How Do You Transition Back To Office Life If You're Still Pumping Milk?

For most mums in Singapore, paid maternity leave lasts four months, after which, most women will have to return to the office. If you are breastfeeding your new baby at the time, and plan to continue, this return to the office will require some thinking and organising on your part as it means you will probably have to start pumping at work.

So even though you might have solved most of your initial breastfeeding problems with a new baby, pumping at work will unfortunately introduce a slew of new ones. This might include where to pump, storing and handling breastmilk and issues that might occur when you miss a pump, like leaky boobs and even a drop in milk supply. 

If you’ve decided that this is something you want to do for your baby once you go back to work, there are some key things to remember and to try and put into place as early as possible.

Common Concerns When Pumping At Work

For first-time mums, heading back to the office with a breast pump, freezer bag, and all the other equipment you'll need for pumping can feel overwhelming.

The best way to get around this is to be as prepared as possible. Says Dr. Mythili Pandi, Director of Mother and Child and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC): "Even before your maternity leave ends, let your boss know you need space and time to be expressing – just be brave and fearless about it. Really make sure you stand up for your rights and what you believe in. If your goals are to exclusively breastfeed, then you need to seek help to make sure that you can continue to produce breast milk for your baby."

May, 37, who works in advertising and decided to pump for six months in the office, recalls some of the issues she faced pumping at work. “My company didn’t have an allocated space for breastfeeding/pumping, so they had to vacate a meeting room for me. However, because the office was so open, everyone could hear everything so it was very stressful and embarrassing for me. I honestly hated it and it caused so much stress that my milk supply dipped even more.” 

Explains Dr. Mythili, "Mothers need oxytocin to create a letdown (when milk starts flowing in the breast). This flows abundantly when you're relaxed but it doesn't flow when you're stressed and have got lots of cortisol and adrenaline in your veins instead. So we want to make sure that mothers are relaxed, calm and composed when they are expressing so that their bodies are able to produce breast milk when pumping."

Truthfully, expressing milk at work and away from your baby is never going to be easy, but with the right information and support it can certainly be less painful. Here are some tips that may help some of you:

1. Get your village and health in order

Being able to breastfeed or express breastmilk while working in an office goes beyond the physical ability to produce milk. Because it's linked so much to your emotions and your well-being, other aspects of postpartum health and wellness need to be addressed.

"Mums need to make sure they've got caregiver support," says Dr. Mythili. "This could be in terms of  family, or finding help in the form of infant care or nannies."

Dr. Mythili feels getting this in order early on can help put mums at ease when returning to work, also making it easier to pump. But also important is focusing on postpartum health. "I find that pelvic floor health and issues like diastis recti, as well as moods can affect a mother's ability to pump at work."

2. Make sure you have the right equipment

Becoming a pumping mum at work requires getting all the right equipment together. From breast pumps to flange sizes, there's a lot to consider in terms of what to bring and what you will need. One thing some mums might forget is the right clothes – which will need to be a combination of professional and easy to pump in (think button-down shirts).

"Other issues mums might face would be having the time, space and energy to pump," says Dr. Mythili. "Having people who don't quite understand what she might be going through all of these things could become issues. So the most stress-free way to pump at work is to be prepared. Producing enough milk could be a main concern, so having a good quality breast pump would solve that. Sometimes a second-hand breast pump won't cut it because the motor might be on its way out. Having the right flange sizes or well-fitting parts is also important to make sure the body responds to the pump."

May emphasises that a private space is most important when pumping at the office, but she also adds that having snacks, a water bottle, a freezer bag, a power point, a table, and a comfortable chair are the most important things. Other mums added hand sanitiser, wipes and milk bottles as other must-haves.

Some mums like Cheryl, 35, who works in banking, have found keeping one pump set in the office and one at home extremely beneficial. “This way you can rinse out your bottles and equipment, put them in a ziplock and bring them home to wash and sterilise and bring back for the next day,” she says. Speaking to HR can also get them to allocate a portion of the office fridge for breast milk.

If you’re pumping multiple times in the office, it’s worth considering trying the “fridge hack” which involves putting your pump parts in a food-grade, airtight bag or container after pumping (without washing the parts), and putting that back in the fridge until your next session. This saves you from having to sterilise things each time.

3. Prepare in advance, way in advance

Being away from your baby means your baby is going to have to learn to take a bottle. This can be stressful for mums as some breastfed babies are not keen to take the bottle. Says Jiayun, 42, who pumped on and off in the office for 12 months, “I saw a lactation consultant when my baby was a few weeks old, and she told me that if I have to go back to the office at four months, I should start giving a bottle when the baby is over six weeks old. It takes about six weeks for breastfeeding and the milk supply to be established. After that, allowing your baby to get used to a bottle not only gives you a break, but makes it easier for them to feed when you inevitably have to be away from them.”

Adds Debdyuti, 37, who pumped for five months in an office: “Do your research and set your priorities before the baby is born. Especially if it’s your first. Have an idea of what pump to get, if you want to start pumping from the beginning or start after a few months. I found joining online breastfeeding/ breastmilk feeding groups very helpful in clarifying doubts. Also get support from your partner, family, relatives, and friends so that you get some rest.” 

4. Communicate your needs to your office manager

While May feels her office did what they could to accommodate her pumping schedule, she feels that “all companies no matter how big or small, should have a private space allocated for moms who return to work after maternity to have more inclusivity, and demonstrate their support to the dedication of these moms.”

For Debdyuti, who was seconded to a client’s office while she was pumping, speaking to her client manager allowed her to get access to a nursing room which was a lifesaver. “It was a well-equipped room with a refrigerator, hot water, separate cubicles with tables, chairs, and charging points. It really helped me to pump twice a day while being on work calls.” However, due to her busy job, there were days when she wasn’t able to pump, which then impacted her health. “Maybe if they had allowed me to work from home for a few more months [it would have helped], but it was a challenging project so I adjusted.”

5. Talk to other mums to find real solutions

Never underestimate the community of mothers who can help offer real-life solutions to your breastfeeding problems. “When I went back to work at four months, I was grateful to only have to be in the office two to three days a week,” says Jiayun. “Even then, I found it useful to hear from mums in the office on how they managed to pump while there – for one, I had no idea the office had a nursing room even though I had worked there for five years.”

She adds that Facebook groups - like Storks Nest and Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (Singapore)(BMSG) were extremely helpful with tips and sometimes urgent help. “I didn’t know these groups existed when I had my first child just before Covid, if I had, I think I would have had fewer breastfeeding issues and felt more supported.”