Really Pants

Breastfeeding at Work- It can be done!

As an expectant first time mum, breastfeeding was always something I wanted to ‘try’. But was adamant during my pregnancy it would only be something I would do if it was right for me and right for my baby.But once I laid eyes on my tiny little newborn, something inside me changed. I was absolutely desperate to breastfeed him and give him the best start in life. We struggled in the first few weeks – but soon we were both naturals! Read on….

I knew I had to go back to work after 7 months and as a junior doctor working in surgery in a busy hospital, I didn’t think that breastfeeding would work alongside my job. A crazy unpredictable work schedule, unplanned emergencies, oncall shifts, long days, evenings, weekends and even nights – it all didn’t seem to add up to a recipe for continuing breastfeeding.
As the time got nearer and nearer to returning to work, I dreaded it. Leaving my new baby for the first time – but also the end of my breastfeeding fulltime – or so I thought! A close friend convinced me to at least ask how I could fit it in with work – if only to give my little boy breastmilk for longer and because it was something I really enjoyed.

Once I plucked up the courage to ask…WOW! Such a brilliant response! The hospital arranged a private room for me and made arrangements for my out-of-hours, weekends and night shifts too!

You should have seen me on that 1st day! I tried the subtlest bag I could to hide my pump, sterilising tablets and storage bottles. By lunchtime I was fit to burst, having not fed since 7am! I was glad I bought those extra breast pads and bought stretchy tops to wear as my bust expanded!!

Only 2 members of staff knew about my need to express – so I quietly went into one of the clinical rooms and quietly put the milk hidden in the back of the staff fridge when no-one was looking. As the days and weeks went by – the subtlety’s disappeared, alongside my anxieties about what people might think. The plain bag – soon became much bolder either my ‘Tots Bots’ or my ‘NHS Breastfeeding Network’ cotton bag and everyone soon knew what I was doing and saw it as the norm for me to disappear for 20 minutes every lunchtime. My milk was kept in bottles inside a plastic box with very clear labels on it… ‘Baby’s milk, do not open’.

Only once did someone ask why I stored ready-made up formula in the fridge when baby wasn’t around. I didn’t even have to answer, before the penny-dropped and there was a quiet ‘oh!’ They felt more stupid than anything else, and it just became a running joke!

I never got a harsh word – maybe the odd funny look if they didn’t realise why I disappeared every lunchtime, or what was inside the ‘extra work bag’!

So the breastfeeding continued… and continued!

My body adjusted to the change in supply & demand – and I kept up with it. My son was 14 months when he decided to move on from breastfeeding. Not bad considering my initial ‘target’ had been 6 months. One thing I really got from it all was by expressing at work and maintaining my supply – he was still able to feed from me when at home. So we had that special Mum-and-Baby bonding time together when I got home, which really helped us reconnect after a day apart.

I’ve proved to myself that you don’t get any support unless you ask for it – and often you’ll be amazed at the response you get in return. If breastfeeding and expressing at work can work in job – I’m sure it can work for other mums too. One thing it did open up for me was the opportunity to share my experiences of breastfeeding with other mums I worked with. Some themselves and had daughters who hadn’t continued breastfeeding because they were frightened of what response they would get at work when they returned. My advice… just ask! You might be surprised by the response… I was!

If me expressing at work, helped pass on the message that actually it can be done even with such a hectic and chaotic job like mine – and one other mum continues breastfeed as long as she and her baby want to –rather than stopping because she feels she has too, then that brings a smile to my face!

By Jennifer Fothergill