World Breastfeeding Week: Empowering Lactating Mothers To Breastfeed At Workplace, Expert Shares Tips

World Breastfeeding Week 2023, which spans from August 1 to 7, honours the critical role that breastfeeding plays in giving newborns the nourishment and defences they need. Supporting working women in their breastfeeding journey is the focus of this year's theme, "Making breastfeeding at work, work, makes societies work!"

Celebratory occasions like Breastfeeding Awareness Week educate new moms about the beneficial impact nursing has on a child's growth. Young moms may get uneasy and less secure when people constantly interject themselves into their life as new mothers, providing continual advice on how to mother, monitoring the baby's feeding and sleeping patterns, and more. 

This may also affect whether or not they decide to breastfeed. Instead, some steps may be done to enable moms to decide on breastfeeding in a way that is best for them and their children.

In an interview with Zee News English, Dr Vikas Satwik, Consultant-Paediatrician and Neonatologist, Motherhood Hospitals, Hebbal, Bangalore shares the tips to navigate breastfeeding before returning to work after maternity leave.

How to help ease the transition from breastfeeding at home to work?

There is a lot of guilt that mothers feel when they return to work after giving birth. So the support of the family and workplace can help new mothers a lot," says Dr Vikas.

Most firms provide separate rooms for mothers to be able to pump milk and the ease of it can help mothers transition from nursing at home to work.

How Often Should Lactating Mothers Pump Breastmilk While At Work?

Dr Vikas mentions, "Let's suppose the mother works 8 hours a day so in that case she needs to pump breastmilk 3 times in those eight hours. This is to ensure the milk quality and consistency is maintained".

Oftentimes, when there is a lack or break in the pumping of milk in a day while at work it can impact the milk quality and consistency. All this together can hamper the mother's mental and physiological health.

Where and How Long Can Store Breastmilk?

There are certain guidelines about breastmilk storage. Dr Vikas highlights, "In a tropical country like India, if you live in a warm place then you can store your breastmilk at room temperature for about four hours but if you want to store it for a bit longer then the storage can go up to eight hours in a cold environment."

"We often recommend storing for a standard of 4-8 hours depending on the need and weather outside. Although if you think you are going to exceed that you need to keep in mind the power cuts and the usage of the refrigerator at home (opening and closing of the fridge door).

In special circumstances when the new mother has an over-production of breastmilk to the extent of an oversupply of breastmilk, they can store it in deep freezers with proper packaging and storage.

Common Challenges Mothers Might Face While Breastfeeding

"Most importantly, guilt is a major player which acts as a challenge to new mothers who leave the comfort of home- either leaving the baby at home where someone else is taking care of them or bringing the baby with them to work but can only give a fraction of the time they were giving earlier while on leave," mentions expert.

"Secondly, if the pumping is unsuccessful and the work pressure is a lot these can impact the delivery of breastmilk and are unable to nurse at home because they are exhausted and tired."

Dr Vivek concludes and says, "Regard yourself as humans and respect your body and psychological health."

"New mothers should receive ample amount of support from their partners, family and the people at work as well"