All About Working And Pumping!
Going back to work after having your baby is daunting enough, but throw pumping in the mix and it can be downright anxiety inducing! Here are some things you can do before you even return to work.
1. Make a plan before you return to work. Inform your boss and HR rep that you will be pumping at work upon return. Inform them you will require a 20 - 25 minute break every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Try and come up with suggestions of how to make this work so you can come in and say "I can pump at X time in X place". This may be harder if you are the first one to work and pump at your company!
Paced bottle Feeding:
All the time you hear people talk about “paced bottle feeding”. What is this and why is it important?
First, let’s talk about how babies nurse. Unlike a bottle, a baby has to work for the milk from the breast: they control the flow. With a bottle there is a constant stream of milk, when nursing sometimes baby is sucking for comfort and not getting any milk at all. This means that a baby who is nursing is used to getting milk, then the milk stopping while they stimulate another letdown, and then continuing to nurse. Also throughout the nursing session the flow of the milk will change. The initial letdown is usually stronger. This is why when your baby nurses you will notice different suck patterns.
But what does this have to do with bottles? When you give a baby a bottle there is no work for the milk and no way for them to control the flow. This means a breastfed baby can quickly chug down milk, 4 or more oz, and then still cry for more. If more milk is offered this can cause overfeeding and an upset stomach. Think of it as when you eat a meal too quickly, overeat, and then feel off later.
So, first off, make sure your bottle size is appropriate. Most breastfed babies take bottles of 2 – 4oz every 2 – 3 hours. Your care providers should PACE the bottles. They should take 5 mins to feed each oz of breastmilk. So a 3 oz bottle should take 15 mins to feed a baby, a 2 oz bottle should take 10 mins. In order to do this, they should try to mimic the breastfeeding pattern—give an oz of milk, then give a paci, or finger, or toy, or washcloth, or WHATEVER he will suck on, and then once 5 mins have gone by, then give another oz of breastmilk. Here is the link for a handy print-out you can share with your care provider about the best way to pace bottles: http://www.cuidiudsw.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Paced-Bottle-Feeding.pdf
Make sure the baby is napping well. An overtired baby will seem hungry and want to nurse because they are tired. Most babies under 6 mos will be awake for an hour or two hours tops before it's time for another nap. If you notice your care provider offering bottles every 45 minutes to 1 hour, chances are they are missing the sleep ques for your LO and baby is overtired.
Encourage our care provider not to feed the baby after a specific time of day. For example if you will pick the baby up at 4pm ask that a bottle not be given after 3pm or provide a small bottle (1 or 2oz) to be used after that time. If a large bottle is given right before you pick up the baby they may not be interested in nursing right away. Nursing as soon as you can after being separated will help you add extra nursing sessions in when you are together and will help to keep your supply up.
As your baby gets older many care providers, especially those not familiar with breastfed babies, will say things like "your baby needs bigger bottles" or "you need to move to a faster flow nipple". Most of the time this is not true. Breastfed babies should take the same size bottles at 9 months as they do at 3 months. During a growth spurt they may need a small increase in milk, but it should only be a temporary increase over the course of the growth spurt. The same can be said for a faster flow nipple. The speed they get milk at the breast doesn't change, they don't need a faster flow nipple as they get older either.
If your care provider starts asking you to provider larger bottles try providing fewer larger bottles. For example if you had sent 4 3oz bottles try sending 3 4oz bottles to be given father apart.
When you are together: NURSE!
However, this means that you need to nurse frequently during the time you are together to make up the rest of the milk that they need for the day. Breastfeeding (as oppose to pumping) is also important for keeping up a good supply--it is never preferable to pump and give a bottle. Nursing directly from the breast is ideal.
Ideas to help keep up nursing at home:
Make Sure To Pump When Apart!
When you add a new pump session or begin a pump routine, you might pump almost nothing at first. This is normal. Give yourself at least a week of pumping at the same time/place before you can expect to see much milk. The same applies to changing your pump. If you sudden switch to a different pump it can take your breasts time to adjust to the different suction.
But how often should you pump? Every 2 – 3 hours you are separated from your baby. Make sure to start the clock after your last nursing session! So, if you nurse your baby at 7 and return to your baby at 5 you would want to pump at least 3 times, ideally at 930, 12, and 230. Make sure each time you pump you are pumping for at least 20 minutes. While the milk may stop flowing at 10 minutes, most moms will get more letdowns over the course of the pump. Some moms report letdowns at the 25 minute mark! Remember pumps are not as efficient as babies, so even if your baby only nurses for 10 minutes, make sure to pump for at least 20. If you are finding it difficult to get so many pump sessions in, we can help you come up with creative solutions. Many moms pump in the car on the way to and from work. Even adding a 5 min session (in the bathroom/at your desk/in the car/someplace fast and easy) between your more significant pumps would make a huge difference. Ensure that you are doing breast compression while pumping! This extra stimulation can help get out more milk than just pumping alone. Using a hands free pumping bra will make this easier.
Remember if you are still not pumping enough, there are troubleshooting tips. First off, check your pump parts to make sure they are working correctly. Ensure you are using the correct size flange. Often times moms just use the flange that comes with their pump, which may not be the correct size for them. Make sure to do hands on pumping! http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2012/6/27/to-pump-more-milk-use-hands-on-pumping.html This can make a huge difference in output. Consider renting a hospital grade pump to use at work.
Helpful links from Kellymom:
All About Working And Pumping!
All the time you hear people talk about “paced bottle feeding”. What is this and why is it important?
But what does this have to do with bottles? When you give a baby a bottle there is no work for the milk and no way for them to control the flow. This means a breastfed baby can quickly chug down milk, 4 or more oz, and then still cry for more. If more milk is offered this can cause overfeeding and an upset stomach. Think of it as when you eat a meal too quickly, overeat, and then feel off later.
So, first off, make sure your bottle size is appropriate. Most breastfed babies take bottles of 2 – 4oz every 2 – 3 hours. Your care providers should PACE the bottles. They should take 5 mins to feed each oz of breastmilk. So a 3 oz bottle should take 15 mins to feed a baby, a 2 oz bottle should take 10 mins. In order to do this, they should try to mimic the breastfeeding pattern—give an oz of milk, then give a paci, or finger, or toy, or washcloth, or WHATEVER he will suck on, and then once 5 mins have gone by, then give another oz of breastmilk. Here is the link for a handy print-out you can share with your care provider about the best way to pace bottles: http://www.cuidiudsw.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Paced-Bottle-Feeding.pdf
When you are together: NURSE!
Make Sure To Pump When Apart!
Remember if you are still not pumping enough, there are troubleshooting tips. First off, check your pump parts to make sure they are working correctly. Ensure you are using the correct size flange. Often times moms just use the flange that comes with their pump, which may not be the correct size for them. Make sure to do hands on pumping! http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2012/6/27/to-pump-more-milk-use-hands-on-pumping.html This can make a huge difference in output. Consider renting a hospital grade pump to use at work.
