During Pregnancy
- Encourage the mother to continue breastfeeding when she returns to work. Share with her the importance of continued breastfeeding (e.g. protection from illnesses for the baby and maintaining closeness with the baby).
- Suggest that the mother discuss her breastfeeding plans with her employer in advance of the delivery.
- Encourage the mother to postpone her return to work for as long as possible balancing the needs of her specific situation.
- Suggest an early exploration of childcare options.
- Encourage her to gain partner support.
- Encourage and help her to develop a plan prenatally for maintaining milk supply if she will be separated from her infant (plans for pumping / expressing at work, visiting infant to breastfeed during work day, job share, shifting work hours, etc.).
Tips for Success During Pregnancy
On or around 28 weeks, encourage mother to:
- Contact her health insurance for information about coverage for a breast pump as soon as the baby is born. Some insurance companies will also send mothers one during her pregnancy.
- Consult with health care provider, friends, the WIC program or community-based or volunteer groups such as La Leche League for recommendations of quality brands of breast pumps.
Tips for Success After Delivery
Encourage mother to:
- Build up her milk supply by exclusively and frequently breastfeeding (or expressing) before her return to work.
- Introduce the bottle or cup after breastfeeding has been well established for two weeks or more. This is often more successful if someone other than the breastfeeding mother offers the bottle or cup.
- Begin storing her milk at least two weeks before returning to work. The easiest time to hand express or pump is in the early morning when breasts are fullest and whenever the baby takes only one breast.
- Return to work part-time for as long as possible.
- Transition back to work in the middle of the work week so you only have a couple of days at work before your next day off.
- Nurse just before work, as soon as the workday is over and during her lunch break, if possible.
- Be prepared to pump at work on the same schedule and frequency in which the child nurses at home. Since this is not always possible, strive for her to pump during morning, lunch and afternoon breaks.
- Nurse directly at the breast frequently in the evenings and on weekends or days off to maintain milk supply.
- Have a trial-run "work" day before returning to work. Mom can drop child off at child-care facility or with caregiver in the morning and run errands or work around the house and pumping at the times when her baby usually breastfeeds.
- Remember spending time skin to skin with infant a few times a day can be helpful for supply even outside of newborn period.
Pumping at Work or School
To maximize milk expression, the mother can:
- Look at pictures of her baby.
- Drape a baby blanket with her baby's smell around her neck.
- Practice relaxation techniques, such as listening to soothing music using headphones to cancel out other noises.
- Start the pump on low suction with the nipple centered. Increase suction to a comfortable level. Too much or too little suction can inhibit milk transfer.
- Nurse and express milk frequently and thoroughly using breast compressions.
- Pump both breasts at the same time.
- Massage the breasts before and during pumping looking for pockets of milk (that may feel like a lump).
- Pump until her milk flow significantly diminishes.
- Continue with night feedings as this is when the prolactin levels are usually highest.
- Have her focus on her relationship with her baby instead of the number of ounces of milk collected.
- If the mother is having difficulty pumping multiple times at work, research shows that at least one time a day she should take time to drain her breasts as completely as possible. Some mothers will dedicate a full 30 minutes at this session using warm compresses, hand expression, breast compressions and double pumping with a hands-free bra or similar set-up.
- Some working mothers may find that doing computer work / paperwork or other tasks during pumping can actually reduce their stress and help with milk collection.
