Breastfeeding While

Working
Sheniyah McKoy
 Agenda
• Returning to Work
• Planning the Mother’s Return
• Breastfeeding Rights
• Ways to Pump Milk
• Hand Expression
• Breast Pump
• Storing Breastmilk
• Common Questions and Concerns
Returning to Work
Planning the Mother’s Return
• Hard transition for the mother
• Participants may feel nervous
• Come up with a plan to help continue
with milk expression

Ideal: Talking to the employer before they

go on maternity leave
or
Before you return back to work
 Planning the Meeting
Before the meeting, the mother would
want to:
1. Figure out who to talk to (e.g. HR
director, staff manager, direct supervisor)
2. Schedule a time to talk privately
• Ensures the staff member’s full attention to
the conversation
3. Plan ahead
• Anticipate questions and have the answers
• Write down thoughts ahead of time
4. Say thanks!
(1)
Main Talking Points
• Why you want to breastfeed:
• Healthy option for mother and baby
• Doctor recommends breastfeeding
• How breastfeeding benefits the employer:
• Employees tends miss work less often
• May lower health care costs
• What the mother needs are:
• Time to express milk at regular intervals
• Private space to pump (should not be a
bathroom)
• Access to clean, running water

(1)
Breastfeeding Rights
• Women have the right to pump at work
• Require certain employers to provide
breastfeeding moms time and space to pump
• This means:
• Providing a private, functional space that is
not a bathroom
• Reasonable break time to pump each time
you need to express milk while working
• Up to one year after baby’s birth
• If you already have breaks, you can use
that time to pump

(1)
Requirements for Lactation
Rooms
• Clean
• Shield from view of others
• At least one electrical outlet
• A surface to place a pump and other
personal items (e.g. small table)
• Near running water
• Can be locked from the inside
• Refrigerator to store milk (if not
possible, cooler with ice packs)

(2)
What if I am going back to
school?
• CUNY
• Look at the campus website or
human resources office
• No dedicated spaces: policy will
tell you whom to contact for a
space
• First-come, first-served basis
• May need to schedule ahead of
time
• DOE
• In the process of providing access
to lactation rooms
Overall
• Look on the school’s websites
for more information
• Work with professors ahead
of time
• May need a doctor’s note to
support your choice to
breastfeed
(3,4)
Ways to Pump Milk
 Hand Expression
• Using your hand to remove milk
from breast
• Great way to express milk if:
• Breast feels extra full
• Do not have access to electric breast
pump
• Takes practice, skill and
coordination
• Gets easier over time
(5)
 How it works
1. Place the thumb and first two fingers on the breast in a C-hold (avoid touching
areola)
2. Push straight into chest wall
3. Roll thumb forward as if making a thumbprint
4. Repeat

*Rotate the thumb and finger position to reach other terminal milk ducts*

(6)
Breast Pump
• Use a manual or electric machine
to remove milk from breast
• Three main parts:
• Flange: Goes over your nipple and
part of breast
• Pump: Creates gentle suction to
draw out milk
• Milk container: Catches the milk
you pump
• Use to store the milk
(5)
 How it works
1. Place the flange over the nipple and
breast
2. Nipple is gently pulled into the tunnel to
release milk
3. When suction starts, you should see milk
begin to flow in the collection container
4. When finished, store your milk safely
and clean your pump and parts as soon
as you can.
(5)
Remember... • Expressing milk takes time and
practice
• Different methods work for different
moms
• WIC breastfeeding staff can help
• Can take 15-20 minutes or longer to
pumping each breast
• Normal if you don’t produce as much
milk at first
• With practice, you will be able to make
more over time

(5)
Storing Breastmilk
 Storing Freshly Pumped Milk
Place Temperature How Long

Countertop or table Room temp. (77°F or colder) Up to 4 hours

Refrigerator 40°F or colder  Up to 4 days

Freezer with separate door 0°F or colder; Within 6 months is best, up

to 12 months in acceptable

Note: Store the milk in the back (7)

 Storing Thawed Milk
Place Temperature How Long

Countertop or table Room temp. (77°F or colder) 1-2 hours

Refrigerator 40°F or colder  Up to 24 hours

Note: Thawed breast milk cannot be re-frozen

(7)
Things to Know
• Store milk in clean glass or BPA-free
plastic bottles with tight lids
• Label the bottle with the date you
pump
• Freeze your milk in small batches,
enough for a single feeding
• Use the oldest milk first
• Never microwave your milk; place
sealed container into a bowl of
warm water
• Swirl the milk gently to mix
(7)
Common Questions or Concerns
What can I do during my pregnancy to prepare
for breastfeeding after returning to work?

• Take as many weeks off as you can

• Practice expressing milk by hand or breast pump
several days or weeks before
• Pump breastmilk while your baby is napping or
being looked after by others
• Talk to your family and childcare provider about
your desire to breastfeed for as long as possible
(12)
How can I find a breast pump?
• Private Insurance
• Every plan is different and has different rules
• Call your insurance provider
• Medicaid
• Reimbursable
• Meet the minimum specifications
• If unable to get through Medicaid or do not have insurance
• May be able to get or rent a pump through WIC

(8)
How often should I pump?
• Try pumping every 2-3 hours to maintain milk supply
• Example: in an 8-hour work day, she should:
• Nurse the child before coming to work
• Pump mid-morning
• Pump at lunchtime
• Pump mid afternoon
• Nurse the child when she returns home

(9)
My breast feels too full and hurt
during the day at work/school
• Emptying milk regularly to help prevent engorgement
• Helps remove some of the breast milk
• Express milk as often as you would feed your baby
• Avoid skipping sessions
• Talk to your employer about scheduling breaks to
pump

(10)
How do I use a bottle with a
breastfed baby?
• Hold the baby snugly and fairly upright
• Hold the bottle at an angle
• Switch sides
• Let someone else offer your milk from the bottle
• Give the baby time to adjust
• Try giving the baby one or two feedings a day from a bottle

Remember to continue to look for signs that the baby is full. Do

not force the baby to finish a bottle (11)
 References
1. Talk to Your Employer About Pumping at Work. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/talking-your-employer-about-pumping-work. Accessed February 2020.
2. Lactation Accommodations. NYC Human Rights. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/cchr/law/lactation.page. Accessed February 2020.
3. Lactation Guidelines. The City University of New York.
https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/policies-procedures/lactation-guidelines/. Published March 2015. Accessed February 2020.
4. Jorgensen J. DOE to Provide Lactation Rooms for Parenting Students. Spectrum News NY 1.
https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2020/01/30/breastfeeding-lactation-rooms-for-students-in-doe-schools. Published January 2020. Accessed
February 2020.
5. Learning to Pump and Hand Express Milk. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/learning-pump-and-hand-express-milk.
Accessed February 2020.
6. Manual Expression of Breast Milk: Marmet Technique. La Leche League International.
https://lllrochester.weebly.com/uploads/7/9/5/4/795404/marmet_technique_tearoff.pdf. Published October 2003. Accessed February 2020.
7. Storing and Thawing Breast Milk. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/storing-and-thawing-breast-milk. Accessed February
2020.
8. Finding a Breast Pump. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/finding-breast-pump. Accessed February 2020.
9. Pumping Milk. La Leche League International. https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/pumping-milk/. Accessed February 2020.
10. Engorgement. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/engorgement. Accessed February 2020.
11. Using Bottles with a Breastfed Baby. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/using-bottles-breastfed-baby. Accessed February
2020.
12. Breastfeeding and going back to work. Office on Women’s Health.
https://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-home-work-and-public/breastfeeding-and-going-back-work. Updated December 2018.
Accessed February 2020.