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BFing while working, with Dad staying at home.

post #1 of 9
Thread Starter 
I will have to return to work 6 weeks post-partum. DH is unemployed and we simply can't afford any longer than that. On the upside, DH is staying at home with the baby. With DD1 I stayed at home so never had any need to pump or have bottles or anything. So I am really in uncharted territory. What do I need? Could you guys maybe give me:

1. A good manual pump recommendation.
2. Bottle recommendation (size, how many?)
3. Storage guidelines?

We also do not have a dishwasher. Would a bottle sterilizer be a good idea as well or are they a waste of money? I honestly wish I could skip all this and stay at home, but it's just the way things are right now.
post #2 of 9
we do this. i work and dh sah. i went back 6 weeks. i use a pump in style advance. it runs off a battery pack, electric or car charger. i prefer to use milk storage bags and i find them all the time at usd baby stores. i pump every 2-3 hours even if im t home because if i didnt i wasnt pumping enough to keep up. its not so bad now that she eats solids. i use adira bottles, i have 2 of each size. i use microsteam bags to sanitize my pump parts
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post #3 of 9
oh and pump pump pump pump all you can while you are on leave, you want a good stash of milk built up. i started pumping day 3
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post #4 of 9
My DH stayed home PT with the kids when they were younger - my DD wouldn't take a bottle though - he still tried to get her to take one...most days, she'd take maybe an ounce or 2 and that was it.

We also don't have a dishwasher - just washed the bottles by hand and air dried. I used a pump in style as well for my pump, milk bags for storage, and the microsteam bags to clean pump parts while at work. We used medela bottles (this was a few years ago - you couldn't find glass bottles around here anywhere). I did have an Avent manual pump that I used as a back up.

We stored in our deep freezer - cool in the refrigerator first, lay flat and freeze. I think you can store for up to 6 months in the deep freeze.
post #5 of 9
we do this.. my dh wah with our dd. i work n pump.
what i do: i have a medela pis. i like it, i'd recommend it. the electric pumps might be something for you to consider if you're at work ft. i believe they're a little faster, and you can hands free them...
(on a side note.. i found out that wic and some insurance cos will pay all or some of the cost for certain pumps, just in case you want to check that out)
before i went back to work, i made a pretend feeding each night to build up freezer supply.
when i did go back, i fed her all night as she liked, pumped in the morning before i went to work, and am still pumping 3 x at work. (i have a long commute, the 3rd time may or may not be necessary for you)
i do not sterilize or even rinse the bottles, pump parts, etc. while i am at work. that may be more of a health concern for you than it is for me, it's freezing where i work and i've read bm is ok for that long a period of time anyway.. i do put the expressed milk in a cooler. it goes in the fridge when i get home, and we nurse till the next morning and repeat.
we do have a dishwasher, but if i didn't have one, i'd just boil the pump parts and the bottles. i'd probably use the bags more than i do.. right now i like the bottles b/c of less waste. the bags freeze and thaw really well, though. several companies make the bags. i like the medela bottles that came with my pump for storage of the milk, but for feeding the babe, i like breastflow. dd then and now at almost 8 mos had around 3-4 oz at a time, every 2-3 hours or so.
check out the kellymom.com site and also workandpump.com-- you'll find answers to everything on those..
post #6 of 9
Your thread title caught my eye - just a thought - would your DH be able to bring your baby to nurse some of the time? I pumped with my DD but DH was home after DS was born, and he was willing to bring him to my office for nursing sessions. It would be nice for you (and baby!) to get to exchange 1 pumping session for a live feeding each day.
post #7 of 9
thisis us. I would def check out getting an electric pump-- even used. You can do it!
post #8 of 9
I second the recs to go to kellymom.com and workandpump.com for LOTS of basic information, and also to help if you need any troubleshooting.

If you are working full time, I'd invest in an electric pump. I understand that your money is probably tight if your husband is out of work, but you'll likely be frustrated trying to use a manual pump for more than the occasional session. Medela and Ameda are two of the most popular brands. You'll find mixed recommendations on buying used, but I wouldn't have a problem with it except not having a warranty on the machine itself. (You can sterilize or replace parts that came into contact with someone else's milk.)

The system I'm using is to transfer my milk "stash" to plastic breastmilk storage bags. This is the milk that I don't use on a day-to-day basis but is for emergencies or unusual happenings (I spill a bottle, my supply drops, baby is having a growth spurt and wants more than expected, etc). It is frozen flat and goes in the deep freezer, where it will keep for up to one year. This is milk that I pump while on maternity leave, or because I'm engorged first thing in the morning and want to relieve the pressure, not milk that I'm pumping at work when I'd normally be feeding my baby.

During a workday, I'd pump on roughly the same schedule that my baby eats when I'm at home. My pump came with six bottles and I bought a 4-pack of bottles in addition. These are all 4 oz bottles. What I pump that day goes home and into the fridge for usage the next day (will last in the fridge up to 8 days).

To figure out how many bottles, add up how many feedings you expect your baby to have while you are away. Multiply that by 3 - one set to bring to work to fill with the pump, one set to have in the fridge at home for your husband to be feeding your baby, and an extra set in case you don't get around to washing or are filling up more than you expect.

To figure out how much milk you need, know that the average baby between the ages of 1 month and 6 months drinks about 25 oz of breastmilk per day. It doesn't really change between those ages, though they drink larger meals less frequently as they get older. Before you return to work, pay attention to how many feedings your baby takes in a 24-hour period. Divide 25oz by the number of feedings, and that's the approximate number of ounces per feeding. As you can see by this formula, it's likely 4 oz bottles are all you will need with breastmilk - your babe would have to get down to six feedings in 24 hours to be likely to want more than 4 oz at a time. Those big bottles are more for formula-feeding.

In other words, if my babe eats 8 times in a day, the 25oz divided by 8 feedings means she is eating around 3 ounces per feeding. I would feed her just before going to work, she may take a morning bottle, I feed her when home for lunch, she may take an afternoon bottle, then I'll be home. If she's eating 3 oz per feeding, and I expect to be away from her for two feedings per day, then I need to leave at least 6 oz of pumped milk at home for her.

While many breastfed babies will take bottle without a problem, you may want to have your husband start offering one bottle per day at around four weeks of age to make sure you aren't going to have problems and to get her used to the different type of nipple. Use the slow-flow newborn nipples.
post #9 of 9
I went back at 7 weeks PP, DH is also mostly unemployed and SAH on the days I don't WAH. I have the Medela PISA. I have friends that like I think it is an Avent manual. for me, the Medela is great, works with any standard (read: not wide mouth) bottle, including the various glass ones I have. I pumped from day 3 or 4. not for a stash, but to relieve some of the pressure of engorgement, and it helped draw out my nipples for DS to latch.

If you can manage, pump and nurse simeotaneously. I never figured this out. but I hear it yields very good results. I pump 2x at work. DS takes 2 bottles while I am gone. When I am home it is nursing on demand, all the way. Do have your DH offer a bottle at some point, at least 2 weeks before you return. For us, DS had a bottle of EBM within the first week or two, and never had any problem going between bottle and breast, although he prefers breast. (I know most places say to wait . . .we just really had the need)

You can do this - it is actually a nice break from my work day, the pumping. though I don't enjoy it.
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