Recently, an online acquaintance asked me about pumping breastmilk and returning to work. Following is my (edited) response, which is general advice for anyone returning to work who would like to provide breastmilk for her baby.
You are wise to think ahead, because there is really no "right" way to do this. Many factors contribute to the system that will work for you when you return to work, including the age of your baby when you go back, the length of your workday, how often you will be able to pump while at work, how often and for how long you will be working, your normal milk supply, how much solid food your baby eats while away from you, how well your baby takes a bottle, and your comfort level with supplementation. As far as whether you need to stockpile before-- that is totally up to you. Some women feel most comfortable with a large back-up supply in their freezer, especially those who might not get to pump as often as needed once they're at work. Some mother/baby pairs do quite well with very little back-up, and mom just pumps what baby needs for the next day. Every baby is different, but you should plan on leaving about 15-30 oz. of breastmilk, depending on the age of your baby, (plus solid foods if your baby eats solids) per nine-hour workday for the first few days. You will also need to leave an emergency supply to stay with the childcare of either breastmilk or formula. Your childcare provider will help you determine how much YOUR baby needs each day after she gets to know him.
How you collect the minimum amount of milk needed for your baby will depend on the factors I listed above, but no matter what, it will require scheduling pumping time every day for at least a few weeks before you go back to work. This amount of time not only allows for the collection of the milk, but for you and your breasts to become accustomed to letting down to the pump machine. During this time, you will also need to be "practicing" bottle feeding with your baby.
Just like so many aspects of parenting, a lot of this is trial and error. The best thing you can do is come up with an initial plan that feels comfortable for you and your childcare provider, and be prepared to adapt as needed!
I hope I have been of some help to you. If you want to talk more specifics, let me know. Also, Medela (www.medela.com) has a pretty good website with answers to FAQ's about breastmilk collection and storage. Medela is a very trustworthy company, and we refer to their materials in our classes. You can also check-out www.llli.org (La Leche League's website); if you look at their Answer Page under Resources you will find a lot of FAQ's about this very issue! Remember as you read the questions and answers, though, that many of the answers are written for specific questions that may not completely apply to you, so you need to be able to sift through the answers carefully.
Good luck! Although the first few days will be tough, I am certain you will be able to get through it and develop a schedule that works for you!
