pumping at work: how do i keep my breast milk supply up?

you will probably realize that you do not pump the same amount at every feeding while at work, nor do you pump the same amount each day of the week. it is very common for working moms to pump the most at the first or morning pumping session than at the end of the day. similarly, it is common to have the most milk on monday and practically nothing left at 3:00 on friday. if this is happening to you, it's okay. pumping is not quite like nursing in that a pump can't get out quite as much as your baby can, nor can you get quite as "stimulated" for production as you can with your baby (unless your pump is extremely cute and snuggly).

what does this mean in practical terms?

1. TRY VERY HARD NOT TO MISS YOUR MORNING PUMPING SESSION. excuse yourself from the meeting. put your phone on "do not disturb." let your co-workers know that this is not negotiable. this is when you'll get the most milk, so dedicate yourself to it.

2. LEAVE SOME EXTRA TIME FOR PUMPING ON MONDAYS. after a weekend with your baby, your boobs will still be on their weekend production schedule once monday comes (especially monday morning). give yourself some extra time. there is nothing worse than needing to make a meeting in 5 minutes when you still have milk gushing out of you. give yourself 5 minutes extra or so. if you don't need it, great. but you'll be happy if you do.

3. WORK FROM HOME ON WEDNESDAYS. my midwife told me this one, and i think it's brilliant. i was able to do it with my first child. the idea is that your milk supply diminishes after a week of pumping all day, so if you interject the week with some "real" breastfeeding with your baby on wednesday, you can keep your supply up more easily. of course, this is not an option for everybody, but if there's any way you can even alternate wednesdays at home every other week, that's still great. or even just go in to the office at noon instead of 9:00 and nurse your baby with that morning milk. how i did it: i had my mother-in-law come to my house on wednesdays. she would take care of my daughter while i "telecommuted." when it was time to nurse, she'd bring me my daughter, i'd nurse her, then give her back. it was so tremendously helpful to be at home, to hear her, smell her, and nurse her on those wednesdays. and because my health provider suggested it, i had that support when i proposed it to my boss. (get yourself a good speakerphone with a mute button so you can listen to conference calls while you nurse!)

4. THE OBVIOUS THINGS. load up on water, not coffee or diet coke. the water will definitely help your supply. bring "mothers milk tea" or "fenugreek" pills to work and keep them in your desk. have lots of pictures of your baby around. relax.....learn to ignore your emails, blackberry, phone, etc. if you are worried about a project or deadline, your milk will have a hard time letting down, and you won't get as much out. (release the tension, release the flow)