Nora Leche, an Expert on the Subject, Provides Recommendations
The annual World Breastfeeding Week takes place from August 1 to 7. It is a global campaign organized by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) to raise awareness and promote action on breastfeeding-related issues.
Read: Why is Breastfeeding Week Celebrated?
In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) has dedicated this week to advocating for best practices in breastfeeding support in the workplace, “to ensure that breastfeeding works for all working women, wherever they work.”
The core message is: Making breastfeeding at work work makes societies work! Breastfeeding provides essential health and nutritional benefits for children, with positive long-term effects, and contributes to the future health of the population and workforce.
What Should Moms Pay Attention to When Returning to Work?
Nora Milk, an advisor on breastfeeding, childcare, and humanized parenting, shares three tips for moms when it comes to returning to work.
The Baby Doesn’t Sleep
It is common for babies to start waking up throughout the night. This is understandable because if the baby slept through the night and the mother works all day, they would be separated for an extended period. The issue to consider is how to handle nighttime breastfeeding, as the mother needs rest after a day of work.
Read: Nora’s Last Name is Milk
Nora Milk recommends that mothers breastfeed lying down with the baby attached. This way, both the baby and the mother can sleep, ensuring they are well-rested for the next day of work.
Include Parents in Feeding
Another aspect to consider when mothers return to work is involving fathers (or other caregivers) in the feeding process.
“There is a positive way to include fathers in the role of caring for and feeding the baby,” says Nora Milk.
For example, if the baby wakes up twice at night to feed, the mother can breastfeed once, and the father can feed the baby with expressed milk using a bottle for the next feeding. This inclusion of parents helps the mother rest when she returns to work.
“More Important Than Breastfeeding is Giving Babies Love”
According to Nora Milk, over the years, the act of providing love has become more important than breastfeeding for some mothers. Why? She explains, “I transformed from an anxious, stressed, physically ill mom breastfeeding a baby to a joyful mom bottle-feeding with love. I realized that the foundation of life is love, not just the milk babies consume.”
“Babies can thrive on love even if they drink alternative forms of nourishment, like aguapanela with milk, as I did when my mom didn’t breastfeed me. Love is what truly matters,” Nora Milk emphasizes.
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One Response
This article perfectly highlights the inequity women face in having to make a difficult choice between their career and providing for their child’s well-being. Society should support working mothers by creating inclusive and flexible work environments that prioritize both breastfeeding and their professional growth. #BreastfeedingEquality