Hi there. I'm 4.5 months into my return to the working world. When people ask me how things are going, I get the impression they think that being a career mom is like having a chronic disease. They look with sad eyes and ask questions like, 'how are you holding up?" In reality, my return to work has been relatively smooth. I started back in mid June at 4 full days per week, with Wednesdays "off" in the middle of the week to care for Jake. I think the time in the middle of the week with my boy combined with excellent caregivers when we have to be away really helps to keep my working mom guilt in check. It's not the right solution for everyone, but it really has been great for us.
It also really helps that I find great fulfillment out of my work as a clinical psychologist. I work with a supportive group of colleagues and the day always flies by. My favorite part of the day is my evening walk with Jake where I tell him all about my work day. I hope one day he understands that it is special to have a mother who loves her "mommy" job and also her career. I know that I found satisfaction in understanding that about my own mom.
Don't get me wrong, the return to work has not been all rainbows and butterflies. Hence, the point of this post. One universal truth that working moms can commiserate on is the wretched act of pumping. The dull WOOSH, WOOSH sound and the large black bag have been enough to serve as a re-experiencing PTSD event to mom colleagues. It's. that. bad. UGH, even has I write this I think of terrible things to call that vile machine. Nonetheless, it is a sad reality that if you want to continue to breastfeed your baby, a mother must put her detest aside and develop and amicable relationship with pumping at work. To this end, I have some advice.
1. DRINK DRINK DRINK. I'm talking about water here. I arm myself with a hiking grade Camelback water bottle and easily drink 60 oz while I am at work. Think about it - you need fluid to produce fluid. It's basic math. Research shows that drinking water will help with milk production. Increasing my water intake is always the first thing I do when I notice a dip in my supply. It works. Also, avoid caffeine if you can, as it serves as a diuretic and will undue some of the work of all that water guzzling.
2. Spare pump parts. I learned this one the hard way. It was my second week back at work and I had just sat down prepared for the first pump of the day. I was armed with water, snacks, pictures of Jake. I cleared my mind and started to pump, only to find that the usual WOOSH sounded like a creaky door instead. I realized that after washing all the parts the night before, I had forgotten to reattach the yellow jammy (I have no idea what it is really called), onto the flange. Well, guess what - this is an essential part of the pump. I flew out of my office and traveled to two stores before I finally found a box of replacement pump parts at Target. The $30.00 was well worth it. I now keep a spare set of parts in my office in case of emergency again.
3. Pictures/video of your baby. This is a tip that many moms swear by. I have also heard that if you listen to an audio clip of your baby's hungry cry, this will help with your let down. Pictures of Jake definitely help me. When my supply dips, a friend had told me to try taking the PJs that Jake wore the night before in with me to work. This actually helped a lot, but it did make me miss my little guy more than usual!
4. Relax. This so much easier said that done. There is nothing relaxing about sitting half naked hooked up to a milking machine with a countdown on the clock for 15 minutes and 10 emails to return. Most of my pumping sessions were spent looking like the above scenario. However, if I was having a tough time with supply or noticed that I was particularly overwhelmed, it did help to unplug from email and my phone, close my eyes and listen to music. I am lucky that I can usually be a very productive worker while pumping, but I know that this is not always the case for moms and it might be really important to have a relaxing routine while pumping.
5. Be assertive. This might be one of the biggest challenges for moms who return to work, and it certainly was for me. Before you return to work on maternity leave, know your company's policies on providing time and space for nursing moms. Also know your rights, which differ state by state. Talk to your supervisor about your plan to pump while at work. It's not always a comfortable conversation, but I have found that when you are up front with the time and space you will need, it is more likely that you will both be on the same page. Finally, be flexible. You may need to get creative about how long you can pump for and what times work best on any given day.
For more pumping tips, check out Meghan's advice, too!
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