managing logistics of expressing at work

[kipperroo]

Am returning to work in a weeks time and will be expressing milk for DD. Hours will be 9-5, with 1.5 hour commute each way on public transport. DD is fed every 3 hours approx so think I should be expressing every 3 hours to keep supply going - is this right? Also how have other mums netters managed colleagues expectations, meetings, scheduling etc? I have put regular slots in my diary marked as 'private' meetings (we share calendars) is this acceptable? Also (finally) - what kit would people recommend I take?
Sorry for theft long post but need some advice. Thanks.

how old is your DD?

i don't express at work but did during KIT days when DS2 aged between 10 weeks and 5 monhts. just had cool bag, small avent hand pump, some ice packs and a 9oz avent bottle plus cap. as it was only odd day here and there just pumped at work once a day at lunchtime, also pumped as much as i could before i left the house after morning feed. I thought that as i always managed to pump the same no of oz as DS2 had eaten supply wouldn't be compromised. took around 40 mins.

i pumped 3oz in the morning and 9oz at 1pm. he drank 3 x 4oz bottles at 10am,1pm and 4pm, even on the week i worked 3 days didn't notice any difference in supply. you might find 4 hourly is ok at work.

DD will be 20 weeks when I go back.

I would have thought that 4 hourly would be ok although you can experiment to see whether you get more oz with 3 hourly.

BTW my collegues were embarassed about it when i mentioned it.

I only expressed twice a day when I went back to work but always at the same time so everyone knew when to expect me to be gone. I used the first aid room and took my pump, lansinoh bags for the milk and a bottle cooler to put the bags into so it wasn't too obvious what was in there when it was in the fridge and to keep it cool on the way home.

I expressed 3 times a day at work when that was how many ebm feeds ds wanted.

If other people schedule things for you, the putting it in your calendar is great. I just wandered off to the first aid room with my rucksac that had pump, bottles and my book in.

I had a Lactaline pump (travelled round the world with me), and a black microfibre sponge bag so that when the milk was in the canteen fridge it was concealed. I took it home in my lunch coolbag

I expressed for a year working ft, and travelled for work, so it can work ! ds fed until 23 months

I don't want to put you off but it is absolutely exhausting and very stressful if you have a stressful job. I went back to work at 20 weeks with my first and expressed 2-3 times a day ( every 3 hours was impossible) and I didnt have enough milk so my ds got a bottle of half formula half EBM. I used an electric dual pump ( ameda lactaline i think) and lots of bags in the fridge.

I did not express at work for my second ( I had 6 mths off and she had formula during day and I bf when home)

I am now on my third and have not expressed once! I think it's the type of job that's important.

I know employers are supposed to be BF friendly but at the end of the day - you are there to fulfil the obligations of your job as well.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do, but I would say try to look after yourself too as I feel I didn't x

The more you can set boundaries and expectations and communicate well with colleagues about expressing breaks the better. I found it v hard to protect a specific time, and that was just once a day . I suspect I should have felt less embarrassed and simply stated my needs more, but easier said than done when not feeling v onfidant in a new job you're doing part time. It would have been easier had the room been closer to my desk, but just walking to and from it took about 10 mins!

I kept a cold steriliser in the first aid room at work so that my kit was ready to go the second I needed it. I would second the suggestion of a double pump -it's just faster. Between expressing sessions some mums keep the kit in a sealed bag in a fridge without re-sterilising.

If you're expressing in a shared room like a first aid room, be aware it might sometimes be in use when you want to use it.

Do not, I repeat do not keep your pump in a locked drawer and then leave the key at home. Emergency hand expressing = not fun!

I kept my pump at work to save lugging it. Milk stored in work fridge during the day and then transported home in a polystyrene-lined tube with thin bendy frozen cool packs tucked inside.

Thanks for all the advice. Think I'm going to see how I get on in the first few weeks then adjust times/frequency of expressing. Am lucky that work have given me access to a lockable office to express in and space in a communal fridge. Think its better to be open about being a nursing mother - although will shout about it obviously as male (and I guess some female colleagues) may find it embarrassing.

Oops meant to say will NOT shout about it LOL!