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So Long Maternity Leave, Hello Working Mom Life.

Updated: Nov 18, 2020

It's hard to believe how fast 8 weeks can fly by. That's how much time I was able to spend with my baby girl during my maternity leave. I'm not going to lie, the week before I dreaded the idea of leaving my baby for 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week, 160+ hours a month, 2000+ hours a year....


Ok. Ok. Ok. I know. I need to stop doing math. I mean its not even my thing, yet I found my self counting the hours I would be away from my baby girl.


That final week, I just had to slow myself down and enjoy the waking hours I had to spend with my daughter. But I also had to start planning what life was going to be like once I returned to work. So many questions ran through my head:


- Will I be able to produce enough milk for her while I am away?

- Will work be ok with me pumping during the day?

- Will she still want to nurse when I am with her?

- Will she remember me and know I am her mom?


Alright, the last question was extreme - I know. But I am sure every working mom has had that thought. But I always reminded myself this: So many moms before me had babies and worked and they were able to provide and their children always know who is there mother.


Once I got my mind straight that being a working mom is possible, I started to pack my pump bag to prepare for the work week:


Breast pump bag and supplies

Take a look into my working mom pump bag:

Pump

✅Pump tubes (2)

✅All parts to the pump shield (some pumps have on part, some have two)


✅Pump plug

Bottles for 2-3 sessions (4 - 8 bottles total)

✅Backup milk storage bags (I never pumped enough to use the bags, but I always keep them in my bag in case I forgot bottles.)

Pump wipes (I use the Medela brand.)

✅Bag for pump shield (after each pump I put the shields in the bag to keep them in the fridge in between sessions. This is a good solution if you don't have a sink to wash them after every session and are only able to wipe them out with the pump wipes and flush it with water.)


✅Pump bra (this is a must have if you want to multi-task at the office --> pump and work at the same time.)

Manual hand pump (you’ll be happy you have this in case you ever forget a pump part and don’t have time to go home.)


Ice pack and bottle bag for storage and transportation.

Nipple cream (I used it in the beginning, but not so much after 1 month of pumping unless I had a clogged duct and your ta-ta's got sore.)

Snacks (I always keep nuts or granola bar in my bag for a snack during each pump session. Its good to eat a little something when you are pumping.)

Water bottle (hydration is a super important to help keep your milk supply up.)

✅A picture of my baby (having a picture of her with me would lift my spirits when I was down or missed her. I would also run a slideshow of my daughter on my cell phone while pumping.)

Here is a sneak peak at my survival guide to pumping:

Block out 30min on your calendar as a reoccurring meeting every day. Do this on day 1 when you return from your maternity leave. Try not to skip pump sessions and try not to push them far back (especially in the beginning) to avoid getting a clogged duct (this happened to me 2x when I skipped my sessions).


Eat a snack and drink a bottle of water during every pump. Light headedness is a thing when pumping often at work because your body is physically doing a lot of work. Snacks and water will help you keep your energy up.

My little one stayed home with my husband in the beginning, so I would FaceTime him from time to time to say hi to my little girl. Seeing your baby can help give your milk flow a boost.

When you are finished your pump session, wipe down the shield parts with the pump wipes. I didn't have access to a sink, so I would flush it out with water from my water bottle into the trash can. And then I would put the parts in the fridge so they are ready for the next use.

Here is a look into my working mom schedule:

In the beginning I would nurse my little one at 4:00 AM and then at 7:30 AM before I left.

By 7 months she started to sleep in, so I would pump at 6:30 AM and nurse her for 10min at 8:00 AM.

At 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM I would pump for 30 minutes in the mothers pump room at the office. During this time I would always work while pumping, thanks to the magic of a pump bra!

I would leave the office around 5:00 PM and would nurse my little one at 5:30 PM, 7:45 PM and sometimes in the middle of the night when she was older.

It sounds like a lot, but once you get into your groove the routine will be set and it will become a regular part of your day and not a chore.


My BIGGEST advice to new working mom's is to always double check your pump bag and check list!


Happy pumping!

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Image by Jess Bailey

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