HomeMy WebLinkAboutbreastfeeding-and-returning-work-schoolBreastfeeding and Returning to Work or School
You Can Continue Breastfeeding!
The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends women breastfeed their
infants for at least one year.
Congratulations!
You have given your baby the best possible
start in life — by breastfeeding. In fact,
nine out of ten women in California start
out breastfeeding their infants and many
of them continue after returning to work
or school. You can too! This booklet is
designed to help you do just that.
The longer you breastfeed, the fewer
illnesses your child will have and the less
work or school you will miss. Did you know
that as soon as you pick up a toy at your
child’s day care, your body begins to make
breastmilk with antibodies to protect your
baby from the germs living on that toy?
That’s how great your milk is. Your child’s
risk of developing obesity, diabetes, and
other conditions is reduced with every
additional month you breastfeed.
There are benefits for you too. You may
burn up to 600 calories a day which can
help you lose your pregnancy weight easier.
Nursing your baby decreases your risk
for type 2 diabetes. Likewise, your risk of
breast cancer decreases more with each
additional month you breastfeed. You will
be giving something to your infant that no
one else can provide. Your milk is not just food,
it is protection. You can’t buy that in a can at the
grocery store.
Contents
Will working and breastfeeding work for me? 1
Will I need a breast pump? 2
Where can I get a breast pump? 2
Do I also need to know how to hand express my milk? 3
What steps should I take before I return to work? 4
What law protects a mother’s right to express milk at work? 5
What is the best way to talk to my employer? 6
What questions should I ask my employer? 7
What about child care? 8
What tips can I share with my child-care provider? 8
How do I store my milk? 9
How do I keep up a good milk supply? 10
What do I do once I return to work or school? 11
i
“I’m glad I continued
breastfeeding after
returning to work. I love
the closeness I have
with my baby when I’m
breastfeeding. I love
having one thing that
I can do for my baby
that no one else can, especially
considering I’m back at work and other
people are helping take care of him.”
—Elizabeth, WIC Mom
ii
Will working and breastfeeding
work for me?
Moms in almost every line of work are continuing to
breastfeed, including:
³ College and high school students
³ Teachers
³ Waitresses
³ Retail workers
³ Administrative staff
³ Members of the Armed Forces
³ Construction workers
³ Sales and manufacturing workers
³ Well-known celebrities
With a little planning, you too can successfully return
to work or school and continue breastfeeding.
1
Will I need
a breast pump?
If you will be away from your
baby long enough that you
regularly miss one feeding or
more, then you may need an
electric breast pump.
Where can I get
a breast pump?
Breastfeeding moms who are
returning to work or school and
currently enrolled in WIC are
eligible for free breast pumps
from the WIC office. Talk to the
WIC staff for more information.
“I never considered weaning because
I was returning to work. It’s so easy to
pump at work and it’s good to know
that I’m taking care of my baby even
while I’m away from her.”
—Kirsy, WIC Mom
2
1. Wash your hands.
2. Use a clean container with a wide
opening to collect your milk.
3. Place a warm washcloth on your breasts
to help your milk flow.
4. Massage your breast to help increase
the amount of milk you express.
• Place one hand
under your breast
for support.
• Apply gentle
pressure, using
a circular motion with your other hand.
• Massage from several starting points,
always working from the chest toward
the nipple.
• Repeat on your other breast.
• Gently shaking your breasts while
leaning forward may also help to get
your milk flowing.
5. Hold the clean
container near
your breast. With
your other hand,
place your fingers
and thumb about
one to two inches away
from the base of your nipple.
PRESS IN toward your ribs, SQUEEZE
gently into the center of your breast,
then RELAX your hand, and REPEAT.
The milk will not flow quickly at first but
keep going and your milk should begin
to drip.
Every breastfeeding mom needs to learn to hand express their milk. Even if you have a pump, you never
know when it might stop working or you may forget a part of the pump at home. Using hand expression
along with pumping can also increase the amount of milk you are able to store for your baby.
To hand express:
Expressing your milk gets easier with practice.
Don’t be discouraged if you can only express a small amount in the first few days.
If hand expression is not working for you, talk to the WIC staff.
You may need a breast pump.
View a hand-expression animation at www.breastmilkcounts.com
or talk to your WIC counselor.
3
Do I also need to know how to hand express my milk?
• Take as much time as you can for maternity
leave. Talk to your boss or human resources
department about your options.
• Breastfeed often to build up a good milk supply.
• Begin pumping and storing your milk about two
weeks before your start date. If you are going
back to work full time, two weeks of pumping
one time a day should give you plenty of milk
stored in the freezer.
• Talk to your boss and work out a schedule
so you can pump or nurse your baby during
breaks at work. It is best to find a place and talk
about your pumping needs before you have
your baby.
• Have at least one practice run where you leave
your baby with a caregiver who will feed your
baby a bottle of breastmilk. Take this time to do
something special for yourself; a nap, a movie,
time with a friend or your spouse. Your baby
may not easily take the bottle if you are in the
same room.
• Ask your employer if you can start back to
work part time at first, job-share with another
employee, or have a more flexible schedule. If
your employer is open to it, ask if you can bring
your baby to work.
• Start back to work in the middle of your work
week. Having a short first week will help you
and your baby adjust.
What steps should I take before I return to work?
Start expressing and storing your milk about
two weeks before you go back to work.
4
Breastfeeding is
good for business!
Your employer can
experience up to a
$3 return for every $1
invested in creating a
supportive environment
for breastfeeding
employees. Studies
show that employers
that support
breastfeeding have:
³ Less absenteeism
(moms AND dads
miss work less often).
³ Lower employee turnover.
³ Increased productivity.
³ Increased employee loyalty.
³ Lower healthcare costs.
What law protects a mother’s right to
express milk at work?
California Labor Code Section 1030-1033 is a law that offers protections
for all working moms so that they can continue to breastfeed even after
they return to work.
❧ Employers must provide:
• A clean, private place,
other than a bathroom to express breastmilk.
• Reasonable break time
for you to express breastmilk at work. Most mothers will need to
pump 2-3 times during the work day for 20-30 minutes. If pumping
takes longer than your normal break time, your employer does not
need to pay you for the extra time.
❧ For more information about your rights under the law, or to file
a complaint, contact the California Department of Industrial
Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.
Visit www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToFileBOFEClaim.htm.
Or, call the Legal Aid Society at 1-800-880-8047.
5
Breastfeeding is a natural step in becoming a mother and very important for your baby. Some
employers may not know much about it or may not be aware of the state law that protects all
breastfeeding employees. Have confidence in your decision as you speak to your boss. Here are
some simple steps successful moms suggest:
1. Before talking to your employer or
school, talk to your friends and family.
Find out if they have any experience with
breastfeeding and working and ask for
their support.
2. Talk to your coworkers. You may find
other mothers who have pumped
at work before. Is anyone else
pregnant or breastfeeding? If so,
consider meeting with your boss to
make arrangements together.
3. Talk to your human resources (HR)
department if your employer has one.
HR will know any policies or programs
that may help you combine working and
breastfeeding. They may also be able to
help you to talk with your manager about
scheduling breastfeeding breaks.
4. Schedule a meeting or write a letter or
e-mail to your employer to discuss
your return.
5. Before your meeting, practice what you
plan to say with your friends or family.
This will help you ease your nerves and
be prepared.
6. At your meeting:
• Explain why breastfeeding is important
to you, your baby, and how it benefits
companies as well.
• Offer to come in early and stay late
to make up for the time you need
to pump if you need more time than
your regular break times.
• Discuss your ideas about where you
would pump and store your milk.
Include how often you think you will
need to pump. This will help your
employer to plan for business needs.
• Discuss any questions or concerns
your employer has.
7. Encourage your employer to develop
a policy supporting breastfeeding
employees. For more information
go to www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/
healthyliving/childfamily/Pages/
GoingBacktoWorkorSchool.aspx and
click on “For Employers”.
What is the best way to talk to my employer?
6
1. Is there a private space to pump?
If a private space is not available, look for a
space that you are willing to use. It doesn’t have
to be used only for pumping but it should be
available anytime that you need to use it.
• Use an office.
If the door doesn’t lock, hang a sign
outside the door when you are pumping,
or ask if your employer could have a lock
installed for privacy.
• Use a cubicle.
Use a shower curtain rod or wooden
dowel from a hardware store to hang a
large curtain outside the cubicle when you
need to pump.
• Make a space.
Room dividers, partitions, or even a
pop-up tent can be used to make a quick
pump room. Tip — use a radio or fan in
this portable space if you are concerned
about people hearing your pump.
2. How should I arrange my schedule to pump
at work?
• You will need to pump the same
number of times that you are
currently breastfeeding.
• Most moms will need to use their morning
and afternoon break times and part of
their lunch hour to express their milk.
• With a double electric pump, each
pumping session will take about 15-20
minutes. You will also need time to get to
and from the milk expression space and
to wash your hands and equipment.
What questions should I ask my employer?
• If you need to use unpaid break time, talk
to your employer to see if you can come
early or stay late to make up the time.
• Ask if your baby can come have lunch with
you. Because you can nurse and eat at the
same time it will give you a chance to relax
and not feel rushed on your break.
3. Where should I store my milk?
• It is safe to store breastmilk in a shared
staff refrigerator.
• If you will be using a shared staff
refrigerator, store your milk containers
in a brown paper bag or lunch box
with your name on it.
• An insulated bag with ice packs can be
used to store freshly expressed
milk for up to 24 hours.
Visit www.breastmilkcounts.com for more ideas.
7
What tips can I share with my child-care provider?
• It is normal for your milk to separate into a cream layer on top and a thin and watery-looking layer
on the bottom. Simply swirl the milk to mix it up.
• Breastmilk is considered a food and does not need special handling.
• Take a blanket, pillow case, or item of clothing with your scent on it to your baby’s child-care
center. They can place it between them and your baby for feedings. If your baby is having a hard
time, your scent may help to calm him.
• The milk can be warmed by placing the bag or bottle in a cup of warm water for a few minutes.
• Breastfed babies usually eat smaller more frequent meals. Your baby will probably eat
every 2-3 hours.
• Leftover milk in the bottle should be thrown out.
• Ask your child-care provider to learn more about supporting breastfeeding babies. For
more information go to www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/healthyliving/childfamily/Pages/
GoingBacktoWorkorSchool.aspx and click on “For Child Care Workers”.
What about child care?
³ Find a child-care provider that is close to
your work and supports breastfeeding.
³ Visit your child-care center a few times.
Touch toys and items in the center. Your
milk will build up immunities to germs in
the child-care center and pass that
protection on to your baby.
³ Take your baby to the child-care center
to get your baby used to it.
8
• Put your breastmilk in
clean bottles or breastmilk
storage bags that are labeled
“BPA Free”.
• Store about 2-4 ounces per
bottle or bag for the first
6 months.
• Once your baby starts solid
foods the amount that you will
need to store for your baby
may decrease.
• Label containers with the date
pumped and the baby’s name.
• Use the oldest
milk first.
• At work or school,
store breastmilk
in a cooler with
ice packs or in a
refrigerator.
• If your stored
breastmilk smells
sour, throw it out.
• Thaw breastmilk in the
refrigerator overnight or
in a bowl of warm water.
Location Fresh Breastmilk Thawed
Breastmilk Temperature
Countertop 3-4 hours 1-2 hours
Room temperature must not be higher
than 85°F or 29°C. Containers should
be covered and kept as cool as possible.
Insulated cooler bag 24 hours For transport
only
Keep ice packs in contact with milk
containers and limit opening the cooler bag.
Refrigerator 3 days 24 hours At or below 39°F or 4°C
Freezer section
inside a refrigerator 2 weeks Do not
refreeze
At or below 5°F or minus 15°C
Freezer with separate
door or deep freezer 6 months Below 0°F or minus 7°C
How do I store my milk?
Never
microwave
breastmilk.
Breastmilk storage guidelines*
*For healthy full-term babies.
9
How do I keep up a good milk supply?
• Breastfeeding your baby is the best way to make more milk. The
more often you breastfeed, the more milk you will make. Nurse
often when you and your baby are together.
• Be sure to pump your milk at work as often as you would nurse
your baby at home.
• Take good care of your breast pump. Read the pump instructions
or watch the video so you know when to replace the valve or if
you need to use a larger breast flange. Both of these things can
affect your milk supply.
• Some moms will take breastmilk vacations. This means taking a
day or two off work so you can be together with your baby and
breastfeed often for a few days in a row. This is a great way to
increase milk supply.
“Pumping isn’t fun, but I do it
because it’s best for my baby.
It makes me feel like we’re still
connected even though we’re not
together.”
—Lauren, WIC Mom
Nurse often when you and
your baby are together.
10
What do I do once I return to work or school?
• Nurse your baby just before leaving for work or school and tell your child-care provider to
feed your baby about 2 hours before you will be there so that you can nurse as soon as you
pick him up.
• Don’t wait till your breasts get full to pump. Pump every 2-3 hours if your baby is 0-6 months
and every 3-4 hours if your baby is 6 months or older. (Sample schedule below)
• Wash your hands before and after pumping.
• Relax — before pumping take a few deep breaths, think about your baby, and gently massage
your breasts to start the milk flowing. Some women will bring a photo or a recording of their
baby’s coos.
• Your baby may want to nurse more often in the evening or whenever you are together.
That is normal and will help you keep up your milk supply.
• As your baby gets older and starts solids he will need less breastmilk so you don’t have to
pump as often. By 10 – 12 months you may only need to pump once at work.
• Speak to your WIC counselor or lactation consultant right away if you have any problems
or questions.
• Take one day at a time and be willing to try new ways to make breastfeeding a success. Be
proud of all your efforts.
0 – 6 Months Sample Pumping Schedule
Before work
7 a.m.
Lunch
11 a.m.
Break
3 p.m.
After work
5:30 p.m.
Breastfeed Pump Pump Breastfeed
6 - 12 Months Sample Pumping Schedule
Before work
7 a.m.
Break
10 a.m.
Lunch
12:30 p.m.
Break
3 p.m.
After work
5:30 p.m.
Breastfeed Pump Pump Pump Breastfeed
11
The California WIC Program asks businesses to help working mothers
breastfeed for as long as they want.
If you have any questions about breastfeeding, please call:
California WIC Program, California Department of Public Health
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
1-800-852-5770 #900030 Rev 8/12
Photos and some content compliments of the
Texas Department of State Health Services WIC Program