Expressing at work

Hi,

I'm guessing this has been asked loads of times but I need some tips on
expressing at work. I only work three days a week and I didn't expect
that those three days would effect my supply so drastically. Up until
recently I have been expressing just before work and as soon as I get
home which has been providing the nursery with milk for Tess during the
day. But I've noticed that on my four days off my supply isn't as good
as it used to be.

So I'm going to have to face the expressing at work choice. I haven't
really discussed this with my manager as of yet so I'm unsure what sort
of place he can provide for me. He's an awful manager at best - and has
serious confidence issues. If you ask him about something he didn't
learn about on his managerial course he panics and says 'no, on health
and safety grounds'. (the other day I left 15 minutes early because Tess
had been ill at nursery and he informed me I HAD to be at my desk for 7
hours a day for health and safety reasons - ???). I feel sorry for him
though as he is actually a nice bloke - just an awful manager.

Anyway, I digress, I'd like a few tips firstly on how to approach the
subject with my manager and secondly on what I should pack for my
'expressing kit' in order to make it as easy and problem free as
possible - and just some general advice on expressing at work!

Many thanks

Amber

Amber Timbrell wrote:
Hi,

I'm guessing this has been asked loads of times but I need some tips on
expressing at work. I only work three days a week and I didn't expect
that those three days would effect my supply so drastically. Up until
recently I have been expressing just before work and as soon as I get
home which has been providing the nursery with milk for Tess during the
day. But I've noticed that on my four days off my supply isn't as good
as it used to be.


You don't mention how old your child is, or how many times s/he feeds
during the day, but yes, not pumping when the baby is exclusively
bf-ing will affect your supply.

So I'm going to have to face the expressing at work choice. I haven't
really discussed this with my manager as of yet so I'm unsure what sort
of place he can provide for me. He's an awful manager at best - and has
serious confidence issues. If you ask him about something he didn't
learn about on his managerial course he panics and says 'no, on health
and safety grounds'. (the other day I left 15 minutes early because Tess
had been ill at nursery and he informed me I HAD to be at my desk for 7
hours a day for health and safety reasons - ???). I feel sorry for him
though as he is actually a nice bloke - just an awful manager.

*giggle*. you could try "for health and safety reason I have to express
at work" :-)

Anyway, I digress, I'd like a few tips firstly on how to approach the
subject with my manager and secondly on what I should pack for my
'expressing kit' in order to make it as easy and problem free as
possible - and just some general advice on expressing at work!

Many thanks

Amber

I have been expressing 3X a day for the past 1 1/2 month. To approach
the subject - I went and talked to my manager. I did not *ask* if I
could, I just *told* him I needed to. I also told him the reasons - my
baby refused (was refusing at that point) bottles, EBM was the best
nutrition for baby etc. If needed, I could have gotten a note from her
Ped in lieu of "doctor's note". (Some firms require this to - for lack
of a better phrase - cover their own behind).
I have an office with a door and the manager had a sign made that said
"Do not disturb" etc, and I can pump in privacy.

To pump I bought an "Ameda Purely Yours" double electric pump. My
suggestion for full time pumping would be to buy a double elctric. If
you use a manual pump, it will not yeild as much as the electric and
will require a lot of time for the same amout of milk - not to mention
visits to the chiropractor for your poor wrist ! :-) There are a lot of
options regarding pumps, you could even rent one from the hospital and
find out how you do with one of them.
Also, don't expect to start pumping and immediately producing any great
volume for the pump. Your body needs some time to adjust and figure out
how to let down for the pump, so don't lose heart if the first few
weeks yeild less than you thought.


PK.

PK wrote:
Amber Timbrell wrote:
Hi,

I'm guessing this has been asked loads of times but I need some tips on
expressing at work. I only work three days a week and I didn't expect
that those three days would effect my supply so drastically. Up until
recently I have been expressing just before work and as soon as I get
home which has been providing the nursery with milk for Tess during the
day. But I've noticed that on my four days off my supply isn't as good
as it used to be.


You don't mention how old your child is, or how many times s/he feeds
during the day, but yes, not pumping when the baby is exclusively
bf-ing will affect your supply.

So I'm going to have to face the expressing at work choice. I haven't
really discussed this with my manager as of yet so I'm unsure what sort
of place he can provide for me. He's an awful manager at best - and has
serious confidence issues. If you ask him about something he didn't
learn about on his managerial course he panics and says 'no, on health
and safety grounds'. (the other day I left 15 minutes early because Tess
had been ill at nursery and he informed me I HAD to be at my desk for 7
hours a day for health and safety reasons - ???). I feel sorry for him
though as he is actually a nice bloke - just an awful manager.

*giggle*. you could try "for health and safety reason I have to express
at work" :-)

Anyway, I digress, I'd like a few tips firstly on how to approach the
subject with my manager and secondly on what I should pack for my
'expressing kit' in order to make it as easy and problem free as
possible - and just some general advice on expressing at work!

Many thanks

Amber

I have been expressing 3X a day for the past 1 1/2 month. To approach
the subject - I went and talked to my manager. I did not *ask* if I
could, I just *told* him I needed to. I also told him the reasons - my
baby refused (was refusing at that point) bottles, EBM was the best
nutrition for baby etc. If needed, I could have gotten a note from her
Ped in lieu of "doctor's note". (Some firms require this to - for lack
of a better phrase - cover their own behind).
I have an office with a door and the manager had a sign made that said
"Do not disturb" etc, and I can pump in privacy.

To pump I bought an "Ameda Purely Yours" double electric pump. My
suggestion for full time pumping would be to buy a double elctric. If
you use a manual pump, it will not yeild as much as the electric and
will require a lot of time for the same amout of milk - not to mention
visits to the chiropractor for your poor wrist ! :-) There are a lot of
options regarding pumps, you could even rent one from the hospital and
find out how you do with one of them.
Also, don't expect to start pumping and immediately producing any great
volume for the pump. Your body needs some time to adjust and figure out
how to let down for the pump, so don't lose heart if the first few
weeks yeild less than you thought.


PK.


Sorry I should have been a bit more specific. She is 7 months old.
During 'nursery' hours she has two solid feeds (breakfast & lunch). She
has a bottle with her breakfast and another at around 3.
Overall she has about 6 feeds during the day (three of which are solids)
and she sometimes wakes for 1 feed during the night.

I currently pump once just before I go to work (at around the same time
she would usually have her breakfast) and once when I get home (about
two hours after her usual afternoon feed). When I'm at home I pump while
she eats her solid lunch too. So basically I'm considering pumping
during my lunch at work too. I thought I could get away with missing it
while at work as it was only three days a week.

Amber Timbrell writes:

: Sorry I should have been a bit more specific. She is 7 months old.
: During 'nursery' hours she has two solid feeds (breakfast & lunch). She
: has a bottle with her breakfast and another at around 3.
: Overall she has about 6 feeds during the day (three of which are solids)
: and she sometimes wakes for 1 feed during the night.

: I currently pump once just before I go to work (at around the same time
: she would usually have her breakfast) and once when I get home (about
: two hours after her usual afternoon feed). When I'm at home I pump while
: she eats her solid lunch too. So basically I'm considering pumping
: during my lunch at work too. I thought I could get away with missing it
: while at work as it was only three days a week.

I don't know how long you are at work, but you should be pumping at a
minimum of once every 4 hours, and even better would be once ever 3
hours. For example, if you are away from your daughter 9 hours, and
you nurse her the minute you get home, you should be pumping twice.

Larry

wrote in message ...
Amber Timbrell writes:

: Sorry I should have been a bit more specific. She is 7 months old.
: During 'nursery' hours she has two solid feeds (breakfast & lunch). She
: has a bottle with her breakfast and another at around 3.
: Overall she has about 6 feeds during the day (three of which are solids)
: and she sometimes wakes for 1 feed during the night.

: I currently pump once just before I go to work (at around the same time
: she would usually have her breakfast) and once when I get home (about
: two hours after her usual afternoon feed). When I'm at home I pump while
: she eats her solid lunch too. So basically I'm considering pumping
: during my lunch at work too. I thought I could get away with missing it
: while at work as it was only three days a week.

I don't know how long you are at work, but you should be pumping at a
minimum of once every 4 hours, and even better would be once ever 3
hours. For example, if you are away from your daughter 9 hours, and
you nurse her the minute you get home, you should be pumping twice.

Larry

I'd agree with this. I was pumping 3 times a day, but it just wasn't enough
to maintain supply so now I add a fourth pump whenever possible. I work 4-5
days per week and I pump in the morning just after I get to work (I'm a
salaried office worker, so this way the morning pump counts as "work time")
Your before work pump would count for this. Then I pump once in late
morning, at lunch, and again around 2 or 3pm if possible. That still gives
me a couple of hours between last pump and nursing my daughter when we get
home to let the milk build back up for her evening nursing marathon. I'm
thinking that in addition to a lunch pump, you'll need to move up your after
work pump to a during work pump. For best results add a late morning pump
too. I'm also finding Fenugreek to be helpful.

Amy

V. writes:

: I'd agree with this. I was pumping 3 times a day, but it just wasn't enough
: to maintain supply so now I add a fourth pump whenever possible. I work 4-5
: days per week and I pump in the morning just after I get to work (I'm a
: salaried office worker, so this way the morning pump counts as "work time")
: Your before work pump would count for this. Then I pump once in late
: morning, at lunch, and again around 2 or 3pm if possible. That still gives
: me a couple of hours between last pump and nursing my daughter when we get
: home to let the milk build back up for her evening nursing marathon. I'm
: thinking that in addition to a lunch pump, you'll need to move up your after
: work pump to a during work pump. For best results add a late morning pump
: too. I'm also finding Fenugreek to be helpful.

: Amy

Great post Amy. Practical advice from a experienced pumper!

Thanks for all,
Larry

Amber Timbrell wrote:

Anyway, I digress, I'd like a few tips firstly on how to approach the
subject with my manager

Tell him that in the interests of health and safety, you have been
advised by a doctor to express breastmilk. (I'm a doctor, so consider
yourself advised - there you go, now you'll be telling him the truth.
Expressing reduces your risk of mastitis and your baby's risk of
infections.)

What you'll need is time for the pumping sessions and somewhere to store
the milk. As Larry said, it's worth aiming for one pumping session for
every three hours you're away from your daughter. Ideally this should
be half an hour on both breasts. If you can't manage that schedule,
more frequent shorter pumps are better than more infrequent longer
pumps. I used to use the time for catching up on paperwork - is there
something like that that you could do during the time?

Have you got a fridge at work for the milk? If you don't have time to
wash the pump horns after each session, just stick them in the fridge.

and secondly on what I should pack for my
'expressing kit' in order to make it as easy and problem free as
possible - and just some general advice on expressing at work!

Double electric pump - either the Ameda Purely Yours (if you're in the
UK, it's called the Lactaline), or the Medela Pump-In-Style. The Ameda
is cheaper and does a good job, so that was the one I went for.

Pump case with refrigeration section for taking the milk home. This
comes as part of the pump with the Medela (at least, I assume it's got a
refrigeration section - didn't check that as I wasn't getting the
Medela) but needs to be bought separately for the Ameda (it still works
out as cheaper than the Medela).

Storage bags. Lansinoh are good. Do not touch the Medela ones - leaked
and were rubbish. No idea about Ameda.

Possibly a pumping brassiere to hold the horns on so that you can go
hands-free. Plenty of women just tuck the horns into their bra
(possible, but I found it rather awkward) or figure out elastic band
contraptions for holding them in place (never tried this so can't give
an opinion).


Also, the La Leche League site has good advice on storing breastmilk.


All the best,

Sarah

--
http://www.goodenoughmummy.typepad.com

But how do we _know_ that no-one ever said on their deathbed that they
wished they’d spent more time at the office?

Amber Timbrell wrote:
Anyway, I digress, I'd like a few tips firstly on how to approach the
subject with my manager and secondly on what I should pack for my
'expressing kit' in order to make it as easy and problem free as
possible - and just some general advice on expressing at work!

You approach your manager the way you would approach
him for anything. Let's say you need to order more
notebooks for the cabinet. You would say, "Henry, I need
more notebooks for the cabinet". Now, in the same tone
of voice, say "Henry, I need to set up a location and a
schedule for expressing breastmilk for my baby". Do
not let him talk you into doing it in the bathroom. The
response to that is "Oh, gosh, I wouldn't make you a
sandwich in the bathroom, I totally can't express lunch
for the baby in there!".

Remember, you are doing this because it's the best thing
for your baby and you are also setting up a precedent for
lactating women after you.

As to what you need to bring, pump stuff and bottles.
If you use a central refrigerator, make sure you have
a lunchbag or brown paper bag in which to store the
milk. (I find that coworkers are more cooperative if
they don't have to look at the milk that came out of
YOU!) I have my own mini-fridge (from Sharper Image,
the 6-pack size) at my desk, so no one has to see anything.

I'm also very loud at work, so I announce to everyone
that I'm pumping in my cubicle. It was good, because
two years after I first pumped, a couple of the guys
had wives who started pumping for their babies. They
finally knew what I was up to all that time.

-- Anita --

Hi!

Looking for Breast Milk, Breast Pumping Videos for Educational Purpose.
Who can Help. Thanks.