Back in the day (1982 to be exact), a new mom, going back to work, was not encouraged.
There were not different models of breast pumps to choose from with or without carrying cases, special breast milk storage bags and hands free pumping apparatus. The only places you could find and use an electric breast pump was at the hospital. To rent them for home was a daily rate that was too expensive for us. My support was 1 girlfriend , we are close to this day, and our La Leche league.
My husband and I actually bought a house close to my work so I could come home lunchtime to breastfeed my 3 month old.
I had tremendous difficulty expressing my milk. None of the handheld squeezer types was useful to me.
The only thing that worked was a teacup and my thumb.
I think I expressed less than 0.5 ounce at a time. To fill a 4 ounce bottle, it took me about 10-12 additions to that little bottle. Because you eat different food or drink more or less water in a day, my breast milk was different shades of white. The bottles were striped with my additions of milk. I would express the milk, then cool it (so not to defrost the previous entree), then add it to a bottle in the freezer.
Also back in the day there were no hooter hiders, or pods In airports. It just wasn't done in public. I finally got my dad not to run out of the room while I nursed when he was reassured that I wasn't going to flash him.
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