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Breastfeeding Solutions for Working Mothers

Creator: Dr. Trupti Shirole
Keywords: Breastfeeding, Working Mothers, World Breastfeeding Week, Breast Engorgement, Thrush, Mastitis, Breast Abscess, Lactation Consultant, Workplace Policies, Support for Breastfeeding

by Dr. Trupti Shirole on August 2, 2023 at 10:51 PM

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Highlights:

Working mothers often face challenges like breast engorgement, thrush, blocked milk ducts, mastitis, and breast abscess during breastfeeding
Solutions such as expressing extra milk, using hot compresses, medical consultations, and surgical interventions can help manage these challenges
Creating breastfeeding-friendly workplaces with supportive policies, flexible schedules, and lactation facilities can make breastfeeding more achievable for working moms

This World Breastfeeding Week, a special emphasis is being placed on the obstacles that metropolitan working moms experience when attempting to nurse while juggling their professional commitments. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this year's theme 'Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a Difference for Working Parents' to focus on providing crucial support to working moms (1^✔).

Managing Breastfeeding Challenges for Working Mothers

Dr. Pragati Khalatkar, a gynecologist and the secretary of the Nagpur Obstetric and Gynecological Society, discussed frequent challenges faced by working mothers. "Breast engorgement can happen in the early days when the mother and baby are still getting used to breastfeeding. Engorgement can also happen when the baby is older and feeding is not frequent," she said.

‘Work and breastfeeding can go hand in hand. Here's a look at common challenges faced by working moms and how they can be navigated successfully. #WorldBreastfeedingWeek #SupportWorkingMoms ’

"Expressing out extra milk after breastfeeding the baby and using hot compresses can help alleviate the pain," she added.

Working mothers often encounter thrush - a fungal infection of nipples and the baby's oral cavity - leading to feeding difficulties. "Mothers must visit doctors. Many cases need application of antifungal mouth paint to the baby's oral cavity till the thrush heals," Dr Khalatkar said.

Promoting Breastfeeding-friendly Workplaces

Pediatrician Dr. Surabhi Sangwai is an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (USA). She highlighted the importance of supportive workplace policies. "All women, anywhere, irrespective of their type of work, should get paid time off up to 180 days after delivering a child," she said. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months post-delivery.

To enable successful breastfeeding for working mothers, Dr. Sangwai emphasized the need for breastfeeding-friendly workspaces. "Employers should provide suitable workspaces, like flexible schedules, facilities for expressing breastmilk at work, telework, and onsite childcare," she said.

Timely lactation support is crucial for achieving breastfeeding goals without compromising the baby's nutrition," Dr. Sangwai added.

Addressing Common Breastfeeding Challenges

Breast engorgement is a painful condition in which the breasts become excessively full of milk. Using heat compresses and expressing additional milk after breastfeeding can help relieve breast engorgement (2^✔).

Thrush is a fungal illness that affects the nipples and the baby's oral cavity, causing feeding difficulties. Consultation with a doctor and application of antifungal mouth paint to the baby's oral cavity are the recommended solutions (3^✔).

Blockages in the milk ducts can result in tiny, painful lumps in the breast. Frequent feedings and careful baby posture can help relieve it.

Mastitis can develop from an untreated clogged duct. Regular breastfeeding, initiating feeds with the afflicted breast, and seeking medical assistance can help relieve mastitis. Untreated mastitis can cause pus to form in the breast leading to breast abscess. Surgical drainage and incision can help treat breast abscesses (4^✔).

References:

World Breastfeeding Week 2023 - (https:www.who.int/campaigns/world-breastfeeding-week/2023)
Treatments for breast engorgement during lactation - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32944940/)
A prospective study of fluconazole treatment for breast and nipple thrush - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22263374/)
[Mastitis] - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31791447/)

Source: Medindia

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