Newest Breastfeeding Trends Help Working Moms
World health experts acknowledge that
breastfeeding your baby for at least one year is best. While most women do want
to do what is best for their babies, studies report a sharp decline since the 70’s in
both the number of women who breastfeed their babies at all and the length of
time they do it. As more mothers work full time, breastfeeding baby for an entire
year poses quite a challenge. Luckily, there are some innovative and useful new
ways to meet this challenge.
Pumping Milk
Many women are wary of pumping and wonder how they’ll ever produce enough
milk. However, a woman’s body is amazing – if you increase the demand for milk
through pumping, it will be only a matter of days before the breasts supply more
milk to meet that demand. Once a routine is established, the breasts will produce
the perfect amount of milk that baby needs.
Another great concern for working mothers is pumping milk at their place of
employment. Let’s be realistic, you cannot and should not have to pump milk in
a bathroom stall – in order to produce milk you must relax. You’ll need a quiet,
private area with a chair and electrical outlet. Some employers have pumping
rooms for working moms, while others do not. However, almost all 50 states have
laws that stipulate women have the right to an adequate space to pump their milk
at work. If you feel you need support in approaching your employer about this,
contact a breastfeeding advocate, such as La Leche League representative, and
you’ll most likely be able to work out a suitable arrangement with your employer.
There is a wide variety of pumps to choose from, and you’ll want to make your
selection carefully. Some pumps are designed for stay-at-home or work-at-home
moms who are only separated from their baby on occasion. These pumps are
usually manual, and only pump one breast at a time. Working moms should
splurge a little and buy a double, electric pump with a carrying and storage case.
This will allow you to transport everything together and makes milk collection and
storage a breeze.
Storing Milk
Once you’ve collected all that milk, you’ll need to know how to store it. In general,
the rules are:
● You can store it at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours.
● You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 or 3 days.
● You can store it in the freezer for up to 2 weeks in a freezer compartment
located inside the refrigerator or for 3 to 4 months in a freezer that’s self-
contained. Also, it’s very important that you never re-freeze milk. Once
milk is thawed it must be used within 24 hours.
●
General Tips
● Preferably before you return to work, pump milk and stock pile it in your
freezer. This will give you extra in case you experience a stress-related
shortage as many women do near the end of a busy week.
● Pump the most in the morning – your milk supply is greatest at this time.
● Look at a picture of your baby while pumping; this will increase your milk
flow.
● Keep milk you’ve pumped at work in a mini cooler, so you make sure it will
stay fresh until you get home and get it to baby. Many professional grade
pumps come with a cooler case.
● Never microwave your milk – this changes its chemical make up.
To locate the breast pump user’s manual for the model you own, visit the
ManualsOnline Library.