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« Return to Resources Index Breastfeeding and Returning to Work The best way to maintain a milk supply is nursing your baby. No pump can duplicate skin to skin contact, natural sucking cycle, and maternal hormonal response from having a baby nurse... No pump will ever be as efficient as your baby. You will need a high-quality electric breast pump. I recommend the Medela Pump in Style, Medela Lactina (professional rental), Medela Classic (professional rental), or the Ameda Hollister Purely Yours Breastpump. Avoid nipple confusion! Try to avoid bottles for at least 4 weeks if possible. Have someone else give the bottle as practice for when you go back to work. Only give 1 practice bottle per day, maximum. Practice and become familiar with your breast pump for at least 3 weeks prior to returning to work. This will allow you to become familiar with your breast pump and enable you to let down more easily to it. You will also build your own private stash of milk for your baby to enjoy while you are at work. The best time to pump is in the morning when breasts milk supply is highest. You can either pump one breast while your baby nurses on the other, or double pump after your the morning feed. Other good times to pump are when your baby takes an especially long nap, or another predictably longer stretch between feeds. If you pump right after your baby nurses, you'll only get a small volume of milk (¼ to ½ oz). Wait about an hour after nursing. Pump long enough, 10-20 minutes of steady pumping per breast. Some breasts release milk more quickly than others. Thorough emptying will signal the breast to make more milk faster. Pump your breasts as often as your baby normally feeds while separated from him/her. "Double pump"! Pump both breasts at the same time) at least every 4 hours. This increases prolactin levels, as if you are feeding twins. After you go back to work, when you are with your baby, you nurse. Only give bottles when separated from your child. Breastfeed exclusively on weekends. Don't follow your weekday supplementation routine. This can be a wonderful way to reconnect with your baby, as well as a time to help boost your milk supply. Consider sharing sleep with your little one. Many working moms find that they can keep their milk supply quite abundant if they bring their little one to bed and nurse during the night. This is referred to as reverse-cycle nursing. Not only does your baby benefit from your closeness, but she may begin taking in less of your expressed milk (or formula) during your absence. Breastmilk Storage guidelines:
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