Working Mothers & Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding yields immediate and long term health benefits for babies and their mothers. To enumerate few health benefits of babies are improved cognitive development, bolstered the immune system, reduced incidence of infections like meningitis, diarrhea, decreased risk of being an overweight and reduced risk of diabetes, asthma, leucopenia, to list a few. When these babies grow to adults, the benefits in the mothers are decreased menstrual loss, increased birth spacing, earlier return to pregnancy weight and decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Financial benefits of breastfeeding are reduced cost of purchasing infant formula. Moreover, breast milk is easily available and requires no preparation. So, with all these benefits of mother’s milk, it is unjustified to debar any mother from breast feeding.

Breastfeeding and issues for working women:

A full-time job lays hindrance to the mother in breastfeeding. If you live near your workplace or have baby daycare nearby, you may be able to get nursing breaks to feed your baby. The US protection and affordable care act (PPACA)in 2010 have passed a law that requires employers to provide moms of babies younger than 12 months a reasonable break time for pumping and a private place to pump, other than bathrooms. Similarly, there are bills protecting the rights of new mothers and babies in India. All new mothers are provided a break of 6 months from their employers in both the private and the public sectors. Such a step has supported the cause of providing exclusive breastfeeding to babies for the first 6 months of their lives.

Ways how you can accommodate breastfeeding in your schedule:

• If your house is not nearby, you can keep up your milk supply by using a high-quality electric breast pump to express milk during the working hour. Store the milk in the refrigerator. You can give that milk to the baby at home.
• If you can’t or don’t want to pump at work place, you can gradually replace a daytime feeding with formula, but continue to nurse at night and in the morning. Remember, if you don’t nurse or pump during the day, your milk supply will diminish.
• Pumping at work stimulates your milk production, so you will have plenty of milk available when you nurse the baby at home. What’s more, pumping can be a wonderful way to feel connected to your baby during the work day.
• You will save money by not buying formula. And you may avoid missed workdays because breastfed babies are half as likely to get sick in their first year as those on formula.
• One of the best things about continuing breastfeeding is coming home to a baby who wants to nurse. You come home, establish your bond, and nurture your baby in a way no one else can. Tell your baby caregiver net to feed the baby during last hour of the work day. Then you and your baby can look forward to a warm reunion every day.