Expressing at work

haras_nosirrah

I am mum to a nearly 4 year old and a 5 month old boy and go back to work in one weeks time

I have successfully exclusively breast fed my baby and don't feel ready to stop. I was unable to feed my first son and was determined to feed my second.

Problem is there is no where to pump at work so it looks as though I may either have to do it in my car or in the toilets with a manual pump. I will be working alternate days so am hoping this won't mess with my supply too much

Has anyone managed to successfully pump and work or has it pretty much meant the end of breast feeding?

KateBob

I expressed milk for my son while doing what would now be called KIT days, so only a few days spread over time. It's entirely possible but there are the following possible problems:

Is your baby used to taking expressed milk from a bottle, it can take time for a child to get used to the change.
Feeding from a bottle can also lead to lazy feeding, it's easier to get milk from a bottle than mum.

Letting down can be difficult if you're not relaxed, will this be possible in your office toilet/car.

Do you have a safe, secure place to store your milk, where your co-workers won't interfere (however unintentionally) with it.

I don't want to put you off, far from it but these are the realistic issues facing you.

Good luck

Edit: just reread my reply and realised how negative it sounds!
I really don't want to put you off trying, please do try.

theoretica

Not practical experience, but you might find something useful in this: http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/j/k/Acas_guide_on_accommodating_breastfeeding_in_the_workplace_(JANUARY2014).pdf

haras_nosirrah

Thanks for the responses

Fortunately in a way he has had to take a bottle since nearly the beginning as he suffers with silent reflux and has had to have gaviscon in a bottle with some expressed milk. I also had a day away and he was ok taking bottles so not concerned with him refusing bottles.

For a long time when I tried him on formular he had digestive problems and it was thought he had a dairy intolerance but he seems to be better now but it is another reason I would rather avoid formular if I can

I know what you mean about let down - I struggle to express and get very little off unless I am feeding my son on the other boob at the same time. Fortunately I have managed to stock pile quite a large amount in the freezer so just want to keep my supply going as a priority. It's hard being a working mum

haras_nosirrah

I have read the Acas guide but there is nowhere physically to go at work.

It is an open plan estate agents office upstairs and downstairs there is a galley kitchen and a corridor which has an alcove with stuff in it and two toilets.

I have a breast feeding cover so think it may be a case of car and cool box.

Nicki

If you are going back alternate days and have a stock pile you may be able to get by without expressing at work.

My DD wouldn't drink from a bottle when I went back when she was 6 months old. I was working 4 days a week, so on 4 days she had long feeds before I went to work and when I got home, and again before bed, and on the other three days she fed as normal. My supply adjusted very easily to this, and she was happy to drink water from a sippy cup and eat solids on my working days.

If you're working alternate days you can probably pump and feed on those days and on your home feeds on working days, and the career can use the expressed milk topped up with what you have in your freezer when you aren't around.

sew_what

I went back to work full time when my daughter was 6 months old, I expressed a couple of times a day at work - notice on the kitchen door and I only got walked in on once :-)
I had a small hard sided coolbox that I could use as a steriliser with tablets during the day and kept the milk in the fridge. The only problem was I worked on the road a couple of days a month and that involved expressing in laybys - I usually wasted that milk as no way to keep it sterilised and cool for the whole day reliably.
DD never actually had any formula and I fed her until she was two so perfectly possible!
Good Luck!

.Gigolo_Aunt

Doesn't sound very practical to me. You can get hospital-style breast pumps which would express the milk better but certainly not appropriate in the workplace.

KentishLady

.Gigolo_Aunt wrote: »

Doesn't sound very practical to me. You can get hospital-style breast pumps which would express the milk better but certainly not appropriate in the workplace.

Why is it not appropriate in the workplace?

.Gigolo_Aunt

KentishLady wrote: »

Why is it not appropriate in the workplace?

Better to go back to work after weaning, but if it has to be before then there are, as OP has found, practical problems which need to be overcome. (Wouldn't be an issue for formula-fed babies, of course.)

onlyroz

Another option is to mix-feed, I.e. breastmilk when you're at home and formula when you're at work.