Breastfeeding your baby for up to a year from birth provides your baby with essential nutrients needed for growth and to develop a strong immunity. Women who need to go back to work a few weeks after giving birth can still continue to provide their babies with the goodness of breast milk. All it needs is a little bit of advance planning and the right equipment.
Whether you will be giving birth to your first child or you have already breastfed a child before, attending a breastfeeding class would definitely be beneficial. It will help you learn about how to establish a regular and adequate supply of breast milk, help your baby to latch on correctly, the various breastfeeding positions, how to hand express milk, how to pump breast milk and how to use manual breast pump and electric breast pump for pumping breast milk. Also hold discussions with your family and the baby’s caregivers so that you can set expectations and ask for their support in looking after the baby.
Even before proceeding for maternity leave, it is possible to ensure that a basic structure is in place to enable you to breastfeed when you return to work after childbirth. It is important to have an open discussion with your boss about your plan to breastfeed before proceeding on leave so that your work can be allocated accordingly when you return. It is also important to talk to other women at your workplace who have been breastfeeding their children so that you have a clear idea about the challenges that may be involved and can look for workarounds for the problems. It may also be a good idea to search for child care facilities near the workplace so that you get a chance to check in on your baby at regular intervals.
Even if you are exclusively breastfeeding your baby while at home, take the time to practice how to express breast milk by hand and how to use a breast pump. A month after birth, you could try introducing breast milk in feeding bottles so that the baby gets used to it by the time you have to return to work. Since latching takes time and practice, it is good to keep a nipple shield to protect sore or cracked nipples. PIGEON’s Silicone Nipple Shields provide a wide contact surface that helps relieve pain latch-on problems. A breastfeeding pump is a great way to express breast milk. It can be used right from the time the baby is born. Using a breast pump can help to prevent engorgement and to establish a good supply of breast milk soon after childbirth. When you are ready to return to work, a breast pump helps keep a stock of breast milk available to the child at all times. Working women prefer electric breast pumps as they are convenient-to-use hands-free breast pumps that are fast and easy to set up and operate. It may be good to also keep a manual breast milk pump as a spare, for times when the power supply is not available or you need to keep an additional breast pump at a different location. PIGEON has a wide range of both electric and manual breast pumps that are also compatible with PIGEON bottles for feeding.
Once you have established a breastfeeding schedule and built a small stock of frozen breast milk for emergencies, you can plan to return to work smoothly. Storing breast milk in the freezer helps to keep it fresh for extended periods of time. PIGEON breast milk storage bags are perfect for storing and freezing expressed breast milk as they are leak-proof, made of good quality plastic, and are pre-sterilized with gamma rays for hygiene and safety before use.
At the workplace, you will need a clean, private place where you can comfortably express breast milk. In the beginning, you may need to express every 3 hours so it is important that your boss/employer is on board with this arrangement. The expressed milk will also need to be stored safely and hygienically so you may want to carry ice packs to keep the breast milk fresh in case your workplace does not have a refrigerator. You will also need to be equipped with a breast pump, milk storage bottles (which can be refrigerated), and breast pads to absorb any milk that leaks from the breasts. PIGEON milk storage bottles are compatible with PIGEON breast pumps and feeding bottle nipples making them easy to store breast milk in as well as to feed the baby. They also contain guidelines on how to store breast milk in the fridge and for how long the milk will remain fresh. PIGEON Food Warmer provides instructions on how to warm breast milk from the fridge to bring it to the right temperature for feeding the baby once you are back home. PIGEON Breast Pads have a honeycomb design, are leak-proof, and can contain the heaviest flow. They are ultra-slim and will maintain a smooth shape even after absorbing milk.
Breastfeeding is an emotional experience, an excellent way for the mother to bond with her baby, and a source of comfort for both of them. Staying away from the baby for extended periods of time every day can be very challenging for the mother physically and emotionally, even with the best preparation equipment at hand. Make sure you talk to your employer about your needs and enlist their support in helping you to balance work and the baby better. Ease yourself in the work either by working a few hours a day or a few days a week till both you and your baby get adjusted to it. Continue to breastfeed your baby in the mornings and evenings, particularly as soon as you see your baby after a long time away. Encourage your partner or caregiver to take over some of the feeds even when you are back from work so that you are not completely drained out with managing the work and the baby. It is also important that you do not hesitate to seek help if you feel emotionally vulnerable.
