Back To Work: Pumping
Let's be real, pumping is my LEAST favorite part of breastfeeding. If I could detach my breasts and send them with my daughter to daycare, I would do it in a heartbeat. But, since my anatomy doesn't exactly work like that I'm left with having to pump. As much as I hate it, I know that it has to be done. If I want to continue producing milk for my baby, I have to suck it up and get to work. Here are some tips for dealing with pumping as you head back to work.
Maintain Your Supply
Breastmilk is 100% supply and demand. Your body makes the amount of milk that your baby tells it to make. If your baby is nursing less, then you're going to make less milk, until eventually you're done (this is how weaning happens).
How do you tell your body to continue producing the same amount of milk when your baby isn't around? Your pump! Consistent pumping allows you to keep up the demand and in return maintain your supply.
What does consistent pumping look like? Remember, the pump has to mimic your baby as much as possible. So, to maintain your supply, you need to pump every 2-3 hours.
Pumping Protection
In a nutshell, federal law states that if you are an hourly employee at a company with more than 50 employees, you get reasonable break time for up to one year from when your child is born to express milk (pump). This break time can be unpaid. The space provided for you to pump must be in a closed off place, private place that is NOT a bathroom.
Some states have extended these rights further to include salaried employees, breastfeeding past one year, and even requirements for special rooms for mothers to pump in.
Tip: Federal law controls state law, so always check to see if you are covered by federal law before moving to the state laws. Mamava has put together a great tool to allow you to check the breastfeeding laws in your state. Check it out here.
Milk Storage
Now that you have pumped the milk, you have to make sure it makes it home to your little one. Breastmilk can only be left at room temperature for six hours. If you will be at work longer than that you will need to keep it cool. This can be done in a variety of ways.
The easiest will probably be to have a pumping bag. These are bags that can be used to carry your pumping supplies to work. They commonly have insulated compartments in them that can keep your milk cold once pumped. They come in different sizes and offer different amenities depending on what you're looking for. The best part? They're cute! They allow you to be discreet with your pumping materials because they look like you're carrying a purse or backpack
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Some employers may offer private refrigerators for pumping mothers or maybe a communal one in the break room. Your milk can be placed in there as well, but just make sure you label it so no one throws it away!
Graphic from Breastmilkguidelines.com
Pump Maintenance
Just like your car needs maintenance to make sure it's running at peak performance, your pump does as well. Your pump parts need to be replaced every 60-80 pumping sessions. The parts that need to be changed depend on the type of pump you have. This could be the valves, the membranes, or both. These are the parts of the pump that create suction, so if you don't maintain them you may find that your suction power is decreasing and the pump is not effectively expressing milk. It could create the appearance that your supply has decreased, when actually, you just need to change your pump parts!
Pump Output
Remember to have clear expectations regarding your pumping output. The normal pumping output when you are replacing a feeding is 2-4 ounces for both breasts combined. If you feed your baby at 7am before you left for work and then you pump again at 9 am and only get one oz from each breast, that's normal! Continue consistently pumping every 2-3 hours and by the end of the day you should have enough milk for the next day.
One of the hardest parts about going back to work is the fear of your breastmilk supply taking a dip. This period requires a lot of trust in yourself and your body as well as some determination. Like everything else on this motherhood journey, it requires some adjusting. You can do it!
Sources:
Mamava; Federal Guidelines for Nursing Mothers FAQs; Pumping Output; Breastmilk Storage
