Breastfeeding at Work
After you have your baby, it takes time to get breastfeeding on a schedule where the baby is content and has enough wet diapers. By the time you have that under control, then your maternity leave is up and it is time to go back to work. Whether your baby will be staying with relatives or going to daycare, you will need to start a couple of processes probably 2 -3 weeks before going back to work. One of them is getting you and your baby prepared for feeding while you are at work.
“B” is for baby and bottle
The dreadful bottle, which sometimes can provide a little competition initially. In any event, put your ego aside and realize that your baby will need to eat while you are at work. Therefore, you must try a bottle and work to get your baby used to drinking from it. With some children, this could be a chore, so plan enough time for this introduction.
Stock pile
Try to plan ahead and start filling your freezer with bags of pumped breast milk at least 2 to 3 weeks before you return to work. Pump on one side while nursing and start filling up the freezer when you can. This is a necessity, especially if you will need to travel when you go back to work.
A good pump
Some might say, “There is nothing like a good red wine.” I say, “There is nothing like a good breast pump.” It needs to be something that is easy to use, has good suction and a strong motor.  When you are away from your baby, you will need to pump and most likely you will not have 55 minutes or longer to stop everything and pump. I recommend the Medela Pump in Style and even thought it is more expensive than some, it is worth every penny.
Pumping station
Some companies are providing better options for women who work and need to pump, but not all are there yet. Some companies have lactation rooms and if yours does, consider your self very lucky. But I have also heard stories of women pumping in their cars on hot summer days and sweating as much as they are collecting milk. So find out in advance where you will pump so you are not scurrying around while your shirt is getting soaked.
Baby photo
Bring a photo of your baby to remind yourself why you are doing this. If you really have a good space to pump then bring a comforting CD to help you relax. It is not easy to relax and let your milk down when there are people walking in and out of the women’s restroom or talking outside the office that you are discreetly pumping in.
New lunch bag
Make sure you have a place to store your milk in an inconspicuous way, possibly an insulated lunch bag. This is for many reasons: privacy, avoiding use of milk in other’s coffee, helping to avoid spillage of your “million dollar” milk that you worked so hard to get and also to keep it cool while you go home. Depending on how far you have to drive, bring a cold pack to keep the milk cold until you get home.
There will be times when it seems too hard or you become frustrated, but with everything, it just takes awhile to get the hang of it. It may sound easy to do but it can be very difficult to juggle pumping at work so be practical and do the best you can.