A Guide to Working and Breastfeeding
Contents
1. A Guide to Working and Breastfeeding And Advice on Other Breastfeeding Problems Congratulations on the purchase of your Medela electric breastpump You will just love your pump but you need to know how to care for it best Even if you are a person who doesn t like reading instructions please read your instruction manual carefully When using your electric breastpump keep the pump upright and ensure you don t have any overflow of milk going into the motor when this happens it bubbles out the side To make sure this doesn t happen don t let the bottle get too full or tip over use the stand In fact empty it when your milk is at about 120ml or 2cm from the valve membrane or attach a bigger bottle This will not reduce the effectiveness or the vacuum of the pump If your pump ever bubbles when it is older maybe you need a new valve head and membrane Keep the valve head and membrane to right side when pumping When using the Swing Swing Maxi or Freestyle the tubes must be kept clean and dry Extra tubes can be ordered please phone 011 788 9102 72 For greatest comfort before you start to express with any pump wet the breast shield and the areola surrounding the nipple with a little hand expressed milk or cool sterile water Also make sure your nipple is pulling central to the vacuum action not too high or too low but in the middle When you are pumping the nipple when wet first will move easily in and out a2. ays Choose How to Leave Enough Milk You have various options and basically you need to pump enough milk today to leave with baby s caregiver tomorrow The Early Morning Feed To pump after the 6am feed or while you feed baby on one side saves time You will usually have extra milk after both morning feeds Pump for the Feed You Miss At work most mothers pump once or twice for the feeds they miss especially if you work a full day Pumping when the breasts are full is quick and double pumping is even faster than single pumping Not at All The other alternative is not to pump at work at all especially if you only work half day Pump and feed before you leave and pump and feed when you return home and maybe once in the evening This milk is usually enough for the following day Where to Pump at Work If you have your own office you have it made You can lock the door and pump while you work Some mothers even manage to work a computer and pump although we would rather you take a break put your feet up eat your lunch and read a book and pump all at the same time You could borrow an office if you don t have your own Using the Battery amp Car Options We suggest using re chargeable batteries If you have to go to the bathroom or ladies restroom and there is no electric plug and you prefer the electric option a light gauge extension will do The Mini Electric only uses 3 volts the Mini Electric Plus 6 volts A car cigarett
3. e lighter adapter can also work if you travel around but make sure you set it to exactly the correct voltage for your pump Pumping in the Car Some mothers travel a lot They stop in a quiet spot and discreetly pump in the car even know a mother who pumped in the train on her way to work Maybe hubby can drive and you can pump under your jersey Mothers can be really inventive The Medela Swing Maxi and Freestyle are also double pumps Freestyle has its own long life rechargeable battery built in Tips That May Help Expressing amp the Let down Relax think of the baby talk to the caregiver look at a picture of baby feed baby on one side express next to the baby if baby is in hospital Express when you are full Not all mothers feel a letdown some only see it some neither Pumping after a hot shower helps Practice relaxation and correct use of the pump helps the most Different size breastshields funnels are available for maximum comfort and efficiency Before You Go Back to Work Negotiate the best options Your bargaining power is better before you get back to work Maybe you can get the firm to buy a hospital grade Medela Lactina double or single pumping that you can use at work and pumping will be even quicker Every mother has her own personal pump kit for the Lactina that doubles as a manual pump for use at home How to Pump as Little as Possible amp Feed Your Baby More Different mothers have different circum
4. eeping your milk really cold see picture on next page If you use a six pack cooler case put a few frozen pure fruit juice packs in it to keep your milk cool They freeze very cold and you can drink one on your way home It is good to keep fluid levels up before breastfeeding baby or expressing Washing Your Hands at Work Always wash your hands before expressing Take your own paper towel to dry your hands don t use commercial towels You will need your own plastic bowl etc if you need to wash your pump at work as well as the necessary sterilizing utensils You can sterilize at home and use your pump at work It does not stay sterile for more than six hours and needs to be kept covered and stored in a cool place Re sterilise before using again Expressing All the Milk For the first few months that you are back at work it is best to express all the milk your baby needs This means your baby doesn t get any formula and you maintain your supply at a high level If he sometimes is cup fed your chances of maintaining breastfeeding happily will be even greater see cup feeds on last page It is suggested that you exclusively breastfeed for the first six weeks without any bottles allowing breastfeeding to become well established Starting solids When baby starts on solids after six months his need for breastmilk will be less There will be less expressing and it will get easier and easier for you to continue breastfeeding If
5. en milk be sure to chill it first and never add a greater quantity than the original amount of frozen milk Freeze it in quantities you think you will use and do not thaw it and refreeze Medela freezer bags are excellent They have a nylon protective lining are double walled are packed sterile and are BPA free How Long Does it Take This is the question everyone asks Some can express a feed in 5 or 10 minutes others must express twice to get a full feed Some say they can pump faster than they can feed It also depends on how full your breasts are and how accustomed you are to pumping also how gentle and yet effective your pump is Usually the more comfortable you are the quicker you pump but double pumping is undoubtedly faster than single pumping and helps you maintain your supply longer if you have a hospitalized baby How Much Milk to Leave for a Feed Working mothers always ask how much milk they should leave for the baby for a feed when they are at work You take baby s weight in kilograms and multiply by 120ml breastmilk or 150ml breastmilk substitute formula and divide by the number of feeds baby has in 24 hours E g 4 kg baby 4 x 150 600ml in 24 hour feeding four hourly 6 feeds in 24 hours 600ml divided by 6 100ml per feed Mix Foremilk amp Hind milk When you breastfeed baby the first milk he receives is very watery to quench baby s thirst The middle milk looks like ordinary milk and the hind mil
6. he is not an allergic baby and you do introduce a bottle of formula you also run the risk of your supply dropping and your baby might prefer the faster flowing bottle to the breast So best to express all feeds and keep up your supply The Big Reward for the Working amp Breastfeeding Mother After a long days work you will have the pleasure of holding your baby in your arms and breastfeeding him knowing that he is getting antibodies from even the smallest amount of breastmilk and protecting him from many illnesses Babies on breastmilk have fewer infections than formula fed babies This is especially important for babies in cr ches who are exposed to many more germs Mothers Cope in so Many Ways Do remember that these are only guidelines as wrote in the article for the Expectant Mothers Guide Working Mothers cope in many different ways It is amazing what wonderful and varied solutions they find if they really want to work and still enjoy the pleasure of breastfeeding If you have some bright ideas please email us at info breastpumps co za Jane Pitt RSA 2000 FREE Download your free Breastfeeding Guide from our website www breastpumps co za Guide to Working amp Breastfeeding 13052013TM
7. k or the last milk to be drawn off the breast is rich and creamy lots of calories When leaving a feed for baby it is important to mix the foremilk and the hind milk In other words expressing an entire feed is easiest If you express before a feed ensure you also express towards the end of a feed to give baby a mixture of fore and hind milk Storage Normally the milk you express today you give baby tomorrow Date your milk so you can use the oldest first How long does breast milk last e 6hours at room temperature and then it must be used directly e 2 days in the refrigerator e 2 weeks in the little freezer compartment at the top of a fridge e 3 months in an upright freezer Nothing gives you more confidence than knowing you have a little extra milk saved and stored for a dry day So when someone suggests your baby is hungry you could either give him an extra breastfeed or say I have heaps of frozen breastmilk he gets plenty of milk from me Preparing a Feed When preparing baby a feed you must not let your frozen breast milk stand at room temperature You must put the bottle of milk in lukewarm water and shake it while thawing Then use it directly Do not warm milk in the microwave Transporting Milk To and From Work It is best to transport milk in a bag with a separate freezer compartment with frozen cooler bricks Medela have a fabulous new City Style Breastpump Bag with a separate small compartment for k
8. s the pump sucks and lets go like a baby sucks This is the most comfortable Different size nipple fittings are available When to Express In the early days when you are not yet working and you want to express occasionally it is best to pump after a feed particularly if the baby did not feed from the breast Expressing after the morning feeds will yield the most milk As well as after any feed if you still feel quite full maybe baby did not empty you well Remember the golden rule the more you pump the more milk you will make If Baby Misses a Feed Occasionally babies miss the 10pm feed This is the ideal time to pump because it will both stimulate your milk supply and reduce the feeling of fullness when you wake up in the morning You can express a whole feed or just to a comfortable level If You Go Out Leave baby a cup feed or bottle On the same day that you are not there to feed baby you need to express for the feed that you miss This will ensure you maintain your milk supply as well as help prevent you from getting sore from overfilling later See notes on cup feeds before 6 weeks Enclosed Baby cup information When You Go Back to Work or Go Out You will need to pump enough milk to leave with your baby s caregiver for a day s feed and a little spare in the freezer for emergencies If your milk supply ever drops remember the more you pump the more you make Working mothers have more milk on Mondays and less on Frid
9. stances and different preferences Some can take their baby to work and for them this is the best option Others even feed while working if they have their own office and some get permission to feed in meetings a new idea Others get a cr che opened at work and can feed at lunch and tea breaks About Top up Feeds Breastfeed baby before you leave him with the caregiver and again when picking him up in the afternoon this reduces the amount of time you need to spend pumping Maybe your mother is the caregiver and you can sit and enjoy discussing the day s happenings with her while you feed baby The wise caregiver will only give the hungry baby a small cup feed or even only a little water if she expects mother to arrive soon with full breasts ready to feed Phone and tell your caregiver when you will be arriving for just this reason Guide to Working amp Breastfeeding 13052013TM HIV The virus can be transmitted through breast milk so make sure your caregiver knows not to breastfeed your baby herself It may be best if your caregiver is not herself breastfeeding a baby Collecting Milk for a Feed In the beginning when you are not missing a feed you will usually have to pump twice to get enough milk for a feed If you are collecting milk over a period of a day do not mix warm milk with cold milk Only add it to the cold milk when the new milk is also chilled Adding to Frozen Milk When adding fresh milk to froz
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