EBF and work

bellevuebride07 · July 2009

I am going back to work soon and trying to figure out the logistics of pumping. Do you feed DC and pump before work? Currently I pump in the morning as soon as I wake up but I'm not sure if I will be able to do that and feed Leo in the mornings before work and get out the door before 645. I am a teacher so my pumping schedule has to be flexible, I feel like I will be able to pump twice on a good day but it is not guaranteed. How many times a day do you pump and how do you handle your pump parts, do you clean them at work or have extra parts and clean at home?

Thankss

Susanann · July 2009

I'm no longer BFing, but was when I first went back to work. I would nurse DD before I left in the morning and if I had time to squeeze in a pump session would... but that hardly ever happened. Then I pumped 2-3 times at work depending on my meeting schedule. I had extra parts that I took and just rinsed everything when I was finished.

Good Luck!

JLPT830 · July 2009

I BF'd DS around 6:30 or 7 before leaving. Then I pumped at work around 9 and again around 1 and then BF DS as soon as I picked him up. I got the Medela steam bags for the microwave which worked really well between pumping sessions at my old job because we had a private kitchen where I could leave them out on the counter covered under a towel to try. I trusted that none of the other handful of people who used the kitchen would mess with them. When I switched to my new job I was still pumping but didn't have access to a private area to leave the pump pieces, so I kept them in a ziploc bag in the fridge and cleaned them when I got home. When I started having supply issues I pumped closer to noon and then picked up a third pumping session around 3. HTH!

RXjenna · July 2009

I've only been pack at work since Monday, but here's how it went for us...

I nurse Brynn when I wake up, get ready while she sits in the bouncy seat, and then nurse her again before I leave. She usually falls back asleep then. I pump 2-3 times per day since she takes 2-3 bottles while I'm gone. My schedule changes daily based on my employer's business needs, so sometimes I pump 3 times ie. 10, 1, and 4. Other days its only twice a day, ie. at 11 and 3:30. Then I nurse her as soon as I get home if she hasn't taken a third bottle yet.

As far as pump parts go, I don't clean them at all at work. I just rinse them with water and stick them in the fridge with my cooler bag in between pumping sessions, then I wash them when I get home.

I'm sure it will go great for you! Just takes a little getting used to. Just don't forget half of your pump parts the first day like I did!

HTH!

Klmorgan83 · July 2009

I work at a hospital, so my pumping schedule has always had to be really flexible as well. When I went back to work I would try to squeeze in 2 pumps during the day, but sometimes it was just impossible. If I was only able to do one, I would just pump or feed DS right when I got home.

I don't feed DS in the morning, I just pump when I get up which is around 7am....he's usually still asleep and DH feeds him later. Then since I'm only pumping once at work I usually do that around noon. I just rinse my parts out with water and clean them when I get home.

When I was pumping more than once I used the medela wipes, or rinsed them with soap and water in our kitchen.

kel716 · July 2009

I teach HS, so my schedule was pretty rigid. I EP'd, and this is how I did it-

I got up and showered and then pumped. I was hands free, so I actually just got ready while pumping. I also had some AM nesting time because it would take me 30-45 minutes to pump each morning (again, that's because I EP'd).

I then pumped while driving to school so I'd be completely empty until my supply leveled off (I went back to work at 8.5 weeks pp). I had 1st period plan, so I just pumped at lunch (which was at 10 AM). I then made it to the end of the day because I didn't have a break after that. If I was staying late, I pumped in my room with the door shut/blinds closed/door locked, etc... I told the janitor to clean my room last so that he didn't have an uncomfortable moment. If I didn't stay late, I just pumped while driving home. Because I EP'd, I pumped 7 times/day when I first went back to school. I'm now at 3 pumps/day and weaning quickly. The basic idea is to pump every time you miss a feeding.

It got old after a while, but it wasn't terrible. The worst part was not being able to eat with my colleagues at lunch and having to pack stuff that I didn't need to microwave as I needed every second of those 25 minutes I had for lunch. I packed my PISA each day, a cooler, and my normal stuff. I put my lunch in my cooler and then replaced it with BM when i was done. Also, keep in mind that EBM will stay good at room temp for 8-10 hours if you do forget. I was hands free every time I pumped so I could work on email, grade papers, drive, etc... and not feel like it was such a chore.

I had 2 sets of pump parts. I would clean them both when I was done pumping at school with those quick wipes. I then made sure that the parts got a good cleaning that night. Either in warm, soapy water, or the dishwasher (without the membranes).

cat81305 · July 2009

I no longer pump or BF (will again soon though LOL!). I was lucky enough though to be able to pump every three hours. I would nurse DS before taking him to the sitters or once I got there and then was able to pump every 2.5-3 hours. I have to pump in my car due to my job so I just rinsed out the parts with water from a container I took and then washed and sterilized them when I got home that night. Your body will get used to whatever pumping schedule you do and will produce what you want it too so even if you can't pump every time DC eats, your body will still produce what you tell it to basically with the pump (EP's have more info about that then I do). Good luck!

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