Work & Family
Working Without Weaning
By William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N., Babytalk
PRINT


Make a pumping plan

When you're away from your baby, you'll need to pump your breasts every two to three hours, depending on your baby's feeding frequency at home. If you are away from your baby for an eight-hour workday, plus commuting time, you should expect to pump about three times. Pump as long as it takes to empty both breasts. You'll see the milk flow start to slow and your breasts will deflate as they do when your baby is finished nursing. It will take about 25 minutes to set up your equipment, pump both breasts at once, and then get dressed and pack your bottles of milk.

Protect your precious cargo
It's best to store your pumped breast milk in an office refrigerator, and then carry it home in an insulated bag or cooler with an ice pack. (If you don't have a refrigerator at work, the latter will do.) At home, store the milk you pump in clean containers, labeled with the date so that your care- giver can use older milk first. Breast milk can be kept safely in the refrigerator for two to three days, and in a separate freezer unit (with its own door) of a refrigerator for three or four months. It can also be safely stored in a stand-alone deep freezer for 6 to 12 months.
Store frozen milk in serving-size amounts  -- probably 4 to 8 ounces, depending on your baby's age and size  -- so that it's quick to thaw. Defrost the milk by holding the container under warm running water, just to take the chill off. Overheating may destroy valuable nutrients, so never microwave breast milk.


< PREV 1 2
3

ADVERTISEMENT
Popular on Parenting.com
 
Photo Galleries

Moms' Best Pregnancy Remedies

Moms suggest their favorite home remedies for pregnancy aches and pains on our message boards.

Pregnancy Remedies
 
Quick Poll

Would you want to choose the sex of your baby?

Yes
No


Blogs

The Daily Fave

Cookies for Kids' Cancer, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Thanksgiving, Nintendo DS, dinosaurs, and more! Updated frequently!
Blog

The Parenting Post

Bilingual in the Boonies: "This boy Maria plans to marry has dreamy eyes and rock star hair." Updated daily!
Mom-Tested

25 Toys of the Year

Holiday Survival

100+ Gifts For Everyone You Know

25 toys of the year, 35 kid-friendly video games, 11 hot gifts for your husband and more!