Community› The Bump Message Boards› Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
New Discussion
Options

Breastfeeding part-time. Will this work?

desertheartdesertheart member
in Breastfeeding
I've been lurking on this board, so this is my first time posting.  I'm pregnant, and I know that everything could change when baby gets here.  However, feeding (among many other things) is part of the decision if I will go back to work.  

I was hoping the ladies here could tell me if this is feasible.  If I return to work, baby will be going to our on-campus daycare.  So, I could BF in the morning before work, during my lunch, and in the evening.  I was hoping to use formula while baby was at daycare (except for feeding during my break).

I'm allowed to take a max of 12 weeks.  So baby would be (hopefully) BF until we start to partly-transition him.  Here's the tricky part. Daycare won't have room for baby until mid-August (even that's not a guarantee....yikes!), and I have to be back at work mid-July. :(  Hubby will be at home since he is faculty, but I live way too far to go home to nurse at lunch.  We have one car, so hubby bringing baby to work isn't an option.  During the summer, I will have time to pump because things are super relaxed in my office.  Will skipping the noon-session for a month possibly mess with my supply?  Bringing baby to work some days in the summer might be an option. 

Once fall semester starts in August, I can block out time to go nurse at lunch. It's not that I can't pump at work, but I would not have time to pump every 2-3 hours.  When things get busy, I barely have time to pee between student appointments.  Haha.  Thanks for your insight!

  
Report Reply to Post

Re: Breastfeeding part-time. Will this work?

  • Options
    christina4436christina4436 member
    I was doing 4 BF and 4 bottles a day while my LO was in NICU and first week home. It is very hard to do that unless you are going to pump at least every 5 hours Bc you will be so full. Chances are just BF baby 4-5 times a day she won't be taking enough from you unless you have a very low supply and it will be really uncomfortable. You could pump though after each BF in am and at work so then you wouldn't have to take other time and that might do it. I still had to pump 4 times a day when I was giving 4-5 bottles. Don't wait too long to introduce bottle though or they may not take it.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    desertheartdesertheart member
    Thanks for the advice.  This is what I'm afraid of (unless I happen to have low supply).  BF is really important to me, but I just don't see pumping working for me if I have to do it every 2-3 hours.  That would mean about an additional hour (maybe a little less) out of work day plus the hour (maybe 1.25) for longer lunches needed to nurse.  I just don't see that being manageable.  

    I can't tell you how many times my student appointments have run over, because they are very late/having a crisis/don't tell me they are changing their major until well into appointment/etc.  I feel like I literally have to shove some of them out of my office to stay on schedule.  All it takes is one appointment 10 min over and then I'd be completely off schedule and probably miserable from engorgement.  Maybe I'm just going to have be firm about my schedule.  

    These are all things I'm taking into consideration.  I found a blog where a woman was able to do balance formula with BF, but I haven't read through it yet.  
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • Options
    crsanchez87crsanchez87 member
    I think BFing is feasible for you but some sacrifices/time management are going to come into play. I would definitely try to pump at work. You may not need to pump every 2-3 hours, you may be able to get into a routine of every 3-4 hours and be quick with a super efficient electric or hospital grade pump . You still don't really know what  your supply is going to be like and once you begin pumping your body will usually adjust to the schedule you set for it. 

    Also pumping while you are at home after each feeding will get you a good freezer stash and you won't have to worry too much about formula (which you always still use to supplement if you want to). Even if  you just pump an extra ounce each feeding, it really begins to add up. 

    It sounds as though you are a college counselor/advisor, IMHO-- I believe your students and you would benefit from you being more firm in your schedule and having them be aware that your time is important and it is important for them to be on time-- for real world practice.

    I am also a working mom and I feed LO in the morning before work and supply 3-4 bottles of BM each day for him to have at daycare.Pump 3-4 times at work and BF at home in the evenings. Sometimes I will pump an extra time at night. It is hard and pumping can be not fun but I feel like it's worth it for my little guy.

    Good luck!
    Report Reply
  • Options
    krissyberbkrissyberb member
    Is it possible to schedule a couple pumping sessions as an appointment on your calendar? That's what I did when I went back to work. Not that I can't be flexible with my pump times here and there, but I quickly learned that if I didn't block out the time it would get filled. I agree with pp about getting a good quality pump. Check with your health insurance to see what they provide.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    krissyberbkrissyberb member
    Another idea--it sounds like you have a bit of a commute. You could think about pumping on the way to work. I bought a car adapter for my pump. I always have way more milk in the morning.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    desertheartdesertheart member
    I will definitely have to block out times for pumping.  I have about a 20 minute commute, the rest of the "commute" is walking from parking lot to my office, which can take as long as 15 min.  One of the downsides of working at a university.  Leaving campus and returning is a huge pain.   

    I'm thinking about just going in a little late (they will just have to live) and BF when I drop LO off, and then come back at lunch.  I could also BF before we leave daycare if needed.  This way he would only need 1 (maybe 2 bottles a day).    

    I work in a self-contained office, so I can pick baby up early and walk him to my office when I have slow afternoons.  The other staff love this idea.  Our assistant said-- well, everyone else brings their dogs so you should be able to bring your baby.  Haha.  
    Report Reply
  • Options
    desertheartdesertheart member
    crsanchez87   Sometimes I wonder....was I like this when I was a student?  They are so needy.  
    I love it when they walk in my office out of the blue and say they have a quick question.  And the question is "when will I graduate??"  Umm...not a simple answer usually.  I've become very firm with walk-ins.  The problem is they think all I do is talk with students.  In reality, 50% of my job is answering e-mail and doing admin stuff.  When I'm working at my computer, they'll come in and comment, "I see you're not busy, so..."  Drives me nuts!  Rant over.  :)  

    It's good to know part-time BF can be done.  :)  Thanks!!
    Report Reply
Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"