How many moms are working,BF,and pumping?...

581 Views 14 Replies 14 Participants Last post by wombatclay, Apr 10, 2006

Firefighter mom

Discussion Starter · Apr 8, 2006

I would like to poll how many moms out there are working or returning to work and want to continue BF their babies and are going to pump and have ebm served to their babies in a bottle while at work?

Or are going to stop work until done BF and then return?

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

Samjm

· #2 · Apr 8, 2006

Didn't vote, because I'm not currently doing it, but I returned to work when DD was 2 months old. I pumped and she had EBM in a bottle until she stopped wanting bottles at 14 months old. (So I pumped for a year).

We're still nursing on weekends, evenings and during the night and she is now almost 19 months.

mom2olivia

· #3 · Apr 8, 2006

I currently pump at work and plan to continue to pump until dd is at least one. I'm struggling to get 4-5 oz total pumping twice a day though, so I'm really hope to at least keep that up for anther couple of months. I do plan to try and nurse am's, pm's and weekends for some time after that.

Although if she doesn't stop biting me this might be her last weekend! Especially if her top teeth pop out! Only kidding, but I'm about to head into a "biting" search and see if I can stop this before it gets ugly!

2Sweeties1Angel

· #4 · Apr 8, 2006

I pumped at work while I was still able to BF. I never responded well to the pump so I did have to supplement with formula.

Firefighter mom

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 8, 2006

I nurse my daughter and pump when I am at work....I work 24 hour shifts!

I pump while away and my duaghter is almost 14 mths old

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DreamsInDigital

· #6 · Apr 8, 2006

I am returning to work on Wednesday on a part-time schedule 4 hours x 5 days a week. My DP will be home with the baby and feed him expressed breastmilk. I have a double electric pump I will use on my 15-minute break. I have a good freezer stash too so just in case I don't pump enough there's backup.

boingo82

· #7 · Apr 8, 2006

#2 isn't here yet, but I plan to do the same as I did with #1.
With Blake, I returned to work after 3 months, and pumped. I am fortunate that I'm able to maintain a good supply by pumping. I've gotten up to 12oz in one session.
Blake never did have any formula. I continued pumping until he was around 16 months. My pumping session had been getting later and later in my shift and eventually we switched to no BM while I was at work, but just nursing while I was home. And sometime around 18-19 months he weaned because my pregnancy dried up my supply.

Mooky

· #8 · Apr 8, 2006

I will stay home at least until the baby is no longer breastfeed and hopefully longer than that. I know it is not an option for everyone, and we had to cut alot expenses (like the second car) and take a loss of half of our income. But for us it is worth it for this oh so sweet and too short period of time in our babies lives.

MikahsMomma

· #9 · Apr 8, 2006

I'm already back to work, but I'm away from DS for 9 hours and I pump 4 times. My work is VERY accomidating and even let me pump ON the clock! I'm still using an Avent Isis and getting between 16-18 ounces a day. I also pump once in the morning right after his first feeding to put an extra 2-3 ounces in the freezer. Most days he eats between 16-18 ounces so we do occasionally need the freezer stash on days that I pump 16 and he wants 18. My Mom watches him while I work so he's in good hands. I plan to keep nursing until at least a year so I'll probably pump at work until then too - I just hope to cut down on the number of times eventually!

Fiercemama

· #10 · Apr 8, 2006

I replied that I'm going to return to work and pump. But that was years ago!

My DD stopped taking ebm when she was 11 mos, but is still nursing at 4 years old.

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Tori Gollihugh

· #11 · Apr 8, 2006

I don't feel that I can answer the poll because I'm not returning to work in the next 20 years or so (unless something catastrophic occurrs), but... I did return to work when DD was 6 weeks old. I brought my pump to work daily and pumped most of the time. The first few weeks my Mom brought DD to me to pump, but that stopped working quite quickly because she was very distracted by the new environment of my classroom to want to nurse. So, I had to go to completely BFing. DD did drink EBM during the day and nursed all through the night for that first year. It was rough, but I'm very glad she and I continued our nursing relationship. We made it to TWO and it looks like she's slowly weaning completely... Well, that's all right by me at this point since I'll have a new nursling in another 6 months or so.

Just wanted to share a success story.

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momma2finn

· #12 · Apr 9, 2006

I work 40-45 hr/wk and I pump for Finn. I used to get 12oz to bring home with 2 sessions every 8 hr shift but now I get about 6 or so. I will keep truckin until I absolutely can't get a drop out though. I hope to bf until at least one year.

crazydiamond

· #13 · Apr 9, 2006

I returned to work at 12 weeks and have been pumping twice a day since then. With some effort, I've been able to produce enough for DDs bottles while I'm gone (12-15oz/day). She's never had formula. She'll be a year old at the end of the month and I'm glad we've made it this far. I'm tired of pumping so in the next few months I'll figure out a way to stop, but of course will keep BFing during the times we're home.

Ruthla

· #14 · Apr 9, 2006

I returned to work when DS was only 7 weeks old.

I worked about 20 hours a week until they fired me when he was about 8mo, but I continued pumping at that time because I planned to get another job. Then my life turned upside down, I was dealing with Family Court numerous times, and by the time my Unemployment checks stopped coming I was in too poor health to look for another job. I continued pumping until he was 21mo- I just didn't feel ready to stop before then. I might have stopped sooner if my then-DH hadn't dumped out the entire freezer stash in a fit of rage when DS was 9mo and I was in a hotel with my Mom and my kids to get away from him- just when I would have slowed down pumping and used what I had already frozen, I felt compelled to rebuild a modest stash.

DS weaned at age 4 (at least, I THINK he's weaned!)

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wombatclay

· #15 · Apr 10, 2006

I returned to work (6 hours a day, 5 days a week) when DD was 3 months. I pump once a day and usually get ~6-8 oz in ~20 minutes using the Avent Isis hand pump (yeah, I know, I'm one milky mama!)

As a result dd would get one bottle of breastmilk while I was gone. She was a major reverse cycler for a few months there! She's now a year old and losing interest in her sippy cup of breast milk so I'm hoping to wean myself from the pump some time soon. We plan on following dd's lead when it comes to nursing, but the pump I could happily do without!

That said, it hasn't been terrible, I'll pump while working with the next babe as well, and 9 months with a hand pump has put some real muscle in my fingers!

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