Working moms are often anxious about returning to work after the birth of their child. If you’ve decided to continue providing breastmilk to your little one while you’re away at work, there are plenty of things on your mind. Here are a few breastfeeding tips to make life easier for working moms:
- Get your baby used to a bottle
Exclusively breastfed babies might not take to a bottle as naturally as nursing from their mothers. It is important for working moms to introduce bottle to their babies around three to six weeks after birth. This helps them get used to it and makes the job easier for their care provider. Because your baby associates you with being nursed, get the nanny or your partner to give the first few bottles to your child.
- Invest in a good pump
Although manual pumps are extremely affordable, they involve a lot of time and effort. To make your lives easier, invest in a good quality, double electric pump. It is more efficient than a single pump or manual pump, and helps in pumping faster.
- Create a pumping routine
New moms should ideally pump every two-and-a-half to three hours, or three times in a typical eight-hour workday. This ensures that your breastmilk supply is maintained and you have enough to store for your child’s needs. As your baby gets older, they space out their feedings and therefore, moms need not pump as often. Create a routine for when you’ll pump and block out time from your schedules accordingly.
- Keep supplies handy
While heading to work, make sure you pack plenty of clean bottles, hand sanitizers, chargers and batteries for your pump. Have everything you need to label and date the containers of breastmilk and store them in a refrigerator at work. This will ensure more efficiency while you’re trying to pump breastmilk.
- Wear comfortable clothing
Wearing the right clothes to work can make pumping easier. The trick is to look for dresses and tops that allow you pumping access without taking the garment off or pulling it up around the neck. Button downs, V-neck shirts, cowl-necks or trying the two t-shirt methods are some examples of pump-friendly attire.
- Take a ‘nursing vacation’
Pumping doesn’t generate as much breastmilk compared to nursing. To help maintain your breast milk supply, consider taking ‘nursing vacations’ from time to time. The main aim should be to exclusively breastfeed during this time and not do any pumping. It is also a nice break for new mothers from using breast pumps. Find out if you can work from home a couple of days to nurse exclusively.
Above everything else, remember to relax. The first few months going back to work after maternity leave can be stressful. But remember to be kind to yourself and just take a break. If you need any kind of support for breastfeeding tips or any other, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team at KIMS Cuddles.
Hope this blog about breastfeeding tips for working moms was helpful to you.
*The opinions expressed in this article are not to be substituted for medical advice under any circumstance
