https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 10 Jun 2026 04:37:05 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529578 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:00:39 +0000 ShootingStar 1529578@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't really prepare much. We had thrush for a while and I was never able to build up much of a stash. I did make a list of all the things I needed to bring with me. I also wasn't sure how much to send to daycare, so I sent way more than he needed. I knew from having fed him formula occasionally that he typically took between 2-4 oz, so I sent 5 3oz bottles. </p> <p>I did end up watching a video where a woman explained her pumping routine, and I found it really helpful. She said she double pumped, then took the breast shield and put it in one of the bottles and then hand expressed into it (the shield helped catch the milk). Then she poured the milk from the other bottle into the one with the shield, catching all the milk droplets. I like this technique because it gets me emptier, and it makes good use of the bottles by combining them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529574 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:59:58 +0000 brady80 1529574@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't do anything to prepare. I have been pumping since she was a few weeks old. But I did but extra parts and keep them at work. I pump on the am before work, so I have to take the pump back and forth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529546 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:55:29 +0000 Smurfette 1529546@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hardly pumped before she started day care. I never got a chance she wanted to be held all the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529541 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:53:51 +0000 Mrs. M 1529541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pumped at least once a day to build up a stash beore going back and made a list of things I would need to bring to and from work each day. Also consider keeping the battery pack (in my opinion it doesn't work as well, but in a pinch is a life saver) or an extra power cord at work. My husband used to pack my pump bag to help out and once left out the power cord. I was engorged and almost in tears and he had to drive 2 hours round trip to bring it to me. </p> <p>Pumping isn't fun, but once you get a rhythm with it at work it isn't the end of the world. Best of luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529529 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:51:48 +0000 walnutems 1529529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm just finishing my 2nd week back at work and there are a few things I wish I would have done differently.</p> <p>I was pumping once a day after a morning feeding to try to build up a little back supply ( I was really lax about it and would take days or weeks off), my LC told me not to stress about having a freezer full of milk before going back to work as I would be able to pump as much as LO needed the day before for the next day, so I never stressed about it. Great idea in theory, but that's not how it's worked out for us! DS was eating a lot more than I was able to pump for the next day so we dug into our little stash very quickly and drained it very quickly :crying: Luckily, I was able to keep up with him by pumping instead of doing a dream feed and pumping after I was nursing him at home. The first week he had every ounce that he needed but that was it! No extras! I worked hard for what we got!</p> <p>If I could go back this is what I would do and what I plan on doing for any future LOs. The last two or three weeks I was at home I would nursing LO and then pump after nursing him/her anytime I would be pumping while at work. For example...DS eats at 10am, 1pm, and 4pm while I'm at work so during those times before I'm out of maternity leave pump after he's done. You may only get an ounce or two but you're helping tell your body that you need to maximize the amount of milk during those 3 feedings. I don' think the pump can pull out the milk quite like a LO can so the more the better! It will also help get you in the groove of having to wash bottles and practice getting yourself all hooked up to the pump multiple times a day, which is a task all on its own!</p> <p>Hopefully that helps! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529516 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:45:43 +0000 singingbee 1529516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LC suggested pumping after the feedings where lo would be at the sitter's starting two weeks before I went back. That worked for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529455 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:23:31 +0000 JoJoGirl 1529455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No routine here either! All I did differently was pump once/day on the weekends to make up for the deficit between what I pumped and what she drank at daycare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529214 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:35:11 +0000 Corduroy 1529214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>PP gave great tips on how to pump at home in prep. I was more worried about the work logistics so I'll share my slightly nutty over-thinker tips:</p> <p>Call/email HR and let them know that you're planning to pump. Although we had a pumping room I was surprised that HR didn't know who was using it (so I could coordinate with them) and how to get access. It took them a few days to figure things out. </p> <p>Block out pumping times on your calendar before you return. Then people are more likely to schedule around you.</p> <p>Make a list of everything you'll need to pack. I also took a mental picture of what my bag should look like in the morning. Honestly, it sounds super-over prepared but I would have benefited from a real picture of my packed but open bag to keep by the door.</p> <p>Buy an extra power cord. This tip came from DH after I asked him to unplug the power cord for me from behind the couch... again. He bought be one plug for home and one for the office so it's always easily accessible and it's one less thing to pack, unpack, and/or forget everyday. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529142 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:22:00 +0000 matador84 1529142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I took DS to daycare at 8 weeks, I sent 3 bottles with 3 oz each. I didn't pp nearly enough because I started 2 weeks before going back to work. This time I've pumped just a little every day, about 4 oz. hopefully I'll have 100 oz before going back to work to keep ahead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529076 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:06:08 +0000 Adira 1529076@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a bottle bootcamp the weekend before I returned to work in order to determine how much milk Xander would need during the day and how often I would need to pump at work in order to get that. So Hubs would feed Xander a bottle of milk and I would pump. It definitely sucked having to bottle feed him and pump all day, but it made me feel more confident about returning to work and knowing when I would need to pump and how much Xander needed each day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529066 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:03:32 +0000 Pumuckl 1529066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't prepare either besides building a little stash by pumping during his morning nap for the 2 weeks before I went to work. But then I had oversupply issues so I def. didn't want to pump more than necessary. That helped me get the whole pump set up incl. the hands free bra etc. down though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1529035 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:55:08 +0000 plantains 1529035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started pumping after morning feed to build up a bit of a stash but that was it. Having a small stash really eased the pressure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1528949 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:36:40 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 1528949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not going back to work, but I have just been pumping once per day after his morning feed. I have been getting 3-4 ounces this way and stashing it away so that one day if I ever leave the house DH can feed him and so on weekends DH can take a MON feeding or for when we have company and I don't want to sneak away to BF for an hour. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1528918 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:31:21 +0000 bunnylove08 1528918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started to pump when I was in the hospital and when we came home when DD would feed I would pump the other breast and switch when she was done feeding so we could establish a stash for her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1528911 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:29:34 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 1528911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't start a routine either. In fact, I didn't "prepare" for pumping at all before I returned to work beyond knowing how to use my pump, an odd-session here and there, &amp; the half-day when he went to daycare for a "practice" day. I just jumped in on my first day. It worked out - I pumped until he was a year and we're still nursing together at 18 months! :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1528880 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:24:03 +0000 mrsjyw 1528880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't do a routine either. I did start p umping to build a small stash... then when it to work time, I pumped 3 times and nursed at those times when I was home on the wknd or on my at home days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1528878 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:24:01 +0000 avivoca 1528878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't do a routine. She feeds on one side at a time, so I would pump the other side while she fed to build up a stash. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1528872 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:23:00 +0000 MrsKoala 1528872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't do a routine either. I did the same as @Pirouette in terms of pumping once a day after a morning feeding to build up a stash. My biggest tip is to get the hands free pumping bra. It will make it soooo much easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1528857 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:20:30 +0000 Pirouette 1528857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't start a routine, I just pumped once a day after morning feeding to build up a little stash. About a week before i went back, i practiced pumping in a real shirt and removing it to put on my pumping bra so i could get used to that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohm-how-did-you-prepare-for-pumping-at-work#post-1528841 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:15:35 +0000 artsyfartsy 1528841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I go back to work in about a month and I'll probably try and establish pumping in the next few weeks. I don't know how to start. I know how to use my pump and I get a pretty good amount when I pump. My question is, did you start a pumping routine before returning? </p> <p>I want to breastfeed him whenever I'm with him so pumping during the day and bottle feeding when I'm home with him just doesn't sound appealing (what part of pumping does though? Lol). </p> <p>What did you do? Advice? Tips? </p>