Back to work| How to continue breastfeeding| Expressed breastmilk!

Every mother wants to ensure best health and nutrition for her child. And breastfeeding for the first six months and continuing it to beyond 2 years is the best way to provide adequate nutrition to a child.  Breastfeeding mothers returning to work easily feel overwhelmed.

Be sure to exclusively breastfeed your child for the first 6 months. Do not think that I have to join work within next 5 to 6 weeks, so let me start the bottle feed now and get the child accustomed. Remember there is no need for a bottle at all. Even a small child can be fed with a cup.

Tips that can help you breastfeed even when you are working:

1. Keep your baby with you at the work place, if possible and feed throughout the day.

2. If the work place is nearby, go home and breastfeed or ask someone to bring the baby to you so that you can breastfeed.

3. If the workplace is far, look for some day care centers nearby where you can go and breastfeed.

4. Continue to breastfeed at night, in the morning and anytime during the day when you are with the baby.

5. If any of these is not possible, learn to express and store your milk so that the caregiver can feed your baby while you are away.

How to express, store and feed breastmilk?

1. Leave yourself enough time to express your breastmilk in a relaxed manner. You may need to wake up a little early.

2. Express as much breastmilk as possible, into a very clean cup or jar. 1 cup (200 ml) breastmilk can give a baby 3 feeds. Plan and express the amount as per the duration that you will be away from your child.

3. Cover the cup of expressed breastmilk with a clean plate and leave the milk in the coolest place, maybe in a refrigerator.

4. Inform the caregiver not to boil or reheat the breastmilk before feeding the baby. Also, make your caregiver learn how to feed the baby this expressed breastmilk using a cup, and not use a bottle.

Expressed breastmilk has anti-infective properties which helps it to stay in good condition longer than the cow’s milk. Germs do not start growing in expressed breastmilk for at least 8 hours, even outside the refrigerator and for 24hrs inside the refrigerator. It is safe to give to the baby throughout one working day.

It is always nutritious, healthy and safe to feed your child with breastmilk rather than any artificial milks.

Source:-
https://www.unicef.org/parenting/food-nutrition/breastfeeding-workplace#:~:text=At work%2C try to express, with frozen gel%2Fice packs.

Disclaimer:-This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment. Do not ignore or delay professional medical advice based on anything you have seen or read on Medwiki.

Find us at: 

• https://www.instagram.com/medwiki_/?h... 
• https://twitter.com/medwiki_inc
• https://www.facebook.com/medwiki.co.in/