Many breastfeeding moms who are returning to work ask, "Can I work and still exclusively breastfeed?"  YES, you can.  All it takes it a good breastpump and a lot of dedication.

I returned to work when my son was just 8 weeks old and my husband decided to be the stay-at-home-parent.  I was determined to exclusively breastfeed Jakob for as long as possible while working full-time.  I am happy to say, I pumped for a full year, 5-7 times per day and my son was exclusively fed breastmilk for the first year.  It is possible!

PUMPING ON THE JOB

I think it is important to sit down with your employer ahead of time and work out a "pumping game plan" so that it is all in place when you return to work.  I made sure that my employer had a private office set up for me with outlets and anything else I needed.  Many companies now have rooms set-up exclusively for pumping moms.  However, I was the first pumping mom in the history of this company so I sort of had to "break them in".

You will also need to let your boss/employer know what to expect.  You will probably be pumping anywhere from 4+ times a day at 20-30 minutes a pop!  I was really good in that my office, the wash area and the pumping area were all really close together so I could pump in about 15 minutes each time start-finish.  I basically ate lunch at my desk and didn't take breaks to make up for the time I pumped.  

BREASTPUMPS

I tried many different breastpumps and finally decided on a double-electric Nurture III .  This particular pump worked really well for me (I pumped over 1,400 times in the first year) and the price was definitely right.  It still works just as good 4 years later as it did the day I got it.

HURDLES

I came across many different pumping hurdles.  The biggest hurdle was trying to pump enough for the next day's feedings.  I found that as my son got older, as I got more tired and especially at the end of the week,  it was harder extract most of the breastmilk from the breast.  I went to La Leche League meetings often, but unfortunately all the of the moms and leaders there were stay-at-home-moms and weren't in the same situation. So, no one could offer me any suggestions.  I suggest you get on some sort of a pumping support list online to help and support you and hook you up with other pumping moms.

TIPS and HINTS

I have created a list of my top ten pumping tips that should make a big difference in getting over some of the hurdles:

1) I ALWAYS ran the flanges ( the horn like part) under warm water right before pumping. The wet feeling of the flange made me able to visualize and fool my brain into believing that the baby's mouth was on my breast not a plastic horn : Þ

2) I recorded Jakob crying, laughing and talking and played it during pumping.

3) Practiced relaxing deep breaths before and during pumping

4) Drank an entire glass of water right before I pumped and drank another during pumping

5) Visualize, visualize, visualize! Most days I had to actually close my eyes and "fantasize" nursing the baby (this is when the wet flange really helps too). It is all about fooling your mind and your body and this is a HUGE part of it.

6) Toward the middle-end of the session I would usually switch the pump to single use and pump only one breast and massage it at the same time. This helps empty the ducts out.

7) I found I had to "over drink" fluids to force my body into making even more milk than needed, since I could not even come close to emptying the breast toward the middle-end of the first year. I would easily glugg down 1½ gallons or more of water in an 8 hour time frame.

8) NAPS! I found closing my office door or running out to my car on my lunch and snoozing really helped with milk production.

9) Pump frequently. I found in the first few months I pumped I could sometimes get away with pumping only 3-4 times per day some days but toward the mid-end of Jakob's first year I was up to 7+ times per day and he was having solids too! I found adding a pumping in the morning helped. I pumped on one side while Jakob ate on the other. Not only did the let down happen immediately because Jakob was on the other side I got a huge amount of milk since milk storage in the breast is at its peak in the morning.

10) Last of all, RELAX. I know this is hard for most moms but stress really does affect the milk supply. I found my little power naps and exercise helped relieve stress a lot.

Good luck!  Coming home after a hard day at work, sitting down and nursing your little one will truly make it all worthwhile.  Working and pumping is exhausting, but empowering.  Take pride in that you are giving your child the best he/she can get--breastmilk is something that NO ONE else but mommy can give.

Tammy Frissell-Deppe is a fourth generation attachment parent and has two children with her husband William. She has recently published a book entitled, Every Parent's Guide to Attachment Parenting.  Tammy is a Medical Information Specialist as well as an attachment parenting expert and she tours the country speaking and educating parents and parents-to-be on the different aspects and benefits of attachment parenting. Tammy's articles have appeared in many different newsletters and journals and she continues to help and support hundreds of attachment parents weekly.