Working Mom's Guide to Pumping

Did you know it was world breastfeeding week? Well, the tail end of it at least! I've been wanting to write this post for a few years now, and finally decided this would be a great time! My journey with breastfeeding started almost 4 years ago. How it's been that many years is beyond me! Both girls will be 4 and 2 at the end of this month. I was lucky enough to breastfeed them both until they were 14 months. Lucky is the word- I'm not sure if you know or not, but breastfeeding and especially pumping at work aren't things I feel America completely supports. I have several tips for breastfeeding, but this post focuses on pumping while at work.

Just after Wren was born

1. Take a breastfeeding class. I recommend this if you are breastfeeding only or pumping as well. When we were getting ready to have Elle, we took a birthing class, a newborn care class, and a breastfeeding class. Hands down, the most effective class was the breastfeeding one. Even as a nurse, I didn't know much about breastfeeding. Getting this information before you are faced with feeding a newborn baby made a huge difference. The class I took was offered through the hospital I delivered at.

2. Invest in a double breast pump. Insurance companies should cover one, but it doesn't mean they have to get you a good one. I used this one. It came with a 3 year warranty and their customer service was excellent. I was able to use it for both girls before the warranty ran out! Another good option is this one.

3. Know your work policies on pumping before you go back to work, and preferably speak with your manager before you return. You would be surprised at how much pushback you can receive on needing to pump. Even working in the healthcare industry, you think people would applaud you for continuing to breast feed your child, but that is now always the case. I had the world's best boss who accommodated me every step of the way, but on some occasions when I had to float to another facility within the same hospital, I wasn't met with the same kindness. I was glad I knew my rights and our policies.

4. Start pumping before you come back from maternity leave. For a few reasons. 1) to get you use to using the pump and 2) so you will have a stockpile of milk when you go back to work. It's amazing how quick those bags of frozen liquid gold go!

5. Buy milk storage bags. Yes, there is such a thing as milk storage bags for a human ;) I can't tell you how many of these I bought. I also learned the hard way to not fill them all the way up, especially in the beginning when your baby doesn't drink as much. I liked having several with just 1-2 ounces of milk in them. Also, if you freeze them laying down, they make for easier storage and faster thawing.

6. You need to be able to multitask while pumping or it will drive you crazy! I checked emails, ordered things, read books, pinterested until there was no tomorrow. I wouldn't have been able to if my hands weren't free. This is the most hideous bra you will ever buy, but it will make your life so much easier while you are pumping. I have been known to wear it while putting my face on, and also while entertaining a toddler. This also makes driving and pumping do able. And yes, I have done that!

7. Invest in a small cooler and frozen ice packs. Mine actually came from my OBGYN. It was a little frustrating how even medical professionals pushed formula, my "congratulations" bag from my Dr. was full of formula and coupons, but also came with a perfectly sized cooler for storing my milk in during the day! On a few occasions I had to turn around and head back to work after realizing I left my milk there!

Pumping will drive you crazy. Your pump will start to talk to you after a while. I've been walked in on, forgotten my pump, spilt milk, and about died of embarrassment when my pump, which had a record button (to record your babies cry,) had instead recorded me singing my heart out in the car and decided to start playing it while walking into work one day. Every awkward moment, tiresome moment, hard to get moment with pumping is worth it when you think about who you are pumping for and why!

I'm hoping to never have to pump again, but am glad I was able to for both my ladies. I also hope these tips help someone and that breastfeeding and pumping in general become more widely accepted. It's hard leaving your infant at home, it's even harder when there are so many obstacles for working, pumping mamas to overcome.