Working mothers may find it difficult to breastfeed their kids during working hours, but there are ways to overcome this problem and make sure that the kids are properly fed in the absence of their mothers and ensure their health. The mothers can adopt some strategies that suit them, their careers and above all their kids.
One strategy is to prepare well in advance before returning to work. This involves expressing milk, which should start about a month in advance. If this is practiced in advance, mothers could become experts in this method and can store enough milk in the freezer to feed the kids at home in their absence. Also, use this time to prepare the kids for bottle feeding by giving them practice on the bottle or a beaker.
However, some mothers prefer to feed their kids only breast milk. This can be done by arranging a suitable place to express milk at work and then enlist the cooperation of the person entrusted to feed the kids. Or, mothers can express the milk at home before leaving, so that the care taker can feed the kids as and when necessary.
Some working mothers combine breast milk with formula milk for feeding their kids. These mothers breast feed kids when they are at home and arrange formula milk feeding while at work. For this, mothers need to train their body to produce less milk during working hours otherwise there will be a problem of leakage. This can be done by gradual reduction of breast feeding a week or so before getting back to work. Or, they may have to carry more breast pads and an extra shirt to work.
If any of the above methods are practiced, the kids won’t suffer any disadvantages due to a working mother. The breast milk may lose some nutrients due to the freezing, but considering all the benefits it is acceptable. Any minor discomforts are forgotten when the mother and child are together again.
Some companies have arrangements for mothers to breast feed their kids at work as per government guidelines under health and safety law. The European Commission has also recommended such guidelines. However, these guide lines have no legal force and it still depends on the employer’s discretion and work ethics.
The above strategies may seem tiring to many mothers in the beginning, but they will get used to it and become comfortable with in a week or fortnight.
Posted on May 7th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Baby, Breastfeeding, Child Care, Toddler
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