Advice/articles on pumping routine for working mom?

[Ravin]

I'll be going back to work when the babe is six weeks old this time around. Any advice for getting a routine started for pumping? Assuming I go back with my present schedule, I'll be working 4 4-hr shifts in the mornings (5-9), and 2 8hr overnight shifts a week. I'm definitely going to have to pump at work on the overnights, but I'm not sure whether I'll have to pump during my short shifts, or if I can get away with nursing and/or pumping right before and right after work.

Outside of times away from baby, I expect to nurse on demand as I did with DD.

[neonalee]

Well, I work a regular 40+ hrs corporate shift, but I'll give you my routine.  DS usually nurses around 4:30 (we cosleep).  I get up and pump, then get ready for work.  Around 6 he nurses again.  I then pump 4 times between 8 - 4 (I have OS/OALD).  DS is picked up at 5 and nursed on demand the rest of the day/night.  If I didn't pump 16 oz by then I will pump the side he isn't on to get the rest.  The 16 oz I pump go to daycare the next day.  What I pump on Friday goes in the freezer.  Over the weekend I nurse on demand and try to pump 16oz for daycare on Monday.  If I'm short I take from the freezer (only on Monday).  Any that comes home from daycare and hasn't been heated goes in the freezer.

It all seemed so confusing to me when I was where you are now.  Someone said that it becomes more clear once you get back to work, and she was right.

[Altair]

I think a 6 week old baby will be eating during a 4 hour shift, so yes I'd pump then.  It's hard to give the baby a bottle and not pump at that time (even if you feed one breast when you get home and pump the other one, it could get a little confusing to tell your breasts at 6 weeks that they have a 4 hr break, so supply could go down). 

The best advice I ever got was to keep the bottles small enough so baby is hungry for you but big enough that he's satisfied.  Which meant I never sent more than 4 oz for a feeding his whole life and started him with 2.5 oz when he was 8 weeks. 

I'd join the yahoo group PumpMoms if I were you, it's very helpful. 

It really just comes down to nurse on demand at home, make sure you nurse before you leave, go no more than 3 hours (esp at first) w/o pumping at work, and make sure you make as much as baby is eating each day.  Use a hands free pumping bra and massage your breasts to get out more milk.  Check your email on your phone and relax during pumping times.  Nurse a lot at night while baby is sleeping to keep your supply up and leave little bottles for dad to feed at night. 

[buckeyedoc]

I'm on a regular 8-5 schedule, but here is what I do. I breastfeed on demand at home, which usually means once overnight and once in the morning before I got to work, plus various times in the evening. I pump in the morning, hands-free, at 6:45-ish as I am getting ready. It's usually before I nurse, so I leave a little milk behind. I then pump twice at work, at about 10:30 and 2:30, for 15-20 minutes each. I get 5-7 ounces per session, which covers the three bottles of 4-5 ounces each he drinks while I am away. I freeze any extra.