Why breast milk feeding is better than formula for working women

Breastfeeding mothers are forced to switch to bottle feeding when they resume work. What are alternatives if not bottle-feeds?

Mothers should know that they should never attempt to bottle-feed their babies as this causes milk addiction. This leads to babies having large quantities of formula milk and subsequently causes a faster cessation in breastfeeding. Bottle-feeding and breastfeeding are not the same and giving expressed breast milk in a bottle is also not the same as breastfeeding. “The breasts cannot keep up with the milk supply as the baby chooses the fast flow of the bottle and this ultimately leads to breastfeeding failures,” Dr Vaidya says.

According to Desai, breastfeeding even helps the mother’s breasts to express milk. There are a variety of muscles in the baby’s mouth that helps this activity. While bottle feeding, these muscles are not activated and the baby looks like it’s sucking when it’s only swallowing the milk. This is what leads to breast refusal where the baby has “suck confusion” and chooses the fast flow of the bottle.

So mothers are suggested to use a spoon while giving stored breast milk instead of the artificial nipple to avoid nipple-and-suck confusion. Cups can also be used. However, considering that at six months we also start complementary foods (introduction of solids), it’s always suggested that mothers learn to give expressed milk by bowl and spoon and then later progress to an open cup or soft spout sipper which is useful during travels as well.

Safety precautions mothers should take while expressing milk

Ensuring that the breast pump parts are sterilized is important. The flange which fits on the breast, the bottle in which the milk is collected and the valve through which the milk flows should ideally be sterilized before each use. The mother should additionally wash her hands well before attempting to express milk, Dr Vaidya says. “It may be difficult to sterilise at the workplace and if this is the case, then the mother can carry additional sterilised flanges and bottles in zip lock bags if she needs to pump multiple times while at work and keep up the supply,” Desai adds.

On breast pumps for mothers resuming work full-time or part-time

A mother needs to decide which breast pump to use based on the number of times she needs to pump at work. For example, if a mother is resuming work for eight hours and has a commuting time of two hours to and fro, then it is safe to assume that she will be away from her child for a period of 10 hours. This mother may need to pump at least two-three times at work at an interval of four hours to keep up her milk supply. Taking this into consideration, she can choose to buy an electric breast pump, which also has a battery option and with which she can simultaneously pump both breasts in the same session.

In an alternate situation, if the mother is resuming work part-time and will be available at home predominantly, then she can choose to buy a semi electric or manual breast pump as she may not be pumping as frequently as the mother in the first scenario.

Storing breast milk

Breast milk should always be stored in an airtight, sterilised container. At room temperature, breast milk can stay safe for four to six hours. When refrigerated, breast milk should be kept towards the end of the refrigerator and not in the door section to avoid temperature fluctuations and can be kept for up to 24 hours.

When frozen, breast milk can be stored for up to one to three months provided there are no power failures. “It’s imperative to know that frozen milk once thawed is never kept in the deep freezer again. It then has a shelf life of 24 hours and can be kept in the refrigerator for the same,” Desai says. A mother can also choose a combination of bags and bottles for breast milk storage. She can choose a breast milk bag for work as it’s easier to store and carry. She can store in bottles/airtight BPA-free plastic or steel containers at home.

How would a mother realise that the breast milk stored in the deep freezer has thawed and has frozen again?

There’s a trick to this. With all the milk bottles or bags that the mother has stored in the deep freezer, Desai usually recommends that mothers keep another transparent bottle filled with water with either a coin or a small piece of carrot on the top. When the mother opens this particular bottle and cannot see the coin or vegetable clearly, she will know that the milk has thawed and has re-frozen.

Breastfeeding can continue while returning to work

Also Read

New Covid variant ERIS detected in India: Know the symptoms and risk fact...

Can sugar in fruits trigger weight gain? A new study uncovers how fruit s...

Kannada actor’s wife Spandana, 44, dies of heart attack: What are unknown...

Pepperfry co-founder Ambareesh Murthy dies in Leh: What triggers cardiac ...

Returning to work while breastfeeding might seem far-fetched but it is definitely achievable with the right strategies, according to Dr Janvi Shah, lactation consultant at KEM Hospital, who urges mothers returning to their workplace to get educated about The Maternity Benefit Act and policies at the workplace. “This act even encourages employers to provide reasonable break times for expressing milk and private space, other than restrooms, where mothers can pump comfortably,” she adds.