Q: How do I talk to my employer about a place to pump? What are my rights? What can I do if my coworkers or supervisor give me a hard time about pumping? Breastfeed Chicago and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois teamed up to bring you a very informative webinar to walk you through the laws that protect your right to pump at … Continue reading Pumping at Work: Talking to Your Employer & Knowing Your Rights
Q: My job requires me to travel for business. Can I bring my breast pump and pumped milk with me through airport security? Air travel within the United States is regulated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which allows breast milk and breast pumps to travel through domestic airport security. We recommend printing out the TSA procedures for traveling with children and policy on breast … Continue reading Traveling for Business and Pumping? What You Need to Know
Q: I’ve been back to work for a while now, and my baby is over a year old. Can I stop pumping at work? If so, how do I do it without getting clogged ducts or mastitis? Heather McMackin, one of the wonderful moderators of the Breastfeed Chicago Facebook parent support group, wrote a helpful blog entry about how ditch the pump at work! She … Continue reading Can I Stop Pumping When My Baby Turns One?
Q: My pumped milk has a soapy or metallic taste to it. Is this high lipase? What can I do about it? All stored milk will smell differently than fresh milk. If your defrosted milk has a metallic or soapy taste or smell, then it probably has higher levels of lipase. This just means that your expressed milk has a high level of this enzyme. … Continue reading Soapy or Metallic Breastmilk: What to Do About High Lipase
Q: Help! I forgot my breast pump and/or pump parts at home! What do I do? It’s a pumping mom’s nightmare. You’ve left your pump or bottles at home and can’t get out of work to run back. Or you headed to a “short” offsite meeting with a colleague that went overtime and left your pump back at your desk. Now you’re bursting at the … Continue reading What to Do if You Forgot Your Breast Pump or Parts and Need to Pump
Q: I hate pumping! What can I do to find the motivation to keep going? We get it–pumping isn’t fun! Sometimes it helps to set up comforting and positive routines in your workday to encourage yourself to pump. Here are some ideas we’ve heard from other breastfeeding parents that helped them to push through pumping difficulties to reach their working and pumping goals: Set an … Continue reading 7 Ways to Keep Up Your Pumping Motivation
Q: My baby seems to be waking more at night since I’ve gone back to work! Why is that? We have three theories about why your baby might experience an increase in nighttime wakefulness right as you go back to work. First, many breastfeeding parents go back to work close to the three to four month mark. This stage is a big developmental growth period … Continue reading Help! My Baby’s Waking More at Night Now That I’m Back at Work
Q: Help! I don’t think I’m pumping enough! How do I pump more milk? Read over our answer to question five to be sure you’re not dealing with a caregiver overfeeding issue first! If your caregiver is paced feeding, and your baby is drinking 1 to 1.5 ounces per hour away from you, but you’re pumping output isn’t keeping up with baby, remember that you’re not … Continue reading Worried You’re Not Pumping Enough for Your Baby? Try These Tips.
Q: Do I have to wash my pump parts every time I use them at work? If you have the time and space to do so, absolutely wash pump parts between uses. If you don’t have the ability to wash pump parts while at work, it’s worth investing in a second set of flanges. Bring both sets to work and wash them when you get … Continue reading Do I have to wash my pump parts every time I use them at work?
Q: Where do I store my milk while I am at work? The answer to this question will vary depending on the conversation you had about pumping accommodations with your employer (see question 2). Your employer may offer a communal refrigerator or a mini-fridge to store your milk in. If no fridge is available, a cooler or soft-sided storage device with ice packs can keep … Continue reading How to Store Pumped Breast Milk at Work
