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Juggling full-time work and breastfeeding

I haven’t blogged in a while because it has been hectic juggling full-time work and an infant. But now that I have a little pocket of free time, I thought I’d share my experience about keeping up with breastfeeding while working.


I am quite determined to continue breastfeeding because of the many benefits breast milk. Minimally, I aim for 6 months of breastfeeding, with a stretch goal of 1 year. Thankfully, my workplace has a few nursing rooms that allows me to pump comfortably. 


My pumping schedule

Unfortunately, work can get quite busy for me and I only am able to pump once while at work. Here is my nursing / pump schedule for an average work day- 


12am- pump at home (~150ml)

4am- nurse (if baby wakes)

7am- pump at home (~200 ml)

11.30am- pump at work (~200 ml)

6pm- pump at home (~200 ml)

8pm- nurse (part of our baby’s bedtime routine)


The toughest portions of the day is when I don’t get to pump for a long stretch between 11.30am-6pm. Engorgement did set in for me a number of times!


Decreasing breast milk supply

While it used to take me 3-4h before I really feel that my breasts were full, that time interval has stretched to 4-6h since I returned to work. Though my supply has dipped, it is still usually sufficient to meet bub’s milk needs for a day. However, my ability to build up a freezer stash has decreased.


While I still am able, I let bub latch before bed time and if she wakes in the middle of the night, as I feel that it helps me maintain my breast milk supply. Furthermore, despite my exhaustion at the end of a work day, nursing bub is a way for me to keep that maternal bond with her. I do feel quite blessed that she still likes my boob and seeks it out at times (it’s the thing that still comforts her best).


Closing thoughts

I do think that it is possible to keep up with breastfeeding while working full-time, though it really requires commitment on one’s part. It is also fair to expect that one’s breast milk supply will probably drop. A supportive workplace would be ideal, but I know this can be challenging for many mummies!


In a separate post, I will share more about the breast pump I use at work!

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