Working and Bfing. . .

[homemademom]

I put this here instead of the bfing forums because I figured you ladies are in the trenches and would know. . .

A friend of mine is expecting her first baby.  She'll be able to stay home with him for 4 mths before returning to work full-time.  She comes from a family that did not bf at all, but she has support from her friends. I'm looking for a good book to give her or website that covers the working/breastfeeding aspect.  Nursing Mother, Working Mother seems a little dated, so I was hoping for something else (but I'll get it if that's all there is).  Thanks for your help!

[Poodge]

It has been a while for me, but there is this website:

http://workandpump.com/ 

I also loved the book Milk Memos, it had some helpful tips, but what I loved most was I didn't feel so all alone, and instead felt as though there was a virtual tribe of other working, pumping, moms.

[Anna Phor]

Kellymom has some very useful practical info about how much milk to leave, handouts to give to caregivers on bottle-feeding the breastfed baby, when to introduce bottles, and troubleshooting problems:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html

I found their stuff to be the most useful resource: I went back to work at 4 months, and we're still bfing at 16 months, and I don't expect weaning to happen any time soon, although I hung up my pump several months back!

[Caneel]

Kellymom does have excellent advice.  There was info on massage to increase output that was so, so helpful for me.

I hope I am remembering the right title - The Nursing Mother's Companion was a book I found helpful too.

[HollyBearsMom]

Originally Posted by Caneel 

Kellymom does have excellent advice.  There was info on massage to increase output that was so, so helpful for me.

I hope I am remembering the right title - The Nursing Mother's Companion was a book I found helpful too.

I went back to work at about 4 months and found the Nursing Mother Companion very helpful.  Would recommend it.

However the best advice/help/resource I had was my post partum Doula.  She taught me how to pump, the best way to stimulate milk production,  the best way to store and organize my milk, adjusting quantities.  She was a huge help when my son went on a nursing strike at 10 months. If your friend is going the doula route make sure she finds one with experience in dealing with working/pumping moms.

If she is having a hospital birth I would really reccomend the breastfeeding classes they offer.  You can meet some great lactation consultants that way, many who are open to getting phone calls and doing home visits. Maybe its just me but I really needed a "live" support person during the transition back to work. 

I avoided the LLL in my area though.  They are vigilant in their anti-working mom approach and were not supportive at all.  I was told it would be better to sell my home, my car and move hundreds of miles away from family so that my husband could commute long hours and work 2 jobs in order for me to stay home. 

[Caneel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

However the best advice/help/resource I had was my post partum Doula.  She taught me how to pump, the best way to stimulate milk production,  the best way to store and organize my milk, adjusting quantities.  She was a huge help when my son went on a nursing strike at 10 months. If your friend is going the doula route make sure she finds

Oh absolutely.  When I learned how long it was ok to not leave EBM refridgerated and other things (like stimulating production) I was so much more relaxed and therefore effective at pumping.
 

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

I avoided the LLL in my area though.  They are vigilant in their anti-working mom approach and were not supportive at all.  I was told it would be better to sell my home, my car and move hundreds of miles away from family so that my husband could commute long hours and work 2 jobs in order for me to stay home. 

Sadly, I had the same experience.  The leader and members were not interested, at all, in offering any advice and guidance.  I totally get the value of the organization, I am just saying that not all chapters are as opening and "pro" woman/mother as I think they could be.
 

[jodycherevka]

I'm so sad to hear about your experiences with LLL. The chapter in my area was so helpful! I found that the book "Working Without Weaning" was a huge help to me. The author has a sense of humor, so it's easy to read. 

[texmati]

I also had a bad vibe from the llli group in my city... but along with the links above, (and this forum), there is a llli working mom's forum and llli pumping forum. These were invaluable to me for trouble shooting adn support.

Working and bfing and pumping is so difficult and in someways isolating. It's great thatyou are supporting your friend .

[homemademom]

Thank you, everyone! I'm not sure if she decided to hire a doula or not, though we talked about it. Great advice all around! I'll forward her all of this information. :)

[MsFortune]

I know you asked for a book or site, not advice, but you are getting advice anyhow...

Tell her to get the best pump that she can afford.  It's very key.  Pumping sucks, it's the worst, and honestly, balancing it with work and being exhausted about done me in.  I quit and went to formula.  I have a Medela Pump in Style - expensive but so worth it.  She will want to get the most out of each pumping session and a crappy pump will make it take twice as long.  

[t2009]

Originally Posted by MsFortune 

I know you asked for a book or site, not advice, but you are getting advice anyhow...

Tell her to get the best pump that she can afford.  It's very key.  Pumping sucks, it's the worst, and honestly, balancing it with work and being exhausted about done me in.  I quit and went to formula.  I have a Medela Pump in Style - expensive but so worth it.  She will want to get the most out of each pumping session and a crappy pump will make it take twice as long.  

Yes! Definitely invest in a great pump ... Or even better if she can manage access to a hospital grade pump (by lobbying her employer, for instance--possible if there's a dedicated pumping room & enough new-mother-employees... and money, of course).

What really helped me was an online group of pumping moms at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/PumpMoms/. It's high-traffic, but remains surprisingly on-topic. There's a mix of working moms & moms who are pumping exclusively because baby can't nurse. It's very supportive & not judgmental (everyone on there knows how hard it is!) & I learned a ton of tricks.
 

[lunarlady]

Another vote for Working Without Weaning and the yahoo pump moms group. Both are excellent. I survived my first year of pumping without a hands free device, but have one now and wonder how and why I ever did without it. Seriously. I spent over $300 on the best pump I could buy, but wouldn't drop $30 more for a hands free device? Crazy.

And tell her the first couple of months are the worst. If you can make it until baby is 6 or 7 months then you can start introducing solids for times when you are a few ounces short. Make sure you have a place and time set aside to pump before you go on maternity leave or else the first day back is stressful. And I couldn't live without my car adapter because if push comes to shove there is always my car as a fairly private pumping retreat.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by lunarlady 

Another vote for Working Without Weaning and the yahoo pump moms group. Both are excellent. I survived my first year of pumping without a hands free device, but have one now and wonder how and why I ever did without it. Seriously. I spent over $300 on the best pump I could buy, but wouldn't drop $30 more for a hands free device? Crazy.

And tell her the first couple of months are the worst. If you can make it until baby is 6 or 7 months then you can start introducing solids for times when you are a few ounces short. Make sure you have a place and time set aside to pump before you go on maternity leave or else the first day back is stressful. And I couldn't live without my car adapter because if push comes to shove there is always my car as a fairly private pumping retreat.

Second that, I did a lot of car pumping.