Breastfeeding workplaceConcerned about Breastfeeding at the workplace and/or in Public ? Babies that are breast fed are very portable andeasy to comfort no matter where your schedule hasyou going. Many women however, worry about breast feeding in public. The worry of nursingin a public place is normally worse than theactual experience and often times the only peoplewho notice you feeding are the other mothers whoare doing the same thing.  Many women find ways to breast feed discreetly. You can ask your partner or even a friend to stand in front of you while you lift your shirtfrom the waist. When you breast feed, the baby'sbody will cover most of your upper body and youcan pull your shirt down to her face to coverthe tops of your breast. Some mothers prefer toput a light blanket over their shoulders as atype of cover. When you are visiting someone else's home, youmay feel more comfortable either leaving theroom or turning away from people when you firstput the baby to your breast. If you would likemore privacy, breast feed in an empty room, car,or public restroom. A lot of restrooms are becoming more baby friendly and they even have a seperate are witha changing table and a chair. Several shoppingmalls now offer special mother's rooms where the mom can breast feed her baby in privacy,which will help sensitive babies who are toodistracted by feeding to nurse well in public.It won't take long at all though, before yourbaby will learn to breast feed without any fussat all. An alternative way is expressing or pumping your milk at home and then offer it in a bottlewhile in public. Keep in mind, offeringbottles with artificial nipples in the firstfew weeks can and probably will interfere withbreast feeding. When breast feeding in public, you should alwaysuse what works best for you. During the firstfew weeks, it will take some getting used to,as it will be as new for you as it is for thebaby. With some time, you'll have no problemsat all. If you don't feel comfortable breast feeding ina certain location, then you shouldn't. You should feel a certain level of comfort when youfeed, as the baby can tell when you aren't comfortable doing something. If you show yourbaby that you aren't nervous - you and your baby will be just fine.
Once you return to work, you can continue to breastfeed. If you live close to work or have an on sitedaycare, you may be able to breast feed during your breaks. If that isn't possible, you have 2choices: 1. Keep your milk supply by using a highquality automatic electric breast pump to expressmilk during the day. Save your milk that you collect for your baby sitter. 2. If you don't want to or can't pump atwork, you can gradually replace daytime feedings with formula while your at home but still continueto nurse at night and in the morning. The milkyour body produces may not be enough to keep yourbaby satisfied, even if you only need enough for2 feedings. Advantages of pumping at work Pumping at work will help stimulate your productionof milk, so you'll have plenty available when it comes time to feed. You can also collect the milk you pump, so your baby will have the healthand nutritional benefits of breast milk even when you aren't there. To make things better, pumping can be an ideal way to feel a connectionto your baby during the work day. Although it can seem like a hassle, many mothersfind that the benefits of breast pumping faroutweight the inconvenience. To manage pumping at work, you'll need to havethe following: 1. Breast pump, preferably a fullyautomatic electric pump with a double collectionkit so you can pump both breasts simultaneously. 2. Bottles or bags for collecting andstoring the milk. 3. Access to a refrigerator or coolerto keep the milk cold until you return home. 4. Breast pads to help protect yourclothes if you start to leak. Make sure that you get used to pumping before you return to work, so you'll know what to expectand how it feels. You'll be much more confidentwith pumping at work if you already know thatyou can produce enough milk. At work, you'll want to have somewhere that'saway from everyone else when you pump, such asan empty office or empty room. This way, you'llbe away from everyone else and you can have thequiet tranquility you need to pump. In mostoffices, this shouldn't be a problem. For the time frame, you'll want to pump every2 - 3 hours if possible. If you can't, every 4 hours or so will have to suffice. After youhave finished pumping, store the milk in thebags or bottles, clean yourself up, then goback to work. When you return home, you can feed the milk to your growing baby.
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