Back to work and pumping (teacher)

[vivela]

Hi ladies. I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for when your pumping schedule during the day will be somewhat random. Sorry for the novel, just don't want to leave out anything helpful

I plan to try feeding from one side and pumping from the other once before work and once after, if I can get anything in the afternoon. I'll be away from LO for 8 hours a day. 

During the workday, aside from lunch, my schedule is different every day. Some days I have zero planning periods, other days I have two (right next to each other). I get 30 minutes for lunch, so eating and pumping would be difficult, but manageable.
Would it be a bad idea to pump at different times of day? Lunch is at 10:50, some days I have a free period at 10, other days it isn't until 1:50. Would it be better for supply to just always pump at lunch to keep a routine? I really like eating lunch with my coworkers. It is good to decompress and have adult time. 

I'm committing to six weeks of pumping to bring LO up to six months. I figure six weeks is enough time to either get used to a routine and keep it up, or accept that it is not working and move on to weaning. I'd love to get to a year at least (June) as I like breastfeeding for the convenience and closeness. 

Probably relevant, my insurance only covered a manual Harmony Medela pump, which has worked fine for me so far as I've been pumping once a day to build a stash. I can usually get 5 ounces fairly easily in the morning. We could afford and electric, but it would be a lot of money for us. I guess I'd be willing to splurge if necessary since we do intend to have more kids. 

Appreciate any thoughts! 

[melody330]

IMO a double electric pump is necessary for pumping at work for an extended time. Manuals are good for home and if you need to pump quickly at a random time.
Also, you should pump both sides while away from baby even if you only feed one side. Pumping is never as efficient as baby.

I am also a teacher and the best thing you can have is open communication with your building administration. Make sure you have a set place to pump so you aren't walking around trying to find somewhere.

If you need coverage to pump, make sure your admin knows well ahead of when you go back to work. Put it all in writing (an email).

Pumping at different times might work for you. My schedule was different every day too. Sometimes I pumped at 9:45, sometimes at 10:20. I never saw too big a difference.

[manybellsdown]

I would also recommend a double electric. With a hands-free pumping bra, I eat and pump at lunch in the same 15 minutes. And I love my manual pump for at home, but it just wouldn't get the job done at work. And if you hook yourself up to one side then, you might as well do the other. Doing both is better for my supply, even if LO generally eats one side only during the night.

Maybe for those days where your free period falls right before lunch, you could pump at the end of the free period and have the option of lunch with your coworkers. Then at least you'd get a few days of adult conversation in, if not every day.

[emmyg65]

If you're going to pump at work, you really need a double electric. A manual pump isn't strong enough to keep your supply up. Plus, it takes forever and your hand will get mighty strong!

It is generally more effective for supply to pump at roughly the same time every day. You want to pump every ~3 hours while you're away from baby.

It sounds like you're not really hardcore about pumping, so you can just do what's easiest (manual pump, random times), and see how your supply holds up. But if you feel strongly about continuing to breastfeed, best to follow the above.

[vivela]

Sounds like I need to bite the bullet and get a double electric. Looking online, the price isn't quite as bad as I remembered.
It looks like I'll only be able to pump once at work except for maybe once a week, which will put me at more like 4-5 hours between feeding/pumping. They've redone the schedule this year and it is very inflexible compared to previous years. That said, I won't really know until I am living it, so maybe it's not as bad as it looks.
Thanks for the feedback!

[emmyg65]

I hear great things about the Spectra 2 pump, which I think is less expensive than the Medela.

Good luck!

[manybellsdown]

Oct 4, 2016 16:02:10 GMT -5 emmyg65 said:

I hear great things about the Spectra 2 pump, which I think is less expensive than the Medela.

Good luck!

Ditto this. I've heard such good things it makes me want to buy one, despite the freeness of my insurance pump.

[Ray]

Oct 4, 2016 14:06:39 GMT -5 vivela said:

Sounds like I need to bite the bullet and get a double electric. Looking online, the price isn't quite as bad as I remembered.
It looks like I'll only be able to pump once at work except for maybe once a week, which will put me at more like 4-5 hours between feeding/pumping. They've redone the schedule this year and it is very inflexible compared to previous years. That said, I won't really know until I am living it, so maybe it's not as bad as it looks.
Thanks for the feedback!

Know too that you have a right to pump and they have to accommodate you, even if it means having someone cover your classes for a bit.

I'm also a teacher struggling with admin to sort out accommodations for when I go back in a month.

Good luck!