Two things together: work and breastfeeding

Does work and breastfeeding work together? Yes! It all depends on your attitude - how serious and strong is your desire to give your child the best dietary boost. I studied at Harvard, when our first child was born, Jim. We could not live on a miserable student's scholarship, so a few weeks after Jim's birth, Martha started working as a nurse again, half-time. Driven by an intuitive desire to give Jim her milk and at the same time faced with the financial reality of life, Marta found a way. A priceless child of a doctor and a nurse spent time with their parents at work, at home, then at a nanny. We combined. We had no other choice. Some will say that this can not be called an ideal concern, but at that time we could not achieve the ideal. Breastfeeding and work are worth it. Here's how you can combine these two life styles.

Plan ahead - but not too far

In the last ten years, my young mothers, all whose thoughts are only about "the day when I have to return to work", are becoming increasingly concerned. They just do that they rack their brains over all these "what if": "What if he refuses to take the bottle?" "What if the nurse can not calm him down?", "Should I start to accustom him to the bottle andleave now, so that he does not get spoiled? ".Mothers admit that their concern is that they will have to leave the child, destroying their attachment to the newborn. This subconscious distance seems wrong to me and my patients. Mothers should have the joy of immersion in motherhood for at least a few weeks! Concentrate in the first few weeks on your child: this will benefit both of you.(For more on this principle, see "How to reduce distances.")

Work and wear

Mothers all over the world combine childcare with work, and we are trying to popularize this wonderful custom in the Western world.

If your work allows you to take your child with you, get a bag-sling and go to work with the child in the bag. So do many mothers that we observe.

Your timetable is your child's schedule

Enjoy a happy parting and a happy reunion. Feed your baby in the nanny's house before going to work, and immediately after returning from work. Instruct the nurse that she does not feed the baby for an hour before you finish the work. A hungry child and a mother full of milk are all that is needed for a happy reunion. It depends on your working hours, but usually the mothers get to be fed early in the morning, one feeding from a nanny, feeding in the afternoon after work, a couple of evening meals and feeding before bed. If you live close to work, your nanny can bring the baby to you for feeding once or twice a day or you can return to the baby at lunch time. When day care for a child is carried out at work, some mothers can completely breastfeed during lunch breaks and coffee breaks. On weekends, holidays and on time off, go back to round-the-clock feeding

breast, because periodic round-the-clock breastfeeding is necessary to maintain your milk production at the required level. Your breasts will be on Monday much more complete than usual, if at the weekend you were exclusively breastfed.

Be prepared for the fact that after your return to work the child will often wake up and ask for breast at night. Experienced mothers who manage to successfully breastfeed and work, take this night affection as a natural part of combining work with motherhood. They just take the child to their bed and get pleasure from night feeding. Fast enough mother and child master the ability to sleep during feeding. Comfortably and tightly nuzzled during the night feeding mother and child receive time for intimate communication, which both lacks during the day and which helps to compensate for the time spent in separation. Many mothers who have reached night harmony with their child report that they began to sleep better, perhaps because of the calming effect of breastfeeding, which helps mothers to discharge after a busy day. Additional benefit for the family - such a night schedule gives extra time for close communication with the child and spending the day at work for the fathers.

Create a dairy stock

Some children either refuse to drink artificial mixtures, or are allergic to all the mixtures offered by manufacturers, and therefore can only grow on your milk. In order not to be empty-handed, you will need to express and store the stock of your milk for storage before you return to work.(See the section on "Expressing milk" below.)

Accustoming to a bottle

Introduce the baby with a bottle about two weeks before you return to work. After the baby first tries a bottle, it does not need to be given to him every day. Two bottles a week is sufficient practice to ensure that the child does not have to face an unpleasant surprise. Offer the pope or someone who will replace you, give the baby a bottle. The child can treat the experiments more complacent, if he does not die of hunger - try it when he is in a calm, attentive state. It is perfectly normal for children to be picky about food and refuse to take a bottle from their mother. This does not fit into their usual way of eating. On the next page in the box you will find additional details about bottle feeding.