We congratulate you on your decision to breastfeed! You will be giving your baby the best and most beneficial start in his life, because your milk can protect him against diseases and infections.
Many women follow the recommendation of the World Health Organization, breastfeeding their babies for at least the first six months of their lives. They start their amazing mission since day one after giving birth and continue even after they go back to work. So why don’t you do the same?
Read on for more information about being a working mom and breastfeeding
- Before you decide to go back to work, talk to your employer or your HRmanager about the company’s policy regarding breastfeeding and about your need to pursue this experience.
- Ask your manager or your supervisor for a clean and private room where you can go to whenever you need to pump some milk.
- Decide with your manager on the break times that you will deduct from your working hours in order to pump your breast milk and prevent its accumulation in a way that will affect its supply and your lactation (an average of 20 minutes every 3 to 4 hours)
- Discuss with your manager the benefits of breastfeeding and its impact on your job and status in the company (fewer leaves, fewer absences, etc.).
- Make sure you go back to work mid-week so you and your child get enough time to adapt to the new situation.
- Buy a breast pump, and be sure it will be your best bet to maintain your milk production and make you feel more connected to your child, even though you’re far from one another.
- Keep your milk in sterile bottles and put them in the fridge at a proper temperature to preserve them.
- Make sure you breastfeed your baby before you leave the house and as soon as you return, in an attempt to increase the number of breastfeeding sessions and reduce the amount of milk you need to pump.
- Try to increase your breastfeeding sessions during the evening period, when your milk supply is at its highest. And if you find this a bit exhausting, make sure you increase your hours of sleep to compensate for any shortage of energy.
- Make sure you breastfeed your baby on demand during the weekend, especially if you notice an irregularity in your milk supply during the week.
As you put all your energy and love into caring and breastfeeding your baby whilst working inside and outside the house, you shouldn’t neglect yourself so you can have the strength to continue what you’re doing and remain happy and healthy.
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