You may find it very helpful to talk to a lactation consultant to plan for your return to work. A breast pump and a supportive caregiver are essential!

Breast Pumps

Your best choice may be a fully automatic, double-pumping breast pump. Look for a pump which is portable and easily cleaned. Some women find pumps with intermittent pressure are more comfortable to use. Start using your breast pump at least two weeks before returning to work. The milk can be frozen for later use. Label it by date frozen so that you always use the older milk first. Human milk can be stored:

• at room temperature (66-72F, 19-22C) for up to 10 hours
• in a refrigerator (32-39F, 0-4C) for up to 8 days
• in a freezer compartment with a separate door (variable temperature due to the door opening frequently) for up to 3 to 4 months.
• in a separate deep freeze (0F, -19C) for up to 6 months or longer.

If milk has been frozen and thawed, it can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours for later use. It should not be refrozen. It is best to discard any milk that is left in the bottle after a feeding. Expressed milk can be kept in a common refrigerator at your workplace or in a day care center. You can assure co-workers that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration agree that human milk is not among the body fluids that require special handling or storage in a separate container. If you don’t have access to a refrigerator, plan to bring a small cooler with a refreezable ice pack to chill the expressed milk.

Preparing to Return to Work

In the weeks prior to returning to work it is essential to acclimate your baby to being fed by someone other than mom. If the baby resists the bottle, have mom switch on and off with the breast until he more willingly accepts it; then move on to having the baby fed by dad, a grandparent, or a friend. If resistance is met, it will help to have dad, or whoever is doing the feeding, drape a scarf or blouse (even a burp cloth) which mom has recently worn over his shoulder. The baby will be comforted by finding his mothers scent still nearby. With patience and adequate practice the baby should be willing to accept a bottle from a caregiver when mom returns to work.

Your Wardrobe

Wear skirts or blouses that button in the front or pull up easily. Avoid solid colors which will show breast milk stains; patterned blouses can best hide leaking and the bulge of breast pads. Wear a nursing bra and keep a spare blouse at work as a backup. Carry plenty of nursing pads and breast shields with you. Disposable wipes and paper towels will make for easier cleanup.

Where to Pump

If you are fortunate, your workplace may provide a lactation room. If not, discuss with your supervisor the possibility of setting aside a small conference room or unused office for a half hour or so to allow you to pump in privacy. Your supervisor will most likely be your ally if you can assure her that you will be working even while pumping. Plan your activities so that you can read or do paperwork during that time! Hopefully the ladies room need be used only as a last resort. Letting your employer know of your pumping needs in advance will give you a chance to develop a plan that will work for both of you. Educating your employer about the important health choice you have made and the relatively minor physical accommodations required in the workplace will encourage cooperation. Of course, there are significant employer advantages to continuing breastfeeding once you are back to work. Research shows that breastfed babies are half as likely to get sick in the first year of life as those receiving formula. If your baby doesn’t get sick as often, you will miss less time from work, an obvious advantage.

Schedules

It will be important to breast-feed your baby before you leave home. If at all possible, it will be helpful to go to your baby during your lunch break in order to breast-feed. You will want to nurse your baby as soon as you get home and in the evening. Even if your caregiver needs to bottle feed two or three times while you are at work, pumping should allow you to maintain your supply of breast milk.

Although there will be initial adaptations for everyone, perseverance in adjusting to breast-feeding while back in the workforce will pay rich dividends for mom, baby, and the rest of the family as well as the employer.