Plan Ahead for Returning to Work

Before returning to work, develop a plan for breastfeeding and working, practice pumping, build stores of milk, and introduce a bottle to the baby. Just as infants learn to latch to the nipple, they will learn to latch to a bottle. The key to working and breastfeeding is to express breastmilk often enought to maintain the milk supply (about as often as the baby would breastfeed). Breastmilk can be expressed by the baby or a pump. If you cannot arrange for the baby to breastfeed during the workday, use a pump to express breastmilk. After pumping, breastmilk can be stored for the baby to drink at a later time. During the work day, the baby can drink breastmilk that has been previously expressed.