How to Breastfeed When You Work Fulltime

According to Baby Center, breastfeeding provides many benefits for both you and your baby. It reduces your baby's risk of things like respiratory illnesses, ear infections, digestive problems, meningitis, the development of allergies, obesity and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It also reduces your risk of developing postpartum depression and some types of cancer. Breastfeeding can be challenging for women who work fulltime, though, because they aren't home when their baby needs to eat.

Instructions

1

Purchase a good breast pump so you can express milk for caregivers to feed your baby while you're at work. You can find inexpensive manual pumps at most drug stores, but an electric pump will be more efficient. You can find pumps that pump both breasts at once, too, making the process faster.

2

Start pumping breast milk a week or so before you return to work. That way you get used to the procedure and you'll have a supply of milk built up for your first few days back on the job.

3

Speak with your supervisor prior to returning to work to explain that you'll need periodic breaks to pump milk and a private area where you can pump. The Fair Labor Act requires employers to provide this. You'll need to pump your breasts about every two or three hours. Using a pump that pumps both breasts at the same time will shorten the amount of time it will take you to pump.

4

Store your expressed milk in glass or plastic bottles. Write the date on each bottle. Store them in the refrigerator if you have access to a refrigerator at work. Otherwise keep them in a small cooler with a couple of ice packs. Breast milk will stay fresh in a cooler with ice packs for up to 24 hours. Even if you use a refrigerator at work, use a cooler to transport the milk home at the end of the day.

5

Store breast milk in dated bottles in your refrigerator at home for up to three days or in your freezer for up to six months. Advise caregivers to thaw and warm the milk as needed to feed your baby while you're at work.

6

Nurse your baby yourself when you are at home.