pumping/work schedule « Hellobee Boards

pumping/work schedule

By Silva Apr 1, 2016

I didn't have to pump with my daughter because I SAH full time. I will be working just one day a week beginning at about 3 months post partum this time. Its not much, I know, but I'm feeling really nervous about pumping.

I can design my own schedule. My husband will be at home, so there aren't daycare constraints and I am self employed. I see clients in one hour sessions, and would like to have 7 sessions scheduled (with wiggle room to add one if needed- but thats a lot to do in one day).

How often will I need to pump- and for how long?

Heres my initial plan:
nurse
11:00AM leave house
11:40AM arrive at work
12:00PM client
1:00PM client
2:00PM client
3:00-3:30 pump/break
3:30-4:30 client
4:30-5:30 client
5:30-6:30 client
6:30-7:00 pump/break
7:00-8:00 client
nurse

then I was wondering if I should structure it differently and pump on the way home somehow? we will aim for a 7:00pm bedtime, so it would probably be better to pump later?

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15 comments

Pollywog
persimmon / 1111 posts

Apr 1, 2016

I'm also working one day a week with DH at home. Would it be possible for you to start your day earlier so you can be home for bedtime? If not, I think that works.

My schedule is 8am leave, 830 arrive. 1130 pump, 3 pm pump, 5 pm leave, 530 nurse. If that helps.
Silva
cantaloupe / 6017 posts

Apr 1, 2016

@Pollywog: I can, and I know that would help him out a lot! My primary motivation for having later hours is that it is easier for clients because they don't have to miss school/work. But maybe I could start with earlier hours and shift them later when the baby is a little older.
madger
cherry / 178 posts

Apr 1, 2016

4 hours is a pretty long stretch between nursing/pumping in the early days! I'd try to see if you could do every 3 to start instead.
delight
pomelo / 5326 posts

Apr 1, 2016

What do you mean by pump on the way home? Do you commute? I only ask because I have an 1-1.5 hour commute. I figured out a way to pump in my car which was amazing!! (maybe slightly weird but I never found it was dangerous). That way I pumped both ways in the car and the only once at work mid-day. I went back at 7m PP though so you'll likely have to do it more often with a 3 month old.
T.H.O.U.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

Apr 1, 2016

@Silva: I agree that first six months (age 3m-9m) they are going to bed at like 6:30!

I assume you'll have a similar 40 min. commute on the way home? So arriving at home around 8:40? Being gone from 11am - 8:40 pm, I imagine you'll need around 3 bottles. That would mean you'd want to pump 3 times. You want to pump for every feeding you're missing.
Silva
cantaloupe / 6017 posts

Apr 1, 2016

@madger: I have no sense of it- my daughter just nursed all the time when we were home together! But I can definitely schedule it every 3 hours

@delight: I have a 40 minute or so commute. I'd imagine with a hands-free bra I can probably manage to do it in the car- might just take some practice.

@T.H.O.U.: Yes, 40 minute commute. Three sessions/bottles should be enough? Ugh. I'm really anxious about this. I loved breastfeeding the first time because it was the easiest thing ever, and I"m so worried this stupid one day a week situation is going to make it really challenging.
I was really hoping to get some more evening hours in, but maybe I shouldn't worry about it. My clients make it work now and I"m only here 9-4. We still do a super early bedtime for my toddler, especially now that she stopped napping. Maybe I just need to be home by 6 to help with all that, and figure out a way to make my work schedule accommodate that.
LindsayInNY
bananas / 9229 posts

Apr 1, 2016

Does baby eat around set times? I would try and mimic that, if you can. For example, DD has bottles at daycare around 9, 12 and 3 so my pumps kinda mimic those times (9, 1 and 4 kinda?). How many bottles will you need while you're gone? And it also depends on how much you pump. I would probably aim for 3 pumping sessions during that time. And with the drive, you could certainly build pump time in there easily!
JoyfulKiwi
nectarine / 2667 posts

Apr 1, 2016

I don't think working one day a week will derail your nursing relationship. I agree that you'll want to pump more than 2x and I'd suggest a max of 3 hours between pumping sessions for comfort. If you find you've got a lot of milk that baby doesn't need, you can maybe get away with 2 sessions. You'll be apart for 10 hours, so I would plan to leave enough for 4 bottles (about 3ish oz a bottle) and cut back if needed.
Your afternoon schedule looks fine, but for the morning could you either pump at work before your first client or, better yet, pump at 2 instead of taking a client then?
delight
pomelo / 5326 posts

Apr 1, 2016

@Silva: yes I just used my hands free and bought an adapter for the car. I just had a single pump so I had to stop part way and switch sides, but otherwise it worked well! It was a good use of time. I'm not sure if it is legal though....
T.H.O.U.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

Apr 1, 2016

@Silva: I would look at it as trying to not do evening appointments for at least the babies first year. That first year is SO hard. Now that my guy is like 18 months is much easier for him to go to bed around 7-7:30, big sister hangs out and watches some tv while I put him down, and then by 8pm she's off to bed.

I would think a bottle every 2-3 hours. It sounds like baby would be apart from you from roughly 10:30 am - 9pm (giving some extra time here in case). So that is 10.5 hours? So 3 bottles but maybe 4 at the beginning.

Bottom line though is I would say 2 pumping sessions is for sure not enough. You'll need at least 3 pumping sessions plus maybe one more on your commute.
Silva
cantaloupe / 6017 posts

Apr 1, 2016

@JoyfulKiwi: yeah, i guess depending on when the baby wakes up/ how the mornings go I could leave a little earlier and get to the office to pump before I see clients. I need a little time to get settled before I see clients so I can't book it too closely.

@T.H.O.U.: how would this look to start?

leave house by 7:30, at work by 8:10, pump (if I can't leave earlier I could pump in the car as a back up plan)
9:00-10:00 client
10:00-11:00 client
11:00-12:00 pump
12:00-1:00 client
1:00-2:00 client
2:00-3:00 client
3:00-3:30 pump
3:30-4:30 client
4:30-5:30 client
5:30 leave work (home by 6:10 to nurse)

@LindsayInNY: baby isn't here yet, so I'm trying to predict so I can start to get a plan (I like plans :)). I think early on I will definitely need to get 3 pump sessions in.

Its hard because any time I"m not seeing clients I"m not getting paid. And the unfortunate nature of my work is that I have usually at least one no-show or cancellation a day. I'm trying to get better about enforcing my policy on that.
LindsayInNY
bananas / 9229 posts

Apr 1, 2016

@Silva: I like the schedule you mentioned to @T.H.O.U.:! (And I'm a planner too :))
T.H.O.U.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

Apr 1, 2016

@Silva: Ok, so for my normal 8-5 day, this is roughly what we did.

6:30- 7 baby wake up and nurse
7:15 leave house
7:45 Drop off at daycare at work by 8.
10 am - Pump #1 (baby probably took first bottle between 9-10).
Noon - Pump #2
3 pm - Pump #3
5pm - leave work,
5:30 home and nurse
6:30-7pm nurse before bed.
T.H.O.U.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

Apr 1, 2016

So yea I think that schedule would work.

So you would have these feedings:

7:00 Nurse
8:30 Pump #1 (may be a bit too soon for this first pumping but in the morning more frequent is better)
11:30 Pump #2
3:00 Pump #3
6:15 Nurse

I think that works because its about 3 hours between each.
JenGirl
clementine / 756 posts

Apr 1, 2016

If it would beneficial to you to have some evening hours, I don't think it's unreasonable. It's only one evening per week. I would even argue that it would be good to have your husband do bedtime at least 1 time per week so that baby is used to both of you. Also, my baby is 6 months and we put him to bed at 9 PM, so not all babies need an early bedtime.

That being said, I agree that you will probably need 3 pumps in the early days, though you could get by with 2 in a pinch. Here's my workday schedule:

5:30 AM - baby wakes, nurses, back to sleep
~7:30 AM - nurse
9:00 AM - get to work
10:00 AM - pump
1:00 PM - pump
4:00 PM - pump
5:00 PM - leave work and get baby
6:30 PM - nurse
9:00 PM - nurse
10:00 PM - pump just before bed
*This is what I go for, but probably 1-2 times per week I only get in two pumps. As long as it's not on a regular basis, it hasn't hurt my supply.

I have a great milk supply but it does take me a long time to pump. Like 30 minutes in the mornings but less in the afternoon (less milk then). Plus time to get to the pumping room, set things up, divvy up milk and clean parts. So I'd schedule at least 45 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon, or more if you want to play it safe.

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