Guest Post by Daniela McVicker
15 Tips for Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work
Returning to work after maternity leave can be overwhelming.
On one hand, you might be anxious to escape the house and return to your activity; on the other, you’re going to miss your little baby like there’s no tomorrow. Add to that your stresses over adjusting your life as a working mother, your infant’s childcare plan, and endless different things, and it’s no big surprise numerous moms see returning to work as unbelievably distressing.
When you’re back in the workplace after your child is born, you may wonder whether it is possible to keep breastfeeding after going back to work.
It is definitely possible, although breastfeeding and going back to work is unquestionably trickier in certain circumstances.
Preparing for your return to work can help ease that transition. Learn as much as you can before your baby’s birth.
Chat with your boss about your choices. Preparing can assist you with continuing to breastfeeding your infant long after your maternity leave is finished.
There are numerous things you can do to get yourself and your baby ready for the transition back to work. Simply approach slowly and carefully, be adaptable, and realize that it will get easier!
In regards to breastfeeding and returning to work, consider how you’ll keep up your milk supply to ensure your baby will have enough breast milk while you are away.
This implies pumping breast milk at work, storing, and moving it securely, with the goal that the person taking care of your baby can give it to your baby.
The idea of adjusting to working and breastfeeding your baby can be scary for most moms. As daunting as it sounds, there are plenty of moms who make it work and succeed every day at breasting and going back to work.
Here are 15 tips for breastfeeding and going back to work to help you through!
Prepare Your Mind
Take it one day at a time. It will get easier.
Try not to be reluctant when you are requesting help from your lactation consultant, the hospital where you gave birth, and other working mothers who have effectively returned to work and kept on breastfeeding.
Take a Breastfeeding Class
These might be offered at the medical clinic where you intend to convey your infant. These classes offer tips on going back to work and proceeding to breastfeed.
Prepare Yourself (and the Baby Too)
Prepare yourself about a month before you need to return.
Make a point to go out. Give your baby’s caretaker the chance to keep your infant without mother around. Help ready your baby for taking a bottle.
Take advantage, mother! Get together with a friend, go out on the town to shop, young ladies’ night out!
Know Your Rights
It is useful for new working mothers to know their rights and to get the help that they need from their managers and associates to guarantee that they can keep breastfeeding their infants after returning to work.
Educate yourself about your Federal and state laws that ensure your rights so you can go to bat for yourself if your rights aren’t being regarded.
Most associations permit their representatives to breast pump at work. It is best to discuss your needs and rights with your boss or HR department and get some information about specific arrangements they may have concerning breastfeeding mothers at work.
An incredibly supportive tip is to search for other breastfeeding mothers in your working environment and get their feedback on the issue.
If your working environment doesn’t have a legitimate spot where you can pump, you may have the option to set up a more grounded case for having one.
Note, bosses ought to give a spot to mothers to pump breast milk, and that doesn’t mean the restroom! Make sure you know your rights as a breastfeeding mother in the working environment in the event that you need accommodations or have requests for your place of work.
Establish a Pumping Routine Early
Setting up a great pumping routine right off the bat will help your long haul nursing achievement.
Week 2 or 3 is the point at which we prescribe you start the pumping. This will allow you to get settled and establish good breastfeeding habits (like a good latch for baby) and allow your milk to come in and regulate before introducing your infant to a bottle.
Plan Your Pumping Schedule around Your Baby’s Feeding Schedule
Contingent upon your baby’s needs, you may have the option to pull off pumping just two times every day; moms who battle with supply may need to pump up to multiple times.
Your pumping schedule will largely depend upon your particular work circumstance and your child’s needs.
You can see a great sample pumping schedule, here.
Store Your Freshly Pumped Breast Milk In Small Cooler With An Ice Pack
After each pumping session, join the two collection bottles of milk into a single container or store in freezer bags.
Put them in a little cooler that has an ice pack in it.
You can keep this in your pump bag throughout the day and simply continue including every session’s pumped milk into it. The ice pack and cooler will keep it cold enough for the whole day until you return home.
You can learn how to store breast milk properly, here.
Talk to Your Daycare
Childcare circumstances differ enormously. It is important to discuss your options with your childcare provider.
Ask questions about how they will store your milk. Will you need to have bottles prepared beforehand? Will they toss the bottle immediately if your baby does not finish it? What schedule do they follow? How are solids handled once introduced? Etc.
Also, ask about the option to nurse your infant at the start and end of every day. This can help maintain a proper supply and reduce the amount you need to pump.
This article has a lot of great information on Childcare and Breastfeeding.
Have a Night Plan
Plan for expanded evening time nursing.
Numerous infants will begin breastfeeding more frequently during the night than before you came back to work, particularly during the initial few weeks.
There’s a side advantage to this: the degree of prolactin (the hormone that empowers milk generation) is higher during night feedings, so this will help keep up your milk supply. Amplify your rest.
You can read more about reverse cycling and why this happens, here.
Discuss Different Types of Schedules With Your Boss
On your arrival to work, have direct discussions with your managers and if necessary, your colleagues, so they are clear about your goal/intent to breastfeed and pump while working.
Your manager and Human Recourses department should already be clear about your rights but be prepared with that information in case you run into a situation where you need to educate them.
Connect with your boss when you realize you mean to come back to work, regardless of whether your return date is months away.
Depending on your job and company, you may consider talking to your boss about a possible flex schedule, working part-time, or taking a shorter lunch to reduce your workday which can help balance family/work life.
Set Yourself a Routine
Consistency is key. Get a routine set and stick to it.
An example of this is that you pump milk in the morning, pack your pump bag the night before using an extra set of clean pump parts. Once at work, pick a few times during your workday to pump. Once back home, freeze your pumped milk and wash all the pump parts and repack your pump bag for the following morning. Repeat.
You can find Tips and Hacks for Pumping at Work, here!
Take Time to Adjust to Your New Double Role.
It is common for moms to find it difficult to change gears from working mom to breastfeeding mom while pumping at work which can affect her body’s ability to achieve a milk letdown.
So when that opportunity arrives, find a quiet, workable space, attempt to unwind (more difficult than one might expect, we know!), and envision being with your infant. A trick is to bring something that has your baby’s scents on it or glance through pictures and videos (ones of your baby crying will certainly get that milk flowing!).
Ask Friends and Family for Support
It’s good, and even essential, to ask for help and/or advice.
Who would you be able to depend on?
Open up to them. Confide in them. Many moms have walked this road and you might be surprised to find how much support you have around you.
Take Care Of Yourself
Rest as much as you can. Cut down on doing things that are a bit much.
Pick a sleep time that gives you enough rest and stick with it.
On ends of the week, breastfeed frequently and rest when your infant does.
You may find breastfeeding makes things easier on you, an opinion shared by many experts! You can read more about that, here!
Do Weekend Feeds
Breastfeed “on-demand” on the weekends or days off.
On the off chance that you’ve seen your milk supply dipping during the week at work, this is your opportunity to modify it and support a healthy nursing relationship.
In the event that you are pumping, the milk you put away on Friday will keep fine in the refrigerator for your infant to have on Monday.
These 15 tips will assist you in being successful at breastfeeding and going back to work.
Hang in there, momma! You’re doing great! Being a mother and working can be tiring and overwhelming! Difficulties just make you more grounded and worth what you have much more.
You can do this.
You will do this.
Up Next – How to Build a Milk Freezer Stash Before Returning to Work- Read Now—>
About the Author
Daniela McVicker is a psychologist and family counselor. She is also a freelance writer and a contributor to many authoritative sources. Her passion is writing about leading a healthy family life and helping people enjoy their lives to the fullest. You can read her last Grabmyessay review.
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