Stay at Home Versus Back to Work?

Let’s face it – all mothers work. Women don’t make the decision to return-to-work or to stay-at-home lightly. And neither choice is right or wrong – it all depends on your family’s needs. You’re the best judge of what’s right for you.

If you’re on the fence about returning to work, here are some points to consider:

  • Your finances: First and foremost, can your budget adjust to a decrease in income for your family? If you want to stay home and just can’t figure out how to do it, sit down and take a good look at where all of your money goes each month. See if there are ways to make changes that would make staying at home an option.
  • Childcare choices: Consider the cost of childcare when working on your budget. Will your working cause you to spend more than you make, effectively negating your salary? Are there waiting lists at the day care you most want to use? Would it be less cost to employ someone in your home? Do you have a flexible job that will let you bring baby along for the first few months?
  • Work options: Does your employer offer telecommuting, so you can work at least part of your hours from home? Could you return to work part time rather than full time? Is job sharing (where two people split the hours and duties for one job) an option? Is your employer willing to let you work flexible hours (four nine-hour days, for example, with three days off each week)?
  • Career advancement: How will not working affect your advancement in your profession? Some women consider “sequencing,” dropping out of the paid workforce while their children are young, and re-entering later when the demands of motherhood are less.
  • Breastfeeding: Many women successfully combine working and breastfeeding. But consider what you will need in order to do this. Do you have a breast pump? Have you considered where and when you will pump at work? Have you discussed it with your supervisor ahead of your maternity leave, or is this a topic you still need to broach?

While some women are able to take a long paid maternity leave, the reality in the US is that most mothers are back to work very soon after the birth of their baby. And for some families, this is just fine. Maybe before the birth, you had every intention to return to your job; but now that your baby is here, you can’t imagine leaving him every day. Or maybe your job’s demands aren’t compatible with having a family, and you need to either find a different position or stay home. Or maybe you decided even before birth that you wanted to stay at home. Whatever your situation, the decision-making needs to be planned for your family’s well being.

How did you decide whether or not to return to work outside the home?

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids 

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Pumping At Work: 5 Top Tips

It might be time for you to head back to work, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready to stop your breastfeeding journey just yet. You may have a magic number in mind for when you’d like to stop breastfeeding or perhaps you want to let your child decide when she’s ready to wean. Either way, the following top tips might help you as you prepare to re-enter the workplace after maternity leave:

  1. Plan ahead

If you’re planning to continue breastfeeding, you’ll need to plan ahead to figure out how best to make this happen. You’ll need to be upfront with your employer so they can find ways to accommodate you as you settle back into work. If you’re planning to express milk at work, you’ll need to find out if they can offer you a private area to do this in. You’ll also need to try and work out how frequently you’ll need to pump and where you’ll be able to store the milk. Your employer is best placed to advise you on these matters.

  1. Store it safely

When you express milk at work, you’ll need somewhere safe to store your milk. A fridge would be ideal, allowing you to keep your breast milk chilled until you can transport it home. Breast milk can only be stored at room temperature for up to four hours, so you’ll need a better solution for where to store your milk.

  1. Supportive childcare

Choose a childcare provider who is supportive of your desire to continue breastfeeding. Your childcare provider should be able to use your pumped milk to bottle feed your child during the day. This allows you to balance the demands of the workplace with your desire to continue breastfeeding your baby. If you’re lucky enough to have childcare near work you may even be able to visit your baby to breastfeed during the day.

  1. Be prepared

You may find that your baby feeds more often during night for the first few weeks, which may come as a shock as you’re adjusting to the early mornings of employment. Plan ahead; go to bed early to maximize the amount of sleep you’re able to get. This might be a tiring few weeks as you juggle daytime work with nighttime motherhood, and it may take you a while to get used to this new lifestyle.

  1. Reconnection

After a challenging day at the office for you, and a busy day at nursery for your baby, breastfeeding can be the perfect way to reconnect. It allows you each a few minutes of quiet after a hectic day, as well as the benefits of touch and being close to each other. Many mamas say breastfeeding helps them to reconnect with their child after a day’s work.

Do you have any tips to share with mamas who are preparing to return to work?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Introducing a Bottle to Your Breastfeeding Baby

Maybe you are going out to dinner with your partner, or you’re returning to work soon. Maybe your baby has problems latching, or you need to supplement for health reasons. Whatever the reason, you find yourself unsure how to go about introducing a bottle to your breastfeeding baby.

What kind of bottle?

Anyone who has shopped for baby gear knows the crazy number of choices available for bottle feeding. Which bottle and nipple you use are up to you – and your baby. It sometimes takes trial and error before you find one your breastfed baby likes. On the other hand, some babies aren’t particular.

Try a slow-flow nipple – this will make your baby work a little harder to get the milk, making it more like breastfeeding. And try to match the nipple size and shape to your own anatomy, if possible.

How much milk?

Research shows that from one month to six months, breastfeeding babies’ intake is fairly stable at about 25 to 35 ounces (750-1050 ml) per day. In order to determine how much you need per bottle, take this average and divide it by the number of times your baby eats in 24 hours. If, for example, your baby nurses 10 times each day, that would be about 2.5 to 3.5 ounces (74-104 ml) per feeding. Your baby nurses 8 times per day? You’ll need more per bottle. Your baby nurses 12 times per day? He may take less but expect a bottle more often.

How do I do it?

Make bottle feeding as much like breastfeeding as you can. Follow your baby’s hunger cues rather than offering the bottle at a scheduled time. Cuddle baby, tickle his lips with the teat, and let him draw the nipple into his mouth. Hold the bottle more horizontal so that baby can control the flow a little better, and give him pauses just like he normally does at the breast. You might even consider switching sides halfway through the bottle feeding.

Your baby may be more likely to accept the bottle if someone other than mom provides it. Mom may need to leave the room or even the house!

What if my baby resists?

If your baby resists the bottle:

  • Warm or cool the nipple under running water before offering it to baby.
  • Try warmed, room temperature or even cold milk. Some babies enjoy milk slushies.
  • Try a different nipple.
  • Express some of the milk onto the bottle nipple.
  • Feed on the go – stand, walk, or move.
  • Stay away from his preferred nursing chair.
  • Try holding baby facing away from you, or other positions to make bottle feeding less like breastfeeding.
  • Hold a blanket or t-shirt that smells like mom when feeding baby.
  • Consider using a cup or medicine spoon rather than a bottle – just keep in mind it will be messier and more time consuming.

Be patient. Continue to offer the bottle occasionally and your baby may gradually become accustomed to it. Even if you’re in more of a hurry (with that back-to-work deadline looming perhaps), try not to make it a battle. Eventually your baby will figure it out.

Are you giving your baby both breast and bottle? What tips do you have for other moms?

Written by Michelle, Lamaze instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.