You just had a baby but for some reason all you can think about is going back to work already. Rather it be that morning pump you sneak in after feeding, or if you’re primarily pumping, maybe this is a reminder of what the future is going to look like. Well it doesn’t have to be scary and it doesn’t have to be terrible. First and foremost moms, you’re mental health and where you’re at in your postpartum/breastfeeding journey is going to be one of the biggest factors in how you approach or how we help you approach going back to work and the tedious pumping schedule.
First things first:
Let your employer know you’re going to be pump upon your return to work. In the state of Kentucky if your place of employment has more than 50 employees they are required to give you a place to pump that has a door that can be locked. This being said, this is also when we come up with a storage plan or deciding how we are going to keep your milk safe while you are working.
Second thing:
Make sure the pump you are going to be using functions and it does remove milk from you. Typically the recommendation is that you start attempting a pump around the 2 week mark. Personally, I like to try to pump after the first morning feed since this is when you have the most milk. In addition to this, depending on how much you’re going to be pumping at work or how much you have at home, we may need to replace those pump parts if you start to notice a sudden change in your output inspect those parts.
Third thing:
Check in with you and your mental health. Are you going to be able to step away from work for a few minutes and not stress to give you the best outcome when you are pumping at work. Set realistic expectations and know that some days your output may differ.
As with anything breastfeeding related, staying hydrated is still just as important as when you are primarily breastfeeding. In addition to anything above, we need to make sure that your baby is okay taking a bottle or cup if you do plan on returning to work so that we can ensure they’re getting fed when you are away.
