Are you returning to work, or planning for times when you will be separated from your baby? There are so many ways to handle working and breastfeeding. We thought you might be interested in some information gleaned from mothers who have returned to work in their baby's first year. These are just a few excerpts from the "Returning to Work" section of Essential Breastfeeding Guide. You can download our free Guide for more information on talking to your employer, buying a breast pump, and expressing your milk, and there are lots of helpful hints even if you aren't returning to work.

Breastfeeding & Working? It’s Worth it
Combining employment and breastfeeding requires some preparation and commitment, but working mothers say it's worth it: They say breastfeeding is simpler than bottle-feeding. Their babies are sick less often. They maintain a unique, irreplaceable bond with their babies, even when they must be away. And they find that the flood of relaxation that accompanies breastfeeding counteracts stress. For many working mothers, breastfeeding is the string that ties the two halves of their life together. It is normal to feel a mix of anticipation and apprehension at the prospect of returning to work. It might ease your anxiety to reaffirm your priorities. Reconsider your reasons for returning to work. Confirm your resolve to breastfeed your child.

Making your work situation work for you and your baby
Weigh your baby's needs versus your employer's expectations. Think creatively. How can you shape your job to satisfy you, your baby, and your family? How can you frame your work hours around breastfeeding sessions? Consider whether the following strategies might work for you:

Work a part-time or flexible schedule, especially at the beginning. Fran, who waits tables in a restaurant, works evenings, her most lucrative shift and a time when her husband is available to look after their baby.

Arrange a job-sharing situation. Marie, a registered nurse, shares her job in a clinic with two other part-time nurses.

Extend your maternity leave. Robin, a hairstylist, negotiated for six extra weeks of unpaid leave to delay her return to work.

Work at home part of each day or week. Jean, a college student, reads and researches at home while her baby naps.

Take milk-expression and nursing breaks during your workday. Stephanie, a marketing director, pumps her breasts at mid-morning, breastfeeds her son at work at noon, and takes a second pumping break in the afternoon.

Leave work during your shift so you can feed your baby. Jody, an accountant, returns home at noon to breastfeed her son.

If your job involves travel, request assignment to your "home" site for as long as possible. Stacy, a management consultant, worked out of corporate headquarters for the six months following her daughter's birth.

Apply your skills to a home-based business. Elaine launched a catering business that taps into her entrepreneurial talents and lets her set a flexible schedule.

Bring your baby to work with you. Trish, co-owner of a café, tends to her son between customers.

Approach your employer
Try to be forthright with your manager. The actions and attitudes of women like you drive changes in worksite support of breastfeeding. An employer who is convinced of the importance of breastfeeding is likely to make the arrangements necessary to encourage it. Before your baby is born, educate your manager. She needs to know that your baby won't interfere with your work. Bring notes to consult from as you make your case. Show her the Returning to Work section of our Essential Breastfeeding Guide. Describe the benefits of breastfeeding. Because breastfed babies are healthier, you will be less apt to miss work. Assure her that by committing to your baby in this way, you'll have more peace of mind to commit to work. Explain that your need for frequent contact with your baby will not continue forever. In six months or a year, after your baby begins to take other foods, he will be more independent of you.

Ask for a suitable place at your worksite where you can breastfeed your baby or express your milk. Request some flexibility in taking breaks. Expressing should take no more than an hour a day, about the equivalent of a lunch break. After you return to work, give your employers feedback. Bring your baby to work so they can see how she is thriving. Tell them how pleased you are with their flexibility and support. If your employer balks at your requests, ask your physician to furnish the current pediatric recommendations on breastfeeding.

Every nursing mother feels at times as though she is falling apart. This sensation may be especially worrisome for "career women" who are accustomed to a sense of control. What can you do? Try to keep an open mind and a sense of humor. Ask your friends for support and diversion. Simplify your life at home. Lower your housekeeping standards. Ask for help with meals and cleaning. Eat healthy foods. Drink plenty of fluids, limiting your caffeine intake. And take every opportunity to breastfeed and cuddle with your baby.

Maintaining Your Milk Supply
Frequency is the key. Nurse unrestrictedly throughout your evenings, nights, weekends, and days off. As long as you continue breastfeeding, even part time, you will produce milk, although your supply might diminish if you do not express for missed feedings. Remember that milk production is based on supply and demand. If you and your baby spend time apart during the day, it is common for your baby to want to breastfeed more when you are together, to compensate. Expect an upswing in the frequency of nursings.

Returning to work
Choose the expression method that best meets your needs. If you purchase a pump, practice assembling and cleaning it. In time, you will become accustomed to the sensation of holding a plastic flange against your breast. If you opt for hand-expression of your milk, learn the technique well in advance of your return to work. Begin expressing and freezing milk about two weeks prior to resuming your work routine. The assurance you gain will make it easier for you to continue after you return to work. Try breastfeeding and expressing milk in various locations.

Delay introducing a bottle until your baby has become expert at nursing and your milk supply is well established - at least four, preferably six weeks. About two weeks before you return to work, have your baby's caregiver offer your baby a bottle. Many babies will refuse a bottle if their mother is nearby. Infants older than three months who resist the notion of drinking from a bottle might accept milk from a cup or a spoon.

Where will you express?
Look for a place where you can relax and be comfortable. It should be quiet, private, and clean, with a comfortable chair, a countertop, and an electrical outlet. You might be able to use a private office, a conference room, or a storeroom. Ask your building manager or human resources staff for suggestions. Your employer might offer to set up a lactation room. You should not be forced to pump in a bathroom stall - an unsanitary and unsatisfactory site.

Letting your milk flow
Your body is accustomed to releasing milk in response to the feeling of your baby's soft skin and his mouth on your breast. These cues are usually missing when you pump your milk. Training your body to let down your milk in the absence of your baby involves both psychology and physiology. If you have trouble, try some of the following hints:
* Minimize distractions. Take the phone off the hook and lock the door, if possible.
* Look at a picture of your baby.
* Make a phone call to check on your baby.
* Listen to soothing music or a tape of your baby's sounds.
* Use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing.
* Bring along one of your baby's blankets or a piece of his clothing (with his smell).
* Prior to expressing, massage your breasts as you would for a breast exam.

Your Monthly Breastfeeding Planner
You’re currently reading breastfeeding information we’ve geared specifically to new nursing moms whose baby is about three months old. Our website offers insight and information on other stages of pregnancy and birth, to help guide you through the details of selecting your nursing wardrobe, planning for those first days in the hospital and home, breastfeeding in public, returning to work, and more. Browse your current stage, look back or ahead, and refer to this section often as your nursing experience progresses:

It's Time to Shop for Maternity & Nursing Bras (6th month of pregnancy)
Essential Information for New Nursing Moms (7th month of pregnancy)
Pack Your Bag For Baby’s Birth! (baby due in less than 2 months)
Building The Perfect Nursing Wardrobe (baby due in 1 month or less)
Essential Information To Get Breastfeeding Started (baby due now)
Nursing On The Go (baby 1 month old)
Breastfeed Your Baby – Anytime, Anywhere (baby 2 months old)
10 Reasons to Keep Nursing your Baby (baby 4+ months old)