Breastfeeding can be challenging enough for first time mommies–especially when they have to sort through all the conflicting advice out there. And there are a whole new set of concerns for moms who go back to work while their babies are still nursing. But if you follow a few common sense guidelines, there is no reason you have to give up all the breastfeeding benefits (for you and your baby) when you get back to your 9 to 5. 

How To Pick A Pump
Consider these key factors when buying a pump.

Frequency Of Use: Will you be using the pump daily or occasionally? Think about your lifestyle and whether or not you will always be with your baby at feeding time. If you will be pumping every day to build a bank of milk in your freezer or have someone else giving a bottle every day, you'll want a daily-use, hospital-grade pump. If you don't plan to have regular pumping sessions, but still want to have a bottle of breast milk prepared for a date night, you'll want an occasional-use pump.

What is a hospital-grade pump? Hospital-grade is the most efficient pump available. It is a heavy-duty pump that has a rapid suck-and-release cycle that draws milk from the breasts at about the same rate as a nursing baby. Hospital-grade pumps, like the Playtex Embrace Double Electric, are the best choice for moms who need to pump daily.

Place Of Use: When going back to work either full- or part-time, you will have to pump to maintain your milk supply. Make sure that you have a pump that is portable for when you’re on the go.

Comfort: What pump makes you the most comfortable? A stressed-out mom who is uncomfortable during her pumping sessions will find it difficult to pump efficiently. Make sure that you research the pumps that are available and find one that you are comfortable with. My recent clients have been raving about the Playtex Embrace Double Electric because they find it to be the most comfortable with soft massaging breast cups.

How To Pump At Work
To maintain a good milk supply, pump at the times when the baby would typically be feeding. In most cases, this is a fairly easy routine to follow since by the time you return to work your baby is usually on a much more predictable schedule.

I recommend you begin building a bank of milk in the freezer about a month before returning to the office. To build a bank, pump daily in the morning and put it directly into the freezer. This way, there is less stress because there's a nice stock already there and ready to go. You bring home whatever milk you’ve pumped during the workday and add to the bank.

How To Properly Store Milk
The general guideline for breast milk storage for a full-term baby is easy to remember: Just think "the number six." (For premature or ill babies, guidelines are different.)

Milk can be:
• out fresh at room temperature for six hours.
• in the refrigerator for six days.
• in a standard freezer for six months (set to a level that makes your ice cream rock-hard).

In addition, milk can be stored:
• in a cooler with ice packs for 24 hours.
• thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• in a deep freezer for one year.

Keep in mind that refrigerated or defrosted milk will naturally separate where the fattier milk is on the top of the bottle and the thinner milk has settled to the bottom (noticeable mostly in the refrigerated milk). This is normal and gently swirling the bottle will remix the two.

Breastfeeding Myths:
"If a baby eats more often than every three hours, they are ready for solid foods."
Truth: Babies are all different, as we know, but that includes their eating habits and sizes of their stomachs. Some babies that need to eat every five hours and others need to eat as little as every two hours. Hours in between feeds tells nothing about whether or not the baby is ready for solids.

"If you don't start solids early, the baby will be a picky eater and might refuse solids later."
Truth: As stated earlier, babies do not need any solids before the age of six months. There is no research to back this statement. It's actually quite the opposite: Breastfed babies are more likely to have a sophisticated palate than formula-fed babies because breast milk carries many different flavors of foods the mother has eaten.

Melissa Kotlen Nagin is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Registered Lactation Consultant (RLC). She maintains an active private practice, teaches prenatal breastfeeding classes at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, and has lectured on lactation topics at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Melissa is also the proud mother of three beautiful children.