When your little one is only 2 months old, going back to work is on the horizon. Does the end of maternity leave necessarily mean weaning? Like many young mothers, you want to combine breastfeeding and professional activity but don't really know how to go about it. Here are some tips to help you approach this new stage more calmly.
Expressing milk
If you want to continue giving your baby breast milk, expressing milk is the solution! At the nursery or at the childminder's, even remotely, your little one will be able to drink your milk. The opportunity to still feel a little with him despite your absence.
To express your milk, we recommend using a double-pump electric breast pump. This is faster and more efficient than a manual breast pump. There are even battery-powered breast pumps, perfect for traveling without the hassle!
To maintain lactation, relieve your breasts and prevent milk leaks, we recommend that you express your milk at your workplace. If you don't have access to a refrigerator, don't panic, breast milk keeps very well! In the morning, place frozen pouches in an insulated bag. During the day, all you have to do is place the bottles or bags of milk in it.
According to the French labor code, all companies must allow women to pump milk or breastfeed. The law provides for one hour per day (2 breaks of 30 minutes) during the baby's entire first year.
In companies with more than 100 women, a discreet room subject to strict hygiene conditions must be made available in order to preserve the privacy of breastfeeding mothers.
Transitioning to mixed breastfeeding
If you are tired of pumping your milk, you can switch to mixed feeding. Baby alternates between the breast when he is with you (when he wakes up, when he comes home from work, on your days off) and the bottle of artificial milk during the day at the nursery or at the childminder's. Any advice for choosing infant formula? Indeed, artificial milks are all of similar quality because they are subject to very strict specifications. But if you have a family history of intolerance or sensitivity to cow's proteins, there are more suitable formulas. In any case, we recommend that you consult your pediatrician!
To gradually introduce formula to your baby, it is also possible to mix breast milk and formula in the same bottle. By gradually varying the proportions, this will allow your baby to get used to the taste of this new food.
A gentle weaning process
After many months of exclusive or mixed breastfeeding, do you finally feel ready to start weaning your baby? Your baby probably also shows you this desire by turning his head or crying when you breastfeed him.
Successful weaning is always done gradually. The mother's body must gradually understand that it must reduce lactation. The baby, for his part, must get used to this change in diet.
We recommend that you proceed in small, regular, successive steps over 15 to 30 days. Start by replacing the late afternoon feed. Around 6 p.m., the milk contains the lowest prolactin level of the day, making feeding more tiring and painful for the mother. Then introduce a second bottle, then a third. The less the breast is used, the more lactation will decrease.
In any case, know that you are not alone and that many mothers have been through this and found this moment of separation from the child trying and upsetting. It is a hard time to get through but you end up getting used to it! Especially with good organization!
If you found this article useful or have any other advice to share with us, please let us know via this email address: contact.neuviemeciel@gmail.com