How hard is it to breastfeed whilst working?

Sally - posted on 09/03/2011

It's a lot easier if you have a good pump, privacy, and enough time. Those are not neccessary if you are determined though. I had 2 ten minute breaks in a bathroom stall and a hand pump. If my daughter had not been able to visit me and nurse at my lunch break, I'd have pumped then too. It sucked beyond all belief, but it was worth it to not have to give my baby formula and still pay the bills.
Good luck

Amanda - posted on 09/01/2011

Best of luck, it saves a fortune! My advice is pump from day one to increase milk supply initially and get your body used to it, remember to keep your fluids up & eat a little extra to allow for the extra stress on your body and try to sleep plenty. I wish you well with this, its a big ask so please dont be too hard on yourself as far as housework etc goes - it'll still be waiting for you when your kids are grown up ;)

Tara - posted on 08/21/2011

It is very do able. I pumped with my first and will for my second when I return to work from my maternity leave. Some things that helped me were to have a good pump, I bought a medula dual pump and could pump both breasts at once. Then have a quit place to pump that is private, I have my own office at work so I would just close my door but I know that most companies now offer or have space reserved for pumping. And then drink a lot of water... It is easy to get distracted while working and forget to keep drinking.... Also, to help me with the let down while pumping, I recorded my baby crying on my cell phone and would listen to it at the beginning and it worked every time to get the milk to flow. Best of luck!

Tanya - posted on 08/19/2011

I went back to work when my youngest was just about to turn 6 months old. I worked 8-hour shifts for the first 2 weeks, and have been working 12-hour shifts since then. At first, I was pumping twice a day while at work, and I would usually pump at least once at home, too. Up until he was about 7 months old, he was still pretty much only getting breast milk. Then, I started having trouble keeping up, so he started eating purees, so that I wouldn't have to leave quite as much milk for him. I was still pumping twice at work, but didn't always have time to pump at home.


Once he hit about 10 months, I introduced cow's milk, and started pumping only once day at work. Sometimes I would have to pump when I got home, too. Since he turned a year old, I haven't had to pump at work except once when he hadn't nursed well before I left for work, so I got engorged. I no longer get engorged at work, and he's 15 months now. He still nurses LOTS when I'm home, though, which is great! My first weaned early, at 14.5 months, but I'm confident that my second will nurse until he's at least 2.5, and probably longer!

Shaz - posted on 08/14/2011

express, express, express........you can freeze breast milk for a few months i cant remember exact lengths but you should be able to google it and it will tell you freezing instructions and defrosting instructions...breastmilk can also be refidgerated so knock yourself out. the key is a good and COMFORTABLE brestpump.

Mazy - posted on 08/14/2011

Do it Mandy! But also make sure that your job/boss/manager is aware of your intent to breastfeed & that you get the proper support. If you are uncomfortable speaking with your boss or you don't feel that you are getting what you need, then speak to your HR person RIGHT AWAY. HR has to be on your side on this because it is the law. I went to work when my 1st was only 10 weeks old. I tried pumping, but got so much negative feedback from everyone (including HR), that I quit & my son went to formula at 6months. Shortly thereafter, I quit my job to stay home with him. Baby #2 came when I was already working part time (with occasional full time weeks). I returned to work after only 5 days & had NO PROBLEMS! The office was laid out in a strange way, so I didn't have privacy & had to use a bathroom, but I didn't make a fuss because there wasn't anything that could really be done about that. When he went to solids I didn't have to pump as often, which was nice & now that he's 8 months I don't even pump at work at all! He breast feeds when I am home & I pump right after he goes to bed (8pm) and usually right before I go to bed (11ish). I think you should at least try & see how it goes. BEST OF LUCK :)

Cherlyn - posted on 08/09/2011

It is very doable. I BF my first till he was 21 months old and am actually expecting our second due in 4 weeks! It's not fun but it is doable. I went back to work when my son was 3 months old. I didn't do a stockpile like most people did (not that I didnt want to. in hindsight I would probably start pumping sooner. I did have 4-6 packs of at least 4-6 oz to start that first couple of days though) and never supplemented. I worked full time and the times I would pump were usually the times I would be nursing him if I was at home - these would then be used the next day. At first you dont pump much but the more you pump the more you will produce. its all supply and demand. it helps to be relaxed while pumping (and yes a double pump does wonders with a hands free bra too - but i somehow finagled my bras to be hands free without the actual hands free bra.) read a magazine or what have you. hopefully your work will have a separate room for you to pump in. Good luck! It is most certainly doable!

Aicha - posted on 08/08/2011

it is doable if you have a good pump and a lot of patience

Gayle - posted on 08/08/2011

I pumped for a year while working. I would go into a back office on my lunch 1/2 hr, use my electric pumps while I ate my lunch. I would recommend a good pump because I burned out 2 sets of pumps, and I also pumped after nursing. I also used a supplement to increase my supply so i had no problems. When I stopped breastfeeding after her 1st birthday, I actually had so much milk that I eventually threw the rest of my frozen supply out.

Becky - posted on 08/07/2011

Thank you for posting this! This is one thing I have been worried about with baby 2! I breastfeed my daughter for 2 months, but I couldn't keep up with her & when 1/2 the pump stopped working I gave up. I'm due in January and I want to try to keep going with the breastfeeding longer this time!

Julie - posted on 08/06/2011

I did it for 8 months with my daughter. The website workandpump.com has so much great advice. My milk supply was starting to drop off until I found that website and started following some of the tips. I was able to supply enough breastmilk day to day, and usually put some in the freezer too. And I really loved the bonding experience with my daughter; I feel like she still has a stronger connection to me then my son (who I only breastfed for about 2 months due to health issues).

Jessica - posted on 08/06/2011

Please,pleae please try! I was able to stay at home and breastfeed my 1st 2 children. 11 years later,with baby#3 I was able to stay out of work for 6 months, but then needed to return full time. Truth be told, yes, it is difficult...but the bond that you continue to share,the ability to connect after work is irreplaceable. My best advice, start pumping before you return, with baby on one side, to build both a stash supply but increase your milk supply. When back to work be sure to drink plenty of fluids, pump on as close to a schedule as you can keep and if you find your supply dip use a tea/supplement to help. Believe me when I say, you will not regret your decision. It is priceless.

Melissa - posted on 08/05/2011

I think the level of difficulty will partially depend on your job. Fortunately, I had a private office so I could just close the door and pump at my desk. I frequently held the bottles with one arm and could continue typing or reviewing documents while I was pumping.

I found the book "The Milk Memos: How Real Moms Learned to Mix Business with Babies-and How You Can, Too" by Cate Colburn-Smith and Andrea Serrette to be really helpful. It is a great combination of helpful tips and information but also stories from women who have "been there, done that" with regards to pumping while at work.

My son was born 7 weeks early so, because he was a preemie, I felt it was especially important to give him as much breastmilk as possible. I did have to supplement with formula but only because my milk supply was so incredibly low (due to the complications with my son's birth).

Here are a few of the most important things I learned:

1. It is really helpful to have at least two sets of pumping equipement (not the pump but two sets of bottles, and all of the parts that connect the bottles to the tubes on the pump) so that one full set is always in the pump bag while the other is being washed.

2. Remind yourself that every drop counts so, even if you have to supplement with formula, you are doing a great thing by providing as much breastmilk as possible; and

3. Take it one day at a time. When I thought of nursing and pumping for 12 months, it was overwhelming. I just focused on one month (and sometimes only 1 week at a time).

Candace - posted on 08/04/2011

I actually found it quite doable and such a great gift for your baby! I have a medela pump in style breast pump and could be done in 10 minutes. I usually breastfed in the morning, pumped at 10:00 a.m., either breastfed or pumped at lunch hour (I live very close to work and go home for lunch and my husband stays home with our kids), pumped at 3:00 p.m., and breastfed or pumped when I got home at 5:00 ish. I didn't have to supplement with formula one time. I breastfed for a year. After nine months or so, when he was eating more solids, I didn't have to pump quite so often. Also, it was recommended to me that you should try to exclusively breastfeed for 4 weeks without using bottles to prevent nipple confusion. I went back to work after 8 weeks and then we used the Playtex Airflow bottles with wide nipples and never had a problem with that. You can do it!

Huyen - posted on 08/03/2011

It's worth it as long you have a private room to do you pumping. I would pump twice a day and store them w/ internal ice pack that came with my medela pump in style.

Amy - posted on 07/17/2011

If you have a dual electric pump, it's very doable! My daughter is 16 months old and still bf'ing and I'm still working full-time. My work days with my commute were about 12 hours long, we did supplement with formula about one bottle a day. With the cost of formula it's so worth trying to make it work. When I initially returned to work I would pump every 3 hours, then at about 6 months I only pumped twice a day, and at about 11 months I dropped down to only pumping once a day, now I don't pump at all. I always offered a dream feed before I left for work in the morning or if I was getting home after my daughter was asleep. One of my biggest challenges was remembering to drink enough water will at work so what I ended up doing is buying 2 liters of water everyday and my goal was to drink both of them by the time I left. Good luck with your decision it's challenging but so worth the effort IMO!