Despite a couple of minor hurdles in the beginning, I’ve stayed committed to breastfeeding Caroline. I’ve followed a few guidelines to help us along and invested in the gear but I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t exhausted all resources. In between naps, diaper changes and playing with a newborn, I cobbled together the information that I could in order to help us be successful. After almost 5 months, I would say it is going very well for us!
Now that I’m a few short days away from going back to work, I thought I would share what I’ve done to prepare to keep breastfeeding Caroline for the next 7 months even though I’ll be in the office three days a week. Our nanny share arrangement means that on the days I work from home and the share is at our house, I’ll be able to feed Caroline; an additional 4 days per month. I’ll take it!
1) I started pumping when Caroline was 4 weeks old. I wanted to start building up a stash and have some milk to be able to to give to Caroline in a bottle, so I started pumping once a day. My supply is highest in the morning so I would pump right after Caroline’s first feeding. To make sure that my supply was well-established, for the first 12 weeks whenever I was physically able to feed Caroline, I did. Within that time whenever we did give Caroline a bottle, I made sure to pump in place of the feeding to keep my supply up. I still do this now! I noticed my supply evened out at about 1o weeks. Once we dropped Caroline’s 11 pm feeding, at four months old, I began pumping at that time to continue to build up my stash. This week I dropped the morning pump session since I won’t have time for it once I go back to work, but I will continue the nighttime pump session.
**I eat oatmeal almost every day to boost my milk production and I try to stay as hydrated as possible. I definitely notice a difference in supply on days I don’t drink enough water or if I haven’t had oatmeal in a couple of days!**
2) We introduced a bottle at 6 weeks. I had read that waiting much longer than 6 weeks could make it harder for a baby to accept a bottle, so we introduced it as soon as we were comfortable. Caroline was well established with breastfeeding at that point. One tip said that the first bottle should come from Jeromy and not from me. If it was from me, there was more of a chance of Caroline rejecting it because she would prefer to nurse. I almost didn’t give the bottle to her because I had accidentally spilled some of the milk and didn’t think there was enough in there to satisfy her. As I was about to dump the bottle, standing in the kitchen holding Caroline in my arm and the bottle in the other, I thought, let’s give it a shot. I offered her the bottle and she took it! I did end up nursing her right after as well—it was trial and error to see how much she would want to eat. We gave Caroline a bottle once or twice a week {twice if we remembered} to prepare her for when we went away overnight for a wedding.
3) We treat the bottle like it’s the breast. In order to keep Caroline from preferring the bottle to the breast, we give her the bottle for a few seconds, then take it away for a few seconds. We do this over and over until she is halfway through the bottle. Then we switch the side we’re holding her on, as if she were nursing. So far, she hasn’t shown a preference to the bottle. If anything, she seems to have a slight preference to nursing—she doesn’t enjoy a bottle from me, but she will take one from other people.
4) I will pump as often as Caroline receives a bottle during the work day. I turned an old sports bra into a hands-free pumping bra so I’ll be able to continue to work while pumping. My office does not have a designated mother’s room, but my door has a lock and a shade was installed on the door window for me. I carry an insulated lunch bag every day so I’ll just keep the milk in there and then freeze it when I get home. I also bought the Medela quick wipes for cleaning the pump during the day and will wash it with soap and water every night after my last pumping session. My plan is to keep freezing milk as I pump it and feed Caroline from my freezer stash for as long as I can.
Generally, our schedule will look like this:
6:30 am – nurse
9:30 am – bottle for Caroline, I pump {nurse on WFH days}
12:30 pm – bottle for Caroline, I pump {nurse on WFH days}
3:30 pm – bottle for Caroline, I pump {nurse on WFH days}
6 pm – solid food
7 pm – nurse
10 pm – pump
I’ll be honest, pumping is not fun. I’d much rather be feeding Caroline myself. It’s important to Jeromy and I that Caroline receive breast milk for as much of her first year as possible, hopefully this plan will make it happen until August.
Working mamas, what was your experience with breastfeeding after returning to work?
I’m not an expert but I’m happy to answer any questions about my breastfeeding experience. Please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me at thesplatteredapron@gmail.com.
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Lisa – you are doing great! I nursed Greta exclusively for a year – struggled w. my supply (working 5 days away from the house) and 'made it'… after the first year still did morning/evening at home until she was ~16 months. She rarely gets sick now…
All of your tips are excellent – when I struggled w. supply (around 6 months) I started pumping in the morning BEFORE G nursed… that helped some… also made sure that her last bottle from the nanny was early enough in the afternoon that she'd want to nurse the second she saw me in the evening.
There are some herbals that are supposed t help – I tried them without much luck – but if you have trouble, worth looking into.
Best of luck! You are doing so great with nursing and Caroline (and you) are healthier/stronger for it. Keep it up as long as you can Mama!
Thanks, Karin!! This is great info and I\’m glad to hear that Greta rarely gets sick and you made it a year–gives me hope!
I returned to work when the Mini Athlete was just nine weeks old and pumping while at work actually helped ease the transition. It felt good knowing I was doing something very literally for him throughout my day. When I first went back to work, I pumped three times during the work day but then life got busier. It went down to two. Then one. Then we weaned off of it all together. But I am glad that I pumped for those first few months back to work! The trick is making it as easy as possible. I highly recommend bringing gallon-sized ziploc bags to put your pump pieces in – even after you wipe them, they can be kinda yucky and it's nice to not have them getting your whole bag wet. I actually didn't use wipes – I rinsed the pump out in the bathroom and preferred that. I'm not a huge fan of the milk bags – I got some reusable bottles for the milk and I much preferred that. If you have any other questions about it, don't hesitate to ask!
Thanks, Callie, I will definitely let you know if I have any questions. I\’m planning on just keeping the parts out on a towel to dry, it\’ll be interesting to see if that works and/or gets any comments from coworkers!
Hi Lisa! Longtime reader here, but first comment I've made. I'm not a mom but when that time comes, I also hope to be able to nurse my baby for a year – though I'll have to go back to work when the baby is about 12 weeks old. Reading this gives me hope! Thank you for being so open and honest – even for us not-moms-yet women!
Hi Catherine, thanks so much for reading! Your comment made my day
Good luck with everything! I pumped at work during the first year, it was no fun because it felt like every minute I had, was spent pumping.. But I’m glad I did it and happy that my son was breastfed for a year. My coworkers’ comments on my milk in the fridge were pretty ridiculous, but I just ignored them.
Thanks, Marie! I\’m hoping that no one notices the milk since it\’ll be in my lunch bag, but we\’ll see!
I’m not a mom, but from what you’ve said, it seems to work great with your work arrangements. I worry about how I’ll do it working in a school woth no privacy. Any teacher moms out there?
I know it can be hard to work into your day, especially as a teacher. I hope it works out for you when the time comes!
I teach and pump! You can make it work, and because a lot of teachers are also moms (nothing beats a teachers schedule for spending time with your kids!) you might find that work will be more supportive than you think. I pump 3 times during the work day, which is exactly how many bottles my son needs. Once right before the students arrive, once during my lunch and once as soon as the students leave. If there really is no place at your work to pump, many brands of pumps have a car lighter adapter that you can get and you can go out to your car to pump. I was pumping in my principals office while she had to wait in the library for a few weeks until they cleared out a small space in a walk-in closet for me with a chair and a desk. Also, depending on the state you are in, there are most likely laws in place that actually require your workplace to support you in breastfeeding and pumping by providing you a location to do so. If and when you decide to do it, you will make it work!
Lisa, just curious when you think you might go to solids for 2 meals a day. We did so after about a month of solids for P – but that's probably quicker than you will since we waited til 6 months to try solids.
Probably around 6 months? I figured we\’d stick with one meal for now and talk with her pediatrician at her 6 month appointment.
Such a helpful post. I am 30 weeks pregnant, so it's nice to hear about the after part. Still feel overwhelmed about BF'ing!
I\’m so glad it helps! If you have any specific questions I\’d be happy to answer them for you. I remember how overwhelming it all can be!
don't be overwhelmed
you can do it! I was worried, too, and I've been BFing my son now for 8 months. I utilized the lactation nurses like crazy after delivery – really helped! Be sure to take a BF class with your partner, too. Now it's something I'm so proud of 
Hey Lisa,
I love your blog!! It's so helpful to hear how other real-life mothers are doing it
I also credit you for helping me get through the tough first 2 weeks of breastfeeding. I struggled with sore, blistered nipples and had to pump for 48 hours to heal. Your kind and informative email helped me get through this tough time. Now my daughter is 3 months and still exclusively breastfed! It is so much more enjoyable now and I'm so glad I stuck it out. (with your help!)
I went back to work when Presley was 2 months old, so I have been pumping for a solid month. So far it has been an easy adjustment. Our schedule looks a little something like this:
5:30am feed
pump out rest of milk at home (this is when I'm most full; I usually get 5-8 oz.)
8:30am pump @ work
P will take a bottle at daycare around 9 or 9:30am
I bf her at the daycare on my lunch break around 11:30am
Pump @ work 2:30pm; P takes a bottle at daycare
I pick her up at 5:15pm and feed her immediately (note: sometimes she takes a "snack bottle" at daycare around 5:00pm of 3-4oz.
BF at 7pm and give her a bottle of 2oz. (to make sure her belly is nice and full)
Occasional 1am feeding
I use the milk from my two work pumping sessions for her next day bottles. I am able to freeze the milk I get from my morning pump right now. I;m sure she will need this milk once she starts eating more.
Some pumping tips:
-the hands-free bra is a must! I didn't think I would need it at first, but it really somes in handy
-keep some pictures and videos of Caroline on your phone to watch while pumping. It helps with your let-down reflex.
-Medela makes some travel steam bags to sterilize your pump parts at the office. I will usually do this 2-3 times a week to keep them from getting moldy.
-I have a towel set out in one of my desk drawers to dry my pump parts off on in between pumping sessions.
-Keep up the oatmeal breakfasts and hydration. It really helps!!
Feel free to email me if you have any other questions: katyvb2@sbcglobal.net
Good luck!! I'm sure it will be great!
Katy, thank YOU for your kind words and reading my blog! I\’m so happy my small bit of experience helped you. It sounds like everything is going so well with Presley now, I am so happy for you. You better believe I will e-mail you with any questions
Take care!!
I'm so impressed- Looks like you are totally in control. I hope everything will go very smoothly once you return to work. As we all know, breast is best, but if it gets too hard or if something goes wrong, don't panic. You've made it this far and the beginning is the most important time of all to nurse and you did it mama! Somewhere in my fifth month nursing, my supply dried up literally overnight. I have no idea what happened and we had to switch to formula literally in one day. And… baby girl is perfectly fine and healthy. She has only ever been sick once and that was very minor and not until her first birthday. So try to enjoy, burn those calories and don't worry! Caroline is dong great
Good luck next week!
Thanks, Jess! If you get a call from a DC number and all you can hear is sobbing, it\’s me.
In my 2 weeks back at work, combined with the breastfeeding group I attended for a few weeks after Ben was born, I have learned a few things that might be helpful. First – you don't HAVE to wipe down the pump parts after every pumping session. This sounded super weird to me at first but I've gotten used to it. As long as they are in an insulated bag with an ice pack the milk that gets on them stays fresh and therefore doesn't need to be washed away. Then I just wash them when I get home and sanitize them once during the weekend. This saves me a ton of time during my workday! Second – frozen milk is good for 5+ months. This helps because I usually just use the milk that I pumped today for tomorrows feedings, which saves me from having to defrost bags every night. And then if I pump extra it goes into the "long term" frozen stash. Because all of my bags are dated, I can easily see which ones are oldest and I can pull those out a few at a time when it gets closer to them being 5 months old and freeze my newer milk then. This saves me by using less bags and not having to defrost and freeze every night.
Third – It's so smart that you added pumping sessions daily when she stopped feeding at night. I totally dropped the ball on that and hope we don't suffer for it later! Fourth and finally – I try to drink Mother's Milk tea twice a day. At first I wasn't really noticing it, but now, if I run out or miss a day because I forgot to bring it to work with me, I definitely notice a difference in how much milk I produce.
You are doing so great! Your words to me when I returned to work were so kind and I want you to know that other than the night before, during which we both shed tears, the transition hasn't been bad for either of us. Once you are working you don' t think as much about how much you miss them. And it's also helpful to remember that you are still providing for her, just in a different way. That she still needs you, your relationship is just growing. Best of luck, I will be thinking of you!
Casey, thank you so much for sharing all of that! I have some of the mother’s milk tea but haven’t tried it yet, I will put it in my bag to bring to the office just in case I need it. Thank YOU for your kind words! It helps so much to know that there are so many other women that have gone through the same thing recently. And you’re right, even though I would rather be with Caroline, I am providing for her in a different way. Plus, when we are together I will be able to focus just on her and not feel like I need to be doing a million things at once. Thank you so much for your thoughts, I really appreciate them!
Good luck mama! I'm so impressed. I was not nearly as successful at breastfeeding as I had hoped. I have a serious eater on my hands…ended up pumping and bottlefeeding after 6 weeks or so. Kept up with pumping at work a bit for the first few months, but it just got to be too much for me, especially since we were already supplementing with formula anyway. You have it a bit easier though because you're already doing awesome nursing her and you have an office. I had to go into a cold bathroom to pump and it was no fun.
If I had an office I think I would have done it way longer!
Thanks so much for this, Lisa. It's definitely a juggling act, and even though I still have 2 months at home with my sweet girl, I know the time will fly and I need to be ready to go back to teaching. I would love to know how you turned your sports bra into a hands free pumping bra. I'm trying to avoid buying the $40 bustier, but I'd appreciate getting my hands back.
I basically just put it on, then cut holes in it in strategic spots to hold the cup of the pump in place. I accidentally cut the holes a little too big but it wasn’t anything a couple of safety pins couldn’t fix (until I get around to sewing it closed by hand). Enjoy your last two months, the time goes way too quickly.
I just found this through an article that linked to it and linked to my article too. I hope everything’s going well for you 5 months later! I breastfed my son until he was 2 years 4 months old and pumped for him from the time I went back to work when he was 3 months old until he was eating plenty of solids and refusing bottles which was around 13 months. Here are my tips for success at pumping at work.
You got a question about solids, and I’ll share my experience with that in case anyone is still reading: My son did not eat any solids until 6 months and got into them very gradually over the next 6 months; he was at least 9 or 10 months before he was really eating enough solids during the day that I could reduce the number of bottles I packed for him. He was going to a home childcare that was very flexible about giving him whatever he seemed to need, so she was offering solids at lunchtime and then seeing if he “asked” for milk before his afternoon nap or not. (He always was the sort of baby who tends to sleep while digesting milk. I know many have success with an “eat, play, sleep” routine, but he was always, “eat, sleep, play”!) I did the same thing in the evening, offering solids first while I was eating my dinner, then nursing him at bedtime.
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Thanks for sharing your story! It’s amazing how different each baby is, isn’t it?
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