"And we have just the thing to get you started – your very own "workplace – breastfeeding task list". Here is your working mother's guide to breastfeeding"
PROJECT - BREASTFEEDING TASK
Start expressing milk before you rejoin work to get used to the equipment
Items required: Electronic breast pump – you can refer to the link here
Priority: High
Schedule: At least 3 weeks prior to joining work
Getting the baby used to the bottle
Items required: Baby bottles (link to be shared for where parents can buy bottles from)
Priority: High
Schedule: Three/Four weeks prior to joining work
Choosing a caretaker to look after the baby while you are at work
Priority: High
Schedule: Four weeks prior to joining work
Speaking with your boss about your plan to continue breastfeeding (this will help you create a schedule for pumping during work hours with full support from your team)
Priority: High
Schedule: Three week prior to joining work
Getting your breastfeeding bag for office ready
Items required:
Electronic breast pump
Baby bottles
Sanitizing wipes (meant especially to clean the pump and other feeding apparatus
A temperature control bag (to preserve the breast milk when you are traveling back from work)
Breast pads to avoid leakage at the workplace
Button down shirts and dresses that allow you to pump easily while at work
Priority: High
Schedule: One week prior to joining work
Speaking to the HR team to assess a place in the office where you can comfortably express breast milk without being disturbed or interrupted
Items required:
A private room in the office where women are allowed to pump/express milk for the child
A refrigerator to store the milk that is expressed during the day
Priority: Normal
Schedule: Three weeks prior to joining work (after you have spoken to your immediate boss about your breastfeeding plan)
Create a pumping schedule for the week
Items required: A calendar or planner with reminders (easily available on any smart phone)
Priority: High
Schedule: going to office
Following this kind of schedule will help ease any anxiety that you may have about managing to breastfeed your child and navigating your work schedule at the same time. Some additional tips that can get you ready to breastfeed even as you work are:
Try to nurse your baby each morning before you leave, even if it means you need to wake up half an hour early to squeeze in this nursing time
Eat well while you breastfeed as skimping meals can effect your milk supply
Make a contingency plan – at least in the beginning. While you get used to the expressing schedule you may have some mishaps, like spilling the milk or not storing it right. Make sure you express enough to have a back up feed in case one feed becomes unusable for some reason
Get your company on board to support breastfeeding, not just for you but also for all the women in your organisation. This means allowing frequent breaks, making a few changes to the work schedule that allow women to pump milk comfortably even if they have to travel for meetings etc.
Make sure you instruct your baby's caretaker on how to handle the breast milk properly so that there is minimum wastage.
Create a feeding schedule for your baby while you are at work so that your caretaker is fully supporting your breastfeeding plan even while you are away
While you may take time to ease into a rhythm in your breastfeeding plan, with a little effort and proper planning from your end, you can truly provide the best nutrition for your baby even as you take successful strides in the corporate .
