Tips for Pumping At Work

Mother's Situation

breastfeeding my first child worked well until I went back to work. When I returned to work I couldn't pump as often as I needed to and I had mastitis repeatedly. I also couldn't pump enough milk for my son so I was supplementing with formula from the very beginning. I did manage to breastfeed until he was about 15 months old. Now I am expecting a new baby and I want to avoid the issues I dealt with last time. What do I need to do to prevent mastitis and breastfeed without supplementing after I return to work?

Mother's Response

I think your determination to nurse for 15 months through the troubles you had demonstrated how devoted you are to this process of working and breastfeeding. It does take determination to keep going when faced with challenges such as yours.

I do not know what your work situation is, but having nursed four babies and worked full and part-time as a registered nurse, I know this issue well and I know how tough it can be sometimes. Be assertive and up front with your boss and fellow employees about your plans. Assure them that you will be pulling your fair share but that you need to break every three hours to express your milk. I would not share with them that you had mastitis repeatedly in the past, it's none of their business. I think regularly expressing your milk every three hours with an automatic breast pump will help you maintain a good milk supply and avoid mastitis.

If you notice any resistance about your pumping schedule from your co-workers, go directly to the source and discuss any issues they have in a professional manner. If you need to clock in and clock out every time you pump, then do it. If you have to come in early and stay late to put in your hours, then do it. Remember, sometimes the best advocates we have when it comes to breastfeeding are our fellow co-workers.

Maurenne Griese, RNC, BSN Manhattan KS USA

Mother's Response

I returned to work when my son Aidan was four months old. I found quickly that I wasn't pumping enough to meet his demands. I tried everything. I pumped more, drank plenty of fluids, and nursed him during my lunch breaks. No matter what I tried I could not pump enough. I, too, had to resort to supplementing with formula. He received about two to four ounces of formula per day. When he was 11 months old, I was able to stop pumping and I am still happily nursing him on my lunch hour.