 Hi everyone, it's World Breastfeeding Week 2023 and I'm so happy to present to you this information for working mothers. I'm Mina Shade from KMC Hospital, Ambedkar Circle, Mandur. I'm a certified lactation educator and a LALHLE leader and today, in honor of this special week, I will be diving into a crucial topic, getting back to work as a breastfeeding mother. Before that, I would like to talk to you about what World Health Organization has recommended and that is, children be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, meaning no other food or liquid or water even. Returning to work after maternity leave can be a challenge for new moms, especially those who wish to continue to breastfeed. It may seem difficult at first, but with some good planning and communication, your baby will still benefit from your breast milk. So here are some tips to help you to return to work while continuing breastfeeding. It helps to know your rights to maternity benefits. In India, the Maternity Benefit Act of 2017 ensures that new mothers receive a paid maternity leave of 26 weeks, which is almost six months, use it. Additionally, companies with more than 50 employees are legally required to provide a crash within a specified distance, allowing mothers to have four visits to the crash each day. Employers may also agree with new mothers on a duration for working from home after the maternity leave period. So do know your right to maternity benefits. If you are certain that you will return to work, then definitely plan ahead. First, let your employer know your needs in advance. Talk to your employer of your need to have a space for pumping. Check the availability of such rooms and make sure that you are comfortable to use the same for pumping. If a dedicated private lactation room is unavailable at your workplace, consider using a temporary private area like an employee office, conference room, or maybe a little use storage area with access to an electrical outlet for your breast pump. Prioritize privacy and cleanliness over everything else. Check if there is a refrigerator. If none, then you may need to get your own insulator back to store milk. Secondly, learn about your breast pumps option. Manual pumps are slower and less effective but don't require a power source. If you plan, if you pump, occasionally purchasing a manual pump is budget-friendly option. On the other hand, powered breast pumps are faster and more convenient, relying on electricity or batteries. If you will be pumping when you return to work, personal-sized power pumps are portable and suitable for daily use. In addition to all this, you should know the guidelines for storing your milk and storing pumping for your baby's caregiver. That is, the person who is going to look after your baby at home, refrigeration is a preferred method. Ideally, use within 4 days. You can store milk in a freezer for 6-12 months even. If refrigeration is not possible, human milk can safely be kept at room temperature for 4 hours. Next, practice at home. Start practicing early but preferably after 4-6 weeks of exclusively breastfeeding. Breastfeeding should be established to make the transition smoother when you actually start working again. Before going back to work, practice pumping at home with your baby. Start by replacing one nursing session each day with a pumping session with your baby from a bottom. Gradually increase these pumping sessions as you get closer to your return date. This will help you to get used to pumping and also allow your baby to adjust to water feeding for longer periods. Build a freezer's stash. Before going back to work, it's a good idea to build up a stash of frozen breast milk. Start expressing and saving breast milk well in advance, ideally several weeks or even months before your return date. Practice expressing milk, storing it in the freezer and feeding it to your baby with a bottle. This will help you to have sufficient milk supply ready for your baby's caregiver while you are away. Finally, creating a schedule for pumping at work and breastfeeding at home can be very helpful. Balancing everything becomes easier when you have a schedule in place. Breastfeed your baby in the morning before work then pump every three to four hours during the day depending on your baby's usual feeding frequency. If you are away for around 10 hours, aim to pump at least three times at work. Try to pump at the same time each day to keep your milk production consistent and perhaps this will also let your co-workers know when you will be unavailable. Use breast pads to prevent leakage between pumping sessions. After a week or two, you and your baby will settle into a routine and you will handle pumping and breastfeeding like a pro. Breastfeeding moms require time to adjust to their new routine. When you go back to work, you will encounter perhaps another learning curve as you plan and prepare for being away from your baby. Equip yourself with plenty of information and plan ahead to make the transition smoother. With proper preparation, you will be able to establish a schedule that minimizes stress and worry for both you and your baby. So as you embark on this new chapter of balancing work and breastfeeding, remember that you're not alone. Many moms have successfully navigated this journey before you and with determination and support, you can do it too. Take each day as it comes. Be kind to yourself and embrace the beautiful bond you share with your little one. You have got this. Remember, you're a strong and loving mother capable of juggling the challenges of work and breastfeeding with grace and confidence. You're doing amazing things for your baby, for yourself and for your future as well. Happy breastfeeding and happy working. Thank you.