By Alison Heyerdahl

One of the biggest concerns you may have about returning to work after maternity leave is maintaining your breast milk supply.  You may choose to continue breastfeeding after returning to work for many reasons – breast milk is full of antibodies that build your baby’s immunity, and it forges a strong bond between you and your newborn.  Pumping at work may be the only option to maintain your breast milk supply.  However, the idea of lugging a breast pump to work, huddling topless in a storage closet, and praying that the weird guy in your department doesn't decide that right now is the perfect time to search for some obscure office supplies can be demoralizing, to say the least. 

While pumping at work can be inconvenient, messy, time-consuming, and awkward, the good news is that it is possible with some planning and the right equipment.  Read on for more tips about making transitioning from maternity leave to the workplace while breastfeeding easier.

What can I do during my pregnancy to prepare for breastfeeding after returning to work?

• Join a breastfeeding support group.  Talking to other moms about breastfeeding while working can be a lifesaver.  No one understands the dynamics of being a breastfeeding working mom better than someone experiencing the same difficulties.  You will glean excellent advice and tips. 

• Talk to your boss about your plans to breastfeed at work before you go on maternity leave.  It may be possible to work part-time from home or job share with another employee.  Encourage your boss to visit the Supporting Nursing Moms at Work: Employer Solutions site to get tips and find solutions for supporting nursing mothers.

• Learn about your rights as a breastfeeding mother under the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law.  It stipulates that employers provide reasonable break time for employees to express milk for their newborns up to a year after the child’s birth. 

• Research childcare options in the vicinity of your workplace. You may then be able to visit and breastfeed your baby during lunch or other breaks.    

Why is it essential for workplaces to support breastfeeding mothers?

Interestingly, organizations that provide supportive work environments for breastfeeding employees save money in the long term.  It improves a company's return on investment (ROI) because it:

• Lowers absenteeism rates – if your baby is healthier, you will miss less work to care for a sick child.  Furthermore, if your baby has fewer illnesses, you will also be healthier.

• Improves productivity and job satisfaction.

• Lowers medical costs and health insurance claims for breastfeeding employees and their infants (up to three times less for breastfeeding employees).

• Reduces turnover rates (86-92 percent of breastfeeding employees return to work after childbirth when a lactation support program is provided compared to the national average of 59 percent).

• Raises employee morale, engagement, and loyalty to the company.

How can my organization support my breastfeeding at work?

Based on the aforementioned points, some organizations in the United States realize the importance of encouraging breastfeeding for as long as possible. These organizations understand that to raise intelligent, healthy children that could continue to boost the country's prosperity for many generations to come, they need to provide supportive work environments for breastfeeding employees.  The basic needs for mothers who may need to continue with milk expression after having returned to work include:

• Having a private space for pumping: It can be in a designated lactation room or office that can be locked.

• Providing flexible breaks for pumping: To maintain a breast milk supply, women need to pump every three hours.  Each pumping session lasts about 20 minutes.  Women should be able to diarize these breaks and schedule time for them.

• Providing support for breastfeeding mothers: This involves educating management, supervisors, and co-workers on the importance of breastfeeding so that mothers feel supported and confident in their ability to continue working.

• Providing refrigeration for expressed milk: Employers may designate a refrigerated space for women to store their expressed breastmilk.  

What happens if my organization does not support breastfeeding and I want to continue expressing milk at work?

If your organization is unable or unwilling to provide a supportive environment for expressing breast milk, you may have to consider the following:

• Wearing a nursing cover for pumping if there is no designated space to do so.

• Pumping in your car – provided it has a vehicle adaptor for electric breast pumps.

• Pumping behind a screen, if available.

• Bringing your own cooler packed with ice to store your expressed milk.

• Talking to your boss and co-workers about your decision to continue breastfeeding and garnering their support.

• Scheduling pumping sessions in your calendar to ensure that you can pump at least every three hours. 

Importantly, you should know your breastfeeding rights when returning to work. Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable break times so employees can express breast milk for up to one year. Women may need to educate their companies on the importance of breastfeeding.  Providing your boss or co-workers with resources such as the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law will encourage their support. 

How do I get my baby used to taking a bottle so I can return to work?

It is important to ensure that your baby is comfortable drinking expressed milk from a bottle before returning to work.  To establish a milk supply and make the transition easier, the following steps may be useful:

1. Once you have established a breastfeeding routine – usually after around four weeks - start pumping your breasts after one feed each day, at a time when they still feel full. 

2. Collect this milk and freeze it.  It will initially only be a small amount, and you will be able to add milk from other pumping sessions to this milk.

3. Once you have collected enough milk – usually around 24 ounces, you can plan to introduce a bottle.

4. Choose a day when your baby’s caregiver is available – allow them to feed your baby from the bottle.  Babies usually accept bottles easier from other people because they know that the milk comes from your breasts. 

5. Once the feeding is completed, pump out milk to create a bottle equal to what your baby consumed.

6. Continue to pump after every breastfeeding session to create a supply in your freezer.

7. You may want to continue to feed your baby from a bottle once a day to ensure that he/she gets used to feeding from a bottle, but ensure that you breastfeed for all feedings when not separated from your baby.

Should I breastfeed my baby when returning from work to home?

Yes, breastfeed your baby as much as possible when you arrive back from work.  Expect that they will want to feed more in the evening or at night to make up for the time you were away.  As much as possible, try and minimize separations during off-work hours. 

Conclusion

One of the biggest concerns you may have about returning to work after maternity leave is maintaining your breast milk supply.  For most moms, the only option is taking out time every few hours to pump.  Many organizations realize the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and their infants and have discovered the cost savings and increase in productivity are worth creating supportive breastfeeding environments.  Talk to your boss and co-workers about your decision to breastfeed and what you need to make this possible.  To make the transition to work easier for you and your baby, introduce them to the bottle before you return so that they are comfortable with receiving expressed milk.  Lastly, breastfeed your baby as much as possible when you are with them and minimize separations during off-work hours.