The employed breastfeeding mother

Employed breastfeeding working mother
Integrating Breastfeeding into
Work Settings

Returning to work or staying home with your baby is an important decision and should be thought through carefully. Consider the tangible aspects as well as the intangible.

Tangible

Cost of day care
Transportation to work
Clothing needed for work
Taxes on second income
Food at work
Food at home

Intangible

Break in career
Mother’s self esteem
Professional contact and intellectual stimulation

Consider all your options

Job sharing, part-time, work from home

Breastfeeding and Working:
Variations on a Theme

Total breastfeeding
     Breastfeed baby during workday

Total breastmilk feeding
     Breastfeeding at home and pumped breastmilk at daycare
     Pump two to three times during an 8 hour day if possible

Partial breastmilk feeding
     Breastfeeding at home, pumped breastmilk and some
     formula at daycare. Pump as often as is possible at work

Partial breastfeeding
     Breastfeed when at home, use formula at day care
     No breast pumping

Reverse cycle feeding
     Breastfeed more in the evening and at night so less feedings are needed during the day.


Stay flexible!

Your situation and your feelings may change.

Plan ahead

Purchase or rent breast pump
Practice with the pump
Stockpile milk
Determine amount needed for feedings
    Baby’s weight X 2.5 / # feedings per 24
    hours = oz per feeding
Review your wardrobe
Select clothing that unbuttons in the front, can be pulled up from the waist or is designed for easy access
Talk to women at your workplace about their experiences with pumping
Introduce a bottle with NUK or Avent nipple
    (or other with long nipple and wide base)
Alternatives to bottles - small cups
Select a care-giver close to work or close to home which-ever works best for you
Discuss a place to breastfeed there in AM or PM or both
Introduce care-giver to your baby and to handling of breastmilk

Get ready

Return to work gently - part-time or end of the week
Do a trial run
Select clothes
Pack supplies and pump
Pack drinks and snacks
Freeze cooler packs

Breastmilk Storage

Room temperature 8 hours
Refrigerator 72 hours
Freezer 3 months
Deep freeze 12 months

Leaking

Disposable or cloth pads
Blis Leakage Inhibitor
Patterned clothing
Jackets, layers
Extra clothes at work for emergencies

Traveling

Milk handling options

Pump and dump
Pump and freeze
Pump and donate to a milk bank

Be ready for emergencies

Extra batteries
Hand pump
Spare parts (especially the easily lost small ones)
Hand expression

Breastfeeding in public

Discrete clothing or cover-up blanket or shawl

The super-mother myth

Prioritize your activities. Mother's cannot do it all without some help. Fatigue is a big problem whether breastfeeding or not.

Tips for the daycare provider

Allow some quiet time for the mother to breastfeed when she drops off the baby and again when she picks up the baby.

Do not feed the baby within 1-2 hours of the time the mother will arrive. If formula supplement is needed, please give that early in the day. Formula takes longer to digest and will decrease the baby’s appetite when the mother arrives.

Breastmilk should be thawed slowly if possible. Overnight in the refrigerator is ideal. It can be thawed in a pan of tepid water if needed quickly. Do not microwave, and do not heat above body temperature. Thawed breastmilk may be kept refrigerated for 24 hours.

If you wish to warm refrigerated breastmilk to feeding temperature, set in a pan of tepid water. Older babies may do fine with chilled breastmilk.

Breastmilk may appear curdled. The cream rises to the top and needs to be mixed by gentle swirling.

Breastfed babies have stools that are semi-liquid and mustard yellow. Babies older than about 2 months may have widely varied stooling patterns.

Lactation Education Resources, Fairfax, VA 2002