Things You'll Need:
- Breast pump
- Bottles
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Step 1
Get a double electric breast pump. Since money doesn't grow on trees, you may be tempted to get a much cheaper manual one. However, the manual pumps are labor intensive and take much longer to get the same amount of milk. An electric one is worth the money if you plan to use it more than a couple of times a month (see tip below).
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Step 2
Figure out how often you plan to be away from your baby. If you are leaving him with a sitter on a regular basis, plan to have 1-5 days' worth of milk available.
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Step 3
Pump after you nurse him. It is best to pump a little at a time to keep your supply steady and to make sure your baby gets enough milk with each feeding. You can start pumping as long as a week before you plan to leave him because breast milk lasts 8 days in the refrigerator.
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Step 4
Mark each container with the date and put the newest milk in back of the older milk.
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Step 5
Give the bottle a test run. Some babies suck the bottle down like there's no tomorrow, while others spit the nipple out. Keep trying and don't leave him with the babysitter before he can drink from the bottle.
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Step 6
Tell the babysitter which bottle to use first and to shake the bottle before feeding him.
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Step 7
Take the pump with you. You will need to mirror your baby's feeding patterns to keep your supply consistent. Besides, you don't want to come running home because your breast are swollen hard.
