Pumping at work

I've pumped over 6 gallons of breastmilk since Baby Bear was born!! Wow! Over 4 gallons of that have been pumped at work.

I've been back to work for over 3 months and I think that I have been successfully pumping at work. It is not always easy and there isn't a day that I am concerned about my supply. So far, I have been able to maintain a decent supply and pump enough for Baby Bear to consume while I am gone. But there are days that my supply is on the lower side. Luckily, I developed a pretty good freezer stash before going back to work to help on days when my supply is a bit low.

Pumping at work is no easy task, but I am determined to breastfeed for at least a year and since I work that means I have to pump as well. Fortunately, my job is very work-family friendly. I have my own office so my employer does not have to provide me with a separate space for pumping and my schedule is flexible so pumping breaks are not a big issue. Some things that every working mother who plans to pump should remember, look into your rights. Most states have laws specifically allowing women a private space and break time to pump at work.

Although it isn't always easy or fun to pump, there are definitely things that have made it bearable and easier. Here are things that have helped me be relatively successful pumping at work:

• Block time and set reminders on your calendar. This way it is on your schedule and it keeps you from scheduling meetings during those times. Sometimes, I move my blocks around a bit in certain cases, but for the most part I pump three times a day at relatively the same time of day (9:30am, 12:30pm, and 3:30pm). I put those times on my Outlook calendar and my calendar reminds me that it is time to pump.
  
• Always pump in the mornings when your supply is at its highest. I always get the most output in the mornings, so I often pump a little longer in the mornings (and there are those rare moments when I get a second let down). My supply decreases a bit through out the day, but in general my daily output is pretty consistent.
• Pump for every feeding that you miss. If possible pump one extra time to help build your freezer stash. I started my building my freezer stash while I was on maternity leave and rotate my stash so that I freeze one bottle a day and Baby Bear gets a bottle of older frozen breast milk from the freezer stash. This way the older milk doesn't expire before you can use it. (Look here for guidelines on storing and freezing breast milk). I learned this after having to trash some of my breast milk, that was heartbreaking to trash the breast milk I worked so hard to pump.
  
• Pump for at least 15 minutes or 2-3 minutes after the last drop of milk has been expressed. This will trigger your breasts to produce more milk. It is all based on supply and demand.
  
• Have a picture of your baby with you to induce a quicker letdown. I have Baby Bear's picture on my monitor background. It also helps to think about your baby and relax as you are pumping.
  
• Relax, relax, relax. I find that if I am stressed or preoccupied my pump output suffers. So it is so important to relax.
  
• Pack your pump bag the night before to make sure you have everything you'll need. You are less in a rush to get out the door in the morning with your baby. I try to get everything ready at night once Baby Bear has gone down to sleep, so that the mornings are less hectic.

Baby Bear is almost 8 months old, which means I have at least 4 more months of pumping to meet my goal. Once I meet my 1 year goal, I will reassess from there. I don't know if I will necessarily wean Baby Bear at that time, but I would like to see I can at least reduce pumping sessions. I'll have to see how Baby Bear does and follow her lead on that one. I wouldn't mind breastfeeding past the 1 year mark, I just would like to not have to pump as much. I guess we'll see how things go.