Working moms weigh in...

jessiejay10

How do you handle BFing while working full time?  I'm only 14 weeks pregnant now, but I plan to BF and am already starting to plan on how to handle this once I'm back at work.  (LO will be 3 months old then.)  I get that it's a bit early to think about this, but I'm quite Type A.

Do you pump at work?  How frequently?  Any tips or things I should prepare for? 

TIA!

DallasHorn

I've worked full time and BF 2 kids.  It absolutely can be done. Basically, you need to pump whenever baby would normall eat. For both my kids, the schedule was the same so I pumped mid morning (around 9 AM), nursed or pumped at lunch and then pumped again mid-afternoon (around 3 PM).  At the end of my workday, the first thing I'd do is nurse - with DD this was after I picked her up from DC and we got home, with DS, he is home with a nanny, so I just exit my office.

Assuming you are in a normal professional job, you need to treat your pumping schedule like any other meeting - book it on your Outlook calendar and stick to it. I have many posts with tips for BF and working moms - just do a search for posts by me.

calhoun05

You'll need a double electric pump, a good one.  Which translates (I think) to a Medela (either a pump in style or a freestyle), an Ameda Purely Yours, or the Lansinoh. I have the Freestyle because it is battery operated and really tiny, which is ideal for my job and commuting situation, but it is also the most expensive of the options I mentioned.

A hands free bra is also nice (I would actually call it necessary).  Look up easy expressions or google how to make your own hands free pumping bra.

As for your question, I pump 3 times during an 8 hour day.  My son also eats 3 times a day while I'm gone.  I'm lucky enough to have an office, so I just close my door, do my thing, and work while I pump.

smiles88

My schedule is

6am nurse

8am pump in car i like to listen to the radio

8:30-11 work

11-11:30 pump

11:30-2 work

2-2:30 pump

2:300-5 work

5:30 pick up ds and nurse

7:30ish nurse

9:30ishpm- pump  (i don't pump enough during the day when i am at work)

 

this has worked pretty well so far, but i have only been back for 2 weeks. I find the hardest thing is i don't take a lunch, and i feel isolated since my breaks are spent pumping alone in a small room (i don't have an office that i can pump in) 

Like PP said get a good pump it is worth the investment.

kvinh546

calhoun05:

As for your question, I pump 3 times during an 8 hour day.  My son also eats 3 times a day while I'm gone.  I'm lucky enough to have an office, so I just close my door, do my thing, and work while I pump.

Same for me.  If you don't have an office, I'd look into what your company offers...I hate the idea of having to pump 3 times a day in the bathroom; which one of my coworkers did because she was in a cube.   Being able to pump at you desk and work is a major time saver!

smiley007

I pump at work.  My work offers a mother's lounge that has a sink, fridge and comfy chair.  I pump at 5am before I leave the house.  Pump at work at 10 and 2.. and then pump before bed.  I put the pumping sessions in my outlook calendar so they are set every day. 

Def need a good electric double pump... i love the medela PISA

I also think a hands free bra is a great thing to have!

Plenty of bottles(you'll have to wait to see what LO likes) so you dont have to stress about the transfer and preparing for the next day. 

FriendlyFanny

Here is my weigh in - relax right now and enjoy being pregnant. Life completely changes with the addition to come. You will figure out what works for you. What works for one doesn't work for all. Start hanging out here and absorbing all the various conversations as I learned way more from doing that than I did from any BFing class or book.