[Breastfeeding] Working while Breastfeeding

Going back to work while breastfeeding can be a tricky situation. When should you start preparing and what do you do? What can help maintain your milk production? Will your baby start waking up more at night? What do you need to know about your pump? What about if things start going south? I talk to Nancy Mohrbacher to find out.

What we talked about:

• Preparing while pregnant and after baby arrives
• How much should you have in your stash?
• Afraid that baby won’t take the bottle?
• Is nipple confusion really a thing?
• What you need to know about your pump
• How much should you expect to pump?
• Pumping techniques to support breastfeeding
• Tips for your child’s other caregivers to support your breastfeeding relationship
• Is there a better time to go back to work?
• Maintaining your milk supply
• The trick of hands on pumping

Links to Nancy’s fabulous posts:

• How Much Milk Should You Expect to Pump?
• To Pump More Milk Use Hands-on Pumping
• Ouch! What If Pumping Hurts?
• The Magic Number and Long-Term Milk Production
• For the Caregiver of a Breastfed Baby
• Facts Every Employed Mother Needs to Know

Related resources*:

• Nancy’s YouTube channel
• Best for Babes website
• ILCA’s lactation consultant finder by zip code
• Kelly Mom website
• The Badass Breastfeeder
• Nancy’s Breastfeeding Solutions app

Courtesy of Nancy Mohrbacher

About Nancy Mohrbacher

Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA lives in the Chicago area. She began helping breastfeeding families as a volunteer in 1982 and became board-certified as a lactation consultant in 1991. For 10 years she founded and ran a large private lactation practice. She also worked for a major breast-pump company and a national corporate lactation program.

Nancy is author of Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple and its pocket guide edition, which are used by breastfeeding specialists worldwide. She co-authored with Kathleen Kendall-Tackett the book for parents, Breastfeeding Made Simple.  Her 2013 tiny troubleshooting guide for mothers, Breastfeeding Solutions, is now available as the ground-breaking Breastfeeding Solutions app for Android and iPhones. Her book, Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple, debuted in 2014. In 2015, she released her tablet-based prenatal preparation program, Natural Breastfeeding: For an Easier Start, which she developed with OB Dr. Theresa Nesbitt. Nancy speaks at events around the world.

In 2008 the International Lactation Consultant Association officially recognized Nancy’s contributions to the field of breastfeeding by awarding her the designation FILCA, Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association.  Nancy was one of the first group of 16 to be recognized for their lifetime achievements in breastfeeding.

You can find out more about Nancy at nancymohrbacher.com, follow her on Facebook, or check out her YouTube channel.