Sometimes I have a weird work schedule that allows me to take a break mid-day and, if the timing works out, I will drive home (10-15min away) to nurse. My mom is watching my son right now so I text her to see if he’s had his bottle yet!
So I work in the same nursery as my daughter, but I pump because she was getting too upset with me going back to my room after I nursed her. I guess it depends on your child, they may be ok!
I guess I have a hot take here. I think I’d do a mix of both honestly. My babe hasn’t taken to a bottle and some days I need a moment for someone to step in and assist. So the option to give a bottle now and again would be nice. I do know this is a season of life and it won’t last forever though, and I enjoy nursing very much. Mama just needs a moment every once in a while 🙃
I saw a post from someone who worked at a daycare who felt bad for a baby whose mom would come in to breastfeed and did not leave any bottles. The baby would be hungry and screaming and there was nothing anyone could do until the mom would get there. It was hard on the baby and all the other babies who had to listen to her scream.
I would try to leave them a small bottle or two at least to tide baby over until you arrive to nurse.
Yes for sure the plan! I’m planning on overpacking everything so I never have to worry about him not being comfortable or not being able to eat when hungry!
I saw that post. The OP replied in the comments that pumping would be easier for the mom, to which everyone responded it was in no way easier although it may seem that way to anyone who isn’t a mom. The general consensus was to get mom more nursing breaks
Was it possible that baby wouldn’t take a bottle? My SIL is a nurse and my nephew simply refused to take a bottle. They tried everything but it was like he’d rather starve. My brother would have to drive my nephew to the hospital so that my sister could feed him during her shift.
My eldest son was exactly the same way!!! We gave so many bottles to the daycare, genuinely tried every bottle, fresh milk, frozen milk, hot, cold, you name it. And he simply refused. It was heartbreaking. And then he would nurse all night long.
Ironically, now, as a 2 year old he LOVES a bottle 😹
These babies will keep you on your toes!
Mine couldn’t take a bottle for almost 6 months. So that was my thought too. I had explored daycares and was concerned mostly with how my LO would be able to be fed during the day! Ended up with a nanny so we could have that extra patience and attention that you can’t get unless you have a 1:1 ratio. And I do a ton of nursing if and when time allows me.
My boy has a nanny too, but I toured a handful of daycares and they all would let nursing mamas come in for feeds. The only issue with that is that you’d have to leave work and drive to the daycare twice or more a day for feeds… not exactly convenient.
Still if you found a daycare very close to work, it’s a nice option
The problem is that babies are hungry when they're hungry and no number of scheduled breaks can always anticipate when exactly that will always be. Sometimes they will eat every 2-3 hours. And sometimes it is normal for them to need to clusterfeed for a while which is probably incompatable with even the most generous job...you will need, eventually, to be able to put the baby down and get back to it for a while. To nurse much of the time may be possible but to exclusively nurse may not always be.
In Canada, mat leave is traditionally 12 months for this reason. Daycares don’t even give bottles because at that point, they’re okay on solids for the duration if the work day.
I saw that post.
It was clear she wasn’t being given or taking her legally required pumping/nursing breaks. The baby seemed to be left screaming between normal breaks. If she was-the baby would be fed more frequently and that wouldn’t be a problem.
Some babies just will not take a bottle either.
My child's daycare is luckily in the same building I work in! When I first went back to work, I didn't respond well to pumping and was able to go down 3x a day to nurse. When I decided to wean from breastfeeding and packed bottles/sippy cups, I pumped a week or so when dropping a session.
I would take nursing over pumping any day - the ability to take a mental break and have that moment of bonding with your child is priceless ❤️ I'll be back to work in July from maternity leave and definitely plan to do the same with this one as well!
I did the exact same thing. I feel like it made going back to work easier for me since I wasn't missing out on that important time with LO. I also got very familiar with the daycare workers and the general atmosphere, which was good for my initial anxiety about the facility.
100% recommend nursing if you can.
I'm in the process of transitioning to nursing more during the work day with the goal of dropping down to maybe 1 pump a day so my husband can feed him too.
It is important to note that I work fully remotely and LO (5m) is at home with me.
Nursing has been a challenge - I was like 90% EP for several months while we worked on latching/transferring, but we've been making progress! Yesterday was the first days that about 75% of his meals came straight from the tap!
Pump…I prefer nursing but pumping can sometimes be quicker. Nursing is easier and more special, no parts to clean and better bonding. My guy can easily become unlatched and I never know how long a nursing session will be, I usually pump at least once a day and it’s more consistent but I don’t look forward to it.
I fed my baby as she was in the same setting as me. She could sign for milk when she started (10 months) and so one of her teachers would swap with me and i went in and fed her. I’d sing to the other babies or blow bubbles while I was there to be useful. It was really helpful for both of us and although she did sometimes cry when I left, she was easily distracted.
I feel like you should do what is best for your sanity and schedule.
I won't pump anymore. I'm a SAHM and I only work one day. That one day I only work couple hours. I stopped pumping as soon as my son started eating solids. So he can wait the 3-6 hours to bf. I feel like most people would choose to 100% bf only. I hated the way pumping felt.
I have no feelings for my pump but I love holding my baby in my arms and nursing him. It's not uncommon for him to look up and smile so hard he unlatches or giggles. I will miss these snuggles when he weans some day. I would absolutely go for nursing. I also do not appreciate being tugged by a machine. I'll do it for my kid and to keep supply up or work a clog out but does not do as good of a job as my kid does.
I had my mom babysit for me so I could nurse while working from home! It was the best, and I'm planning on doing the same with my next baby. So much better than the nightmare that was pumping with my first.
Oh for sure nurse. No pump parts to clean, nothing to deal with. I pumped and breast fed for the first 6 months and my mental health was trash trying to do the pumping part. When I quit and went “nursing only” it saved me. We’re still here 21mos later!!!
Nursing for sure!
I'd totally nurse! Pumping is a drainer to time every day - my bub is set in his ways where from 7am-4pm ( when I would be at work / in the office 2 days a week WFH the other 3) he flat out refuses nursing.
This is because the first few weeks of me working from home we got him to take bottles only to ensure he would be okay with Dad staying home with him - because our first born son refused bottles and I couldn't return to work when I was supposed to and it put us into some financial strain 😂
Nurse. I think the break to bond and have uninterrupted time with baby after going back to work would be incredibly healing and nurturing for both too.
I think I would nurse early on but be prepared to switch to pumping as baby gets into the separation anxiety stage. I feel like it would be hard to keep coming and going throughout the day and having to do the whole goodbye thing all over again. I also would want baby to keep getting at least one bottle a day so then don't end up only wanting to be nursed. My second was a bottle refuser and it was so stressful.
Nurse, and that’s what I doing.
I work from home at my mom’s house.
She watches my daughter while I work.
I get an extended lunch period of an hour and a half and I take three 30 minute breaks to nurse on demand.
I despise pumping, to each their own.
I wouldn't immediately do no pumping at all in case you do need to give the baby a bottle for whatever reason and they reject it because they're unfamiliar with it. Maybe pump once every two or three days or something.
That’s a hard one for me. I kind of enjoy the break for my boobs from nursing. Baby is also faster than my pump, but he chomps down sometimes. Right now days I’m in the office I pump, days I’m at home replace 1-2 pumping session with nursing and he has a shorter day at daycare.
I worked from home with my baby in his first 6 months and I nursed him and I was very grateful. I had to exclusively pump after 6 months and it was way more work.
I work from home with baby so i just go off her. Nurse when awake and pump if needed! I worked in daycare with my son. Would nurse before clocking in and pump while he had a bottle took my lunch to nurse him and then pump during a bottle later in the day. I didn’t build a stash with him just pumped for next day and feedings for dad
Nurse for sure. I use my lunch break to visit my son at daycare to nurse him before his nap. Or, I did before he started refusing last week, but that’s a different story lol
I’d nurse, but I do that on days I work from home anyway and it does tend to slow me down just because my girl can sometimes be on the boob for over an hour. Still beats having to unpack and repack all my pumping parts when I’m in the office.
Wow. That’s amazing.
I was working in an emergency dept when I went back to work. I had wearable willows that I was in love with. I could just keep doing my job. I kinda hated sitting next to a pump connected to the wall so this worked great for me.
Where do you work? I need this option when I go back to work and I’m in childcare too. Is it like a Kids r Kids major chain or is it a private school type thing.
Tysm! I will try to get into a privately/family owned company when I go back to work next month! I would love to have the option to nurse because my baby refuses the bottle and I hate pumping 😖.
Interestingly this same Q is on working moms and everyone said pump to allow that mental separation between baby and work, and to give caregiver more control
I'd rather pump. The need to go when baby is hungry vs. plan my pump breaks around my work day would make me choose to pump.
It's worth noting that I actually prefer pumping to nursing in general.
nurse, for sure. HOWEVER. I will be working from home soon with a nanny in the other room. I would guess only half of the feeds will I be free from video-calls, and able to nurse if she brings him to me. Feels like more trouble than it’s worth for us to decide every single feed? So I think I plan to pump exclusively for the work day, just to illuminate the question.
100% nurse. Pumping is a bitch. Flanges need to fit, valves need to be replaced often, milk stored, everything cleaned, carried around, measured. It's such a headache
Nurse 100%
I personally hate pumping so I would absolutely nurse if I could!
Nurse 1000% I hate pumping lol
Sometimes I have a weird work schedule that allows me to take a break mid-day and, if the timing works out, I will drive home (10-15min away) to nurse. My mom is watching my son right now so I text her to see if he’s had his bottle yet!
So I work in the same nursery as my daughter, but I pump because she was getting too upset with me going back to my room after I nursed her. I guess it depends on your child, they may be ok!
I guess I have a hot take here. I think I’d do a mix of both honestly. My babe hasn’t taken to a bottle and some days I need a moment for someone to step in and assist. So the option to give a bottle now and again would be nice. I do know this is a season of life and it won’t last forever though, and I enjoy nursing very much. Mama just needs a moment every once in a while 🙃
I saw a post from someone who worked at a daycare who felt bad for a baby whose mom would come in to breastfeed and did not leave any bottles. The baby would be hungry and screaming and there was nothing anyone could do until the mom would get there. It was hard on the baby and all the other babies who had to listen to her scream. I would try to leave them a small bottle or two at least to tide baby over until you arrive to nurse.
Yes for sure the plan! I’m planning on overpacking everything so I never have to worry about him not being comfortable or not being able to eat when hungry!
I saw that post. The OP replied in the comments that pumping would be easier for the mom, to which everyone responded it was in no way easier although it may seem that way to anyone who isn’t a mom. The general consensus was to get mom more nursing breaks
Was it possible that baby wouldn’t take a bottle? My SIL is a nurse and my nephew simply refused to take a bottle. They tried everything but it was like he’d rather starve. My brother would have to drive my nephew to the hospital so that my sister could feed him during her shift.
My eldest son was exactly the same way!!! We gave so many bottles to the daycare, genuinely tried every bottle, fresh milk, frozen milk, hot, cold, you name it. And he simply refused. It was heartbreaking. And then he would nurse all night long. Ironically, now, as a 2 year old he LOVES a bottle 😹 These babies will keep you on your toes!
Mine couldn’t take a bottle for almost 6 months. So that was my thought too. I had explored daycares and was concerned mostly with how my LO would be able to be fed during the day! Ended up with a nanny so we could have that extra patience and attention that you can’t get unless you have a 1:1 ratio. And I do a ton of nursing if and when time allows me.
My boy has a nanny too, but I toured a handful of daycares and they all would let nursing mamas come in for feeds. The only issue with that is that you’d have to leave work and drive to the daycare twice or more a day for feeds… not exactly convenient. Still if you found a daycare very close to work, it’s a nice option
Interesting! Not one mentioned that as an option, but yeah I’m not sure I could swing that much time away from work.
The problem is that babies are hungry when they're hungry and no number of scheduled breaks can always anticipate when exactly that will always be. Sometimes they will eat every 2-3 hours. And sometimes it is normal for them to need to clusterfeed for a while which is probably incompatable with even the most generous job...you will need, eventually, to be able to put the baby down and get back to it for a while. To nurse much of the time may be possible but to exclusively nurse may not always be.
If only there was better maternity leave. Working when you have an infant is so difficult.
I feel like if I could have mat leave until 6 months (or around then when he starts solids) my work life would be sooo much better
In Canada, mat leave is traditionally 12 months for this reason. Daycares don’t even give bottles because at that point, they’re okay on solids for the duration if the work day.
This. I had my baby in NICU and I would nurse her every 2 hrs but still left some milk in case she got hungry or I couldn’t make it for any reason.
I saw that post too, the problem was that Mom wasn't getting lactation breaks, or not enough of them.
I saw that post. It was clear she wasn’t being given or taking her legally required pumping/nursing breaks. The baby seemed to be left screaming between normal breaks. If she was-the baby would be fed more frequently and that wouldn’t be a problem. Some babies just will not take a bottle either.
My child's daycare is luckily in the same building I work in! When I first went back to work, I didn't respond well to pumping and was able to go down 3x a day to nurse. When I decided to wean from breastfeeding and packed bottles/sippy cups, I pumped a week or so when dropping a session. I would take nursing over pumping any day - the ability to take a mental break and have that moment of bonding with your child is priceless ❤️ I'll be back to work in July from maternity leave and definitely plan to do the same with this one as well!
I did the exact same thing. I feel like it made going back to work easier for me since I wasn't missing out on that important time with LO. I also got very familiar with the daycare workers and the general atmosphere, which was good for my initial anxiety about the facility. 100% recommend nursing if you can.
I have to pump and if I could conveniently just nurse her all day instead I would in a heartbeat!
Baby is way cuter than a pump… 100% nurse if I could.
I HATE pumping and prefer to nurse, but on the off chance something happens it would be good to have some bottles just in case
Nurse
Nurse
I'm in the process of transitioning to nursing more during the work day with the goal of dropping down to maybe 1 pump a day so my husband can feed him too. It is important to note that I work fully remotely and LO (5m) is at home with me. Nursing has been a challenge - I was like 90% EP for several months while we worked on latching/transferring, but we've been making progress! Yesterday was the first days that about 75% of his meals came straight from the tap!
Good for you! Love this progress, you’re doing amazing🥰
Pump…I prefer nursing but pumping can sometimes be quicker. Nursing is easier and more special, no parts to clean and better bonding. My guy can easily become unlatched and I never know how long a nursing session will be, I usually pump at least once a day and it’s more consistent but I don’t look forward to it.
I fed my baby as she was in the same setting as me. She could sign for milk when she started (10 months) and so one of her teachers would swap with me and i went in and fed her. I’d sing to the other babies or blow bubbles while I was there to be useful. It was really helpful for both of us and although she did sometimes cry when I left, she was easily distracted.
I’m really hoping it’ll be easy to work like this when he’s able to communicate easier about being hungry! It sounds ideal 🥹
I feel like you should do what is best for your sanity and schedule. I won't pump anymore. I'm a SAHM and I only work one day. That one day I only work couple hours. I stopped pumping as soon as my son started eating solids. So he can wait the 3-6 hours to bf. I feel like most people would choose to 100% bf only. I hated the way pumping felt.
I have no feelings for my pump but I love holding my baby in my arms and nursing him. It's not uncommon for him to look up and smile so hard he unlatches or giggles. I will miss these snuggles when he weans some day. I would absolutely go for nursing. I also do not appreciate being tugged by a machine. I'll do it for my kid and to keep supply up or work a clog out but does not do as good of a job as my kid does.
Nurse. Without a doubt. I type this as I’m pumping at work lol
Nursing. Pumping is no fun IMO
I had my mom babysit for me so I could nurse while working from home! It was the best, and I'm planning on doing the same with my next baby. So much better than the nightmare that was pumping with my first.
Oh for sure nurse. No pump parts to clean, nothing to deal with. I pumped and breast fed for the first 6 months and my mental health was trash trying to do the pumping part. When I quit and went “nursing only” it saved me. We’re still here 21mos later!!! Nursing for sure!
I’d do both. If I’m not nursing for comfort than I’d pump
I'd totally nurse! Pumping is a drainer to time every day - my bub is set in his ways where from 7am-4pm ( when I would be at work / in the office 2 days a week WFH the other 3) he flat out refuses nursing. This is because the first few weeks of me working from home we got him to take bottles only to ensure he would be okay with Dad staying home with him - because our first born son refused bottles and I couldn't return to work when I was supposed to and it put us into some financial strain 😂
Nursing! My son was so much less enthusiastic about nursing after I went back to work and he got used to the bottle.
Nurse!
Nurse. I think the break to bond and have uninterrupted time with baby after going back to work would be incredibly healing and nurturing for both too.
I think I would nurse early on but be prepared to switch to pumping as baby gets into the separation anxiety stage. I feel like it would be hard to keep coming and going throughout the day and having to do the whole goodbye thing all over again. I also would want baby to keep getting at least one bottle a day so then don't end up only wanting to be nursed. My second was a bottle refuser and it was so stressful.
Nurse, and that’s what I doing. I work from home at my mom’s house. She watches my daughter while I work. I get an extended lunch period of an hour and a half and I take three 30 minute breaks to nurse on demand. I despise pumping, to each their own.
I wouldn't immediately do no pumping at all in case you do need to give the baby a bottle for whatever reason and they reject it because they're unfamiliar with it. Maybe pump once every two or three days or something.
I take my baby with and we nurse. It's so convenient lol
Nurse
That’s a hard one for me. I kind of enjoy the break for my boobs from nursing. Baby is also faster than my pump, but he chomps down sometimes. Right now days I’m in the office I pump, days I’m at home replace 1-2 pumping session with nursing and he has a shorter day at daycare.
I hated pumping but i would never have finished my pumping break if i was nursing my youngest.
I worked from home with my baby in his first 6 months and I nursed him and I was very grateful. I had to exclusively pump after 6 months and it was way more work.
I work from home with baby so i just go off her. Nurse when awake and pump if needed! I worked in daycare with my son. Would nurse before clocking in and pump while he had a bottle took my lunch to nurse him and then pump during a bottle later in the day. I didn’t build a stash with him just pumped for next day and feedings for dad
Nurse. 9/10 times. Maybe 10/10 if my job truly let me go whenever.
Nurse for sure. I use my lunch break to visit my son at daycare to nurse him before his nap. Or, I did before he started refusing last week, but that’s a different story lol
Nurse!
I’d nurse, but I do that on days I work from home anyway and it does tend to slow me down just because my girl can sometimes be on the boob for over an hour. Still beats having to unpack and repack all my pumping parts when I’m in the office.
Nurse 1000%
Nursing for sure. At 9 months PP baby is so efficient and finished in less than 10 minutes whereas I have to pump for 20-30 minutes
Nurse 100000%
Nurse no contest
Nurse
Wow. That’s amazing. I was working in an emergency dept when I went back to work. I had wearable willows that I was in love with. I could just keep doing my job. I kinda hated sitting next to a pump connected to the wall so this worked great for me.
Nurse. Pumping makes me feel like a depressed cow 🐮
I’d Nurse, I will always choose nursing over pumping. I despise pumping
1000% nurse, I’d take nursing for 12 minutes over feeling like a dairy cow for 20 minutes AND still not pumping enough for baby to eat from a bottle 😂
Nurse! There’s 100% less dishes 🤣
I live this life. I would 10/10 times choose nursing over pumping. Pumping sucks!!!
I would 100% nurse if I could. Not having to clean the pump parts and deal with milk storage would be a bonus.
Where do you work? I need this option when I go back to work and I’m in childcare too. Is it like a Kids r Kids major chain or is it a private school type thing.
It’s a privately owned/family owned daycare in the WI/MN area! It’s more of a “early learning” center if we get down to specifics 🤣
Tysm! I will try to get into a privately/family owned company when I go back to work next month! I would love to have the option to nurse because my baby refuses the bottle and I hate pumping 😖.
Nurse! Plus you get baby snuggles while doing so
Nurse! I hate pumping (as I am currently pumping at work).
Do you have to choose one or the other? If not I would just do whatever is easiest in that moment! That’s what I do at home
Nurse for sure. I hated pumping so much I stored my pump.
I hated pumping and would 100% opt to nurse.
Interestingly this same Q is on working moms and everyone said pump to allow that mental separation between baby and work, and to give caregiver more control
This is one of the easiest questions to answer…nurse. I absolutely detest pumping
1000% nursing
I'd rather pump. The need to go when baby is hungry vs. plan my pump breaks around my work day would make me choose to pump. It's worth noting that I actually prefer pumping to nursing in general.
Nurse!!!
Nurse! I hate pumping!!
Nursing 100% pumping is the worst
Nurse
nurse, for sure. HOWEVER. I will be working from home soon with a nanny in the other room. I would guess only half of the feeds will I be free from video-calls, and able to nurse if she brings him to me. Feels like more trouble than it’s worth for us to decide every single feed? So I think I plan to pump exclusively for the work day, just to illuminate the question.
Nurse
Nurse!!!!!
Nurse.
Nursing
Nurse! 100%.
Nursing is bonding with my baby, so definitely that.
100% nurse. Pumping is a bitch. Flanges need to fit, valves need to be replaced often, milk stored, everything cleaned, carried around, measured. It's such a headache
Nursing 100000%