I may be jumping the gun, but are you planning to breastfeed?

mander82 · March 2014

I imagine some people probably haven't even begun to think about this, but I recently have. I would love to try it just because it would be cheaper than formula, and for all the lovey dovey, mushy, gushy, bonding reasons My biggest concern is that I will only get 6 weeks off work. I work 9 hour shifts. I would have to pump at work. This kind of scares the bejesus out of me. I think it would be alot of work and frustration. Anyone that has done this before, how was it going back to work? Did you regret breastfeeding, or was all the trouble worth it?

Thanks!!!

lisaren · March 2014

I will bf. I've done it with all my children. My last child I bf her until she was 2 1/2 and allowed her to self wean. I pumped at work, but after a whole my milk got accustomed to her feeding schedule and my milk supply adjusted accordingly. If I felt my supply was suffering I took fenugreek.
I do not regret bfing at all.

jaminjeff · March 2014

I had a breast reduction at 16 and lost a lot of feeling in my nipples. We had horrible LCs in the hospital and no one noticed LO was a tiny bit tongue tied. All those things together made it so difficult, but I still exclusively pumped until he was almost 9 months old. It was worth it. I enjoyed the breaks at work, where I got to pump and forget about the office for a little bit.

CTri17 · March 2014

I will (unless something changes) just like my last two. I bf dd1 for 16 mo. Dd2 quit kn her own at a year. So ill plan to do the same with this one. 1 year +

klc31883 · March 2014

I will again. I breastfed DD for a year. I work full time and went back to work when she was 3 months. I pumped 3x a day, then 2x when she was older, but it was manageable. I nursed her when we were together. I will do it again the same way. The breastfeeding board on the bump was very helpful.

missnacholover · March 2014

I am planning on it. However, I am concerned about where I will pump when I return to work. I'm in a cube and as far as I know there are no nursing areas or private rooms for pumping. There are some chairs in single stall bathrooms, but that just seems so icky to me. So I'm going to have to see what the arrangements are.

Also, while I have every intention to BF, if it is not working out, I'm not going to force it to the point of overly stressing myself or BabyNacho out.

abbyful · March 2014

I breastfed DS for a year. Plan to do the same with this one.

It was HARD at first, but don't get discouraged. DS wasn't latching right, and it was painful (he split my nipple by doing weird stuff with his tongue!). And it took DH & I like 30 minutes to get baby latched on to my boob the first week (yep, I had DH helping, trying to hold baby hands while I got him to latch). But it got easier, and in the end I think it was easier than formula. Baby gets hungry, just whip out a boob! No mixing bottles in the middle of the night, no worrying about running out of formula.

I had 12 weeks off for maternity leave, then went back to working full-time. Pumping at work wasn't bad at all. Companies over a certain size are required to have a private area where you can pump. I pumped twice a day at work and that gave me 20+ oz a day. One of my co-workers pumped in the car to and from work as well.

klc31883 · March 2014

ps. @mander82 if you have any questions about pumping at work, I can try to help.

SweetMelissa5 · March 2014

I'm still breastfeeding my youngest, but I'm hoping to wean her shortly so that I have a few months with my boobs to myself before starting all over again. With my oldest two, I went back to work at about 12 weeks, and my work was really supportive of my pumping (my work was really just awesome in general, especially since we only had about 35 people and so legally they didn't have to provide most of what they did maternity/baby-wise). There were no locks on the office doors, but one of my coworkers who had a baby about six months before me gave me a doorstop to use to keep people out, and I was able to use either an unused office or the office of someone who was out for the day since there wasn't a dedicated breastfeeding room. I didn't last more than six months pumping with either kid, but that's mostly because I generally only got a couple of ounces in a 20 minute session, and I decided that wasn't worth it. So they both got nursed at home and formula at daycare; I still managed to go about eleven months nursing my second while supplementing with formula.

SweetMelissa5 · March 2014

missnacholover said:

I am planning on it. However, I am concerned about where I will pump when I return to work. I'm in a cube and as far as I know there are no nursing areas or private rooms for pumping. There are some chairs in single stall bathrooms, but that just seems so icky to me. So I'm going to have to see what the arrangements are.

Also, while I have every intention to BF, if it is not working out, I'm not going to force it to the point of overly stressing myself or BabyNacho out.

I would talk to your HR person once you're further along and see if there's an empty office or conference room of some sort you could borrow a few times a day; I did that with my first two since there wasn't a dedicated nursing space, and it worked out really well.

MommaKb710 · March 2014

Yes yes yes!!! Even with the pain, having to be the one to get up for all feedings, and all that pumping I am totally looking forward to nursing this LO!!

shan24 · March 2014

I plan on it, assuming all goes well. I get generous mat leave so I don't anticipate having to pump for a good while.

missnacholover · March 2014

I have a (potentially) dumb question.

Is there some sort of law that says that X amount of time must be allowed for pumping and the employee doesn't have to take personal time to do so (or make up the time lost)? I work 10 hour days (off on Fridays, WOOHOO) however, I'm a contractor so if I want to take a half hour for lunch, I have to stay an extra half hour. So I am wondering, if I'm pumping for 40 minutes/day (or however long it takes, I have no idea) do I have to stay extra to make up that time? I guess that's something I need to ask HR, but I'm wondering if there is any sort of legislation.

mrs.vanillacafe · March 2014

I plan to. I breastfed DD until she was about 11 months old. I, then used up my frozen stockpile the last month, since we had so much. I returned to work when she was 3 months old, and pumped 3 times a day at work, then when she was around 6 months old, I moved to twice a day. I still nursed her first thing in the morning and the evenings.

nirern626 · March 2014

I nursed dd until she weaned at 20 months. I'm excited to do it again, it was one of the best decisions I made! I work part time as a medic. I pump in the back of an ambulance, so I promise, you can find somewhere to pump lol. I also pumped in the mornings on the way into work. I made a hands free pumping bra with an old sports bra, and just covered everything with a zippered hoody.

mrsransom · March 2014

I am in the VAST minority (I seriously know like 1 other person in real life who didn't), but I will not & did not last time. Personal and work related reasons...formula is best for my family. I don't think it makes me a worse Mom for my decision & I refuse to feel bad about it this time around! My son is perfectly healthy & has only been sick a handful of times in his 5 year old life!

I applaud anyone who does breastfeed though & I think it's great if you can!

marajay6 · March 2014

I plan to BF. There are also many daycares close to where I work. Many of my coworkers would go BF on their lunch hour. I plan to do the same.

melissajam · March 2014

I really wanted to BF with DD, but it didn't work out. A mix of latch and supply issues made it very difficult. I tried to EP, but that only lasted for the first month. I plan to try again with this LO though.

mrsodonnell12 · March 2014

I'll 100% be nursing this lo.

I nursed ds for 18 months and I'm still nursing dd who is 14 months.

I pumped at work for both kids. Even on my way to work. You just make it work. It becomes part of your day

SweetMelissa5 · March 2014

missnacholover said:

I have a (potentially) dumb question.

Is there some sort of law that says that X amount of time must be allowed for pumping and the employee doesn't have to take personal time to do so (or make up the time lost)? I work 10 hour days (off on Fridays, WOOHOO) however, I'm a contractor so if I want to take a half hour for lunch, I have to stay an extra half hour. So I am wondering, if I'm pumping for 40 minutes/day (or however long it takes, I have no idea) do I have to stay extra to make up that time? I guess that's something I need to ask HR, but I'm wondering if there is any sort of legislation.

There are some laws that require you can be given a space to pump, but there are definitely exceptions for some companies (for example, where I worked wasn't required to give me time/space to pump since we were so small), so you'll probably want to research the laws and see what is/is not applicable to you. As a contractor, I wouldn't be surprised if there were additional hoops you have to jump through, but that will probably depend on your employer.

k1911 · March 2014

Yes I plan to but I'm not going to stress myself out if I need to take a break for a while and formula feed. I was formula fed. I plan on doing a mixture of both!

missnacholover · March 2014

Thanks @Ally1986 and @SweetMelissa5. It's a very odd situation. I work for a company and said company has the contract with where I work (government)...so I get the benefits of my company. Since I'm On-Site though, I kind of follow the government rules. I have a feeling I'm going to be a way special snowflake with this. I am sure that if I was working at my company's office I wouldn't be docked time, but it will probably be different here unless I can put it down as company admin time. Will definitely have to get something in writing when the time comes!!

mrsodonnell12 · March 2014

k1911 said:
Yes I plan to but I'm not going to stress myself out if I need to take a break for a while and formula feed. I was formula fed. I plan on doing a mixture of both!

Its not really that simple. You may want to do some research.

SweetMelissa5 · March 2014

mrsransom said:

I am in the VAST minority (I seriously know like 1 other person in real life who didn't), but I will not & did not last time. Personal and work related reasons...formula is best for my family. I don't think it makes me a worse Mom for my decision & I refuse to feel bad about it this time around! My son is perfectly healthy & has only been sick a handful of times in his 5 year old life! I applaud anyone who does breastfeed though & I think it's great if you can!

I'm the only person in my family in like three generations that has breastfed my kids, so formula feeding is very much the norm to me. Honestly, there can be huge personal benefits to giving babies formula (other people can feed him/her, mother can go out for longer periods of time without worrying about baby going hungry, etc.), and they've made huge strides with making formula more closely mimic breastmilk. The main reasons I choose to breastfeed are the cost (formula is so expensive!) and the convenience of just putting the baby on the boob versus having to get everything together to make formula (why yes, I am kind of lazy

). All of my kids are healthy, and the youngest is the only one who was exclusively breastfed.

meeshybee · March 2014

mrsransom said:

I am in the VAST minority (I seriously know like 1 other person in real life who didn't), but I will not & did not last time. Personal and work related reasons...formula is best for my family. I don't think it makes me a worse Mom for my decision & I refuse to feel bad about it this time around! My son is perfectly healthy & has only been sick a handful of times in his 5 year old life! I applaud anyone who does breastfeed though & I think it's great if you can!

I'm in the same boat. All of mine have been formula and this one will be as well. Just the best choice for us. Although, no one has ever made me feel bad about it except my own mother with my first. After I snapped at her she stopped and never said anything about it with #2 or #3.

venussapphire · March 2014

ABSOLUTELY!! DD stopped breastfeeding in January at 19 month.

I cannot advocate enough for breastfeeding. I understand some can't because of medical reasons, but i think every mother should try.

The first bit might be hard since its new to both mom and baby, but in the long run its way more convenient and all the snuggling is amazing.

SweetMelissa5 · March 2014

Also, at the risk of being a PW, can I just say that I am insanely jealous of those of you who were able to pump large amounts and build up a freezer stash? I was never even able to come close to keeping up with demand, but I would love to manage it this time around if I can.

mrsodonnell12 · March 2014

SweetMelissa5 said:
Also, at the risk of being a PW, can I just say that I am insanely jealous of those of you who were able to pump large amounts and build up a freezer stash? I was never even able to come close to keeping up with demand, but I would love to manage it this time around if I can.

I built up a huge freeze stash this time. Actually stopped pumping in december and I'm Down to one week of freezer milk at this point. Plus I donated 500 ounces.

With my first I had a small stash from maternity leave but was really always pumping for the next day.

My point is, it can be differnt with every baby!

cbiewer · March 2014

I BF for the first year and worked full time (8.5 hr shift 5x a week). Ummm, I thought pumping sucked. I hated it and I did it 4x a day. It was stressful. I would hardly get anything either (3-4oz a session) but LO would NOT eat formula. I am for sure introducing formula this time just b/c I was so stressed out from the whole year. I plan on BF again, but this time, I am going to start pumping ASAP and saving right away. LO was a very small baby and my supply was good at first but then went down, he just didn't eat much.

SweetMelissa5 · March 2014

mrsodonnell12 said:

Also, at the risk of being a PW, can I just say that I am insanely jealous of those of you who were able to pump large amounts and build up a freezer stash? I was never even able to come close to keeping up with demand, but I would love to manage it this time around if I can.
I built up a huge freeze stash this time. Actually stopped pumping in december and I'm Down to one week of freezer milk at this point. Plus I donated 500 ounces. With my first I had a small stash from maternity leave but was really always pumping for the next day. My point is, it can be differnt with every baby!

Maybe I'll get lucky, and number 4 will be the charm!

mrsodonnell12 · March 2014

cbiewer said:
I BF for the first year and worked full time (8.5 hr shift 5x a week). Ummm, I thought pumping sucked. I hated it and I did it 4x a day. It was stressful. I would hardly get anything either (3-4oz a session) but LO would NOT eat formula. I am for sure introducing formula this time just b/c I was so stressed out from the whole year. I plan on BF again, but this time, I am going to start pumping ASAP and saving right away. LO was a very small baby and my supply was good at first but then went down, he just didn't eat much.

3-4 ounces per pumping session is actually above average and considered very good.

mb314 · March 2014

Yes. In fact, I'm still breastfeeding DS. I hope to wean him within 6 months and breast feed the new baby when he/she comes.

Breastfeeding is hard work, particularly in the beginning. But it is worth it. My advice to new moms looking to breastfeed is to make sure your educated on potential issues ahead of time and seek help with a lactation consultant when you need it. Relatives, friends, and other peers may be trying to help, but their advice is often faulty. Seek professional help if you run into issues (and honestly, I would say most women have some issue in the beginning, even if it is just perfecting the latch). My hospital had a free clinic you could visit.

The breastfeeding board on the bump is also a good resource.

mander82 · March 2014

Thank you all so much for your replies! This eases my mind a little. I am still concerned about WHERE I would pump like @missnacholover said. We have about 800 employees though, so hopefully HR can hook me up with a location. I am ok with going to formula if it doesn't work, but I would like to give it a try. I still have much research to do ! Good thing I still have 7 months to figure it out.

Thank you all again !

lisaren · March 2014

SweetMelissa5 said:
Also, at the risk of being a PW, can I just say that I am insanely jealous of those of you who were able to pump large amounts and build up a freezer stash? I was never even able to come close to keeping up with demand, but I would love to manage it this time around if I can.

Try fenugreek!!! Totally natural and okay for baby! Will make you smell like maple syrup

Huge huge huge help!!

DoubleUp8 · March 2014

I hope to breastfeed. I had a breast reduction when I was younger, but my doctor says that normally you can still breastfeed if the procedure was done then way I had it. I would love the time with baby and the cost savings would be a bonus!

nirern626 · March 2014

mander82 said:
Thank you all so much for your replies! This eases my mind a little. I am still concerned about WHERE I would pump like @missnacholover said. We have about 800 employees though, so hopefully HR can hook me up with a location. I am ok with going to formula if it doesn't work, but I would like to give it a try. I still have much research to do ! Good thing I still have 7 months to figure it out.

Thank you all again !

Def speak to HR, they are required to provide a clean, private place for pumping moms for I think the first year at least. My boss was great about it. I usually used the back of the ambulance since I could lock myself in, but if I was at the hospital, I used my bosses office. Don't be shy. I work in a male dominated field, but these men have wives and babies too, many of them understand. Never be afraid to speak up. I have no problem kicking my boss out of his office lol.

raelynn71109 · March 2014

I'm planning to. I'll only be taking 6 weeks off for maternity leave too, but I do have my own office at work. Only problem is that it doesn't have a lock and some of the attorneys are not very good about knocking when my door is closed. I may have to put a sign up or something.

Also, our plan is to have MIL watch the baby in our home and we live just about 5 minutes from where I work so I'm hoping to go home to visit over my lunch breaks and maybe BF some then.

carcrashheart · March 2014

No. I didn't with DS and won't with this one either. It's just not something I feel compelled to do. If the pump is covered by insurance it is definitely cheaper. If it isn't, then it works out to be the same.

hdall0807 · March 2014

Absolutely. I exclusively pumped for 6 months. After I quit her growth problems started and she has special formula for her allergies. Not saying growth was related but I feel bad about it anyways. So I will go for as long possible this time

Miss Holiday · March 2014

I have Zero intention of BFing ever. DH wants me too for financial reasons, however for personal reasons I won't be doing it.
I have thought about pumping and not BFing, so baby still gets the nutrients and it's supposed to help shed the pounds. But I'm not 100% on that yet.
Neither my sister or I were nursed so I feel no real need to do it for my LO

GHMomRN · March 2014

I do. I plan on it anyway. I'm pregnant with #3, didn't with my first son, pumped with my 2nd son but I stay home now. Might as well to help save cost of formula. I know in Mn my state they had to give me 15 mins to pump & not say anything about, some states you would have to on your lunch break. But you'll do great.

might be a challenge at first but you'll figure it out!

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