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Healthy You Archives Healthy You Archives |
Just for Women
Breastfeeding on the JobGrowing numbers of mothers find a way to make it work The first time Malaika Stoll, M.D., left her 2-month-old son to resume her demanding job, she felt a mixture of sadness and fear. Stoll is a family practice resident at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. She desperately wanted to continue giving her son breast milk, but wasn’t sure she’d have the time to pump.“Residents are so busy we rarely have time to go to the bathroom or eat, let alone pump breast milk for 20 minutes two or three times a day,” Stoll says. Her solution was to work part-time, sharing her residency with another young physician. She also placed her baby in a daycare near the hospital. When her schedule permits, she goes there to nurse him, and she’s grateful she has comfortable places to pump during the workday. “It’s going to work for me because I’ve made it a priority,” she says. Stoll is one of growing numbers of working women who continue breastfeeding after their maternity leave ends. In the 1970s, fewer than 30 percent of mothers nursed their babies. Now, 70 percent do so—and the length of time they breastfeed also is increasing. That’s good news for both mother and baby. Research shows that breast milk is easier to digest, boosts the baby’s immunity and reduces the risk for food allergies, asthma and obesity. Nursing reduces the mother’s risk for breast cancer. And the benefits increase with time. For example, babies who nurse four months or longer have fewer ear infections. A year or more is what the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends. That’s a bit trickier when you’re no longer on family leave. But most mothers who want to breastfeed find a way to balance it with work, says Beth Kushner-Giovenco, R.N., a certified lactation (breastfeeding) consultant at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Her suggestions: Start pumping when the baby is 3-4 weeks old. This builds up a store of milk, accustoms the baby to a bottle and gets you used to the pump. “Pumping is a learned art,” Kushner-Giovenco says. Use a pump that lets you empty both breasts at the same time. Simultaneous pumping boosts the hormone prolactin, which allows you to pump out more during each session. Be creative about your pumping location. You can wear some pumps under your clothing. Talk to your employer—many companies have a specific room for breastfeeding mothers to pump. Continuing to breastfeed offers emotional benefits for the working mother, Kushner-Giovenco says. “Most moms feel a tug when they return to work. Breastfeeding gives you a reconnection—a nice way to be welcomed home, knowing there’s something you can provide that no one else can.”
Want to Know More? Click here for answers to common questions about breastfeeding and information for breastfeeding moms with diabetes. This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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 May June 2005 Eating Healthy
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