How do I feed my baby while I am away?
It is important to get breastfeeding off to a good start before introducing bottles. Start expressing milk at about the 3rd or 4th week so that you can begin to introduce bottles around week 4. Pump once every day at about the same time of day so that you can store some extra milk in the freezer for a backup supply. Small amounts of an ounce or so can help the baby get used to the bottle without interfering with breastfeeding. Use a little of your freshly pumped breastmilk for the next day’s practice feeding. Slow flow bottles are best. Have someone else offer the bottle. For a valuable handout on how to correctly bottle-feed a breastfed baby, see: www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bottle-feeding.html .
Once you return to work, the milk you pump at work one day is used the next day to feed the baby. Frozen milk can be stored in 1-3 oz. packets, and thawed when needed to use as back-up supply. After pumping, cool your milk in a refrigerator or cooler. Use a cooler carrier with frozen ice packs to transport your milk from work or to the sitter’s. If you travel for work, milk can be shipped packed in dry ice, or shipped on airlines packed in cooler containers with dry ice packs.
