Breastfeeding is a wonderful decision for you and for your baby. Some moms are forced to decide about continuing to breastfeed or to stop when it comes time to go back to work. The lucky...

Breastfeeding is a wonderful decision for you and for your baby. Some moms are forced to decide about continuing to breastfeed or to stop when it comes time to go back to work. The lucky few will have a long maternity leave that will allow them to nurse for several months before having to return to work but for too many moms the return to work happens when the baby is only a few weeks old.

It is unthinkable to stop breastfeeding when the baby is so young. It is hard enough to go back to work and leave your young baby in the care of another but to have to choose to stop breastfeeding just so you can go back to work is often times unthinkable. You should not have to make that choice but be able to continue to breastfeed after going back to work. The benefits of breastfeeding are too great to both the mom and baby to be forced to stop breastfeeding just to continue working or furthering your career.

There are many things you can do to make the transition back to work and continuing to breastfeed easier including finding a supportive work environment (even if you have to educate and make it), or working with your present employer so that breastfeeding will be an acceptable practice for when you return to work. You should give your employer time and start discussions long before your baby is due, you can also prepare your baby and family members for the transition period, seek expert advise and counsel from professionals and from others who have successfully breastfed while returning to work, and also you can have a support network back home including the caregiver of your baby who will encourage you and make the transition easier for you.

Explain to your employer the benefits of you being able to continue to breastfeed after you have returned to work. The benefits to your employer include:

Keeping skilled workers after they have had a baby

Less sick time/personal leave because babies of nursing moms are sick less often therefore their moms won’t need to leave work as much as those moms who have bottle-fed infants

Fewer health insurance claims because of better health of breastfed babies and moms who are breastfeeding now while nursing and long into the future after breastfeeding is over

Happy breastfeeding moms make better employees because they are better satisfied with their work environment, have increased job productivity due to not having to leave to attend sick children and have better morale about the employer when they are not forced to choose between breastfeeding and working.

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