Exclusive breastfeeding for your baby is very important, especially in the first 6 months after birth. Apart from fulfilling the baby's daily nutrition, breast milk (ASI) is very good for brain development and the digestive system. Breastfeeding also brings many benefits to the mother, such as helping postpartum bleeding stop quickly and helping the uterus quickly return to its original size. Breastfeeding is recommended for little ones up to 2 years old. However, what if the mother works as a career woman? Don't be confused, check out the 5 tips below for career women who still have to breastfeed so they don't sacrifice their little one or even their career!
- Save expressed breast milk
During your leave, try to save expressed breast milk to give when you work later, so that when you work, your baby still drinks only breast milk and nothing else (exclusive breast milk). Expressing or pumping breast milk can be started when breastfeeding is established and the baby is gaining weight well. Pay attention to the correct way to store expressed breast milk to maintain its quality.
- Plan how to entrust the baby later
Entrusting your baby to childcare at work or in an area near where you work will be very helpful, so that you can easily breastfeed in between work hours. If it is not possible to breastfeed directly, make sure the baby's future caregiver understands your exclusive breastfeeding plan and can handle expressed breast milk and give it to the baby in the right way.
- Discuss plans for breastfeeding while working with your boss
Your boss needs to know that there may be certain times when you will disappear from the room to express or pump breast milk. Make sure he understands that continuing to breastfeed will help you concentrate more on work because your baby will grow well and get sick less often. Support for continuing to breastfeed is also a mother's right as a worker which is protected by law.
- Expressing / pumping breast milk at work
Set a time every two or three hours to pump breast milk regularly at work, either by hand or using a breast pump that is comfortable for you. This is done so that breast milk production remains smooth and does not cause pain in the breasts due to not expressing breast milk quickly.
- Fill your baby before going to work
Before going to work, breastfeed the baby until he feels full, and the same goes for when you come home from work. Breastfeeding directly when you are at home will maintain breastfeeding hormones so that breast milk production remains smooth.
Those are 5 tips that mothers can do as a career woman who is exclusively breastfeeding her little one. That way, you don't have to sacrifice your little one or your career. Good luck!