My Breastfeeding Journey + Tips for Working Moms

There are a few common questions most women get while pregnant – When is your due date? Do you know the sex? Have you picked out a name yet? Do you plan on breastfeeding?

I knew early on that I planned to breastfeed Nori. There are so many health benefits associated with breastmilk and it would save me money from buying formula. It was my goal to breastfeed for at least a full year, but I also went in with an open mind. If it worked out, great. If not, there are other alternatives. At the end of the day, Nori would be fed and loved.

Prior to becoming a mother, I had no education on breastfeeding + pumping other than what was portrayed on television. In fact, I thought the process was quite simple – baby is hungry – you latch them on – done. Need to pump? Hook up the machine, pump the milk, pour it in a bottle – done. Oh, how naive my little mind was. My idea of breastfeeding + pumping was so “fairytailish” that I can’t help but laugh.

It wasn’t until my first night in the hospital that I quickly realized my entire idea of breastfeeding was wrong. After the first few nursing sessions, I began stressing about everything. Was Nori latching properly? Was she getting enough milk? I drilled the lactation specialist prior to being discharged and finally felt somewhat comfortable just to get home and stress all over again. What was this clicking noise I could hear while she nursed? Does she have a tongue tie? Why are my nipples chapped + sore? When will the pain end?

I remember the first week sitting in a pitch black bedroom nursing Nori as tears fell down my face. No one prepared me for how painful nursing would be. I just wanted to stop for a few days to allow my cracked nipples to heal, but here I was, nursing through the pain. Every latch became more excruciating. There was a point where my nipples were so cracked that they began to bleed and no amount of nipple cream seemed to help. I was feeling discouraged, burnt out, and overwhelmed.

Fast forward a few weeks – the pain from breastfeeding had begun to subside, but now I hit another roadblock. Nori wasn’t underweight but was in a low weight percentile for her age. You can only imagine how that led to even more internal questions – Is she not getting enough milk? Am I wrong for breastfeeding her instead of offering formula to help with weight gain? As a first time mom, I found myself googling the sh*t out of everything, questioning everything, and blaming myself for everything.

Enough was enough.

I made an appointment to see another lactation specialist and came prepared with a list of questions. This is one of the best decisions I could have made. She took her time with me, watched me nurse Nori and offered tips on how I should be guiding Nori to latch. For reassurance, she weighed Nori before + after I nursed to show how much weight she gained from just one nursing session. I finally felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.

Over the next few months, nursing started to become easier and felt less like a painful chore. There were difficult moments every now and then (i.e. “cluster feeds” during growth spurts), but I now felt like I could finally enjoy the bonding time that came with breastfeeding.  

Now that I’m almost 14+ months into this breastfeeding journey, I wanted to share a few tips on how I managed to keep my supply up, especially after returning to work.

Maintaining Milk Supply

One of the many things I googled during the course of my breastfeeding journey was “How to Increase My Milk Supply”. There are so many resources out there that it’s easy to quickly become overwhelmed. Avoid this – don’t eat that – eat this instead – drink this – don’t drink that – it was all too much. I decided to try a few things and stick with what worked best for me. I didn’t maintain any special diet nor did I avoid certain foods. Below are some of the products that I noticed the best results with:

+ Increase your water intake. This is crucial in maintaining a milk supply.

+ Get plenty of rest. I know this is difficult, especially with a baby, but nap when your baby naps. Turn to loved ones for help when you need it. The days when I would get the least amount of sleep are the ones I noticed a dip in my milk supply.

Returning to Work

I was on an extended maternity leave from April through the first week of September and dreaded my first day back in the office. For nearly five months, I spent every day with Nori. For the first time ever, I was handing her over to a stranger to care for her. How would I be able to focus while working? I was also now responsible for pumping everyday to maintain my milk supply. Needless to say – the first week back at work was an emotionally difficult one. After a few weeks of being back however, I finally got into a routine. Sending Nori to daycare was no longer scary and pumping at work was no longer stressful.

Below I share some of my favorite products that will make pumping at work as comfortable as possible, no matter your employers set up.

Pumping Schedule

The last thing I want to touch on is my pumping schedule. Due to Covid-19, I’ve pulled Nori out of daycare, but the below schedule is what worked for me while she was attending. I created this pumping schedule for a few reasons:

1. So I could maintain my milk supply while at work
2. So I could send Nori to daycare with fresh milk
3. So I could save my frozen milk stash and turn to it for emergency situations only

When Nori was in daycare, she attended three days a week: Tuesdays + Wednesdays and Thursdays. While at daycare, she drank four 4 oz bottles per day, therefore, I needed to pump twelve 4 oz bottles every week. Here’s how I did it:

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+ Friday: While at home, I would pump once first thing in the morning. This would result in about 4 oz.

+ Saturday: While at home, I would pump once first thing in the morning. This would result in about 4 oz.

+ Sunday: While at home, I would pump once first thing in the morning. This would result in about 4 oz.

+ Monday: While at home, I would pump once first thing in the morning. This would result in about 4 oz.

+ Tuesday: I would send Nori to daycare with the bottles I pumped on Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon. While at work, I would pump every 2-3 hours. Each pumping session resulted in about 4 oz. I would end my shift with 4 bottles for the day.

+ Wednesday: I would send Nori to daycare with the milk I pumped on Tuesday. While at work, I continued to pump every 2-3 hours.

+ Thursday: I would send Nori to daycare with the milk I pumped on Wednesday. While at work, I continued to pump every 2-3 hours. At the end of the day, I froze the milk I that pumped since Nori is done with daycare for the week.

+ Friday: I would start the routine over and pump once first thing in the morning while at home.

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I followed the above routine strictly. I know it’s not for everyone, but it’s what worked for my situation to ensure Nori had enough fresh milk for the days she would attend daycare. There definitely were days that I wouldn’t always produce enough milk for 4 bottles, and that’s okay – I didn’t beat myself up about it. The days that I fell short, I would defrost a bag of frozen milk and send it to daycare along with the fresh milk I pumped. If you’re a breastfeeding mom returning to work, you don’t have to follow the above schedule, but you do want to make sure you’re at least pumping every few hours to maintain your milk supply.

If your little one will be attending daycare, I can’t stress enough how important it is to ask them about their milk policy. Some daycares that I toured informed me that they toss all unfinished milk, whether it fresh breastmilk or previously frozen. I completely understand tossing previously frozen milk as it’s only good for 24 hours once defrosted, but I couldn’t let them toss my fresh breastmilk (which is good for up to five days). Once we landed on a daycare, I had a conversation with Nori’s teachers and explained that I would be sending fresh breastmilk and kindly asked for them to save any unfinished bottles. Everyone was understanding and willing to accommodate my request. Be sure to have these conversations. Don’t assume that because the bottles are labeled “breastmilk” that the teachers will save unfinished portions. You worked hard for that milk mama, don’t let it go to waste! Any unfinished fresh breastmilk was added to Nori’s bottles for the following day. For days that I sent previously frozen breastmilk, I would offer any unfinished portions to Nori once we got home and whatever she didn’t finish, I tossed at the end of the night.

A few final tips:

+ KellyMom has been such a valuable resource from day one. I highly recommend this site for all things breastfeeding.

+ Before purchasing a pump or adding one to your registry, call your insurance as you may qualify for a free pump. My physician provided me with a form that approved me for one free breast pump. I then provided that form to Byram Health to obtain my pump. I went with the Spectra S2 and absolutely love it.

+ Join breastfeeding support groups. This is something that I wish I would’ve done sooner. It really helps when you can turn to other women who are going through the same thing as you for questions and advice.

And to any mama’s reading this – if you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out for help and support. I’m an open door if you need advice or simply need someone to talk to. Hold on for one more day. You’ve got this.

Xo,

Brooke