Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave: For Pumping Moms
Going back to work after having a baby can be so stressful. My first day back to the hospital after four months out, I got a call from our nanny that baby was refusing bottles and hadn't had any milk since I left. Six hours ago. I agonized about what to do with this stubborn baby. One of my colleagues heard me complaining and told me to just go home and nurse him. They would cover for me for thirty minutes. He tried to do the same thing the next day. We just waited him out. Finally, he got thirsty enough to take the bottle. I learned a couple of lessons from this. The first, that a baby will eat if they are hungry. They won't starve before they will drink from a bottle. The second, that I need to introduce the bottle earlier than the day I go back to work. If you are choosing to breastfeed, there are a few things you can do to make this transition back to work much easier.
1.) Establish a milk stash. See my post on establishing a milk stash. You want to have a week's worth of milk stored to relieve any stress or pressure to perform. You will have peace of mind knowing that baby will have milk even if you forget to refrigerate a batch or spill a bottle all over your keyboard. This process takes finesse and time. Give yourself some wiggle room.
2.) Get a good pump with a cool bag. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, your insurance has to cover a breast pump for you. Egdepark is one of the many companies that makes this process super easy. Have your breast pump before baby is born so that when the time comes to build your stash, you are ready to go. The bag is the fun part. You want something big that can carry extra bottles. You want it to be insulated so you can toss milk bags in there with an ice pack in a pinch. It also makes it easy to wipe clean.
3.) Make or buy a pumping bra. Breaks are generally hard to come by in most jobs. When you get a break to pump, you usually need to multitask. Eating a sandwich, answering an email, or texting your partner while pumping requires use of both of your hands. Pumping bras make that easy. They are also crazy expensive and not super comfortable for some reason. I just take a couple of old sports bras, measure where my nipple naturally sits in them, and cut holes about 1.5 cm in diameter. The flange of the pump fits nicely in them and they are comfy. I just wear reusable nursing pads like these when I am not pumping that cover the holes. Two sports bras get me through each baby. Easy peasy.
4.) Wear something easy to pump in. I work in scrubs now which can be a big pain while pumping so I found these zip front scrubs that work nicely. I can pump and still be fully clothed in case I am not in a completely private place. Especially for the first week back, try to wear tops that are easy to open in the front.
5.) Find a "Mother's Room". I fought for six months to have a dedicated nursing space built in the OR where I worked. Administration was very open to the idea of converting an old single bathroom turned closet into a pumping room for the OR staff (especially after I reminded them that it was the law to make a non-bathroom space available for pumping) Most places should already have a place that has a lock on the door, a chair to sit in, a sink to wash your supplies, an outlet, and a small refrigerator for your milk bag. Know where you will be pumping before your first day so that you can be prepared.
6.) Cleaning the pump. The FDA says that your breast pump parts should be cleaned with soap and water after every use. This is simply not feasible for most of us. Breast milk can sit at room temperature for up to six hours without any problems. It can sit in an insulated cooler with an ice pack for up to a day. Using this reasoning, I feel confident rinsing off the parts of my pump between pumps and letting them air dry while I am at work. I make sure every bit of milk is off of the parts before I let them dry. I wash them with warm water and soap when I get home. I put them in the Baby Brezza sterilizer every evening. If you are unsure about this method (which I have used with all of my children without issue) but you don't have time to wash with soap and water then just rinse the items and let them air dry in a refrigerator. This will keep any molecules of milk that may be on them cold, keeping everything within the breast milk storage guidelines. Warning: your coworkers won't love this and the flanges will be c-c-cold on your breasts!
7.) Storing the milk. If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated refrigerator in your nursing room, just bring a special bag to keep your milk separate from other pumping moms. If you are sharing a large refrigerator with other co-workers, bring a smaller insulated lunch box to keep your milk separate and discreet. If you don't have access to a refrigerator, invest in a well-insulated large lunch box and large ice packs. YETI makes some great options.
8.) Schedule! Try to pump every three hours. Build it into your schedule. Set a timer on your phone. Let your coworkers know that you need to be out at those times every day to pump. Make it a priority or your supply may suffer. Our milk works on supply and demand. You must continue the demand at work so that there is enough supply for baby at home.
9.) Set the mood. It can be hard to pump at work when you are used to pumping in the comfort of your home. You have to feel safe, relaxed, and ready to feed a baby. The locked door usually provides the safe feeling. Dimming the lights and keeping it quiet can help with relaxation. Nothing aids let-down better than a picture of your baby nursing. Take one and keep it on your phone to help get things moving. I have a video of him nursing that does the trick every time.
Good luck mamas- we have all been there and you will get through this!
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