Full Guide on Breastfeeding in the Workplace

Just because your baby is in the nursery doesn't mean you need to stop breastfeeding!  In general, nurseries and nurses agree to give babies breast milk, under certain hygienic conditions (cold chain, transport, storage, etc.) and packaging (use of sterile single-use bags, etc.)  The best is to talk about it directly at the time of registration!

In the UK, you should be able to  pump  at your workplace if you wish. You can request that your employer provides you with a suitable private space where you can do this. The guidelines here recommend that you have access to a private, clean and comfortable room with a lockable door - not a toilet - in which to express. However, there is no legal obligation for your employer to provide this space 

It's also recommended that you have use of a fridge to store your breast milk. 

It is demand that conditions supply, and not the other way around!  The greater the demand, the more milk your body will provide.  The less you stimulate lactation, the less milk your body will produce. 
If possible, pump every 3-4 hours comfortably with a good breastfeeding tea on hand, and a good double pumping breast pump with the nipple pads adapted to your nipple size.
In the evenings and at weekends, do not hesitate to put your baby to the breast as often as you want to continue to stimulate your lactation well.

If you feel that your breast milk production is not where you'd like it to me, do not hesitate to boost it using foods that promote lactation:
- Carrots
- Fennel and green anise
- Dried fruits (especially almonds, cashews and dates )
- Canned sardines
- Cumin and caraway, 
- Malt (in non-alcoholic or powdered beer),
- Green salad (especially watercress), 
- Cereals (especially quinoa, lentils, barley and millet) 
- Fenugreek and galga (available in homeopathy)

Warning: the following ingredients can potentially reduce the production of breast milk:
- Soybean
- Sage
- Parsley,
- Dill, 
- Mint

Be careful, the idea is not to starve baby!  If you are unable to provide the breast milk you need to feed your baby during the day, you will need to supplement her diet with formula.  But remember, the less you stimulate lactation, the less breast milk your body will produce.

The rule of thumb for freshly drawn milk is 4-4-4:
4 hours at room temperature
4 days at the bottom of the fridge
4 months in the freezer (with a freezer separate from the fridge)

Just like breastfeeding itself, pumping can be time consuming and tedious, even overwhelming.  This is all the more true when you have a long day of work behind you ...  Do not feel guilty if you feel too tired to pump your milk!  You are doing your best, and that's already great ❤️

In addition, fatigue and stress tend to reduce milk production ... So let go: if you are too tired to pump your milk, give yourself a break (and rest):    take a good bubble bath   and plan a bottle of formula for baby's next meal.

Tip : To simplify the extraction of milk, you can rent an electric breast pump from a pharmacy;  the rental will be reimbursed to you by social security if you have a prescription from your doctor or midwife.

Have you also chosen to breastfeed at work?  Do not hesitate to tell us how it went!