Working moms often find it hard to go back to work once their maternity leave ends. Aside from separation anxiety, they would also need to delegate the delicate task of caring for their baby to a close relative or to a yaya. To make feeding easier, some working moms turn to milk formulas.
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| Photo: “Linden - drinking breast milk from a bottle” by Nelson Kwok, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved |
Are you one of these working moms? Please remember that breastfeeding is still possible even when you go back to work. You will just need to make these few adjustments:
- Invest on a breast pump. You can choose from a single manual to double electric breast pumps which are both readily available in departments stores and specialty shops nowadays.
- Take advantage of disposable sterilized storage bags to store your milk. Don't forget to label each bag with the date and time you expressed the milk.
- Store the milk in a freezer. If your office pantry has a refrigerator, ask your co-workers to reserve some space for your bags away from other foods and liquids.
- Bring a small cooler or an insulated bag to keep your milk cool while you go home from work. You can also put your milk storage bags here if you don't want to place it in the office pantry refrigerator. Just make sure that it is kept cool throughout the day. Breastmilk can only last in the fridge/cooler for 24 hours. In a deep freezer, breastmilk can last from 6 months to 1 year.
- Have a picture of your baby to look at while expressing milk to stimulate milking.
- Do not express milk inside the restroom. With a nursing cover, you can do it quietly in your cubicle or work area. It would also be helpful if your office has a lactation room or at least a private room that can be used by nursing mothers.
- Orient your baby's caregiver about the First In, First Out system and about thawing and heating the expressed milk. Remind him/her to never microwave breastmilk! and to never heat the milk directly on the stove. Frozen milk should first be placed in the ref a day before use or cooled under cool running water. Then, it should be immersed in a bowl of hot water. Rewarm the water if necessary.
- Sterilize all your breastfeeding equipment when you get home.
When breastmilk is stored, it may appear to have a milk layer and a cream layer. This is normal. Just shake it gently before feeding to redistribute the cream. At home, go back to exclusively feeding your baby from your breasts. You will also need the natural sucking of your child to drain the milk in your breasts which will signal your brain to produce more milk for your baby.
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Help me encourage other moms and moms-to-be to breastfeed. Share the link of this post in your Facebook wall by clicking the Facebook share button at the beginning of this post and tagging The 24 Hour Mommy by writing this:
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Reference: Breastfeeding informational flyer developed by the DOH, WHO, and SM Supermalls.
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I am a breastfeeding working mom. I successfully breastfeed my eldest until she was 3 and now I'm breastfeeding my youngest who is now 4 months old.
ReplyDeleteIt may be hard to breastfeed when working but it can be done. I am thankful to my husband, helpers and colleagues who shows their support to me in this.
Wow, Nicquee. You are one great mommy! I really wish more moms will continue breastfeeding their tots even beyond 2 years of age. Ms. Nuriza Abeja, of the NGO Beauty, Brains and Breastfeeding, breastfed her first born until he was 5 years old if I'm not mistaken. (http://www.the24hourmommy.com/2010/08/you-me-mommy-event-we-all-support-our.html) Some may find it weird but I don't. I rather find it very inspiring. And her boy turned out to be very smart!
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