Breastfeeding
and the Working Mother
Breastfeeding and the Working Mother
Planning and preparing to combine working and breastfeeding by Amy Spangler Excerpted from Amy Spangler's Breastfeeding: A Parent's Guide Many mothers who work outside the home continue to breastfeed. It takes a little extra planning and preparation to combine working and breastfeeding, but the benefits are worth it. 
Breastfeeding keeps a mother and baby close even when they are 
apart.
Breastmilk keeps a baby healthy (especially those in group child
care centers).
Mothers of healthy babies miss less work, lose less income, and
have less worry from sick babies.
Breastfeeding saves money; mothers who breastfeed do not have to
spend their earnings on large amounts of infant formula or foods
to replace their breastmilk.As the number of working mothers increases, employers are becoming more supportive of breastfeeding. In the past, few employers considered breastfeeding beneficial, but today many see how breastfeeding can help their business. For instance, breastfed babies are typically sick fewer times, even when placed in group day care centers. Less sickness on the baby's part means less absence on your part, which means better productivity for the company. One study found that non-breastfeeding mothers were absent from the work site 3 times more often (due to babies' illnesses) than breastfeeding mothers.1 Breastfeeding and working can be a win-win-win situation for mother, baby, and employer. DECIDE WHERE AND WHEN YOU CAN EXPRESS OR BREASTFEED DURING WORK HOURS If you want to express or breastfeed at the work site, think about where and when this can happen. You won't know how long breastfeeding or expressing your milk will take until after your baby is born and you have a chance to practice. If you plan to use a breast pump, find out if your employer provides pumps or supplies or ask for one as a baby gift. Look for places at the work site where you can express your milk or breastfeed such as a private office, a health clinic, or a child care center. You may need to be creative as you look for space, privacy, and comfort. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND YOUR BABY DURING YOUR BIRTH AND MATERNITY LEAVE Enjoy this precious time with your baby to the fullest. Breastfeed early and often to help your baby learn good breastfeeding practices and to establish a good milk supply. Avoid pacifiers, bottles, or foods other than breastmilk for the first 4 weeks after birth. These can confuse your baby's sucking pattern and decrease your milk supply. LEARN HOW TO EXPRESS AND COLLECT YOUR BREASTMILK If you plan to give your baby breastmilk during your work day, you will need to learn how to express and collect. You can start practicing milk expression as soon as your milk production increases, in the first week after birth. You can use your hands, a simple hand pump, or various automatic pumps. Practice early and often so that you will have time to learn this important skill before you return to work. Your first attempts at milk expression may produce only enough milk to cover the bottom of the collection container. Don't get discouraged. Much like the art of breastfeeding, success comes with practice. If you are expressing early on, and your baby is breastfeeding well, freeze your milk for later use. Label it with the date it was expressed. Breastmilk can be stored at room temperature for 4-8 hours, in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, in the freezer section of your refrigerator/freezer for 3 months, and in a upright or chest freezer for 6-12 months.2 As your baby gets older and your return to work gets closer, store your milk in single servings. Of course, your baby may want a bit more or less than this amount on any given day. If your baby seems hungrier than usual, feel free to make up larger servings for your baby's child care provider, or send along extra servings. Remember to adjust serving size as your baby grows. ESTIMATE THE SIZE OF A SINGLE SERVING DURING THE FIRST 3 MONTHS Babies eat about 2 1/2, ounces (oz.) each day for every pound (lb.) they weigh. For example, an 8 lb. baby would eat 2 1/2oz. x 8 lb. or 20 oz. a day. Divide this amount by the number of feedings and you can estimate the size of a single feeding. If this baby breastfeeds 10 times a day, 20 oz. / 10 feedings = 2 oz. per feeding. INTRODUCE A NEW FEEDING METHOD AND/OR A BREASTMILK SUBSTITUTE Once your baby is breastfeeding well, about 4 weeks after birth, you can introduce a new feeding method. If you do this too soon you can confuse your baby's sucking pattern and decrease your milk supply. However, if your work schedule requires that you be away from your baby during feeding times, you need to know that he will accept food from something other than the breast and from someone other than you. What to substitute Depending on the baby's age and ability, you can use expressed breastmilk, infant formula, or solid food. Doctors recommend breastmilk alone for the first 6 months. If you cannot give just breastmilk, your baby's doctor can recommend an infant formula. After the first 6 months, solid foods can be slowly introduced, but breastmilk or infant formula should still be fed through the first year of life. How to substitute You can use a cup, medicine dropper, hollow-handled medicine spoon, or bottle, whichever you, your baby, and your child care provider prefer. Should you choose to place the substitute in a bottle, try different nipple shapes and sizes until you find one that the baby will accept. Let someone other than you offer the substitute - your baby expects meals from you to come from your breast, not a cup! In fact, you may want to leave the room during the feeding - some babies refuse substitutes when the real thing is nearby. Some mothers and babies avoid substitutes by reverse-cycle breastfeeding. Reverse-cycle breastfeeding means letting the baby sleep during the day while you are at work and breastfeeding in the evening and at night when you are together. This article continues at: Breastfeeding and the Working Mother - Returning to Work References: 1. Cohen R. et al. Comparison of maternal absenteeism and infant illness rates among breastfeeding and formula-feeding women in two corporations. American Journal of Health Promotion 10(2):148-153, 1995. 2. Hamosh M et al. Breastfeeding and the working mother:
Effect of time and temperature of short-term storage on
proteolysis, lipolysis, and bacterial growth in milk. Pediatrics
94(4):492, 1996. |
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