Teaching and pumping

[marypoppins]

I need help figuring out a nursing/pumping schedule that will work. Are any of you teaching and successfully pumping enough milk? I will be going back to work in March. I'll have to leave my house no later than 7:45 in order to get my three children to sitters and school. I have to be signing in no later than 8:40. My students begin arriving at 8:45. The only break I have on Monday is lunch 11:40 - 12:05. That includes dropping my first graders off at the cafe., going to the bathroom, and eating.... Would it be possible to pump during that time too? The rest of the week I have a planning time from 1:40-2:30. This is when I attend meetings, write lesson plans, make phone calls, grade/record and file papers. So, it is not a break, but I'm going to try to pump during this time. I can sign out at 4:20, but I usually have at least 30. min or more of work to finish before I can leave. HELP I'm so overwhelmed with thoughts of how I'll be able to keep up with all my work...not to mention the housework. Also, Wed. mornings I have faculty meetings from 8:00-8:40.
Here's what I've been thinking. Will I have to be Mary Poppins in order to make it work? Please share your ideas.
THANKS
Julie

[Stephanie]

I am still pumping for my 22 month old, and pumped for about 6 months with my oldest. This is how my schedule went with dd. I was much more committed, and did not skip pumping sessions, so I was much more successful. With ds, I would get busy and not pump, and my supply suffered.

Wake dd up before I left and feed her (about 6am)
Pump in car on the way to work
Pump for a few minutes right before kids got there
Pump at lunch
Pump during planning

If I were you, I would not pump in the car, and pump right after work. As dd got a bit older (6-7), I dropped the pumping in the car. I continued to pump 3x a day, until she was 13 months. Now I am just pumping twice a day.

I made phone calls and did all my paperwork and grading while I was pumping during my conference time. I also ate lunch and pumped. You can get a hands free pumping bra, or I just balanced the bottles on my legs. If I had to attend a meeting that would take most of the period I would tell the prinicipal that I was going to be 10 minutes late. I approached it as me telling them, not asking. I had mastitis a couple of times and would have someone cover my class so I could pump.

You have to be committed and pump first. Everything can wait 10 minutes. You also have to remember, you are really only pumping in short bursts, which makes things much easier. You have March to June, then you have a long break.

It can be done! Congratulations on the birth of your little one.

[southinmom]

I agree, it can be done. I just walked in my first day back and told my principal that I'd have to pump everyday during my planning time and go feed my daughter every lunch break (day care is right next to school, I eat on my walk over and back). Now I"m lucky that I have a planning period everyday, and I've just let people know that if they schedule a meeting during that time that I'll be there as soon as I'm done pumping or they can get someone to cover me. My baby will only need this time from me for a short while. It may depend on your state, but where I live by law they have to allow me to pump. You may have to be assertive to your school about what you need. You can do it!

[mfirst]

I too worked as a teacher and I only had a planning period every other day. I would pump as soon as I got to work (we had to be there at 7:15 and our students arrived at 7:40), during my lunch and immediately after school. I also pumped during my plan - the days I didn't have one, I would have another teacher cover my class for ten minutes so I could get a quick pumping session in. (She too was bf ing so I was able to return the favor for her). There were also a couple of teachers who had "been there, done that" so I could ask them to cover for me if I got really engorged. Kind of like going to your principal with a prepared plan for a maternity leave, I found I had to go to my principal with a prepared pumping plan.