Before your baby is born:

• Take a breastfeeding class.
• Consider childcare close to work or school, where you may be able to breastfeed during lunch breaks.
• Talk with your childcare provider and your employer about your plans to continue breastfeeding.
• Join a support group for breastfeeding mothers.

Once your baby is born:

• Focus on learning to breastfeed and making lots of milk. (You don’t need to start pumping yet!)

2 weeks before returning to work:

• Rent or buy a double electric pump, if possible.
• Begin pumping and storing milk.
• Have someone else feed the baby with the new feeding method.
• Find clothes that make pumping easier, such as two-piece outfits and tops that button in the front. (Prints hide leaks better than solid colors.)

4–7 days before going back to work:

• Leave your baby with the caregiver for a short practice session.
• Work out an emergency plan for the unexpected, such as a sick child, car trouble, or traffic.