Toy Chest - Toys - Hope chest

When my daughter was only 4 months old I was presented with a career opportunity I'd been working towards for quite a few years. I was torn between spending every precious moment with my little miracle and achieving a personal goal.

Obviously I couldn't work full-time, but I asked if they would accept me as a freelance and they said YES. This was a dream come true - Maybe I would have it all .... until I came up against another hurdle. How am I going to keep breastfeeding? couldn't exactly take her to work and I certainly wasn't ready to give it up.

THE BREAST PUMP! I love these things and i'm not even sure how women coped without the in the past. There are a few different kinds on the market, including a manual one and an electric one. Seriously, find the money for the electric one - you will NOT be sorry! If your hubby tries to talk you into the cheaper one like mine did, then ask him how many hours is he going to sit with you to pum out 30mils? That usually shuts them up!

PRACTICE PUMPING:- Get practicing even before you go to work. The more time you have the better. I started about 2 weeks before and it helped my daughter get used to having a bottle instead of a nipple, without me stressing. There's nothing worse than trying to start a new job or going back to work, when your head is still at home worrying about your bub.

STOCK THE FREEZER:- All women are different when it comes to how much milk supply we have, so it's best to see how much we have and then start freezing some. You can pop them in little plastic containers or use ice cube trays or plastic resealable bags. You can even go to your local baby store and find specific milk freezer containers with measurements on them. I also used spare bottles which costs a bit more, but means they are ready and easy to use.

APPROACH THE BOSS:- Talk to the boss about the special requirements your going to need while being a "career mum". Sit down and explain honestly how long each session of expressing is going to take and how many times a day you will need to do it. If you're uncomfortable maybe write it all in an email, so that everyone is clear on the specifics, so they don't hassle you for taking too much time off your work. If it takes 30 minutes then state this clearly! Don't scrimp on your time, because this will stress you out and can be counterproductive for your milk production. I also found a nice room with a door I could lock for privacy - at first I was trying to express in a toilet cubicle, but this was uncomfortable and depressing and you need to understand the amount of milk you express can very much depend on your emotions, so make sure you are comfortable.

WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHING:- This is important because if you're trying to get your breasts out efficiently at work so you can express, then you want to make this really easy. Also make sure you put BREAST PADS on each day! I forgot one day, but luckily I was wearing a few black layers of clothes and I could clean up quickly and stuffed some tissues down there.

MAKE SURE IT'S THE RIGHT DECISION FOR YOU AND YOUR BABY!:- I went back to work with an attitude hoping this would work out smoothly for all parties involved ... me, my baby and my workplace. But then again, if it didn't no big deal. If you find that your baby is not settling well to you being away for long periods of time or it doesn't like the bottle then don't stress yourselves out. Take a break and try again in a month or so. Maybe find a job that's a bit more flexible to your family set-up. Working from home or shorter hours could be a better option.

In the end I really wasn't comfortable with how my work arrangements were panning out. I was also not willing to leave my precious little girl for hours on end to deal with crappy office politics again! YUK! I ended up starting my own home business and find it's perfect for our family. I'm really pleased I tried going back to work, but now we are all a lot happier!

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