BFing and returning to work....advice wanted please

taraspillers

I will be returning to work in three weeks and my DD will be six months old. I've started her on cereal and veggies once a day (for now). I plan on pumping while at work but would like any advice or things I should consider/think about before starting on this endeavor.

Also, I work 10 hour days and have a rotating schedule...i.e. I have every Friday/Saturday off and every other week I have Wednesday thru Saturday off.  Also, I have to be at work at 6 am and DD usually sleeps til 8.

I don't want to stop BFing just because I'm returning to work and am afraid I'll stop before I want to.

TIA ladies!  

 

At1stsight

You can do it! One thing to know is a lot of women see their pumping output decrease and potentially their supply dip when returning to work. All of the stress affects your supply, and you were likely only pumping on occasion before. Pumping all the time is a bit different. Don't freak out about changes in your pumping output - it can adjust and rebound if you don't stress too much, drink lots of fluids, and pump every 3 hrs. I was really stressed for the first month or two but once I relaxed, my pumping came back up for the most part. GL!

Osgirl

There's no reason you should have to stop BFing! I went back to work when DS was 6 months old. I did have a good freezer stash as back up, but I never had to use it. I pumped enough the day before to feed him the next day (and then some).

Just be diligent about your pumping-try not to skip sessions, pump for as long as you can, continue to pump even when there's no more milk coming out. I sometimes turn my pump off and back on again to get another let down. Nurse your baby a lot when you are together.

This time I had to go back to work after 12 weeks  DD has been a great nurser. My pumping output is way more than she takes in a bottle while I'm at work. She takes the minimum amount during the day and then wants to nurse a lot in the evenings. I have a ton in the freezer already so I'm actually going to cut out a pumping session for now.

It's very doable! I know some women who quit because they get sick of pumping or feel it takes up too much time, but for me it's important that my kids get BM only for at least the first year, so I'm willing to pump and sacrifice some of my work time.

drcolleen

My best recommendation is to serve most of the solids during the day when you are away from LO and be sure you nurse before solids at home, the more breastfeeding you do at the breast the better your supply and I suspect the happier you will be.  Good luck!