Working moms that BF for 12 months or more!

march2008 · September 2011

I'm currently on maternity leave and will be returning to work full-time next month when DD will be 4 months old. I've been exclusively breastfeeding her so far. I currently pump one time daily so that DH can bottle feed DD once daily so that she is comfortable taking a bottle of breast milk. DH going to be home with her until she's 6 months old and I'll be pumping at work and breastfeeding her in the mornings, nights, and weekends....after 6 months she'll be going to daycare.

My goal is to breastfeed DD for 12 months and then possibly even longer if all is still going well, but I'm a little nervous about having to pump at work. I do have a supportive boss and I'll be able to pump 3 times a day during my breaks (8-hour work day).

Are there any working moms out there that can provide some encouragement? Have any of you that work full-time been able to EBF long-term?

chigirlinaz · September 2011

With my son, I pumped at work until he was just over 11 months old. By then, I had enough in my freezer stash to get us until 12 months. I still BF in the morning and before bed until a few months after his 1st birthday as well. Pumping at work for that many months is challenge, but I was so glad I was able to accomplish my goal. Having a supportive boss and being able to pump 3 times a day is great!

mandyjn16 · September 2011

I pumped at work until DS was 12 mos. I had a supply issue toward the end so I had no stash. Part of the problem was I used the frozen BM so infrequently I forgot to use it before it spoiled and had to throw away a large amount around 10 months. So make sure you manage your stash (if you get one) well! I HATED pumping by the time I quit but was determined to BF DS until 12 mos. I continued to BF DS in the mornings, at night, and on the weekends until he was 13-14mos. At that point, I cut out the morning feeding, and continued to BF until he was 20 mos old. If you are determined you can make it a year! And you can still BF after a year but not have to pump which is amazing.

diamondcks · September 2011

I don't work quite full time, but I'm gone about 7 hrs per day. My DS is almost 21 months and we are still nursing 1x/day. I pumped at work 1-2 times a day (I tried to get two, but it didn't always happen) until DS was 9-10 months, then just once. at about 11 months I stopped all together. To make his bottles I would also pump first thing in the morning, I would pump one side while he nursed the other and I could usually get 5+ oz that way. At 3 months DS would take 3-3oz bottles while I was gone which quickly increased to 3-4oz bottles, eventually he moved to 2-5.5 oz and once he was on quite a few solids it was just one 6oz. After 12.5 months I stopped pumping and would send half frozen BM and half whole cows milk, which I'm still doing. At that point I was still nursing 4x/day. At 14 months I cut back to 3x per day to get my period to return (it did) then 2x and now 1x, we will be done soon. It is definitely possible!

Mommarina · September 2011

I work full time & dd is a few days shy of 13 months old. You can do it!

jlsimon56 · September 2011

This is my first week back to work and I am so so so happy to read all these stories! OP, thanks for asking this. I hope to BF for a year or more. Pumping at work is no picnic, and I am still figuring it all out, but already I feel so much better about it vs. my first day back. Since I leave for work so early, I wasn't sure about waking LO before I left....but I did it this AM and I think that is what is going to work best for us. We have a pumping room here at work but with 500 employees, it's full most of the day. I also pump in the bathroom and it's not that bad! I am pumping 3x per day then rushing home to nurse so I don't have to pump a 4th time. I need to get one of those hands free bras, my friend pumps while driving! Is that legal? MY commute is 50 miles each way and I'd love to pump in the car!

Genevieve14 · September 2011

I work full time and pump at work 3x per day (unless there are unusual circumstances). It is a giant PITA, and I've pumped in my car more frequently than I care to admit, but I'm exceedingly proud to have made it this long. DD will be one on a week and a half. You can do it!

rpm2009 · September 2011

With DS#1 I went back to work when he was almost 4 months old. I pumped three times a day and nursed the rest of the time. I was religious about pumping and put it on my Outlook calendar. My company was supportive so it was ok. Pumping is not the easiest thing but I kept it up until DS#1 was 14 months old and continued to nurse him until he was 17 months. There were definitely days that I didn't want to go to the lactation room but I did it and am planning on trying the same thing for DS#2.

I hung up pictures of DS in the lactation room to try to make it less sterile. I shared the room with another mom and she brought pictures of her baby and it was nice to be able to look at little ones.

Good luck, hang in there.

sarahandeddiejune212008 · September 2011

I am still pumping and nursing and DD will be 1 next week. I will be nursing her mornings/evenings/weekends after she turns 1. It is completely possible. Just make sure you stick to your schedule and pump as often as you can. If I get an extra couple of minutes I pump just to help my supply.

JKB1986 · September 2011

It is a PIA but you just do it because you see your little baby every night when you get home and it reminds you who you're doing it for. Have pictures of LO in your office to look at and give you motivation and that helps. Having a supportive boss was extremely important for me and it sounds like you have that as well. I only had time to pump twice in a 8 hour work day so being able to pump 3 times is even better! You'll do great and you'll be proud of yourself in the end.

EllaSmella · September 2011

I'm not to 12 months yet, but I'm getting close! You just need to take it one month at a time.I would often get overwhelmed thinking about how many months I had left, but breaking it down to smaller chunks helped and now I can't believe I'm six weeks away from a year.

Be diligent about your supply as well - don't get lazy with pumping on a schedule, drink enough water, and whenever possible have the baby nurse instead of pumping (I go on my lunch break to nurse instead of pumping. I love seeing LO and I love not having to pump another time).

CarolinaGirl051708 · September 2011

I went back 4 days/week when DD was 13 weeks old and then switched to 3 days/week (so not full-time), but I pumped at work until 10 months and then BF once or twice a day from 12-17 months. You can do it!

Make sure you keep your calories up, drink lots of water, and don't feel guilty about taking the time to do it. In the beginning, it took 30 minutes to pump 3x/day. I talked to my boss about working hands-free with my door closed for the am and pm sessions and then used my lunch hour to pump. Once I had her approval, I felt better about doing it.

Good luck to you!

march2008 · September 2011

Thank you so much for your stories and encouragement! I really appreciate it! I'm determined to make this work, but it sure helps hearing others' success stories.

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