Side Note for Nursing Moms Who Work

Hi ladies. I know this has nothing to do with hair, but I think this is important information for pumping mothers to know. I originally posted this on LHCF's Pregnancy and Motherhood Forum, so that's why the formatting is a bit off. The posting is below.

I thought I would share my pumping at work story since I know some people might be contemplating doing this and in my experience, it's hard to find other people stories about this topic. So here goes.

First things first: I called ahead. I spoke to human resources who let me know that they have an empty office available in their building right next to a fridge and sink, but I could also ask my direct supervisor for a room if I wanted to be closer to my desk. As it turns out, she also had a room available, but I could choose which room would be more comfortable for me.

When I went in on Monday I had a 4 hour orientation, but the human resources secretary came to get me at a time I think she believed would be a good break time for me to pump. The first time, I admit, was awkward. I mean, milking yourself never really is comfortable, especially when you're wondering if people outside the door can hear your pump going.

I was also afraid that I wouldn't make much milk without DS around. So I pulled out my cell phone and flipped to my two videos of him to get my letdown started: one is of him cooing, and the other is of him nursing at around 4 weeks. I made 6 ounces of milk, which is average for the first pumping of the day. Some people make more, but 4-6 is normal for a 12-week-old baby.

At the end of my first day, I had made 21 ounces of milk (that is with an extra pumping session before I left home). I actually cut out the pumping session before leaving home because it was too much milk. I was feeding DS before DH took him to my mom's AND pumping an hour later. It wasn't necessary. I will add that session back when he goes through a growth spurt or I run out of frozen milk, whichever comes first. The second day I made 15 ounces.

An extra positive: My DS has never been a comfort nurser. He eats 5 minutes on each side and he's done, but he's actually BIGGER than the average baby! My doctor said he's an EXTREMELY efficient nurser. These days he's doing a bit more comfort nursing (light suckling, but taking in little to no milk). I never realized how much I missed something I never had! Most people don't recommend allowing comfort nursing, but I think it's a great bonding experience for a working woman who loses 40+ hours a week with their LO. I don't let him nurse to sleep though unless it's the middle of the night.

My recommendations:

• Make sure you have six bottles and three sets of pump parts (enough to pump three times per day). The last thing you want to do after pumping at work is to go to the kitchen sink and spend an extra 5-10 minutes washing parts for your next session. It's quite tedious. Trust me because that's what I'm doing until my extra parts arrive in the mail.
• Don't forget your bag! Make sure you have two mini cooler bags to store your pumped milk in to keep it all together. One for you at work and one for your babysitter/daycare. I can't tell you how many times I've almost walked out of the door without my cooler bag.
• Call ahead. Depending on your relationship with your supervisor, you can call and talk to them personally or go through HR. I kind of regret going through HR because I've worked with my supervisor before as a graduate assistant a couple of years ago and I didn't think they would talk to her before I did. I only called them to verify that they had a room for my first day during orientation and to make sure they didn't have a rule against pumping on company time which I've heard some jobs have.
• Pump ahead of time. It's great for your LO to have the freshest milk possible to reap the best benefits from the nutrients, but babies have growth spurts. Be sure to give your babysitter/daycare the fresh milk you pumped that day plus two or three frozen bags you pumped before starting work. They can keep them in their freezer just in case. Don't forget to label the bags with your LO's name if he's going to a daycare!
• Don't underestimate the hassle. Don't go in thinking pumping at work will be super easy. If you keep your expectations at the right level, you can get through pumping for as long as you desire, but take it day by day. You might want to pump for 12 months, but don't be too hard on yourself if you just can't get there. I'm going for 6, but hoping for 9-12.
• ETA: You MUST have a hands free pump bra. Period. If you think pumping on the job is hard, think about holding two hands to your breast for 15 minutes.