Working & BFing...questions?

[chaibaby]

Hi! I'm a firm believer in bfing and so I have a few questions re: how to go back to work at about 4 months while still wanting to give breast milk. Our baby isn't due until October, but these questions have been on my mind for a while now....

I'm assuming I have to pump and then freeze my milk?

If I have to pump, is there a type of pump that anyone would recommend?

Will the baby still want to nurse after he or she starts to ue a bottle while I work?

I'll only be working PT (half days) so can I try to change the nursing schedule to accomodate or is it just smarter to keep the baby on a regular schedule and supplement with a bottle?

Thanks!!!

[boingo82]

We pump and freeze in Medela ziploc bags, and DH thaws the milk under warm running water.
The pump I recommend is the Medela Pump-In-Style. You can get it at Target. It is one of the few pumps that is made to withstand every-day use.
Neither of my boys had any problem going from breast-to-bottle-to-breast. We breastfeed while I'm home and bottlefeed while I'm not. It hasn't been a problem. We use the low-flow nipples so Gavin does not get lazy.

I don't know if you could change your schedule around working. That probably depends on whether you have a baby who eats every hour, or who regularly goes 4 hours between feeds.

[corhorvath]

Good luck with going back to work. I just went back and this is what I discovered.

I agree with the pp about the Medela Pump in Style and the storage methods. Before I went back, I had 30 oz of frozen milk stored. But, now that I'm at work, I can only pump what I need for the next day. We're each different though and you may be able to pump more.

Good luck with everything. I would advise that you start pumping a couple weeks/months out or more before going back to work to get a supply up and see how it works for you. With my first, I couldn't pump, but then again, I could hardly bf effectively. Education and support work wonders for making through the difficult and/or confusing times.