WWYD - pump or drive home?

[redvlagrl]

I will be returning to work in December, when DS is 7 mths old. There will be 1-2 days per *month* when I am at work from 10-4 with 1 hour lunch. DS will be at home with DH.

DD (now 2) never had a bottle, so I am inexperienced. Should I buy a pump and pump milk for DH to give to DS on those few days or should I drive home to nurse him? DS is fine to go 3 hours between feeds.

Either option would be an expense because parking would be more if I came out or I would have to buy a pump and bottles and learn how to sterilize (do you even do that at that age?)

I am able to pump really well - I pumped for 6 weeks when DD was tiny because she couldn't latch. I am like a cow.

[kanga1622]

I would pump rather than fighting traffic, risking getting back in time, dealing with another goodbye, etc.

We only sterilized our bottles and pump parts before we used them the first time and after that just washed them with the rest of our dishes.

If you don't want to use bottles for your DS, at 7 months he should be old enough to use a sippy or other type of cup.

If you respond well to a pump and you only need it a few days a month, why not just invest in a hand pump? It takes longer since you only pump one side at a time but would be a cheap investment. Actually I got mine from WIC when I attended their breastfeeding class (it was open to the public). Our WIC office was happy to pass out the hand pump even though we are not a part of their program. They were happy to have one more baby not use formula.

[PatioGardener]

I would head home for lunch to nurse, or see if your DH could bring baby to work for lunch. You could all have a picnic! Is it a long drive from your place? Could your DH drop you in the morning, come by for a nursing session at noon and pick you up after work? That would at least save on parking, although it would increase mileage...

[snoopy5386]

Can dh bring the baby to you those days? Can you hand express? Rent a pump for a month now (they are around 30-40 dollars a month and stockpile some milk in the freezer?

[SilverFish]

for so few days a month, i'd probably just have the baby brought to me, or go home to nurse, rather than futzing with pumping and bottles.

would it be feasible for your dh to bring your baby to work? if it were more like 1-2 days a week, i would agree that pumping is your best option, but otherwise, it can just be a nice way to reconnect and spend an hour together. about once or twice a month, dd and i drive to dh's work to meet him for lunch. it's pretty fun.

[MJB]

Unless your husband can bring him to you, I'd pump. You'll only need a hand pump. You don't need to sterilize bottles at that age and you can use a sippy if you'd prefer it to a bottle. The Klean Kanteen sippy can be used with a sippy top or a bottle nipple, it's what we used with my now-kindergartner and are trying to use with my 3.5 mo. old (she just doesn't get it).

[redvlagrl]

Ah, good point about the sippy. We use Klean Kanteens with DD. I kind of forgot that we got it around 6 or 7 months!

Maybe him dropping us off/picking up would be the easiest and cheapest option - more mileage but much cheaper parking!

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

I vote get a cheap hand pump because you definitely want to have at least one backup bottle (sippy) at home just in case of traffic, car trouble, something comes up at work etc. I wouldn't want to ever leave a nursing baby at home with no bottle for any length of time.

[bri276]

I would pump rather than fighting traffic, risking getting back in time, dealing with another goodbye, etc.

Absolutely.

[akind1]

I vote pump. You can pick up a manual pump for 30-40 dollars. I have one for home and leave my Medela PIS at the office. (got off ebay for way less $$) I only sterilize the tubing and parts once a month or so. otherwise I just wash them as needed. I WOH 2 days a week and pump those days. (hanging up the pump bag in a week! DS will be a year old soon!)

[Carson]

Ah, it's hard, I do a bit of both. I do think that it is nice to have a pump around anyway, especially if you are like a cow and able to pump extra - maybe you would join milkshare?

Anyway... DH comes to my office for a lunch break for DS. It's downtown, but it gives them something to do that day, and we just sit double parked while I nurse DS. I really think it would be different if I came home, esp, now that he's 10 mos and SO interactive and wants mommy. When he's with DH, it's their day/their rules and them dropping by doesn't interfere.

Whem my mom watches DS, she doesn't bring him, so I have to pump. It's really not much trouble, I either take a break and do it or I go sit with my laptop and keep working. Since I only pump once, I don't bother cleaning/storing in the office, just take the horns off, put the caps on the bottles and stuff it all in a zip loc bag.

[*bejeweled*]

[QUOTE=kanga1622;16028004]I would pump rather than fighting traffic, risking getting back in time, dealing with another goodbye, etc.

Most definitely.

[ameliabedelia]

I would not buy a pump that would only be needed for only [B]1-2 days/month for only 6 months/B] (say from age 7-12 months. That is like 12 uses of the pump. Not worth it, IMO. I would drive home to nurse or have DH bring the baby to you, or you meet half-way. It's only 1-2 days month. I wouldn't want to drive home everyday, but for 2 days a month..yeah.

[redvlagrl]

I used to milkshare - DD took 6 weeks to latch so I was pumping and ended up with quite the stash! unfortunately it was such a pain - so many mamas would say they would come and I would hang around and they wouldn't show!

I think DH will come in to my work at lunch. That way we will save on parking too!

[BathrobeGoddess]

Moved to breastfeeding

[mamadelbosque]

For me, it'd depend completely on how far away home is. A 5 minute drive? I'd probably go home. Anything more than 10-15 minutes? I'd pump.... but honestly, by the time the boys were 8-10 months, they were eating enough solids/drinking enough water that I didn't feel it was neccary to pump when I went away anymore... so either way, it should only be for a couple months. Good luck!!

ETA: FWIW I never had an electric pump and just had a cheapy manual. It worked fine for the couple times a week that I used it w/ DS1 and the extreme rarities when I pumped for DS2 (we got really lazy and DH mostly just came w/ me and hung out w/ the boys.... it was easier for everyone )

[Ravin]

I would pump on my lunch break if I was you. If you've got an hour for lunch, a relatively inexpensive pump will probably do. This is mainly for your own comfort. Pump a few times ahead, and give the baby whatever you've previously pumped. Once you can go the six hours without pumping and not be in discomfort and baby is eating some solids, I'd drop pumping and make while you're gone prime solids feeding time for your babe, and offer water and/or goats' milk to drink. Nurse right before and right after work, and it's not all that long to go once baby is eating some solids.