It was my first day back to work and like any mother I was
dreading it! It started at four in the morning with the blaring sound
of the alarm clock.
 I said to myself, "How am I ever going to make it through this
day?" I looked in the bassinet at a beautiful sleeping 6 week old
and proceeded to get dressed for work. I am in the Marine Corps so I
had to press my uniform and shine my boots, all of which I now realize
I should have done the night before.
I got the storage bottles down and put them on the table and went
about my business. I got myself dressed when a very hungry Kiley woke
up for her morning feeding. Knowing I really didn't have the time to
breastfeed her, I cuddled her in my arms and placed her on her
favorite breast anyway. Fifteen minutes later I scrambled to get out
of the house to get to work on time. "I can't be late for morning
formation on my first day back at work."
I peeled out of the driveway making a list of everything that I needed
to bring to work with me. Pump, got it, ice bags, got em, boob pads,
got those too! I said to myself, "That's everything."
I got to work, got out of the car and brought with me my pump, my
backpack, and my cooler. You'd think I was moving in. I sat at my desk
for the first time in months! I said to myself, "It feels good to
be back!" I called the Marines to a morning formation and passed
to them the plan of the day, then went inside to start the tasks.
Drip drip went the left breast all over my cammies, then the right one
joined in. Great, I knew I forgot something. So I headed upstairs to
pump at work for the fist time. I changed the saturated boob pads,
then sat down in the bathroom stall to pump. As if leaking on my
cammies wasn't enough, the cord to the pump wouldn't reach into the
stall, and it was the only plug in the bathroom. I had the rented
lactina select so I couldn't go pump in my car! So I went outside of
the stall and plugged it in then sat back down in the stall again.
Lifting my cammie blouse I got ready to pump, cones on the breast and
everything when realized I can't turn it on from in here. So I went
out again and turned it on thinking that it can't get any worse than
it already is.
I sat down to pump, trying to find humor in the disastrous morning, so
that I can relax enough to let my milk flow, and boy did it flow! I
filled both sides with six ounces of milk! "Awesome pump," I
thought to myself as I disconnected them from my breasts and buttoned
my blouse. I reached into my bag to get the bottles for storage and
oops - they are still on the kitchen table at home. I had twelve
ounces of milk and no where to put it. The only bottles I had were the
collection bottles.
I told myself not to panic and grabbed for some more boob pads. I left
the cones still attached to the collection bottles and stuffed boob
pads in the holes so that milk wouldn't leak out! I sat them in the
cooler and secured them making sure they wouldn't tip over. I then
proceeded to call the sitter and have her bring me the storage bottles
so I could pump the rest of the day and not have to waste any milk.
I went home that night a nervous wreck, looked at my baby girl and
said to myself, "I wish I could stay home everyday with
you!"
I learned a very valuable lesson through all this chaos though, and
that lesson was always prepare ahead of time and put everything,
including storage bottles, in the car the night before. I now have two
bottles at work just in case. Might I also recommend practice runs of
how it will be getting ready for work and while you are at work. My
first day back will be a day I will never forget!
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Breastfeeding
Working
Mom
