I am 35 weeks pregnant and I will only be able to take 7 weeks off when it comes time for maternity leave. I am worried I won't be able to breast feed when I am working. I am a teacher who hardly gets any breaks if any at all throughout the day. I have heard bad things about the soy formula. Is there anything else I can do? I am going to tr y to pump during the day, but I have a feeling it is not going to go so well. I really don't to have to use cow's milk formula!

Janelle, I'm right there with you!  The stress of going back to work after being a sahm for three years actually dried up my milk supply.  Right now, I have my three month old baby boy on lactose free milk based formula, because he didn't respond well to lactose.  I also have concerns about soy formula: the hormonal effects/gmo aspects.  My son goes through almost two cannisters of formula a week, and 'though I try to buy organic when I can afford it, that's $50-55.00 a week just on formula!!!

Do all that you can to pump and keep nursing.  It makes so much of a difference, and if you give up trying like I did...and regret it, like I did; it's very hard to take back your choice.

Hi Janelle,

My former wife was a stay at home mom, so we didn't run into this. However, as the kids grew out of the breastfeeding age, we looked for the next step in their dietary growth. We found that goat's milk is the closest to human. While I don't know or remember the critical ins and outs of feeding an infant goat's milk, it may be a starting point for you to research.

Good luck!

Kellymom.com and La Leche League may have a little advice about being able to keep breast feeding even if you can't pump on a normal schedule.  I found that I had to supliment with cows milk formula, even though I pumped regularly (every 2 hours) and breastfeed when we were together.  Babies consume more from a bottle because it is easier, don't beat yourself up about it. 

Some options would be:

Pump during your breaks (which may not be enough), and on your days off and evenings off breastfeed.  Your body figures it out, I promise.   I was away from my daughter 11 hours a day 4 days a week, and we breastfed exclusively the rest of the time.  I could tell that my breasts carried more milk on my time off.  I don't know how my body knew that it was my weekend and to produce more, but it did.

Supliment with donated breastmilk.  I hear it is expensive, but would be better than cows milk formula.  Do you attend LLL meetings?  You should start going to a breastfeeding support group before you have the baby.  There may be a mother there willing to donate her excess milk to you.  Sounds weird, but so does drinking the milk from a cow.

While you are on maternity leave you could pump and get a small supply stashed, it would also help build your supply up.  Invest in the best pump you can, remember that formula is very expensive.  Think of it this way: you spend $700.00 on a decent pump and you only have to buy a can of formula a month.  You spend $150.00 on an ok pump and you have to buy a can of formula a week.  A great pump will pay for itself in about 6 months or so.  Medela makes the best pumps in my opinion.  If you are unsure as the kind you want, rent one for a while. 

Here's a link with some info about soy formula (and as long as it's organic, it is not legally allowed to be genetically modified).

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/preginfchil#soy

Breastfeeding provides so many benefits for babies that I would do all I could to provide it for my baby. If you can't, then I would research all formula alternatives. (Of course, for me, being vegan, I would not do another mammal's milk, but you should research for yourself to find what you're comfortable with).

Also, if you do a google search of 'breastfeeding rights in the workplace' you will get a ton of links, including state laws. Within the new health care legislation, there is a provision to extend/provide breastfeeding/pumping rights. Depending on where you live, you might find some supportive legistlation to help you with finding time at work to pump.

Janelle,

I had baby #2 in February and when I went back to teaching high school I had very little time to pump (during lunch and planning only) PLUS, since my classroom has windows, I was told to pump in the bathroom.  To me, that was not adequate, but those were my only options.  About once a week I would call on a colleague or administrator to cover my class a few minutes if I was feeling particularly full.

I breastfed until a month ago (fed him and pumped in the morning, pumped twice at work, and fed and pumped 3-4 times after work while doing graduate classes online). I did supplement with soy formula a few times when he was very young, but now we use hemp milk per the pediatrician.  Almond and soy milks are ok alternatives, but hemp has a higher protein content.

Best of luck!

-Melissa

You might try asking if there is a teacher who can cover for you for a few extra minutes each day.  What age do you teach?  If it is elementary school, for example, have another teacher on the playground during recess so you can use the time for pumping?  The better your pump the less time it will take to fully empty your breasts.  Also, consider the possibility of letting baby nurse more at night and feed less during the day, this worked great for a friend of mine who worked full time (but requires co-sleeping).  On the weekends, be sure to pump after each feeding to get whatever is left by baby, the more often you completely empty yourself of milk, the more you will make!

Hugs!

My first thought to this was on the lines of what Hazel was saying.  Your employer is obligated to provide you with a reasonable solution.  That being said, I'm sure it is one thing to say that and quite another to really make it happen.  You seem really committed to strictly breastfeeding:)  That is the biggest hurdle and you have overcome it.  Have you researched pumps?  A good quality one can make all the difference.  They can be rented, purchased or even borrowed from certain organizations.  Some women have great success with hand expressing.  I don't know if you know this, but often when you are feeding on one breast, your milk will flow from both breasts so make sure to catch the other side...it's not as hard or awkward as it sounds (AHH! the things women do!!!!!)  I feel that the first six-eight months will require perseverence, but that you can definitely do it and happily at that.  Your amazing, miraculous body will adjust and you will be here telling someone else how to achieve this same thing this time next year!

I am going to try my hardest to pump while at work and find a way to make it work. It is best thing I can do for her. I am getting a Medela Breast Pump tomorrow actually, I know they are supposed to be really good ones. Luckily there will only be about 2 months of school left before we go on summer break. The summer will be great! Thank you all for your responses and encouragement to make it work.

I didn't know that hemp milk was more nutritious than other non-dairy milks. I will keep that in mind when it comes time to ween her off of breast milk.

As a new mother, I feel that we are all doing the best that we can for that particular child, at that particular time in our lives.  Do not beat yourself up about it, ladies.  We are all doing the best we can :)  Our children have the rest of their lives to be vegans :)

while you are on Mat leave you could try pumping and freezing depending how much milk you make (hopefully lots). You could try pumping during recess and lunch hours, bring a kunch sack to school and putting it in the staff room freezer or fridge.

I've read recipes online for homemade baby formulas that require organic virgin coconut oil, and coconut or rice milks. You could also try to contact a naturopathic dr. in your area that specializes in pediatrics and ask them.

sorry i meant to say "lunch sack"

Well my son is 17 months now and when I had him I had no intention of being vegan and found no problem with milk formula at the time but I didn't want to use soy for the fear of him having problems from it...

Having said that... I wanted sooooo badly to breastfeed and i was even a stay at home mom but.... I got very very sick with preeclampsia that did something out of the ordinary and stuck around after baby was born and ended up putting me back in the hospital a week after he was born... They hooked me up to so many drugs including morphine and magnesium (to prevent strokes and sesiures since my bp was so dangerously high) SOOOO even though they told me it would be perfectly safe to continue giving him my milk i chose to just dump it because i thought they must be outta there minds if they thought i was going to give him mine while on that stuff! so thats when he started formula and when i got home a few days later i started breastfeeding again but I was so sore because he wanted the bottle (by the way do not let a nurse bully you into giving them a bottle to give you "rest" because nipple confusion is real and it can be worked through if necessary but I'll tell ya its way more painful with them just barely hangin on) and i was so very sick that i ended up quitting after 3 weeks with tremendous guilt... He got all the colostrum I had so thats where I felt ok but what I'm trying to say is my son is super healthy because besides the formula i followed directions (no rice early like my family tried to cram down my throat) and he ate very very healthy until a year when i started to let him have tiny amounts of treats... So if you have to use formula don't worry too much about it just do what you have to do and do the best you can.... by the way kroger has an organic formula that is much cheaper than the regular similac (which is what i used because thats what i got in the hospital) so thats an option.... and medela is a great pump

Just want to give my support and *hugs*.  I totally second, or third, the "don't beat yourself up about it" gong.  I say, do everything you can to make regular (or irregular) breastfeeding happen, and then after that... its out of your hands.