Breast-feeding mothers - self-care

MAINTAINING YOUR MILK SUPPLY

Here are some tips that have worked well for many breastfeeding mothers who work fulltime outside the home:

If you plan to return to work, introduce your baby to bottle-feeding at 3 to 4 weeks of age. This allows plenty of time to establish good feeding habits. Starting bottle-feeds before 2 weeks of age often results in nipple confusion -- the baby has difficulty changing between the different sucking patterns required for the different types of feeding.
Two weeks before you return to work, buy or rent an efficient and comfortable breast pump and start building up a supply of frozen milk. If the day you return to work arrives and you don't have a freezer full of breast milk, one bottle of formula fed to your baby will be an adequate supplement. After returning to work, express milk 2 or 3 times a day, every 2 to 3 hours to continue exclusively breastfeeding. If you can only get one break a day and you are unable to pump a full day's allotment in one pumping, a supplemental bottle of formula may be needed. Be aware, however, that feeding formula decreases the need for breast milk, and your milk supply will decrease accordingly.
Nurse your baby immediately before leaving in the morning and immediately upon return from work in late afternoon. Many mothers find that their babies nurse more frequently in the evenings on days they work. Feed on-demand when you are with your baby.
If possible, arrange to nurse your baby at lunch time.
Try to breastfeed exclusively when you are with your baby (evenings, nighttime, weekends).
Delegate and share household responsibilities with other members of the family.

BREAST PUMPS

There are a number of breast pumps on the market, with varying degrees of comfort, efficiency, and cost. Most require time to develop the skills to use them. Pumps may

be hand-operated (manual), battery, or electrically-operated.

The most dependable, efficient, and comfortable pumps are electric, have intermittent action (creates and releases suction automatically), and require minimal training.

Your local lactation consultant can help you make realistic plans and guide you to a supportive breast pump supplier. A listing of lactation consultants is available at www.breastfeeding.com.