Ep. 7: Breastfeeding and returning to work – how hard is it?

This week on the podcast I chat with Tessa about her breastfeeding experience with her son Elliot and what it was like returning to work. Tessa works as a Goldsmith in London’s Notting Hill and is fortunate to love her job, but that didn’t mean going back was easy!

Like a lot of breastfeeding mamas who’ve been on maternity leave during the Covid pandemic, Tessa spent all her time with her baby and never really needed to pump. So how did she manage a new routine of pumping milk for her son and returning to work? And how did her little boy adapt to being in a nursery and having to take a bottle of express milk?

We look at what worked and what didn’t in Tessa’s case and why it can be difficult to continue to breastfeed upon returning to work. We discuss how hard it can be to prepare yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally to return to work…especially in these uncertain times when work demands and work environments are changing. But similarly, we also look at how going back to work can be a really positive thing too – for both mama and baby!