5 Tips for Going Back to Work While Breastfeeding
By: Kayece Flood
Tags: Going Back To Work, Breastfeeding Support, Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding Tips, Working Moms

While providing breastfeeding support and education, as a nutritionist, the number one reason moms would quit breastfeeding is that they returned to work.

I find that many individuals underestimate how hard it can be to initiate breastfeeding and how much of a challenge it can be to continue breastfeeding after returning to work.

Leaving your little one with a caregiver can already be stressful. Add transitioning to nursing your little one on-demand at home to having to provide expressed breastmilk to your infant during your working hours.

Providing breastmilk for your baby is SO important and you shouldn’t have to give that up to also provide financially for your family.

So, I have put together my top 5 tips that will help prepare you for making that transition from nursing while at home to being a working breastfeeding mom. You go, girl!

#1: Maintain your milk supply by maintaining the demand for breastmilk.

If I could give you just one piece of advice while breastfeeding and working, this would be it.

A drop in milk production is the number one cause for stress as a breastfeeding mother and the number one contributor to why mom’s quit pumping/ breastfeeding while working.

How it Works — the Supply and Demand System

Your breasts produce milk based on a supply and demand system. The more breastmilk you demand from your breast — the more you bring baby to breast or the more you pump — the more breastmilk you will produce on a day-to-day basis.

You need to pump at the same frequency at work that you would bring baby to the breast when you are at home. I always recommend to moms to recognize their infant’s normal eating patterns before returning to work.

Even if you are nursing on-demand, by the time you are getting ready to go back to work — usually around 12 weeks postpartum — you should start to notice that your infant is nursing on somewhat of a natural schedule.

Here is an example:

If your infant is nursing around every 2–3 hours, then while you are at work you should be pumping every 2–3 hours. This “tricks” your breasts into thinking they still need to maintain that supply even though you are not bringing the baby to the breast.

#2: Discuss pumping at work with your employer(s) as soon as you can (even before birth).

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, your employer must allow you break time to pump at work until the infant is one year of age. They must also provide you a comfortable place to do so.

I would encourage you to educate yourself on the rights you have as a breastfeeding mother in the workplace. The U.S. Department of Labor’s website lays out your rights regarding nursing in the workplace.

Unfortunately, many employers are not aware of their responsibilities when it comes to allowing you these rights. Most of the time it is left up to us, as mothers, to be the ones to educate them.

That is why I encourage you to talk to your supervisor or boss as soon as you can about their obligations. If you can do this before you have the baby, I think you will set yourself up for success.

Establish a schedule with them to allow you those extra breaks and make sure they have an area set up for you to pump beforehand.

This will prevent any confrontations from occurring between you and your supervisor when you start taking periodic breaks throughout your workday to pump. Having a designated pumping space beforehand will alleviate the stress of having to find one or do without.

#3: Choose the right breast pump.

I am not going to sugarcoat it for you, pumping can be a pain and it is time-consuming. Having the right breast pump for you and your situation can make all of the difference!

Just like most things in life you get what you pay for. High-quality breast pumps come at a high price.

If you have health insurance that will cover (or help with) the cost of a breast pump:

Your doctor or insurance company will likely have a list of vendors you can purchase from and breast pumps you can choose from.

DO YOUR RESEARCH. Ask other women you know that have used breast pumps what they recommended.

Read reviews online.

Ask mom groups on Facebook or your local La Leche League.

Ask your doctor.

If you do not have health insurance that will cover a breast pump and you cannot afford one:

Look into organizations that may donate breast pumps in your area.

If you are not already receiving WIC benefits, look into applying for WIC.

Most WIC programs will help you with renting a breast pump when you return to work and will also provide you support from a lactation consultant or breastfeeding counselor during and after your pregnancy.

When all else fails, ask your doctor for resources to help you obtain a breast pump.

#4: Practice pumping before you go back to work.

For those first 12 weeks — or however long you have at home — practice pumping. This will allow you to understand how to use your breast pump and to feel comfortable using it before going back to work.

Your breasts are not going to respond the same way to a piece of plastic as they do to when you bring your baby to your breast. Getting your breast used to your pump can help increase your expressed milk output.

Practicing can help you build up an emergency supply to use in case you do experience any dip in your milk production or when your baby hits a growth spurt.

Don’t stress about building up a huge emergency supply. Your breasts work exceptionally well at providing your baby with all the nourishment he or she needs.

#5: Introduce a bottle before going back to work.

You may hear to avoid bottles and/or pacifiers early on to avoid nipple confusion, especially among lactation consultants. My opinion — every baby is different.

I know clients who had to pump early on and used a bottle to feed the baby expressed breastmilk until they could get their baby to latch.

I know clients who no matter how hard they tried could never get their baby to take the bottle — some babies just prefer the breast.

I always recommend once you and the baby feel comfortable with latching and you feel you both have it down, then introduce the bottle. Start slow — maybe one feeding a day.

It is important, especially when you plan on returning to work, that your baby recognizes he or she can receive breastmilk both from the breast and bottle.

Also, make sure you have others — spouse, family member, or friend — feed your baby from the bottle as well.

Let’s Wrap It Up

I hope the above tips help prepare you for the transition back to work while breastfeeding and alleviate that stress that causes so many moms to throw in the towel.

I want to leave you with just a few last-minute thoughts:

It is normal for your milk production to sway at this time. It is a huge transition for you and the baby.

Remember that stress is a factor that causes your milk production to drop. If you find yourself struggling to keep up, then seek support and help right away.

2. Any amount of breastmilk is better for your baby than no breastmilk. Just because you start supplementing with formula does not mean you have to completely stop providing breastmilk.

That may mean you nurse the baby while at home and supplement with formula while at work. Maybe you just nurse for one feeding before bed. Do what works for you and what fits your situation.

3. Remember that you are providing your baby with the best possible nutrition that there is. Provide yourself with positive affirmations. You are awesome. You got this mama!

Here are links to some of the resources for breastfeeding support and pump rentals that I mentioned. Please don’t wait to seek support until the last minute! There are people out there who want to help and support you.

La Leche League

WIC Program

WIC Breastfeeding Support

KellyMom.com