pumping at work, teachers!!!

777luckyinlove

hey teachers! i'm nervous about going back in the fall after working my butt off to breastfeed my preemie. i don't want my milk supply to drop and i'm wondering how often do you pump or what was your schedule like teaching?

do i get a special "off slip" and not have to do lunch recess duty because of having to pump??hehe

jacobs32

School starts back up here in 2 weeks.  My plan is this:

6:00/6:30 Nurse  

8am: arrive at school and pump, my contract day doesn't technically start till 8:30

12:00 (or whenever my lunch ends up being) pump.  I'll eat my lunch while I do lunch duty

DS gets a bottle around 9, 12, and 3 while at the sitter.

5:30 Get home with DS and nurse (pump other side if needed for extra milk or comfort)

8:00 nurse before bed

I've only been seriously pumping this last week to make sure I was ready for going back to work. I get enough for a full feeding (4+ oz) per side when I pump, as long as it's not immediately following a feeding, as I only nurse one side per feeding. 

This is my plan, if it doesn't work I'll look into using my prep, pumping right after school before I pick up DS, etc.  Think about all the time you have available to you (a pumping session takes me 15 minutes), I know it's not a lot. 

RachandJer

I was back at school for the last 9 weeks of the school year.  I pumped/fed daughter right before I left the house at 6:30.  Pumped during lunch time around 10:50, then pumped during conference around 1:30.  I fed DD again as soon as I picked her up from the sitter at 5:00.
I was also fortunate to have a teacher on my team who took my class out to recess for me (right after lunch).  I ate and did prep work during that time.
I found that the hardest part of pumping as a teacher was losing prep time.  I had to be much more organized in order to get everything done.

What'sNext?

I pumped 15 minutes before my contract start time (about 7:45am) then again during my lunch (12:15), when I nursed her for 5:30p feeding I pumped the other side.  Pumping is not protected/included in our anti-discriminatory laws for breastfeeding.  I never told my principal because I only did it on "my" time; I figured if something came up I would deal with it then.  I don't sneak it; I carry my PISA.  They knew I nursed before I came back to work, they know I still nurse, I am sure they assume that is happening.

I did end up pumping one side while I nursed the other for her first feeding.  There were a couple of times where things just happen and you either can't pump as long as you need or someone tries to come into your locked classroom and you are too tense to get a good pump.  It helped ease my concern about pumping enough for her to have the next day.

eschall

I would wake LO up at 5:30, pump at work at 7 (before school starts), 9:30 (during planning), 11:45 (during lunch), 3:25 (when school was out), BF immediately when I got home with LO at 5:00.  I got out of most afterschool meetings and lunch duties to do this.  Also, make sure you have a privat place to pump.  I pumped at my desk with the blinds closed and a poster on the door.  I'd lock the doors and my principals and the afternoon custodian knew not to open my locked door during daylight hours. I pumped into the playtex drop-ins and put them straight into the fridge in my room to keep them cool.  Good luck!