Breastfeeding and Working Moms

From LoveToKnow Baby

Returning to work after having a baby can be a difficult and emotional time for mothers no matter how old their babies are. Mothers who are breastfeeding may find that there are several other issues that must be addressed in order for them to continue nursing their children. Take heart, however. It can be done, and mothers all over the world are nursing their children while working full-time.

Challenges

If you are going to return to work soon, you owe it to yourself to become educated on the facts of breastfeeding and working. Read everything you can get your hands on, and know your rights. Some states have already enacted breastfeeding legislation making it illegal to discriminate against a nursing mother. Once such lawsuit, Griswold vs. Connecticut, ruled that ""Breastfeeding is the most elemental form of parental care. It is a communion between mother and child that, like marriage, is intimate to the degree of being sacred..." To read more on breastfeeding legislation, check out the La Leche League website.

If there isn't any breastfeeding legislation in place in your state, however, good communication with your boss is the key. The most important step you can take is to reassure your boss that nursing your baby or pumping during your lunch and break periods will not take away from your performance at work. Then, prove to your boss that you are right! If your employer still balks at allowing you to breastfeed, and you notice other employees taking cigarette breaks, extra long lunches for hair appointments and/or doctors' visits, then you may need to point that out to your boss. It is illegal to discriminate, and while of course you want to maintain good working relationships, what's fair for some needs to apply to everyone in your work place.

Pumping at Work

While some women are lucky enough to run home at lunch to nurse their babies, and others have on-site day care at their work places, making it easy to nurse their child during the day, most breastfeeding moms have to pump. Ideally, you should try to pump every two to three hours to keep up your milk supply. If this isn't possible, pump when you can. If you haven't been pumping while you were at home with your baby, you'll need to begin pumping a couple of weeks before your return to work to become more adept at using your pump. You'll probably want to pump after you've fed your baby. When you pump at work, you'll need to store the milk in a plastic or glass container or in milk storage bags in a refrigerator until you get ready to leave for the day. If your drive home is longer than thirty minutes, or you live in a hot climate, place the milk in a cooler with ice packs.

Storing Breast Milk

Once you get home, you can store the pumped milk for up to a week in the refrigerator.
You can freeze the milk for up to three months in a the freezer secion of your refrigerator.
You can freeze milk for up to six months in a deep freeze.
You should not leave breast milk out at room temperature for longer than eight hours if it is fresh or one hour if it is thawed milk.

For more information on pumping and storing your milk, check out the Association for Breastfeeding Mothers website.

Successful Breastfeeding

In order to be successful in breastfeeding your baby after you return to work, there are several points to keep in mind.

Good communication with your boss and co-workers is important.
Seek out other breastfeeding, working moms for support and advice.
Practice using the pump at least two weeks before returning to work.
Nurse your baby right before you leave for work and immediately after your return home.
Store your milk properly.
Realize that returning to work will take a toll on you physically and emotionally, so ask for help, talk to friends and family, call your daycare provider during the day to ask about your baby, and go easy on yourself!
If you need additional help, ask your doctor for the name of a lactation specialist or contact your local La Leche League organization.