Working Mom Q&A

1.  Who takes care of Sammy during the day?  Daddy day care.  Usually if they're not familiar with my husband's PhD program, I provide a brief update on him having completed his coursework and pending his comp exams later next month (Oct. 18-19th).  Yes, we are an unusual pair, but God calls each of us in our own ways.  I am the primary care taker (financially) for my family. 

2.  Do you plan to put Sammy in the church's nursery?  No, not really.  As a Momma who works all week, I enjoy the time I'm able to spend with my son on the weekends.  Sunday mornings are a chance for the two of us to have consistent one on one's while Daddy goes to worship early to play bass guitar.  Sammy's nap schedule really only allows us to make it to the service, so I haven't really been able to attend SBF for awhile.  Sammy also eats very frequently (every 2 hours) and many times I find myself nursing in the back row of the church.  I think it's important that whenever I am around, that I'm able to be connected with my son.  Plus, I pump all week, why would I even want to consider using bottles on the weekend? 

3.  How often do you pump and do you go home at lunch to see your men?  I use my two breaks during the day to pump, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  At lunchtime I either pump if I'm staying at work or I go home and nurse.  When Sammy was napping at lunch time we didn't see it necessary for me to go home, but now that he's gotten in to more of a routine of a morning and later afternoon napping time frame, I like that I work near my home so I can pop in, get my fix for the rest of the day and then head back to work.  It's really the best of both worlds.

4.  Is your husband currently teaching?  No, he took a semester off to care for our son.  Since we're new in the realm of parenting, we planned that the first year would be one of great adjustments and it would be easier if Tim could focus on Sammy and his reading.  At first, caring for Sammy was all Tim could manage, but now that he's napping for several hours at a time Tim can read and help around the house.  We also knew Tim would have to retake his comp exams this fall and would want to allow himself enough time to prepare.  In the spring he is open to teaching one to two courses at UD if an opening becomes available.  We have several friends that have offered to watch Sammy on an as-needed basis for an hour here or there, but we do not plan to use day care or MDO program at this time.

5.  Do you have a Mommy's group you participate in?  I do!  There's a group of young moms in my church that meet on a monthly basis for a play date.  We went to our first one in July and there's another one in the works for early October.  They offer them on Saturdays since several of us are working Moms like me.  I send a lot of emails because it's hard to call people when you're focused on caring for a little one.  I love to hang out when I can with my down the street neighbor and friend Racine so we can talk about motherly and scholarly wife things.  Sadly there is not a Le Leache League group that meets in the evening in Irving (just during the weekday) or I would totally go!  Instead, I subscribe to numerous news feeds to stay current on the topic and I've come across some great information.

6.  What BF items should working Moms invest in?

• Every Momma needs her tote!  My sister-in-law graciously let me borrow hers so there was no cost on my end, but I would recommend if borrowing from someone that you consider purchasing new accessory parts.
• Medela BF Freezing & Storage Pack - I do no like the bags and it's easier for Tim to use these.  I also have some of the 5 oz. bottles for the mornings when milk supply is more and I don't feel like changing out bottles while pumping.  I use an organizer to store bottles in the fridge so Tim knows which ones he should use first.  Fresh milk is good to store for up to eight days when refrigerated.  My lunch bunch buddies at work would joke when we saw one of us with one of these that we were steaming broccoli.
• Wear button down shirts or shirts that don't wrinkle easily. 
• Bottled water or a Brita pitcher - Make sure you're drinking water throughout the day.  I drink a full glass of water 15 minutes prior to pumping to maximize my supply.  Works when nursing too. 

Other items that are nice to have, but not necessary include:

• Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags - I was given some of these as gifts.  They're nice and I used them until I ran out, but wasn't really interested in purchasing on my own.  Flanges if refrigerated are ok to reuse for 24 hours, just like nipples for babies who are BF.  I just boil everything in a pot of water on the stove once a day.
• Hands Free Bras - I know a few ladies that use these but I don't take very long so I didn't find it a necessity to have, more like a nice to if someone was interested I mention.

Kellymom.com has a great section on their webiste on Milk expression tips and pump information.