World Health Organization recommends that babies should be exclusively breastfed for six months. However, this becomes an uphill task for working moms who have to go back to work after their maternity leave lapses.
To continue feeding the baby on breast milk even after resuming work needs planning and sacrifice to pull it up.
Having tips on how to go about it can be a lifesaver as it can relieve anxiety and tension in starting this new journey of juggling work and motherhood.
Let your baby be used to the bottle
The first step for any mom whose maternity leave is coming to an end is to make sure her baby can feed comfortably from a bottle before resuming work. This will ensure that the baby doesn’t stay hungry when you leave because it can’t handle bottle feeding.
Then, familiarize the baby with the caretaker or nanny by letting them feed the baby for an easier transition.
Have a good pump
Having a good pump is going to save time for a working mother by a lot. Although a single manual pump is cheaper than a double electric pump is faster and easier to use.
Create a schedule and stick to it
New moms are recommended to pump after every two to three hours, AS a baby gets older you can be pumping once per day.
Have enough supplies
Make sure you pack plenty of clean bottles, hand sanitizer, chargers and batteries for your pump in case a plug is not available. Also, have everything you need to label and date the containers of breast milk.
Make friends with other breastfeeding moms
Make friends with other breastfeeding moms because they can teach you a thing or two about how you can go about pumping and storage.
Get Creative
In Kenya, many workplaces don’t have pumping areas thus it calls for a mother to be creative and find places that are secluded to pump. For instance, a store room that is not being used in the organization.
Ask for help
Talk to your employer about your need for a conducive place to pump and store your milk comfortably.
Get a good hands-free nursing bra
A good nursing bra will save you time while pumping and will come in handy if you need to multitask. Still, a nursing bra will help you stay comfortable throughout the day as it is designed for nursing moms.
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