Going back to work as a breastfeeding mom
- info418290
- Jun 25
- 5 min read
In the words of the Lion King, "It is time." (Sorry, 90s kid here).
Time to return to work, that is. I am going to be real with you if you haven't done this before: it's hard. There is no right or wrong way to feel. You may be excited to get back to a job you love and feel a bit of independence again, or you may be heartbroken that you have to leave your baby in another's care because you have no choice but to keep a job that carries the family health insurance. There are no cookie-cutter situations or feelings, so let me encourage you to allow yourself to feel whatever you need.
For me, it felt very conflicting having to go back to work at a hospital to help moms with breastfeeding when I was having to leave my breastfed baby behind. It didn't feel fair and I wasn't ready to leave. I cried more than once, and it's ok if you do too. With time it got easier and more routine, especially knowing that I was leaving my kids in loving hands.
Below is a list of considerations to keep in mind prior to returning to work. I hope this list will allow you to process the reality of getting back to the grind but put your mind at ease that you are at least physically ready.
Back to work considerations:
1. Know your rights under the law and speak to your manager, or HR if needed, to make sure you have an appropriate place to pump and sufficient breaks to do so during the workday.
Communication before you return to work can ease your fears and make sure everyone is on the same page.
*An appropriate place to pump should NOT be a bathroom or anywhere that is considered unsanitary. The location should provide a door that locks.
2. Decide on whether you will use a wearable pump or electric wall pump or perhaps a combo. For example if you plan to pump on your long commute, you could use a wearable pump in the car and then use your double electric pump during your workday (oftentimes double electric pumps have more efficient motors for better removal).
Make sure you are familiar with your pump settings and that your flanges fit correctly/are comfortable. If you are unsure, discuss this with your Lactation Consultant.
3. Try to start building a “freezer stash” at least a few weeks prior to going back to work. There isn’t a magic number of ounces you need stored, but most moms feel good about having at least a few “workdays” worth of milk in the freezer. This can help ease your mind as you are becoming familiar with pumping at work and learning how much you will collect while away from your baby.
4. Make sure your baby can take a bottle without issue. You may need guidance from your Lactation Consultant if your baby is struggling. A wide-based, gradual-sloped nipple shape can be helpful as well as using a flow speed that allows for approximately 5 minutes per ounce. Be in tune to if your baby is getting frustrated with too slow of a flow or is coughing/leaking milk from too fast of a flow.
5. Be in tune to baby’s fullness cues on the bottle and determine an average amount baby takes to know how many ounces to put in each bottle prior to returning to work. Most babies take between 1-1.5 oz per hour away, but pay attention to your baby's feeding use when using bottles to determine the right amount.
Here are two helpful articles that discuss average amounts a baby takes based on age:
6. Communicate with your child’s caregiver anything they need to know about preparing breastmilk, bottle feeding/positioning tips for your baby, and their feeding schedule. If using a daycare, ask them what their feeding protocols are and how they store and prepare breastmilk.
7. Consider getting a pumping tank/pumping bra that will go well with your work clothing to make your pumping time more efficient.
8. Find out if there is a refrigerator you can store your milk at work or bring a cooler if needed. If it is a public refrigerator, use a small cooler to place in the fridge to keep your bottles separate. You can store your milk on ice packs in a cooler for up to 24 hours if there is no refrigerator access.
9. Ideally, pump around the time your baby would normally eat. Unfortunately, this may not be possible but do your best to pump at least every few hours while away. This will help maintain your supply and avoid complications like plugged ducts and mastitis.
10. Put everything in your pumping bag the day before returning to work. See list below!
11. Consider having a manual pump in your bag in the event the power goes out, or if your pump won’t turn on.
12. Put a gallon zip lock bag into your pumping bag. After you pump, you can place the parts you just used into the bag and into the refrigerator, then use next pump session (you may need to warm up the flanges first or leave those out/wipe with a pump wipe. Nobody likes to pump with cold flanges). Wash and sanitize everything once you get home!
13. Make sure you are familiar with milk storage guidelines and proper washing/sanitizing practices for your pump parts and bottles to avoid growth of bacteria or spoiling of breastmilk.
14. Stay hydrated and eat/snack often at work. Dehydration and lack of calories can greatly affect your supply.
15. Be in tune with your stress and practice ways to lessen it if possible (easier said than done). Before you pump, you may want to take some deep breaths, a big sip of water, and pull up some pictures or videos of your baby to relax your mind.
16. Don’t forget your liquid gold at work! Set and alarm reminder if needed to get your milk out of the fridge.
17. If you are working consecutive days in a row, give your baby the freshly pumped milk from work the following day. Be mindful of this when deciding how much milk to take out of the freezer. Make sure the freezer milk is used within 24 hours of being thawed.
Last but not least, I hope you will find this helpful when packing your bag the day before you return to work. Comment below if you can think of anything else that may be helpful and I will add it to the list!
Pumping Bag Essentials Checklist
o Breast pump
o Charging cord/batteries
o Manual pump (just in case of malfunction or power failure)
o Extra duckbill valves or caps/membranes
o Flanges
o Tubing and connectors
o Bottles to pump into & lids
o Breastmilk storage bags
o Permanent marker for labeling
o Nursing pads
o Favorite snacks/drinks
o Gallon Ziplock bag to place used pump parts into fridge in between sessions
o Small cooler for pumped milk with ice packs
o Nipple cream if desired
o Pump wipes (especially if no sink access)
o Small bottle of dish soap if you plan to wash parts at work
o Travel-size bottle brush
o Hands-free pumping bra (you will probably be wearing this)
o Pictures/videos of baby on phone to help your mind relax
o Phone charger
o Hand towel or burp cloth for lap to catch dripping milk when disassembling pump parts
o Light jacket in case the room is cold (hard to get a letdown if you are cold!)
Don't forget, you can do hard things. Juggling back to work and pumping will get easier with time. Please reach out to let me know how I can support you. Email me at info@supportivelactation.com
Ginnie
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