Returning To Work? Yes, You CAN Continue To Exclusively Breastfeed!

by Wendy Armbruster Bell
(How a Nanny and a Good Breastpump Can Help You Reach Your Personal Breastfeeding Goals)

As the end of your maternity leave fast approaches, nursing mothers have a number of choices to maintain their breastfeeding relationships with their babies. This holds true no matter how long your maternity leave will be or if you have chosen to return to work early on your own accord.

If you are fortunate to live fairly close to your place of employment, your nanny can bring your baby to you at work for as many feedings as desired. This is especially beneficial when you first return to work as it is a transition for both you and your baby. The sustained contact will be good for both of you emotionally and will facilitate your letdown as well as help to maintain your milk supply as you both adjust to the new routine.

Remember to discuss your breastfeeding and/or pumping schedule with your employer prior to your return to work so that there are no surprises for either of you. It is also a good idea to return to work on a Wednesday or Thursday so you have a short first week. Finally, plan a dry run of your morning routine, including the drive to work, before tackling the Real McCoy. This will do wonders for your stress level on that first day of leaving baby.

Following is a typical schedule that can be adapted to suit (based on a baby that is 3-6 months old):

6:00 am: Wake up, get ready for work and eat a healthy breakfast.
7:00 am: Wake and nurse your baby.*
8:30 am: Leave for work.
9:00 am: Arrive at work.*
11:00 am: Nanny brings baby to work to nurse.
12:30 pm: Eat a nutritious lunch.
2:30 pm: Nanny brings baby to work to nurse.
5:00 pm: Leave work for the day.
5:30 pm: Arrive home, eat dinner.
6:00 pm: Nurse your baby, then bed time/bath time routine for him/her.
7:00 pm: Put baby to bed.
8:00 pm: Prepare for you work day tomorrow (pack your lunch, plan tomorrow night’s dinner).*
10:30 pm: Wake baby to nurse if he/she is not sleeping through the night yet. If baby sleeps through, you may want to pump then off to bed.

* The asterisks in the schedule indicate prime times for additional pumping if your nanny is unable to bring the baby to you for whatever reason (e.g. you are out of town on business or your baby is ill). If you will be pumping at work even once per day, you may want to invest in a hands-free pumping bra so that you can still answer emails or take phone calls while pumping. Make sure you have a comfortable chair to sit in, a footrest to raise your knees to parallel while sitting (so that you don’t hunch over) and if you have problems with letdown, a picture of your baby or an article of clothing that smells like him/her. Remember that you should wait 4-6 weeks to introduce a bottle to your newborn to reduce the chance of nipple confusion.

If you don’t have an office with a lock on the door, then you will also need to find a private room that you can use for nursing and/or pumping – and try to avoid the restroom! Approach your employer to set-up a lactation room. You can pitch him or her on the benefits of having a breastfeeding mother on staff. Never mind the extensive long-term health benefits. In the short-term, research shows that:

• breastfed babies are sick less often and when they do get sick, then aren’t as sick
• breastfed babies are less likely to have ear infections, colic, diarrhea and other childhood illnesses
• babies who are breastfed are 10 times less likely to be hospitalized during the first year
• nursing mothers have a lower incidence of postpartum hemorrhage
• nursing mothers enjoy a decreased risk of iron-deficiency anemia (delayed return of menstruation) and the longer the mother nurses, the stronger this effect

Therefore, because you and your baby will be sick less frequently, your employer will benefit from reduced sick days and in turn, increased productivity from you!

After your baby starts solids at around age 6 months, whether this is before or after you return to work, he/she will be taking less breastmilk. If you do not live close enough to work to warrant having your nanny bring the baby to you, you may choose to pump during the day and breastfeed first thing in the morning and at bedtime as well as on the weekend. Your nanny can feed your baby one bottle of expressed breastmilk in the afternoon (2:30-3:00 pm) and you will still successfully maintain your supply. These types of arrangements along with an open mind, flexibility and support will help you reach your personal breastfeeding goals.

Speaking of support, a lack thereof is one of the top reasons for the extreme decline in breastfeeding rates after moms leave the hospital. The best thing you can do is to keep the following in mind:

• breastfeeding is not “instinctual”, both mom and baby need to learn how to do it
• if you are having difficulties, ASK FOR HELP from your Public Health Nurse, Doctor, Midwife, Doula, Lactation Consultant, La Leche League Leader, friend or family member
• there appears to be a learning curve for the first 6-7 weeks postpartum – if you can persevere until then, you are usually home-free
• resist the temptation to give your baby formula – as little as one feed per day can cause your supply to diminish – keep a small stash of breastmilk in the freezer instead

Following is a schedule for a baby that is 6 months or older:

6:00 am: Wake up, get ready for work and eat a healthy breakfast.
7:00 am: Wake and nurse your baby.*
8:30 am: Leave for work.
9:00 am: Arrive at work.*
12:30 pm: Eat a nutritious lunch.
2:30 pm: Pumping break.
5:00 pm: Leave work for the day.
5:30 pm: Arrive home, eat dinner.
6:15 pm: Nurse your baby, then bed time/bath time routine.
7:15 pm: Put baby to bed.
8:00 pm: Prepare for you work day tomorrow (pack your lunch, plan tomorrow night’s dinner).*
10:30 pm: Wake baby to nurse if he/she is not sleeping through the night yet. If baby sleeps through, you may want to pump then off to bed.

Many people are under the impression that a live-in nanny is out of reach financially; however, if you do the math, this choice is actually quite affordable compared to group daycare, especially if you have more than one child. Remember, there is also the option of arranging a “nanny share” with a friend, family member or co-worker.

As with many “seemingly” insurmountable challenges in life, one day you will look back on your choice to maintain breastfeeding after your return to work and say, “It was a bit of a challenge initially, but soon it was just another routine. I did it and it was absolutely worth it!”

Wendy Armbruster Bell is the Founder & Creative Director of Snugabell Mom & Baby Gear, creators of PumpEase hands-free pumping supports. When she is not helping thousands of breastfeeding Moms around the world pump hands-free and in style, she and her husband Mike are busy raising their two young daughters in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. She has been featured on Cool Mom Picks, Parents TV, Breakfast Television, Celebrity Baby Scoop and was named a Top Mompreneur for 2009 by The Mompreneur Magazine. Wendy can be contacted at wendy@snugabell.com or toll-free at 1.866.963.SNUG (7684).

Pump Ease and Snugabell are also proud to be sponsors of the Mommy News & Views Blogiversary Celebration! Please visit the Review and Give-away of Pump Ease Hands-Free Pumping Support in our Blogiversary section.

Did you work while breastfeeding your baby? What were your experiences pumping or breastfeeding at work? Please share any tips that you have with our readers by leaving a comment below.

Ask Judy: How Do I Keep My Milk Supply Up While Working?

Dear Judy, I have a question for you already. I just returned to work Monday. I noticed yesterday and today that I am not pumping 4.5 to 5oz like I did Monday. My lactation consultant has me taking Fenugreek, which I have been on for about a month. My daughter seems to still be satisfied when I feed her at home. I believe my cycle is due in the next week or two. Considering the above information, do you have any suggestions to keep my milk up? Also I’ve tried pumping for 10 mins taking a 2 min break and pumping againg for 5 mins. Then I have tired 20 mins straight. Okay, I think that is everything I am doing.

It is pretty common for moms to have lower than expected milk out-put during their first week back to work. Your body is adjusting to spending so much time on the pump and you may be feeling stressed or anxious about being away from your baby and about getting caught up on work. I wouldn’t worry too much about it this week. Keep pumping regularly and see how it goes. If you are still noticing lower than expected volumes next week, let me know and we will brain storm some ideas. In the meantime, please read this article – it is all about pumping and working.

Keep in mind that your baby is much more efficient at getting your milk out than your pump – so you may have to add in an extra pumping session to be able to keep up with what she will need while you are away. What worked for me was to pump every evening after my baby went to bed. He would go to sleep at 8 PM and I would pump at 10 PM. I only got 2 ounces, but it was enough to always make sure that I had enough for him to drink the next day. Adding in a pumping session like this works best if you are consistent about it. You will get more milk if you do it at the same time every day.

How much of the fenugreek are you taking? You should be taking 3-4 pills 3-4 times per day. Your body should smell like maple syrup. You can read more about fenugreek here.

Also, have you ever experienced dips in your supply due to your cycle before? Many women see this. It may be due to your time of month as well.

One final tip – it is easy when you are at work to forget to drink water – having enough to drink will directly affect your supply – make sure you are drinking LOTS – even EXTRA water!!

Kelly Mom also has some great tips on pumping and working which you can read as well.

Did you experience a dip in supply when you went back to work? What did you do? Please share your experiences by leaving a comment. The mom who wrote me this question will be checking in to see what advice you have for her. She has gotten lots of great tips from Mommy News & Views readers in the past – so she is looking forward to what you have to share with her today too!

How Breastfeeding Changed My Life

WELCOME Carnival of Breastfeeding Readers!!

I always knew that I would breastfeed. When I was in college, I spent a semester studying in Kenya and I remember seeing all of the moms there carrying their babies on their backs while they did their work and breastfeeding. I always thought that would be me. I never imagined, however, how much breastfeeding and becoming a mother would change my life!

Even when I was pregnant, I never imagined staying home with my son. I always thought I would be dying to go back to work once the baby came. I never could have imagined how I would pass my day “just at home” with my baby. Even in my “Kenyan dreams” I always imagined going back to work with my baby on my back and never letting becoming a mom change anything – I would just work and carry and feed my baby. Of course, in my “real world” bringing my baby to work wasn’t an option. I had planned to take three months off, but figured I would be very eager to go back to work once the time was over.

BOY WAS I WRONG!

I cried for a whole week before going back to work. I couldn’t imagine being away from my baby and having someone else care for him! I actually ended up taking four months of maternity leave, not the three that I had originally planned.

Well, one week shy of four months, I went back to work. I started on a Monday (if I had to do that over, I would definitely start mid-week!) and it was a tough week. I was breastfeeding, and my son was a nibbler, so I had to pump often. My son nursed every hour during the day, but I couldn’t pump that often, so I pumped every two hours at work. That was FOUR TIMES a day! It was stressful and difficult, but I did it. I missed my son, I missed my “other life” that I had established while I was out on maternity leave. It was full of play dates and mommy groups! I lived vicariously through my nanny who went to all of the play dates and support groups in my place!

I lasted until my son was 15 months old. I had pretty high-profile corporate job which required long hours in the office and lots of out-of-town travel. I was lucky that my nanny was willing to travel with me – so for most of my business trips, I took her and my baby with me. It was a lot of work for all of us and after 15 months, I decided that I wanted to spend more time with my son. I had been exploring other “career options” and even went on a few job interviews. I was still breastfeeding, although only pumping once per day by this point. My son and I had a very difficult time getting started with breastfeeding and ultimately I decided that I wanted to find a way to help other new moms be successful at breastfeeding.

When my son was 15 months old, I left my corporate job and stayed home for 4 months. During those first four months I enjoyed every minute with my son! I didn’t even think about my new career yet – I went to mommy groups and play dates and took my son to his music lessons and swim lessons and the park and the zoo and everything else you can imagine. I just enjoyed being a mom!!

Then in January of 2007, after the holidays were over, I started formulating my business idea. And four months later, A Mother’s Boutique officially opened for business!! I love my job and the time that it gives me with my family! I love helping new moms! I write articles and participate in breastfeeding support groups. In October of 2008, I started this blog to be able to give back even more to moms everywhere! It has been a wonderful journey!

How did breastfeeding change your life? What things did you imagine? And what parts took you by surprise? My journey has taken to places I never dreamed I would be – both personally and professionally. I’d love to hear more about yours!

Thanks for visiting the Carnival of Breastfeeding for May! Take a look at these other great blogs and their posts which are part of this carnival (this list will be updated throughout the day)! Please leave us a comment to share your stories too!!

• Strocel: The Story Of Hannah’s Weaning
• Laura’s Blog: Weaning A Toddler
• Stepping Off The Spaceship: Life Death And Nourishment
• So Fawned: Sticking With It: Our Breastfeeding Story
• And All That Sazz: Flying Breastmilk
• GrudgeMom: Breastfeeding Failures and Success
• Baby Carriers Down Under: Kandy
• Massachusetts Friends of Midwives: Ben’s story: The best breastfeeding advice, from the least likely source
• Blisstree: Breastfeeding 1-2-3: The “I Told You So”
• Chronicles of a Nursing Mom: Breastfeeding is not easy but is definitely best for baby
• Breastfeeding Mums Blog: Breastfeeding Made Me The Mother I Am
• Motherwear’s Breastfeeding Blog: Story week post #1: “They said the latch was fine.”
• The Towells: For Women in My Situation
• Zen Mommy: Celebrating my chest, in honor of breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding Moms Unite: Can Early Piublic Breastfeeding Sightings Shape One’s Future Breastfeeding Practices?
• Blacktating: Nursing in Public
• Crystal Gold: A Found Memory