Returning to Work & Expressing/Pumping
By Angela Cahill, Cuidiú BFC
Mothers often worry that when returning to work their breastfeeding relationship must come to an end. Many mothers return to work and continue to breastfeed for as long as both mother and child are happy. Depending on your circumstances, and the age of your baby on your return to employment, you might choose to either leave baby with your own milk or a breastmilk substitute. If solids are well established you may choose to leave baby with appropriate food and water while away and feed baby on your return. A typical example, a mother who works away from home from 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday, may breastfeed morning and night only and may feed more frequently over the weekend. Come Monday morning and they are back to AM and PM feeds. By the time you return to employment your supply should be well established and fairly adaptable, and will adapt to your unique situation. Many mothers find that breastfeeding is a lovely way to reconnect after a long day away from each other.
How much milk should I leave?
This depends on the age of your baby and the time spent apart. For example, when apart for 8-12 hours per day a baby (0-6 months) will take on average 10 – 15oz (300-400ml). Average daily intake is 30oz or 900mls approx. To calculate the amount needed when apart divide 30oz by one third for 8hrs or by half for 12hrs. Because of the great variability in the amount of solids that babies take during the second six months of life, the amount of milk will vary too. An average feeding (human milk) for a baby from 4 weeks onwards is 3-4oz (90 – 120ml) Current research tells us that breastmilk intake is quite constant after the first month and does not appreciably increase with age or weight.
As most mothers in Ireland don’t return to the workplace before baby is 6mths old, and many opt for a couple of extra months unpaid leave, this can make returning to work an easier transition as baby’s milk intake may decrease as solids are introduced. However, bear in mind that breastmilk is still your baby’s main source of nutrition throughout the first year of life. You may choose to express enough for a couple of feeds while apart or you may choose to leave baby with solids and water.
What to feed baby with when apart
Open cup (safe from birth and is less likely to interfere with the establishment of breastfeeding)
Free-flow cup without a valve
Bottle (If you choose to use a bottle, see link for information on Paced Bottle Feeding)
Additional Information: What to Feed the Baby When the Mother is Working Outside the Home Jack Newman MD, FRCPC, IBCLC
Tips for expressing
Express in the morning 30 – 60 minutes after breastfeeding or at least one hour before breastfeeding.
Express from one breast while baby nurses on the other.
Hands on pumping – combine hand massage and pumping
Freshly expressed milk storage guidelines: (guidelines may vary slightly from source to source)
May be stored at room temperature for 4-6hrs (79dF – 25dC)
In an insulated cooling bag for up to 24hrs (60dF – 15dC)
At the back of a refrigerator for up to 8 days (ideally 3 days)
Fridge freezer for 3-4 mths (this guideline varies slightly from source to source)
Deep freeze (0dF – 19dC) for 6-12mths
Note: The longer human milk is stored the more nutrition value is lost, the milk does not sour.
Guidelines for using previously frozen human milk:
Best thawed under cool running warm water – high heat kills antibodies
Room temperature – 1 hr
Refrigerator – 24 hrs
Do not refreeze
References:
Breastfeeding Made Simple (second edition) Mohrbachar & Kendall-Tackett
See also :
