Breastfeeding For Working Mothers - Easy Tips

Postnatal

oi-Gowri Nandini

By Nandhini Devi

Monday, July 4, 2011, 15:30

Breastfeeding your baby is a great way to bond with your baby. Breastfeeding has many positive effects on mothers too. However, not all mothers have the privilege of staying at home for long durations and keep their babies on 'mommies milk diet'.

Some new mothers have to get back to work, leaving the child at home, even when they are lesser than 2 months. So does this mean that they have to completely wean the child before they get back to office? Absolutely not. There are several ways to feed your baby with breast milk, without actually being present. Breast milk expressing is one way to extract your milk and feed it to your baby, in your absence.

Breastfeeding tips for working moms:

1.First thing that every breastfeeding working mother should know is how to express milk and store it. Start expressing milk during the fist week after birth, as the milk supply would be ample at this stage. You can use your hands or a pump to extract the milk. Store the milk in an air-tight container and start giving it to the baby, while you are at home. Always label the container with date.

Storage duration for expressed breast milk:

• Room temperature: 4-8 hours
• Refrigerator: 3 days
• Freezer: 3 months

2.Make sure your co-workers are aware about your plan. Your breaks taken for breast milk expression should not cause interference with your work.

3.Once you are at work find a clean and suitable area where you can express milk. While breastfeeding away from home, make sure you do it at scheduled timings to maximise the flow of milk. Carry good quality storage containers to work.

4.When you are at home maintain a check on how frequently your baby feeds. If she feeds every 2 hours, make sure breast milk expressing is also done at the same 2-hour interval.

5.One important breastfeeding tips for working mothers. Find someone who can collect the milk from you and deliver it to the house.

6.Its better if you breastfeed the baby once before you leave for work. To manage this, feed your baby before you get out of bed. If you have more than 2-3 hours before you leave to work, you can probably feed the baby once again. This will empty your breasts and you don't have to sit down to breast milk expressing as soon as you reach office.

7.An important point that all breastfeeding working mothers must note. Start on an infant formula, and feed the baby with it once in a while. After 6 months the baby needs additional food with the breast milk. So, preparing your child in advance will help you provide him with the necessary nutrition he requires.

Apart from following the above breastfeeding tips for working mothers, remember to spend quality time when you are with your child. There is no better way to bond with the child than to give him your maximum attention and love.