HELP!!!! All the nursing nurses...

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey all I am a new grad nurse and I am wondering when I finnally:stone get a job how in the world am I going to continue to breastfeed.

How does breastfeeding work with 12hr schedules?

Have any of you nurses done it?

Not to mention it will be my first nursing job and its not like I can walk on the floor and ask someone else to cover my patients. I have an interview for the ICU and I just want to make this work. I am really concerned and not working isn't an option anymore. My son will be 6 months old and I am desperately trying to get in at least 1 full year of breast feeding. I think of all the nurses and myself encouraging breastfeeding among new mothers and when it comes to myself I can't because I proabably won't get a break. When will holistic care apply to nurses too?

What do I do?

Maybe I am worrying for nothing but I don't feel like I am.

PLEASE any suggestions for any nursing nurse mothers. HELP!!!!!:cry:

Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

Best thing I've ever found for a dwindling supply: Oatmeal! Cookies, granola, cereal, it's all good.

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Specializes in One day CCU maybe!.

hehe and beer.

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

Beer is an old wives tale and is more likely to lead to dehydration than increase supply. Be very careful with alcohol and breastfeeding--not for drunkeness but for fluid balance reasons.

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Specializes in One day CCU maybe!.

The La Leche League would disagree with you KateRN1 (along with the posted studies in the following article). However, if alcohol consumption is a concern, a mother can drink non-alcoholic beer with the same results according to those same studies.

http://www.llli.org/FAQ/alcohol.html

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Well I went on the interview thought it went well. I should find out this week if I got the job or not and if I did I am still looking for suggestions and scheduling. The shifts I would be working is nights and for the first few months days 7-3 or 8-4 and then 3 12hr shifts nights so please keep the suggestions coming and thanks to all that have responded.:heartbeat

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I went back to work when my baby was four months old and she is seven months now and I am still breastfeeding and pumping at work. Fortunately, my unit is not super-duper chaotic and I have only missed a pumping session a few times. Basically, I come into work and have set up a pumping station in a room that no one uses. I run in there every three hours and pump. It usually takes about 5-7 minutes. I clock in and out for lunch but usually don't actually take it since I take these breaks to pump. I hold my own pager and just let the patients wait. Once or twice I have had to run out in the middle of pumping and take care of something that I couldn't let wait. Another thing I have done to help is try not to work more than one day at a time, that way my supply does not get low from pumping and missing pumping sessions.

Floating, however, has turned into a nightmare.

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I'm just wondering how breast feeding/pumping and night shifts work... i mean... you're sleeping all day when the baby is awake and you're at work all night pumping...

I can think of all kinds of ways to make it work for days, but nights is more of a challenge in my head.

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ONCRN - I think it depends upon the arrangement - is the child in daycare? That would be super, super hard. If the child is at home and the mom is still responsible for care - it's a ton easier to nurse than to worry about bottles- same way it would be if you worked out of the home. If someone is caring for the child in the home, same thing - when baby is hungry, put it to breast. When the baby is really little, they take great naps. You could cosleep with the baby and nurse the baby then.

I'm hoping to have at least one more once I'm done with school and working. I'll probably work nights (because that's where the newbies start, right?) and I'll just try not to work more than one day in a row. That way, if I don't get much sleep following a night shift, I'll be able to sleep a bit in the evening when my DH gets off of work.

It's also possible that the baby will start to get on mom's schedule. Bet that would thrill dad (or whomever is the nighttime caregiver!).

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So... I GOT THE JOB so I need those suggestions I am definitely going to start pumping seriously and build up a supply but I definetly would love more suggestions about how I can make this work. Thanks in advance.:nurse:

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I'm just wondering how breast feeding/pumping and night shifts work... i mean... you're sleeping all day when the baby is awake and you're at work all night pumping...

I can think of all kinds of ways to make it work for days, but nights is more of a challenge in my head.

Believe me, you are definitely not asleep all day, LOL. :yawn: :devil: We wish we were asleep all day. :jester:

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