With some advance planning, you can continue to breast-feed after you return to work. - To get breast-feeding well established, take as much maternity leave as you can and breast-feed exclusively for the first three to four weeks.
- Once your baby is nursing well and your milk supply is well established (about three to four weeks), introduce a bottle. An occasional bottle prepares your baby to feed from a bottle while you are at work and should not interfere with breast-feeding. Keep in mind that many breast-fed babies initially refuse to take a bottle from their mother; another caregiver may have to offer the bottle.
- Purchase or rent a high-quality electric breast pump. Start using it one or two weeks before your plan to return to work to become comfortable with the process and build up extra milk supply.
- After pumping, store milk in the refrigerator or cooler. Use refrigerated milk within 24 hours if possible; discard milk if refrigerated more than 72 hours. Freeze milk that you will not be using within 24 hours, in 2 to 4 ounce portions. Frozen milk is good for up to three months; label each container with the date frozen. Thaw milk in the refrigerator or under warm water, never by boiling or in the microwave. Do not re-freeze milk or put milk that has been warmed back in the refrigerator to use again later.
- Breast-feed before you leave for work and as soon as you can after your return. Breast-feed your baby during the day if your child-care provider is near your workplace. Otherwise pump breast milk for your baby to drink later.
- Adjust your work schedule if possible to minimize feeding times away from your baby. Work part-time, job share, or work at home part of each day or week, if possible.
Last updated March 11, 2008
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