The Working, Breastfeeding Mom: Never Off Duty

A big thanks to my friend, Lynn for contributing this piece and for inspiring so many working mothers around her!

By: Lynn Sladek

For 12 challenging and rewarding months, I exclusively breastfed my little man while serving as an active duty Solider. While the day to day was tough, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Looking back at that time, I am proud that I was able to do what was best for me as a mom and what was best for my baby. And, because I took care of those two people I was also able to be a better Soldier.

When returning to work, my little man was only 8 weeks old so I knew I needed to pump every 2.5 to 3 hours to maintain my supply. My game plan was to pump four times a day while at work: early morning, late morning, early afternoon and late afternoon. Once my little man was over 6 months old, I was able to stretch out my pump sessions to every 3.5 to 4 hours which eliminated one of the four pump sessions.

On a typical day, I would wake up a little before 5 am and breastfeed. My little man and I would be out of the house by 5:30 so I could drop him off at the babysitter’s house before going to physical training at 6:30. After exercising I would get ready for the day and then pump, which occurred around 8:15. Although I always felt a little rushed, this was my most predictable pump session.

The next three pump sessions were managed around meetings and training. Most days I would have to leave a meeting early or miss a meeting all together. When this occurred, I often felt guilty or irrelevant as I missed out on planning and information sharing. The worker bee in me would try to stretch out my pump sessions as long as I could. Unfortunately, that caused my expressed milk to have a bluish tint, which meant I went too long between sessions and I compromised the quality of my milk (too watery!). This highlights my biggest challenge: finding time to pump every day.

Although it was a balancing act, it wouldn’t be fair for me to just focus on the daily routine and the challenges. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to breastfeed my baby and serve my country. I had a supportive boss and supportive coworkers. I had my own office, and I had enough seniority within the Army that I wasn’t afraid to excuse myself from meetings or training to pump. Pumping also gave me quiet moments during the busy work day to ‘mother’ my baby. It was also during those quiet moments that I was able to get some good thinking done for both work and my family.

Not to mention that breast milk is so important for our little ones; it is the best nutrition for them. Pumping at work allowed me to continue to breastfeed my little man, and I cherish the times we were able to strengthen our bond through breastfeeding while we were together. I also believe that my breast milk allowed us to continue to bond while we were apart too.

Below is a list of a few things that helped make breastfeeding and work successful for us. Each mother and baby and work situation is unique, so it is important to set your priorities for both work and mothering and then figure out how to make it work. Seek advice, ask questions and remember that you can do it! Our babies grow up too quickly, and this season of life will be over before you know it.

Co-sleeping. Co-sleeping allowed us to bond, sustained my supply though night time feeding on demand, and gave me extra sleep as I was able to respond to his nighttime needs without getting up.

Quality pump. I invested in a breast pump that effectively and efficiently expressed my milk. After working 12 hour days, pumping 3 to 4 times a day for a year, I never had one single issue with my pump. Without a doubt, a quality pump is worth every penny.

Support. I had a close friend that breastfed her daughter for 18 months as an Active Duty Soldier. On tough, exhausting days it was more than helpful to have someone who understood. I also found an online support group for breastfeeding in the military. This group brought a sense of community and reminded me that breastfeeding my baby was not only important, but was also a temporary time in my career and didn’t define who I was as a Soldier.

Positive perspective. Instead of focusing on the difficulties of breastfeeding while working, I tried to focus on how fortunate I was. I thought of the women who had served before me, who grew up in a much tougher culture. I also knew of current women serving who would hang their dirty workout clothes in their car windows as a cover and pump in their car during lunch. I, on the other hand, just simply shut my office door. If those Soldiers found ways to breastfeed their children, I could too.

Advocate. My way to support breastfeeding in the military was to talk openly about it. When pumping, I placed the international breastfeeding sign on my door so people knew what I was doing. I would say things like, “I need to pump” instead of simply, “I need to excuse myself.” I spoke to other new moms about breastfeeding and tried to encourage them as best I could.

Breastfeeding can be tough, and breastfeeding while working is an added challenge. But, it is a challenge worth overcoming.

#breastfeeding