Can you continue breast-feeding when working
This question worries all women wHo want to have a baby and still not give up a great career.
In today’s world where women are working hard to break glass ceilings, you are faced with difficult choices.
Some people don’t have this choice. Losing an income is not an option. Baby care requires money.
The most difficult one is when you are breastfeeding.
If your baby is more than 6 months old then ,weaning starts .You have less of a worry.
But what about if baby is 2 months 3 months 4 or 5 months.
In today’s fast paced life even babies are hurried.
Government benefits for women are better.But corporate India gives you a maximum of 12 weeks of paid maternity leave.
Whatever the mother’s emotion, those who are working face the tough choice of giving up their job (often economically not possible) or weaning their babies off breast milk prematurely.
Rarely women may have sympathetic bosses with exceptional maternity benefits and enjoy bonding with their little ones for the first 6 month of life with no worry.
More often that’s not the case.
Corporate India looses women in the middle and top management positions because moms really can’t choose between a baby and climbing the career ladder.
Men surprisingly never have to face this particular choice.
Recently I read an article where a woman in a senior place in a bank talks about fertility leave and maternity benefits ,she had enjoyed in a top multinational bank in India.
My top 5 wishes for moms who want to work and take care of their babies.
- Work from home option
- Flexible working hours
- Child care leaves without losing out on promotions and increments
- Creche at workplaces (Even fathers will be benefitted)
Since these wishes will need some time to be fulfilled .
Few tips for breastfeeding moms who work:
Ideally infants should be exclusively breast-fed till 6 months of age.
EBF or exclusive breast-feeding means only mommy milk.No juice, water, nothing.
I am writing about this, because I was a mom who had to leave her 2 month old to join work (I had very little maternity benefit as I was a temp then).
I share the following tips to help you and your baby .If you face a challenge of continuing breast-feeding while working,take heart there are ways.
Top tips to breastfeed even after joining work:
1) Invest in a good automatic breast pump. The manual one is not so great.Use a breast pump to express your breast milk.
Before joining work practice expressing milk at home .Leave child with caregiver for short trials to gradually adjust baby to bottle .
Continue breast-feeding at other times.That acts as a good stimuli for a great milk flow.
Relax,listen to music ,eat healthy.Don’t forget the right amount calorie and nutrient supplementation. (Will be writing about this)
2) You can refrigerate at temperature of 4 to 8 degree Celsius in baby safe sterile feeding bottle .Express and store in the amount that your baby takes per feed.
3) 1 hour before each feed place the bottle in a water bath.This helps the milk come to normal temp.Breast milk if heated in a microwave will get curdled.So no heating.
4) You can the ask your family member or care giver, whoever is taking care of baby ,to feed your baby every time she cries for feed.Its better to be baby led than forceful feeding.
5) Remember to train them to always wash hands with an antiseptic hand wash, before feeding baby.
6) Always throw away residual milk after feed.
7) Don’t reuse bottle after a feed.Only used sterile bottles for every feed.
How to clean the feeding bottle?
Separate all parts of the feeding bottle.
Feeding bottles should be sterilized in a microwave .You can also use a steam sterilizer or steam it over a stove top.
Ideally feeding bottles should be of food grade glassware microwave safe,BPA free .
Never add excessive cleaning solution.One drop in 5 litre of water.More than this there will be detergent residue which is bad for the baby.
If not able to sterilize bottle immediately after a feed follow 3 steps:
Throw away the residual milk.
Rinse thoroughly under running water .
This gets rid of the milk smell and the residual milk.
Following, up with clean water.
Sterilize it when you have time.
Feeding kit ,my favourites:
1)My favourite bottles are Chicco glass feeding bottles .
Philips Avent Single Electric Comfort Breast Pump
3)Steam sterilizer
Always sit comfortably with a good back support while expressing milk.
Don’t forget breast care and hygiene .
Moisturize nipple (Use Nipcare) after every feed or expression helps prevents drying and cracks
Tell me your experience. .What’s your opinion about women having to choose between baby and career.
How can we help break this glass ceiling?
This is a part #Dailychatter Day 3 theblogchatter.com
Get this guide
Feeding your child from 6 months to 24
[wysija_form id=”1″]
RELATED
5 Tests before planning a baby
Disclaimer:
This article is meant to help and inform.Always consult your doctor for personalized recommendation.