Background information
Milk pump in use
by Chantal Häusler-Naunheim
Breastfeeding on the go and how to combine it with employees
20.10.2017
Translation: machine translated
I, Chantal Häusler, am a breastfeeding counsellor and support the couple Fabienne and Peter during the breastfeeding period. Previously, they gave birth to their son Benjamin together with midwife Norina Wartmann. The little one is now a few months old and the introduction of complementary foods is becoming a topic. Fabienne wants to return to her job soon. I support and advise the two of them during this phase.
Breastfeeding on the go - it couldn't be easier
How practical it is to always have everything you need for your child's physical well-being with you. Healthy breast milk at the right temperature and, above all, always in sufficient quantity to keep your baby full. If you are travelling with a child, you have to think about many other things anyway. Do you have nappies with you? Spare clothes or a dummy and dummy already packed? It would be a real disaster if you forgot the milk powder, water or bottle!
Breastfeeding in public is not every woman's cup of tea. Especially when breastfeeding is not yet so easy, the inhibitions are greater. I advise every mum to approach it step by step. Consciously choose places where you want to and can breastfeed. In the beginning, it might just be a lonely bench in a park or on a footpath. With enough practice, you'll probably find yourself in places where other people are around more often. Breastfeeding loops or nursing cloths can provide you with privacy so that you feel more comfortable while breastfeeding. It is important that mums breastfeed in public and do not have to retreat to dirty toilets. The breastfeeding mum is meeting a basic need of her child and she should be allowed to do this anytime and anywhere. With a little practice, most women manage to breastfeed in a way that is barely noticeable - discreetly and without attracting much attention.
Back to work
Fabienne, Peter and Benjamin have been experiencing the normal madness of a family for around five months now. As Benjamin is still fully breastfed, breastfeeding is an integral part of everyday life. In around five weeks' time, however, Fabienne will be starting work again and contacted me for this reason. The timing is ideal, as Fabienne still has enough time to clarify any questions and organise any measures at work. Fabienne will be absent two days a week and would like to continue breastfeeding Benjamin.
Important to know: As a breastfeeding mother, you have rights at work. The time you need to breastfeed or pump still counts as working time in the first year of life. In order to maintain sufficient milk production, it is recommended that you pump during your child's drinking rhythm. Depending on the child, this can vary between two and four hours. Ideally, you can cool the milk somewhere immediately after expressing and transport it home chilled. Inform your employer in advance that you are still breastfeeding and would like to express. They may also be able to provide you with a suitable room for this. It is important that you inform your employer in advance, seek dialogue and explain the legal situation if necessary.
I discussed the topic of breast pumps and expressing in my last article:
When do I start complementary feeding?
The WHO (World Health Organisation) officially recommends full breastfeeding for six months. In the first year of life, the main food is breast milk or formula milk. That's why it's also called BEI food. This means that if you stop breastfeeding before your baby's first birthday, you must also give your baby formula milk. There are various signs that your child is ready for complementary foods. Pay attention to these signs of maturity and don't start too early. The age at which this will be varies from child to child.
Signs of maturity
- The child can sit upright and hold their head up on their own or with little help
- The child has lost the tongue extension reflex and no longer pushes solid food out of the mouth
- The child can reach for things purposefully and safely and put them in the mouth.
- It makes (imitates) chewing movements .- It shows interest in the food of other Family members.
Complementary food can be offered in porridge or finger food form: Baby Led Weaning Method.
Breastfeeding duration
Many families ask me how long they should breastfeed. Basically, you should breastfeed for as long as it is right for the family, mainly mum and baby. Personally, I always like it when breastfeeding lasts for at least a year. After the first birthday, milk substitutes no longer need to be offered. As mentioned above, the WHO recommends full breastfeeding for six months, continuing to breastfeed alongside complementary foods until the age of 2 and beyond if possible. It is important to know that every sip of breast milk is valuable, regardless of the child's age. The immune defence substances are present in higher concentrations even in the 2nd year of breastfeeding and protect and support the child's immune system day after day. The woman herself also benefits from a long period of breastfeeding. The risk of developing breast cancer decreases with longer breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is therefore much more than just food for the child. Incidentally, the natural weaning age is somewhere between three and six years. What? Yes, exactly. Unfortunately, many people have a false, strange image of breastfeeding older children. Or even find it perverse. Often, however, long-term breastfed children are actually only breastfed in the evening or at night. The image of a nursery school child with mum pulling up her top in public and sucking on her naked breast is hardly a reality. Breastfeeding during a new pregnancy is also generally possible without any problems. Many long-term breastfeeders also breastfeed in tandem - a larger and younger child at the same time. This is also possible. In this case, the younger child should always take priority.
When it's time to say goodbye
When and who decides when to stop breastfeeding varies from family to family. Children rarely wean themselves before the age of one. Regardless of the reasons for weaning, it is a small farewell to a very special time. Abrupt weaning is only recommended in an emergency. Gentle weaning makes weaning easier on both sides and is also more pleasant for the breast. Breastfeeding sessions are generally less frequent and less long. The breast and the female hormonal system register this and less milk is produced accordingly. In recent years, I have had several enquiries from women who would like to relactate. In other words, they want to start breastfeeding again. They were often given incorrect or inadequate advice and ended up weaning against their will. Because they have not yet finished or are no longer happy with this, there is the option of stimulating the breast again. Although this is possible, it requires close support from an experienced breastfeeding counsellor.
In the next and final article, I will be addressing a topic that is omnipresent in many families: "Falling asleep and sleeping through the night". You can look forward to what I have to say about this as a sleep consultant from "1001kindernacht".
Fabienne and Peter's backstory:
Chantal Häusler-Naunheim
Stillberaterin
info@stillberatung-haeusler.chI am married and mother of two sons. As a trained nurse HF, I worked in the maternity ward of the Stans hospital and in the Lachen hospital as head of the nursing outpatient clinic.
After my further training as a lactation consultant IBCLC and as a "sleep consultant 1001kindernacht" I am currently a freelance lactation consultant IBCLC in the canton of Zug and run my own practice in Unterägeri. I am also president of the board of the association kindLine, which runs the unique family centre in the canton of Zug.<br><a href="http://stillberatung-haeusler.ch/" target="_blank">www.stillberatung-haeusler.ch</a>
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