Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

I'm going back to work in a few weeks and I'm realizing that I'm not prepared at all, pumping-wise. Right now, DD gets pumped milk when I'm not with her now, but always drinks more than I pump. For example, the other day, she took an 8 ounce bottle and I pumped 3 or 4 ounces. I'm going to start eating more oatmeal (when I work I have it every day for breakfast, anyway) and making sure I'm drinking enough water. I drink Mother's Milk tea, but not a lot and not every day.

DD nurses every three hours during the day, so my plan is to nurse at 6am and then pump at 9a, noon, 3p, 6p and 9p (I won't be home to put her to bed ).

And if you fantastic pumping moms can share any tricks or secrets to getting your pump set up and going quickly, how you store your milk at work, etc., I could use all of the pointers. I'm starting a new job, so I don't know if I'll have an office or a cubicle, so I might be lugging my stuff to a separate space (can't keep it set up and ready to go) and will be commuting on the train, so can't carry a million things with me.

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

What kind of pump do you have? I have a medela and am able to pump exactly enough for ds for the day with it... If you are looking to get your supply up- try renting a hospital grade pump- they are fairly inexpensive but really help... also try taking a fenugreek supplement

as for pumping at work- I carry my supplies back and forth daily- it stinks but it is what it is. I store my milk in a lunch bag in the office fridge- I actually use the milk collection things and just throw a cap on them

good luck!

Message edited 2/28/2011 9:43:49 AM.

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

My pumping bag:

pump (duh LOL)
cooler: ice pack, two caps
BM bags just in case
ziploc bag: horns already attached to two bottles
a small towel
pumping bra


After I pump in the morning, I just have to throw the pump AND the ice pack into my bag. I have extra horns/bottles so I have those packed already.

I pump, then throw the caps onto the bottles and put it in the cooler. I do not trust ANYONE having access to the milk I give my daughter and could never let it out of my sight.

Good Luck! I have been back since November and still going strong!

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

Thanks so much!

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

How old is you lo...8 oz seems like a crazy amt to me. I pumped and BF for a full year with both kiddies and they both never took more than 5.5 oz the entire first year! it started at 2 oz and went up ~0.5 oz every month until it plateaued at 5.5 oz

They will rarely deny BM out of a bottle bec it comes out so easy and is less work. But they will often cry when it is done making mommies think they want more...but really it is bec they are used to telling you when they are done and with the bottle you are basically telling them they are done..when a bottle was finished I would get up and walk around and offer the binkie...if they were distracted and content minutes later then I knew they had enough!

My Pumping tips:
-Def pump until your second letdown..I often got as much as an oz from each breast in this letdown!
-I also had to massage/do breast compressions to my breasts the whole 20 minute session!
-it is great that you will be able to pump that much during the day..this will def help keep up with your supply
-drink lots and lots and LOTS of water each day!
-I would get one big bottle and combine my days worth of pumps in the one bottle to take up less storage in the fridge and then freeze after a week in 5 oz bags
-if you are able to...and if can help save you some time...I sometimes would skip a wash of the pump parts and store the bottle and pump parts right in the fridge so it didn't get yucky in between pumps and then clean it once at the end of the day!

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

I had a lot of difficulty pumping at work and I had my own office. I always felt like I was getting called for a meeting or conference call right when I started pumping. It stressed me out that I wasn't pumping enough to keep up with DS's appetite.

I went back to work after 4 months of leave. I tried pumping at work for about 2 months. then I only pumped at home for about a month. DS stopped getting BM at around 8m.

If I could do it all over again, I would not have killed myself and felt so guilty about not being able to produce and pump enough milk for DS.

eta: I also think it depends on what you do for a living and what kind of people you work with. I work with ALL males. Many have families but I still felt embarrassed carrying pumping parts to the bathroom to rinse. I also felt really weird putting my breastmilk into the kitchen fridge. Whenever anyone mentioned anything about my pumping or breastmilk, I felt mortified, even if someone said they think it is great that I am pumping. Once in a while, someone would mention my milk in the fridge. I hated anyone thinking or talking about my breastmilk. I may have felt differently if I had female co-workers.

Message edited 2/28/2011 11:58:59 AM.

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

i have the freestyle...i use the bag the pump came with....

i carry the pump.... a ziploc that has the membranes and horns already assembled...the cooler with the ice pack that came with it where i keep four bottles...i also carry milk storage bags (when i am pumping the second time for the day i put the milk in the bag to save me a few minutes when i get home and just in case something happens to a bottle)....the wipes medela sells to clean parts...hands free pumping bra (bought one from amazon could never figure out the one that came with freestyle)....i also keep hand sanitizer in my bag and mothers milk tea...

i never store milk in fridge too scared to think of what could happen...ice pack keeps milk cold... i am thinking of getting another set of membranes and horns to avoid having to use the wipes before the second pump and to save me a few minutes in keeping everything assembled...

i have been back at work since october and still going strong (dd is 7.5 months).

Message edited 2/28/2011 6:40:01 PM.

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

I always got the most BM first thing in the am. You could pump when you wake up, get ready and then nurse DD before you leave. Your body would adjust to it. Both DDs were sleeping when I left for work in the mornings so I did not nurse before work. But I did do this on the weekends - I would wake up about an hour before DD, pump and nurse whenever she woke.

Definitely get multiple shields/horns (whatever they are called). I found it annoying to pump in the am, clean everything and pack it up before work. I had two sets so that I could get everything ready the night before.

Good luck - it may seem like a lot to swing in the beginning but it gets easier, promise!!

Re: Returning to work - LOTS of PUMPING questions

The ladies already gave you some great advice I use a BIG cooler bag. I keep my pump, quick clean wipes and a pumping bra (sports bra with two holes in it) in the small cooler bag that came with the pump. I find it easier to just slip on the sports bra really quick before I pump so that I don't have to worry about it. I had spillage problems when using the hands free attachments that came with the pump.

In that large cooler bag I put my bottles and my lunch for the day along with a couple of ice packs.

The best advice I can give you is to really remember to drink your water!! Sometimes I get busy and I forget and it really affects my supply.

I too keep my pump parts in a big ziploc in the fridge and just reuse it during the day. Definitely a good idea to invest in a separate set of horns/parts.

Perhaps it would be easier for you to leave the pump/charger at work. That way you only have to bring the clean pump parts and the bottles every day.

Lots of luck to you!!!!