Sadly I return back to work on Monday and this means that my lil' one will now be attending daycare. I have been breast feeding since the day he was born and only have given him formula when it seems as though he didn't get enough (no more than 4 oz a day). Now that I'm going back to work I want to continue breast feeding, but am nervous on how to go about making sure to get enough. I teach and will only be able to pump once, maybe twice during the day. How have you ladies managed to keep on breast feeding while going back to work? I need some advice.

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

It is possible.  I would breastfeed last thing before I left home, pump at work (lunch time), then breastfeed first thing as soon as I got home (and pump after breastfeeding).  Then I feed on demand while I am home.  If I was engorged while at work (other than lunch time) I would just manually express an oz or so while I was in the rest room, which only took a couple of minutes so wasn't really disruptive.  I kep a small glass bottle for this purpose with me.  And these few oz here and there really added up in terms of keeping my daughter drinking breastmilk.  I usually got enough milk during the day and at the evening pumping for my daughter to drink the next day.  I only ever had 3 days or so of milk in the freezer.

Worst case you can continue to breastfeed directly at home and your baby.  If you set up a routine your body should also adjust to this.

Remember to keep drinking enough, even while you're working.

Best wishes.

[tiredbuthappy]

Hi!
It is possible to maintain supply. I see your due date was recent, so I am assuming your little one is still young. This is important information only because your supply is still being established.

Sally's recommendation of an extra expression is a good one. You will probably feel very uncomfortable and full, especially while your body adjusts to the new schedule. If you are not comfortable with manual expression, I very highly recommend the Medela Harmony. It is a very small and effective manual pump that I would keep in my purse with a small bottle and cap. Anytime I was out and about and needed a quick feed, or when I didn't have time for a full pump, I was able to get a lot out in a very short time.
Make sure you use a good hospital grade pump on your break and do a full pump. Empty as much as you can. While you pump, do compressions to get the milk flowing. If you haven't gone hands-free, now is the time to do it. That way you can do a little work or even eat your lunch while you pump.

When I was at work, I loved to use the Playtex Fridge to Go. It's an insulted bag that has the ice packs built in to the sides so I just put it in the freezer the night before and grabbed it as I left for work. That was the milk was kept cool without being put into the community fridge. If you needed to or chose to squeeze in a quick pump with the manual, you could take that to the closet/office/bathroom with you and noone would know what you were transporting.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!