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First day back at work...
Hi ladies! I introduced myself a few weeks ago. Tomorrow is my first day back at work, time sure has flown by! I'm a teacher and tomorrow is a teacher workday in my county, which is such a nice way to start back. Just wanted to see if anyone had any advice about being back at work/pumping at work. I've had some supply issues lately so have been taking Fenugreek for a few days, seems to be helping some. His grandmas are watching him the next 2 weeks so I have 2 more weeks before actual daycare. I love my job, but this is going to be a hard adjustment...
Thanks for any advice. Oh, and I finally figured out how to put a picture in my signature, so there's my little guy!
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Re: First day back at work...
Good luck! I'm also a teacher (FCPS - happy teacher work day!). My experience going back to work has been a tough transition. As you know, teachers do ALOT for their students and spend a TON of time planning. I feel like I don't have enough time to do thorough planning/prep AND be a great mom/wife. Something had to give. I decided that my family is most important and that is where I need to focus. So my poor students don't get the most exciting lessons sometimes. I also have a really difficult group of kids this year, which has made the transition MUCH harder. I hope that you are able to do it all and do it well. But if not, just know that you are in good company.
As for pumping, I don't have any experience with that (DS was FF), but lots of moms at my school lock their classroom door, cover the window in the door, put a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door, and pump while the kiddos are at specials. One of my co-workers pumped in her car b/c she felt like it was WAY more sanitary than her classroom. Probably true.
Your DS is adorable! As pp said, the transition back to work is tough. I'm one month in and still have a hard time. My advice is to prep as much as you can the night before (pump, bottles, bag for daycare, your lunch, etc.), so in the morning, you can enjoy a little time with your LO.
As for pumping, don't rush or stress about how much time you're taking - take as long as you need to drain both sides. I think most people I've talked to pump three times a day - you'll have to adjust when you see how much you're pumping vs. how much your LO is eating during the day. You might have to pump an extra time at night after he's in bed to get enough.
Good luck!
TTC #2: BFP 12/17/11, m/c 1/7/12 and D&C 1/12/12
baby blog/cooking blog
I pumped 3x a day for a long time (till about 10mo of age), the 1st pump of the day produced a lot - often more than the other 2 combined. Bring some water and drink it while pumping, take your time, relax, this is "your" time, bring a book or magazine or watch TV if you can. Be sure to empty both sides, no matter how long it takes. If you want to increase your supply, pump for 2-3 mins per side after there is no more milk, this will tell your body to produce more.
The 1st few weeks are hard. Ask the grandparents to call you every few hours with updates. Bring a few photos to look at (or do it online).
good luck!
I agree with the PP- the first few days are the hardest, but somehow you get into the routine and it somehow all comes together. We're here for you if you need any help or just want to vent about trying to balance it all (it's definitely tough).
You're little man is adorable!
Oh I love itty bitty babies.
The first few days are hard, but as PP said, it really does get easier. I am not a teacher, but pumping while working is not the easiest. It feels uncomfortable. Make sure you feel secure where you are pumping, bring in pictures of the little one and pump when you get a chance. I used to pump before leaving for work (this was when I got the most milk) 2-3 times at work and then before bed. Now that DD is 10 months, I just pump once a day.