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La lactancia materna. Mejor para el bebé. Mejor para la mamá.
Breastfeeding: Best for baby. Best for Mom.Breastfeeding: Best for baby. Best for Mom.
Do You Have Basic Breastfeeding Questions?  Call Us at 1-800-994-WOMAN (9662)

BREASTFEEDING MADE EASIER AT HOME AND WORK

See also: Family Support -- Storage -- Breastfeeding and Pumping Accessories

Pumping

photo of electric pumpNo matter what type of job you have, if you go back to work after having your baby, it should be possible for you to take time to pump your breast milk. You can talk with your employer about why breastfeeding is important, why pumping is necessary, and how you plan to fit pumping into your work schedule. Pumping while away from your baby on the same schedule that he or she breastfeeds ensures that you keep up your milk supply to meet your baby's needs. If you are staying home to care for your baby, having an effective pump at home is also helpful. You can use it to help relieve engorgement, especially when your milk supply first comes in, or for when you need to be away from your baby for any amount of time, such as an evening out with your partner. If you have to temporarily take medication that may harm your baby, you can pump and discard your milk during this time.

  • Prepare for pumping before you go back to work. Let your employer know that you are breastfeeding and explain that, when you're away from your baby, you will need to take breaks throughout the day to pump your milk to give to your baby at a later time. Ask where you can pump at work, and make sure it is a private, clean, quiet area. Also make sure you have somewhere to store the milk. Discuss how you plan to fit pumping into your workday. You can offer to work out a different schedule, such as coming in earlier or leaving a little later each day to make up for any lost work time, if this comes up as an issue. If your day care is close by to your job, you may be able to arrange to breastfeed your baby during work time. Make sure to discuss the benefits of breastfeeding with your employer, especially that breastfeeding mothers miss fewer days from work. If your direct supervisor cannot help you with your needs, you should be able to go to your Human Resources department to make sure you are accommodated.

  • Some mothers start pumping and storing their milk ahead of the time they will be returning to work in order to have a supply available for the first week when they are separated from the baby. The number of times you will need to pump your milk depends on the length of time you are away from your baby. But, it is usually not best to go for more than three hours without removing some milk from your breasts. If you are leaving a very young baby who eats very often, you may have to pump your milk more often at first so that your breasts do not become uncomfortable or leak.

  • Expressing milk through pumping is a learned skill that's both physical and psychological. It takes about the same time as breastfeeding, unless you are using a "double" automatic breast pump. The let-down reflex is important during pumping in order to express a good amount of milk. If you are having problems getting your milk to "let-down" at the start of pumping, you may find it helpful to have a picture of your baby close-by. You also can try other things to stimulate the let-down reflex, like applying a warm, moist compress to the breast, gently massaging the breasts, or just sitting quietly and thinking of a relaxing setting. Try to clear your head of stressful thoughts. Use a comfortable chair or pillows. Once you begin expressing your milk, think about your baby.

  • It is best to wash your hands before pumping your breast milk and to make sure the table or area where you are pumping is also clean. Each time you are done pumping, it is best to thoroughly wash your pumping equipment with soap and water and let it air dry. This helps prevent germs from getting into the breast milk.

Current as of August 2005

The following publications and organizations provide more information on pumping breast milk:

Publications

  1. Federal resource  Breastfeeding Mothers-Self Care - This publication provides general recommendations for breastfeeding mothers. It also includes information on the effects of alcohol, caffeine, and other items during breastfeeding.

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002454.htm

  2. Federal resource  FDA Breast Pump Website - This site provides general information on breast pumps, medical devices used by a lactating woman to help extract and collect her breast milk. It contains information on how to choose a breast pump, how to use one, cleaning, and storage of breast milk.

    http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastpumps/

  3. Breast Milk: How to Pump and Store it (Copyright © AAFP) - This publication explains when you should start pumping, how often and for how long you should pump, as well as how much milk you should expect to get. It also provides guidelines for storing breast milk.

    http://familydoctor.org/828.xml

  4. Breastfeeding - Expressing Milk (Copyright © AAP) - This publication explains how to manually express milk and gives suggestions on selecting and using a breast pump. It also provides guidelines for storing breast milk in the refrigerator or freezer and thawing frozen milk.

    http://www.aap.org/pubed/ZZZRYZIYKRD.htm?&sub_cat=1

  5. Breastfeeding and Returning to Work (Copyright © AAFP) - Going back to work and keeping up with breastfeeding can be a challenge for many new mothers. This publication answers some commonly asked questions about how to transition back to work after having a child and still maintain a breastfeeding schedule.

    http://familydoctor.org/827.xml

  6. Breastfeeding: Choosing a Breast Pump (Copyright © Mayo Foundation) - This fact sheet is meant to aid in the general use of breast pumps, breast milk storage, and preparing to return to work. The information is presented in a question and answer format to help mothers choose the best breast pump for their needs.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=PR00002

  7. Breastfeeding: How to Pump and Store Milk (Copyright © AAFP) - This fact sheet discusses ways in which learning how to pump and store breast milk can make returning to work easier and less stressful. It does require some work and careful planning, but it can be done.

    http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/pregnancy/birth/828.html

  8. FAQ on Breastfeeding Twins (Copyright © LLLI) - This publication provides information on breastfeeding twins. It includes positioning techniques, feeding plans, and ways to care for oneself.

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

  9. How Often Will I Have to Pump When I Go Back to Work? (Copyright © LLLI) - This fact sheet for breastfeeding mothers who plan to return to work discusses how often they should pump while at work. Additional resources are provided for more information.

    http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/pumpfreq.html

  10. I'm Pumping My Milk to Feed My Baby, But My Supply is Going Down. What Can I Do? (Copyright © LLLI) - This publication explains why working mothers may notice a decrease in the amount of breast milk they are producing. It also gives suggestions on how to increase the supply in a bulleted format.

    http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/pumpwork.html

  11. Returning to Work While Breastfeeding (Copyright © AAFP) - This article discusses how to plan for pumping at work before you go on your maternity leave and after you have your baby. It gives information on talking to your employer and coworkers, practicing pumping at home, and it gives a checklist with everything you'll need before returning to work.

    http://www.aafp.org/afp/20031201/2215ph.html

Organizations

  1. Federal resource  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS
  2. Federal resource  Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, (WIC) USDA
  3. Federal resource  Womenshealth.gov, OWH, HHS
  4. American Academy of Family Physicians
  5. American Academy of Pediatrics
  6. Breastfeeding Basics
  7. Human Milk Banking Association of North America
  8. International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA)
  9. La Leche League International
  10. National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
  11. World Alliance For Breastfeeding Action

Federal resource = Indicates Federal Resources

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