Breastfeeding and work is a delicate balance, with a bit of practice it can be done. So you don’t need to stop breast feeding just be prepared. Being away for your baby does not mean that you can’t keep your supply up and continue to breastfeed. Did you know that under South Africa Law you are entitled to two 30-minute breast feeding breaks in the first 6 months of your baby’s life? These breastfeeding breaks are paid for time. The law that allows for these breast-feeding breaks is called the Code of Good Practice on the Protection of Employees during pregnancy and after birth of a child.
Unfortunately, some companies may not have the correct policies in place to support the code. In order to benefit the most from this law approach your HR manager while you are pregnant and inform them that you are intending to continue to breastfeed when you return to work and would like to have the facilities available so that you can safely express your breast milk. This allows the company the additional time to find a space that is suitable for you and to amend any policies if needed. If your HR manager is not aware of the Code of good practice you can down load it here.
A main concern for some moms is that their milk supply will run dry or that they will not be able to make enough milk for their baby once they return to work. Luckily breast milk is made continually over a 24-hour period and your body adapts to your cycle of milk production. Your two 30-minute breast feeding breaks can be used to support this cycle and to supply milk for your baby while she is away from you. Most moms can express a full feed in 15-20 minutes. The additional time can be used for preparing to express and cleaning up afterwards.
There are a few ways in which you can use your breastfeeding breaks, discuss the different options with your HR and see which one best suit you:
- Use the two breast feeding breaks during the day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon to express milk while you work.
- Combine the breaks and have a longer 1-hour breastfeeding/ expressing session. This can be useful if your child is close to your work so that you can direct feed.
- Use the 60-minutes to shorten your work day and direct feed your baby at home/ creche before or after work
In the Code of Good Practice, it says that “where possible provision should be made for the establishment of facilities for breastfeeding under adequate hygienic conditions at or near the work place”. This in common terms means that your employer should provide you with a clean space where you are able to sit down in, that gives you privacy and access to clean water and secure storage for your breast milk. Some employers are very accommodating and can provide fridges and microwaves with a special allocated room while other employers are not able to. What the code protects you from is the use of a toilet to express or breastfeed you baby in and having to express in front of other work collages.
How to practically keep your milk supply up for your baby.
Step 1: Build a stash
You only really need to start to store up a supply of breast milk about 2 weeks before you go back to work. Some moms start very early with collecting milk and that can cause them to have to buy a new freezer, which should not be necessary.
How much milk to expect when expressing:
If you are expressing in between feeds while direct feeding expect to express about half a feed.
If you are expressing to replace a direct feed expect to express a full feed
Women have different storage capacities so some women will be able to express more than what is expected. All women are different and try not to compare yourself with others.
Step 2: Find your work expression spot
As discussed earlier you are entitled to a safe clean space where you can sit and express your breast milk. Make it as comfortable as possible for you. If you need a pillow to make the chair more comfortable bring one from home. Check to see if you can lock the door, or bring a sign for the door that indicates that you are expressing and that you should not be disturbed
Step 3: Make the place clean and hygienic as possible
If needed clean the surfaces. Wash your hands before your start expressing. Bring sterilized equipment to the office. This way you can avoid the need to sterilise at work. If you sterilize your equipment at home, you can bring it to work in a clean container like a Tupperware or Ziplock bag. If you have access to a microwave at work and you would like to sterilize your equipment use a closed container or a microwave sterilization bag so that you can keep your equipment clean. Work microwaves might not be cleaned as regularly as needed.
Step 4: Prepare for expressing
Use a few minutes to disconnect from the hustle and stress of work. Focus on your baby, you can even watch a short video or look at pictures of your child. You can use heat pads and/or massage your breast to help with the let-down.
Step 5: Express your milk
Every mom should know how to hand express. This can be very important if you forget a pump part at home. A double electric breast pump is most often the fasted ways to express breast milk.
Step 6: Store your milk safely
Once you have finished, store your breast milk into the contain that you will be freezing it in. Make sure it is closed tightly and will not leak during transportation. Depending on the facilities that you have at your workplace. You can store your milk in a fridge or cooler bag with ice packs for the rest of the day. Once you are home you can freeze or get the milk ready for the next day.
It is important to take into consideration the different cultures at work. Some people may find it offensive to keep expressed breast milk in the fridge (we hope that that will change soon). If this is the case, you can keep you bottle of milk in a non-see though container and your work colleague most likely will not even know it is there. Remember to label the bottle with baby’s name and date of expression so that you can identify your milk and how old it is.
Step 7: Clean up
Make sure that you leave the area clean and ready for the next mom to use.
If you are going to express again later in the day, you can either wash and sterilise your flange (not always possible) or you can store the flanges as they are (used) in a clean container and use them again later at the next breastfeeding break. The breast milk should not spoil in this time and if possible, you should keep the flanges cool in a cooler bag or the fridge.
It is always idea to wash and sterilise your breast pump equipment after every expression session, however this is not always possible. Try to wash and sterilize your breast pump equipment at least once a day when you get home. That way you know that you are starting out with sterilized equipment and you can control where it is kept during the day.
Step 8: Prepare for the next day
Once you are home wash and sterilise your equipment. Once your equipment is dry pack it away ready for you to take to work. This way you are less likely to forget it in the morning.
Step 9: Decide how you will feed the expressed milk to your baby
There are different ways to feed the breast milk to your baby. The World Health Organisation recommends cup feeding. However, many mothers find that bottles are more culturally accepted. If you do decide to use a bottle consider using PACE feeding method, which allows for the baby to show you when they are full, protects their airway form choking and can also prevent overfeeding.