Busting the Post-Baby Pumping Blues
Heading back to work made easier with a little prep
You hardly want to think about it now, but there will come a day when it will be time to put your baby in the tender hands of your caregiver and head back to work.
It's a tough transition and can even be intimidating for moms who plan on nursing and pumping breast milk when they return to their careers.
Working moms everywhere feel the tug, not only of sadness about heading back to work, but the underlying questions of how to go about it.
The good news is it is a transition made quite a bit easier through preparation.
Even more than that, pumping at work also provides a special sense of closeness when you're apart from your baby.
Keep on keeping on
If you have begun motherhood by breastfeeding, continuing is a great option as breast milk is now recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General as the exclusive food for babies six months old and younger. Formula, regardless of the brand, does not hold a candle to the nutrients and infection-fighting antibodies found in your very own breast milk. Breastfeeding also very cost effective – in today's economy, every penny counts.
But how do you make breastfeeding and breast pumping work with the demands of your career and work place?
First, equip yourself with the tools to be successful.
Invest and save
It is true a high-quality breast pump can be pricey, but in reality, it's equal to the cost of two to three months' worth of formula. So by the time you have pumped four months, you have already paid for the pump and accrued some savings from the formula you would have been buying.
Consider investing in a high-quality double-electric breast pump, one that pumps both breasts at the same time. This will save you time and maximize the minutes of at-work pumping time.
These pumps are good at effectively removing breast milk, which is the most important factor in maintaining your milk supply.
Since many chain baby stores do not have as vast a collection of breast pumps, check online and with local mom and baby boutiques for quality brands and advice.
If purchasing a breast pump is not an option, moms can also rent a hospital-grade pump. Check with your local hospital now to see what is available and to gauge costs.
Be prepared
A sure way of adding stress to the back-to-work transition is expecting to supply a full day's milk for your baby on Day 1. Instead of putting yourself under that pressure, start building a stored milk supply about two weeks before returning to work.
The rule of thumb is that eventually you will be pumping at work the equivalent of every time you'd be nursing your baby at home.
So begin by replacing one feeding per week at home with a pump session. Don't be surprised if you get very little milk initially – your body is not yet used to letting down for a machine, which is different than letting down for your baby. But remain consistent. Your body will adapt to what you and your baby need from it.
You'll want to begin offering your baby a bottle between 3 and 6 weeks old. It is not recommended to offer your baby a bottle sooner because it can interfere with breastfeeding and if you wait longer than six weeks, your baby may refuse the bottle completely.
It is a good idea to use newborn or "slow-flow" nipples for breastfed babies. Oftentimes, babies will not take a bottle from mommy. They are smart – they know mommy's breast is readily available and they want the real deal! So if this is the case, have someone else offer the bottle.
Being in your home environment also affords you the comfort to learn about you and your pump. By the time you are going back to work you will have learned how to set up and pump efficiently, how to easily clean your parts, how to store breast milk – and you will have trained your body to relax and release milk for the pump.
Talk it out
Before you even return to work, set up a meeting with your boss or supervisor to discuss your decision to pump with your employer.
You can even have this discussion before you give birth. Either way, it is important to come with a plan. Be sure you advise your employer about how often you will have to pump (three 20-minute sessions for an eight-hour day is a good estimate), where you will be pumping and what sort of support you might require.
A little evidence about how pumping will benefit your employer never hurts, so come prepared with backup. Web sites such as workandpump.com and womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding provide resources about how moms who breastfeed and pump are less likely to take sick days for their children, because breastfed babies are generally less likely to get sick than formula-fed babies. Breastfeeding is also good for moms. Recent studies show breastfeeding can help protect moms from Type-2 diabetes and breast and ovarian cancer, as well as rheumatoid arthritis, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
It is best to approach this discussion honestly and directly – you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of – and to take everyone's anxiety about the unknown down a level with information and discussion.
When It Is Time
Right before you return to work, it is helpful to evaluate your wardrobe to determine if it is work and pump friendly. Consider shirts that can be easily lifted or unbuttoned, rather than one-piece dresses.
You might also want to consider various hands-free pumping systems, which can both help you relax as well as multi-task while pumping at work. After all, we working women are famous for our multi-tasking skills. Who wants to miss the opportunity to return emails and phone calls or eat your lunch while pumping hands-free?
When you go to pump, it is vital to have a good photo of your baby to focus on while encouraging letdown. Tape or glue a picture of your baby to the inside of your pump bag to speed along this process.
It is helpful to have a little alarm clock to remind you when it's time to pump – it's easy to get absorbed in work and forget to pump, but regular removal of breast milk is important in maintaining your supply. Most computers also have alarms that can be used for this purpose, as well.
As you get back into your work routine, remember to take care of yourself: Working through lunch, as a nursing mom is really not an option. Bring healthy snacks each day. Drink plenty of water.
If possible, have your caregiver snap impromptu pictures and email them to you to keep in touch with what is happening throughout your baby's day. The sweet smile of your baby will provide all the more reason to continue pumping. Plus, you can feel good knowing you are actively participating in the health and well being of your precious child, even while away.
