Any working mamas plan to BF?

armourall · August 2009

if so are you going to pump, or plan on maybe working PT to accomodate regular feeding?

I would love to BF and be a SAHM but DH is in school right now and everything kind of rides on my salary, I don't think I will even be able to take the 12 weeks of leave because it's not paid. I live close enough to go home on my lunch at 12 pm so I think pumping might work.

I'd like to hear what other ladies are doing to give me ideas.

TIA

GreekyPie · August 2009

I will be. Thankfully I won't have to send baby to daycare until ~5 or 6 months, so until then I'll just breastfeed and use bottles/breastmilk as needed. After that, if I still plan to continue breastfeeding, I'll pump at work.

pmarie33 · August 2009

The plan is to BF and pump, introducing the bottle to her around 3 weeks or so. So while I'm at work she gets breast milk in the bottle and while at home, she gets boobs.

MelodyMoonstone · August 2009

Ditto the previous poster.

Angeline924 · August 2009

Thats the plan for me too! Right now I am just trying to figure our which breast pump to buy- I've heard the Medela ones are great. Ideas?

epphd · August 2009

I haven't worked out the details as well as pmarie, but I will BF while on leave (3 months) and pump while at work. We have a mother's room on our floor and I can easily pump as often as I need to. I will likely begin pumping right away to increase supply, but BF as much as possible.

As of now my plan is to return to work FT after 12 weeks.

bmstee03 · August 2009

I an going to bf...i plan on going back to work but we will see

llc730 · August 2009

pmarie33:

The plan is to BF and pump, introducing the bottle to her around 3 weeks or so. So while I'm at work she gets breast milk in the bottle and while at home, she gets boobs.

Same here. Might wait just a little longer to intro bottle depending on whether or not we can work it out so that we can afford for me to take the extra 6 wks unpaid leave.

easjer05 · August 2009

Provided that my body cooperates, I'll pump. There is no other option but formula, because I can't go PT and I can't change my hours and the baby won't be available to me for bf'ing during the day.

kieransgirl09 · August 2009

pmarie33:

The plan is to BF and pump, introducing the bottle to her around 3 weeks or so. So while I'm at work she gets breast milk in the bottle and while at home, she gets boobs.

this...and when i got home from work i felt like the girl in your siggy eating cookies out of the cubbord

abrazz · August 2009

I really want to bf when I go back to work. I will only be able to take off 6 weeks. I don't know if it is feasible though. We don't have anywhere at the hospital near my unit for me to go and pump besides the bathroom and that would be so gross to me. Plus it's not like I can say, at 10:00am I need to go pump because there is no way to know if will have time to go. I am really stressing out about this because I want the baby to drink breast milk until she goes to baby food. I would like to know how other mom's will be able to do it too.

hriesen4 · August 2009

I'm like you (DH went back to school and we depend on my salary). I'm taking 8 to 12 weeks off. We're not sure until HR gets back with me.

I got a pumping schedule from a coteacher. She did it once in the am (I'll have a parapro to cover my class for 15 mins or so), at lunch, and once in the afternoon (my students have specials in the afternoon so I'll be fine there). The one problem I'm running into is where to pump. I can use my room for lunch and the afternoon. The schoolnurse said I could use her office if no one needs it (which that place is super busy). I think I may use a staff restroom or beg the literacy coach for her office.

Jenice32 · August 2009

pmarie33:

The plan is to BF and pump, introducing the bottle to her around 3 weeks or so. So while I'm at work she gets breast milk in the bottle and while at home, she gets boobs.

Same here.

duchessII81 · August 2009

Yes, the plan is to bf/pump. After 12wk leave, I'll work from home 3 days a week for bfing and DH will be at home the other 2 days for bottle feedings.

december09baby · August 2009

I'll be going back to work after 12 weeks and haven't quite figured out how that's going to work. I only work half-time, but I'm a reading teacher and share an office with another teacher - kids are in and out all day long. So I think I may have to just BF for the first 12 weeks and then go to formula. I'd like to find a way to keep it going, but an elementary school is not the ideal place to pump - I have no idea where I would do it - there are no locked doors, and kids everywhere. I have a feeling it just won't work, so I'm fine with the three months!

e-bridetobe · August 2009

Might go home @ lunch, since I live close as well....but will more than likely pump @ the office after I return at 12 weeks.

jenny1980 · August 2009

My plan: I will be home for around 5.5 months, so that time should be fairly easy (assuming BFing works out). Once I go back to work, DH will be at home for three months and can take the baby to meet me for lunch (and I will start pumping then). My goal is to make it a year, so it would be a few months of pumping while at work (luckily I have a private office).

GL! Working mamas have a lot of challenges, don't we? :-)

nealbl · August 2009

They will give me an office to go to to pump in at work. I registered for the Medela hands free pump which is suppose to be the fastest motor pump.

Hoax · August 2009

I plan to BF and will be pumping when I go back to work.

Breezie17 · August 2009

I already pumped at work for 14 months with DD and I plan to do the same this time. I used the Medela PISA.

Anna&Matt · August 2009

I will be - I plan to pump every 3-4 hours assuming all goes well and I'm producing enough milk. I've heard you can pump in your car too if you need to pump during the day - or in the bathroom.

projectkjetil · August 2009

Yup. I'll BF during my leave (hopefully 10-12 weeks, could be a little less), then intro bottle feeds with pumped milk when my partner is home with the baby.

I'll have about 15-20 weeks to build enough of a frozen supply that we can send bottles for daycare, since I may not be able to BF at lunch time (it all depends on which daycare we choose). I will also pump during the weekdays, then BF at home evenings/mornings/weekends.

It's totally doable. I have two coworkers who are still successfully working full time and pumping after a year, and my partner did it too.

Good luck with your plan!

flyer23 · August 2009

DD never got any formula... I pumped full-time at work until we started weaning her to cow's milk. I plan to do the same with this baby.

The Working Moms board here is an excellent source of advice, and comfort on the tough days! There are a lot of working/pumping moms on there.

Sizzline · August 2009

I will (unfortunately) be returning to work full-time after 8-10 weeks, depending on whether I deliver vaginally or need a C-section. I would love to be a SAHM, but it's just not possible in the high-cost of living area that we are in. I plan on pumping, so we'll be getting a high-end breast pump. I will be working 45-50 hours per week, so I'll really only get to actually breast-feed in the evenings and some at night. I'm sure it'll be tough, but I feel like it will be worth it, plus it'll give DH some good bonding time with her, too. My sister EBF for the first year for both of her kids, while working full-time, by pumping and storing. Hopefully I can do the same.

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