MOMS! Back to work after baby... Input needed!

sunbaby0811 · Sep 7, 2011

I'm not a nurse (yet!) but am a nursing, working mom. My daycare requires bottles premade, so that's what I do. I'm on my phone, otherwise would share the exact link, but you can go on kellymom.com and they have a calculator that you can use to figure the # of oz you will need every day. At 12w, my dd was taking 3-4 ounces on a bottle. What I did (and still do) is send an extra bottle every day so if she has a super hungry day or wants another ounce or so to top off, my dcp can just pour a little from the extra bottle. Then I just use that bottle for the next day's 1st bottle. Breast milk is generally good in the fridge for up to 8 days!

One thing I've found is that my dcp doesn't get a lot of bf babies and is constantly telling me how much more my daughter should be eating. Bf and ff babies do not eat the same amounts so that has been a little frustrating for me to deal with. She is growing great, so I am confident w what I'm doing, but there are some days I just want to scream! Lol

Good luck going back to work :/ it's tough but every day you do it, it gets a little easier!

RNperdiem, RN · Sep 7, 2011

I am thinking of a couple of things.

Will you be fully weaning the baby off the breast before you go to work?

If not, then you will need to work out a plan to pump while at work.

My hospital has a room for breastfeeding mothers to pump. I pumped before work and tried to find time during the day. Never seemed to find enough time and had problems with plugged ducts.

If you want to totally wean to formula, make sure the baby will take both the bottle and the formula before you go back to work. My oldest child refused the formula, and my youngest didn't like the bottle, and I tried many brands of bottles and nipples.

bmathis · Sep 8, 2011

So have you pumped at all? You should for sure pump a little at home to get the hang of it and store up on some breast milk. I would always send my stored breastmilk and pack formula just in case they ran out of breast milk. We started giving my baby a bottle once a day, usually at bedtime. I work 3 twelves also,

and would pump in the morning before work and then every 2-3 hours at work. I know there is a law that you have to be provided a private room to breast pump and that you are allowed as many breaks to do so as you feel you need; though they may not have to pay you for all your breaks. The hospital I work at did not take time off of my check for my breast pumping breaks, and I think they would only do that if you go crazy with the breaks. To keep baby nursing,

use slow flow nipples and sit them more upright to feed them the bottle to make it harder to get the milk out, or else they get used to it being to easy and

dont want to work hard at nursing. Hope this helps :)

bmathis · Sep 8, 2011

So have you started pumping? If not you should for sure start at home a little to get the hang of it and store up on some breast milk. I would always send my stored breastmilk to the sitters and a can of formula just in case they ran out of milk. My son usually ate 2-4 oz of breast milk every 2 hours at that age, but every baby is different. I worked 3 12's also and would pump in the morning before work then try to pump every 2-3 hours at work. By law, at least in my state I know, you should be supplied with a private room to pump and are allowed to make as many breaks to do so as you feel that you need to for the first year after birth. But, they are not required to pay you for those breaks. My hospital never took time out of my check, and I dont think anywhere would unless you got crazy with your breaks. You should pump as often as your baby eats. It just takes time and practice to get into the swing of things :) Also, store breast milk in 2 oz bags to avoid waste so that if baby is still hungry after a feeding they can warm her up a little more at a time until she is full. Hope this was helpful and good luck to you!

bmathis · Sep 8, 2011

oops! thought my first one was gone :)

EverGraceRN · Sep 8, 2011

Great input and ideas! I never thought about offering formula BEFORE she goes just in case I don't have enough milk pumped (I only have about 10 oz right now-- eek!) or sticking with a slow flow nipple since I'll still be nursing her at home... I was literally pondering slow vs medium flow just today at Target. Don't laugh, I'm a newish (about a year) NICU nurse. For me, all my work experience practically went out the window and I'm just like every other mom out there figuring things out, asking for help and advice, etc. Who knew?

Anyway, I was considering waking her in the morning to nurse, but DUH, I can just pump before leaving for work (thanks @bmathis!) and leave a prepped bottle for dad in the refrigerator to use in the morning. I can always pump at work, no prob. My floor has plenty of rooms to use with hospital grade pumps, so that's lucky!

Thank you (sincerely) for your input friends... I'm starting to get a plan together after many nights of freaking out just thinking about it, so THANKS!!!

EverGraceRN · Sep 8, 2011

(I meant offer formula before she starts daycare to see if she'll take it)

EverGraceRN · Sep 8, 2011

BMATHIS!!! I just read your other post... 2 oz each bag, GENIUS! thanks!!!!

sunbaby0811 · Sep 8, 2011

Do you have a hands free pumping bra? I bought a Simple Wishes bra off Amazon and it changed my life LOL I can pump and dry my hair, work on the computer, etc etc. It's GREAT.

If you think you will have to supplement, I know quite a few people will do a mix of formula and BM (like a bottle with 3oz bm, 1 oz formula) so the taste is not so foreign to baby.

For us, we use the slow flow Born Free bottles (even at 6m) or the Playtex drop ins with a medium nipple. You might have to mess around with a few bottles to find one that's right.

Also, I try to pump on the weekends (either first thing while she's sleeping) or sometime during the day - even if just 1x on a day when I dont have to, so I can put some BM in the freezer. I have a nice little stash built up from doing this and haven't had to use formula yet *knock wood*

EverGraceRN · Sep 8, 2011

Sunbaby, I have the playtex drop ins, so fingers crossed that will work. So I think I'll just send her with frozen flat 2 oz bags of breast milk (they thaw and warm them in a crock pot, so shouldn't take long to warm) and the bottle/drop ins separate. Or do you think pre making them will be better? I just truthfully don't know how much she's eating and I'm afraid it'll get wasted. GREAT idea about mixing a little formula in if I'll be short!! I'll have to tell the dcp's about that. So no problems with the medium nipple and still breast feeding? I bought a couple today and was still contemplating slow flow...

Finding it hard to pump when I'm around her all the time, but hopefully my 12+ hour days at work will solve that! Actually, after your post, I decided to give pumping a go before bed... So thanks for the kick in the bum in that respect!

sunbaby0811 · Sep 8, 2011

No problem with the medium nipples, but I will say, we started with the slow ones first. After a week or 2 of those, the daycare provider BEGGED me to get medium ones. It was taking her for.ever. to eat a bottle! I have a pretty fast letdown, so that was probably part of the problem - she's used to getting it fast and when she didn't, she was frustrated! LOL

And if your daycare will warm as they go along, that's awesome! I wish mine would do that!