BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

Hi all, I'm going to be returning to work in about 6 weeks and would like to continue to BF after I go back. Right now DD only receives BM--my supply has luckily been plentiful enough to keep up with her...

When I go back to work, I'll be leaving the house at 6:30 am and not returning until 3:30pm at the earliest. The way I figure it, that's approximately 20 oz. of BM that she'll take while I'm gone. I do plan on pumping at work, but I'm a teacher with only one 35 minute prep a day, so I probably won't be gleaning very much from that session...

Am I being realistic in hoping that I can continue EBF without supplementing? I really want to believe that I can continue to do this but part of me wonders if I'll be able to keep up with that demand

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

Sure you can! Start pumping before you go to work and store it in a deep freezer!

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

i exclusively pump and am able to pump roughly 35 ounces a day... i can now make it 6-7 hours between sessions... when i do work i bring my double pump and it only tkes 15 min... over time you learn to multitask... i can use the comp and pmp... or feed ds and pump

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

I have the same hours and only pump 1x a day as well- and have yet to touch the freezer stash.

I get anywhere from 10-15oz in the morning when I pump. Then, I am able to get about 10-12oz during my lunchtime pumping. DD only nurses from one side, so when I get home I nurse her and pump out the other side.

So- the milk you pump the day before+ the morning pump should likely be plenty. You'll be FINE.

ETA: I did the same with DD#1 until she was 11 months old. I actually had to STOP pumping because we needed to use the freezer stash before it went too long to use (6 months!)!!!!

Message edited 3/3/2009 11:00:17 PM.

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

it's definitely possible, as pp have said. i would start a freezer stash now!

having said that, some moms don't respond as well to the pump (it's just not the baby, kwim?) and aren't able to pump as much. this is what happened to me, which is why BFing lasted only a few months after i went back to work.

having said that, it sounds like my experience is more the exception than the rule. it's absolutely worth a try!

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

You can do it - your body will adapt and will produce enough milk for the period of time that you pump.

I went back to work when Alex was 10 weeks old - somehow I managed to juggle being a litigation attorney, in and out of client meetings and court, and managed to pump, giving her BM exclusively, until she was 6 months old.

It can be a pain, but it's definitely do-able

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

You can do it. I did. Also, my son hated the bottle and never took more than 10 oz of pumped milk (I would pump about 20 a day, so I always had extra). He just filled up when he was with mommy.

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

You can so do it, went back to work at 3 mos and BF until 11 mos. DS took bottle during day and natural BF in am and pm, so you have a lot of options as to how to do it. Don't get discouraged, I am in pharm sales and wold pump in my backseat of my car over lunch and it became a "normal" thing. Gave me a few minutes to relax and not get caught up in work for those 15-20 minutes.
Good luck!!!

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

Yes, start your freezer stash today!! I started 6 weeks before I went back to work and had more than enough for months, plus what I pumped fresh daily to give DS.

You can do it!!

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

You can absolutely do it!

I started pumping more at different times of the day in the weeks before I went to work. This helped establish my freezer supply. Pumping got easier at work as the first week or two went by. Just remember to take a little cooler bag to put your milk in. Nobody needs to see your breastmilk next to their lunch.

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

You can definitely do it.

Here is the best tip I can give you= Pump first thing in the morning before you feed DC. I used to get 7-10 oz in that session alone! If you pump after you wake up, before bed and at work (keeping it up during the weekend), you'll be fine!

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

I am also going back to work soon and plan to exclusively use breast milk. I will be gone for almost 12 hours per day. I'll be able to pump at work. Also, if I wake up during the night, I pump then and get a lot of milk very quickly. I agree with the others...start your freezer stash, and try to pump once in the morning and maybe once at night or during the night.

Re: BF and going back to work--am I being realistic?

Definitely doable as others have said. I pump twice when I am away from him. I also pump about an hour after I finish feeding DS and on weekends I make sure to pump. I haven't had to touch my freezer stash yet. As others have suggested, start building up a stash.