By Murungi Simon
Did you know that nearly two out of three infants are not exclusively breastfed for the recommended 6 months? Did you know this rate has not improved in two decades now and yet breast milk is the ideal food for infants? Breast milk is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses.
Breast milk provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one-third during the second year of life.
Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests and are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life.
Research shows that women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers. I don’t have to over-emphasize the importance of breastfeeding; you probably have had these multiple times.
Several mothers begin to feed their infants on formula or commercial milk, despite their awareness that such practices are not recommended for infants under six months of age due to the demanding nature of most jobs today.
Even though some workplaces have put in place friendly policies to support breastfeeding mothers such as paid leaves, breastfeeding corners and reduced working hours, most mothers are unable to balance breastfeeding and work-related demands effectively.
Here are some practical tips on how to beat the breastfeeding work challenge;
Leave work early; Now this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t finish what is on your table at work or seemingly become less efficient. You need to keep that job too. Delegate some tasks if you can, forget that after work talk with your friends and finish what you have to do earlier than before. This could earn your quality time to bond with your baby at the evening feed.
Engage your spouse; It is important that your spouse understands that you might not be able to do all you have been doing in that house now that you have a new non-delegable responsibility. His understanding of this can win you more breastfeeding hours.
Carry your baby to work; If convenient, you may need to go a further step and buy a baby trolley at work for your baby. This might not be convenient for everyone but if it is for you, try it out breast feed your baby on demand throughout the day.
Express the breast milk; Yes, this is also the new way to go. Do it for the baby. You need to carefully extract that breast milk for your baby and leave it at home. Get someone to feed the baby while you are away and follow up on phone. This is much better than giving Cow’s milk and these commercial breastfeeding substitutes. If you are not so confident about this, visit a nutritionist for proper guidance.
Use your work breaks; If your work place is near home, don’t hesitate to check on your baby routinely. If it’s convenient and won’t affect your job, set reminders, go home, breast feed and rush back to work. Yes, if that’s what it takes to have a healthy baby, why not?
Avoid stress; Stress is known to have a toll on breast milk production. You need to ignore situations that could deprive you of your peace of mind. Get someone to talk to if you need to. It is also known that most breast feeding women want to shade off post-partum weight. So physical activity may not only be a stress reliever but also the reason you shade off that extra weight. You can do low intensity exercise such as swimming, walking, take on light aerobics classes and yoga.
Eat well; In order to keep up with the breast feeding requirements, you need to improve your dietary lifestyle. Increased fluid intake, regular and timely meals and a balanced diet are some of the key recommendations. You need more Vitamin D. It’s essential for healthy bones, for both you and your baby.
You should also ensure you’re getting enough calcium, as this is depleted when breastfeeding. Make sure you don’t starve yourself. A breastfeeding mother should eat not less than 3 meals per day. You can see a dietician for detailed recommendations.
The writer is a Nutritionist – MTI 0774225433/0706026252 or murungisimon8@gmail.com
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