Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work? You Got This
As a mom, doula, and lactation counselor I am dedicated to supporting and encouraging women and their families during their journey of breastfeeding. In August, which can be National Breastfeeding Month and Black Breastfeeding Week runs from August 25 to 31 Moms can utilize this information throughout the year.
Imagine this: You are breastfeeding your child and you begin to feed your baby. It’s a success, but then you start to think about, OMG what am I going to do? in a position to continue this as I return to work?
The first thing I had to ask myself was: will I ever go out without a partner? I was in awe of the thought of ever abandoning my baby after I had him. And yet, I understood how crucial it was to go out for a walk, and then go away for a full day of work.
I’m here to provide concrete solutions that will ease your burden about the transition and provide you with the necessary tools to advocate for yourself in the workplace and continue breastfeeding with the least amount of stress possible.
Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work?
1. Do not be concerned about pumping once you’ve got your child.
A lot of us would like to begin immediately building our freezer supply, but are exhausted from feeding and healing to add pumping into the mix. It’s not enough to take your nips right from the beginning, and frequently we’re able to get rid of the entire thing.
I recommend purchasing the silicone pump to capture your milk letdown, or to use when you feel like you are stuffed and require some relief. The products I am most fond of are manufactured by Elvie. Elvie’s curve can be a great product that you can put on the other breast while you’re feeding to stop the letdown. The Curve is great for when you’re ready to build an inventory of frozen food. They are ideal because you can put them into your bra.
If you’re ready for pumping, I recommend using the wireless Elvie pump. I had great success using the Spectra for a standard pump as well as a hand pump. In my first instance device, I used an electronic pump, the Curve and Catch and the Medela hand pump to pump my second. I was able to use the hand pump in instances when my supply was low or I required something quick. Sometimes, switching your pumps is the best way to ease your brain and enjoy a more productive pumping session.
2. Find ways to lessen stress.
We’ll be honest, pumping yourself isn’t exactly the most appealing thing to do. However, stress affects the production of milk so it is important to make sure you don’t make a negative impression with pumping. It’s an excellent option for moms to have freedom and flexibility. Remove “I hate pumping” from your vocabulary and request to keep your friends from sharing their stories of breastfeeding failure since it’s not helping you get to where you want to be with your breastfeeding. Additionally, ask your partner to help you and encourage those who are willing to clean your pump parts as well as bottles. It’s an enormous help!
Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work
3. Frequency over the duration
The most crucial (but not the most intuitive) guideline for breastfeeding is that the frequency over time builds supply. If your child is breastfeeding frequently and your body is telling you, “Oh, I need to make more milk.”
The little ones can also be extremely efficient feeders, but they’re certainly not identical. You can feed them for about two minutes and get the food they require, or they can sit in the breast and eat for between 20 and 30 minutes. Sometimes, they require both breasts, while at times, they only require only one. Babies have different kinds of eaters, like us. Some of us take our time while others slurp it down. This simple fact eased my mind regarding the rules and timings of feeding. Remember when you start to pump, the amount of your milk will vary throughout the day. In the morning, you’ll have more volume and at night you’ll have less volume partly due to the greater fat content which keeps the baby snoozing longer and gives you the time for you to “refill.”
4. Check for signs of rooting.
The structure of feeding can be helpful But, it can lead us to overlook signs of hunger. The most effective method is to search for what we call routing indicators. Babies’ heads are moved from side to side. They typically have fists that are tight and begin moving their mouths like they’re feeding. The rooting signs may appear even if they’re still asleep.
If we do not recognize these signs and the baby is unhappy, which is often a problem with a good latch and, as a result, results in an anxious and stressful feed for everyone affected. If they’re full and breastfeeding when they are full, they will come off the breast (you cannot force feed babies on the breast) or may become sleepy or look at their milk bottles and their hands are relaxed and relaxed.
My suggestion is to introduce a bottle or pacifier until your baby can latch a solid latch and is breastfeeding smoothly. A minimum of three weeks before the introduction of any other Nipples is suggested, however, I would suggest waiting six weeks. Some nipples may cause confusion, which could cause mom pain and eventually lead to inefficient feeding. Babies can drink milk from bottles than breastmilk and therefore they drink bottles much more quickly.
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