How to start saving breast milk for work
- contact066742
- Mar 14
- 4 min read
Almost every parent asks me about pumping, especially if they are going back to work. One study illustrated the prevalence of pumping in our culture. “Eighty-five percent of breastfeeding mothers of infants in the youngest age group had successfully expressed milk at some time since their infant was born.” (Labiner-Wolfe J. et al., 2008). The youngest age group in this study was 1.5 to 4.5 months old. There are many reasons to pump. Today, I will talk about saving milk for your back-to-work plans.
When to start:
It is ideal if you can wait until your baby is about 6 weeks old before you start Regular pumping. Your milk supply is going through a critical period of building and calibration. Most of the time, your baby is nursing effectively and telling your body how much milk to make. Excessive pumping early on can lead to an oversupply, leading to pain for you and difficulty nursing and discomfort for your baby. On the flip side, if you replace 2 or more feeding sessions daily with pumping instead, you may have a lower milk supply. This is because, yup, you guessed it, babies are usually better at getting milk out of your breast than your pump. The more milk that is removed effectively, the more supply you will have.
Occasional pumping is ok! Regular pumping guided by an IBCLC can work as well. Tailoring a plan that works for you, your body, and your family is important. Mental health and sleep are intertwined and paramount for new parents. Reach out to me if you need a targeted pumping plan to account for your situation at any stage in lactation and breastfeeding.
Planning is key in helping you prepare for “back to work”. If you are nursing your baby 8-12 times every twenty-four hours, you can start to pump one to two times each day to build your milk stash to go in the freezer. You will need to start this about three weeks before your return to work. If you wait until the last minute, you will need to pump more than twice a day, and this will drive you into an oversupply. We know that’s not a good situation. If your baby is nursing on only one breast per feeding and gaining weight appropriately, you can alternatively pump at the same time as you are nursing on that other breast. This will take advantage of the letdown and connection you have with your baby.
When to pump:
Most parents will notice that they make more milk in the early morning and nighttime. Prolactin is one of the key milk making hormones. According to Mohrbacher (2010) “Milk prolactin levels also vary by the time of day, with the highest levels usually occurring between 2 am-6 am. (Cregan, De Mello, Kershaw, McDougall, & Hartmann, 2002)”. Parents will feel more milk for several hours after this period in the morning. You can take advantage of this and schedule your two extra pumping times in the morning hours.
If you wait 30-60 minutes after nursing your baby to pump, you will likely express more milk. You can aim to pump in between nursing sessions. You may worry about taking milk away from your baby for the next nursing session. In most cases, this is not a concern. Your breast is never empty! “Effective milk removal averages 67% for the breastfeeding infant and 62%–65% for a high-quality electric breast pump”. (Krebs, et al., 2023). This means there is still milk left over, and your breast is triggered to refill while you are nursing or pumping.
If you notice that your baby is fussy at the breast at the sessions following pumping, please reach out to me for a consultation.
How much do you need?
Ok, so now what? Throw that milk in the freezer and label it. Your baby will need at least an ounce of milk for every hour that you are at work. They may eat more than this. You will have a more accurate idea of how much milk to leave for the caregivers after starting some bottles. A general range of intake for babies is 24-32 oz every 24 hours. This varies depending on age, weight, and metabolism.
It’s a smart idea to leave an extra bottle with the caregiver. Things can happen; the bottle may get spilled, your baby may be hungrier than expected, you may get delayed getting home from work, etc.
Will my baby take a bottle?
It is also a good idea to have practice sessions with a bottle with your baby around 6-8 weeks old every day. (These can be 1 oz feedings if you like.) If you are returning to work sooner, then you can start at 4 weeks. This can help reduce the likelihood that your baby will have difficulty transitioning to the bottle. Explaining this and reviewing bottle feeding is a Whole other Blog Post. Stay tuned for that next! And yes, Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) help with bottle-feeding skills. We are infant feeding specialists.
Happy Pumping!
You can find a link to safe milk storage below: https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/preparation-of-breast-milk_h.pdf
For additional tips on pumping, see my Blog Posts:
Still have questions? Book a consultation and receive the individualized care that you deserve: https://www.lactationconsultantathome.com/book-online
Happy Pumping!
References
Krebs NF, Belfort MB, Meier PP, Mennella JA, O'Connor DL, Taylor SN, Raiten DJ. Infant factors that impact the ecology of human milk secretion and composition-a report from "Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition (BEGIN)" Working Group 3. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023 Apr;117 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S43-S60. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.01.021. PMID: 37173060; PMCID: PMC10356564.
Labiner-Wolfe J, Fein SB, Shealy KR, Wang C. Prevalence of breast milk expression and associated factors. Pediatrics. 2008 Oct;122 Suppl 2:S63-8. doi: 10.1542/peds.2008-1315h. PMID: 18829833.
Mohrbacher, N. (2010) Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple, A Guide For Helping Mothers. Hale Publishing, L.P.
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