What can YOU, as a childcare provider, do to help breastfeeding moms? And why does this matter?

Caring for infants and small children is no easy feat! Childcare providers and working parents of breastfed infants face some unique challenges. Namely, there is the whole pumping thing! More mothers than ever before are working and separated from their infants on a regular basis and intend to provide breastmilk during these separations. Unfortunately, this can be a difficult transition for a couple of reasons. In general, many people believe that working mothers have a hard time meeting their breastfeeding goals because they think that 1) breastfeeding is harder than formula feeding and that 2) women often do not produce enough milk. 

Before we tease apart these beliefs, we'd like to address why childcare providers are benefited by mothers being successful at breastfeeding their babies. The biggest benefits we see, in the daycare setting, are that breastfed babies are sick less frequently, and healthy babies are happy babies! And of course, the less sick babies daycare employees are exposed to, the less work they will have to miss. Also, when mothers are supported by their childcare team in meeting their breastfeeding goals, they are going to recommend the source of high quality care to others. And childcare providers are uniquely situated to make a difference! Whether they are working in the family's home, a home daycare, or an early learning setting, childcare providers see mothers day in and day out, on the best days and the most discouraging ones. They also tend to spend the majority of each day with the infants in their care, so they often develop close relationships with the families they serve. Even more important is the fact that childcare providers are a type of baby-professional and are a source of information about what is or isn't "normal" for many parents. While the vast majority of childcare providers aren't moonlighting as lactation professionals, we bet that each one could come up with at least one mom that they remember struggled with pumping after she returned to work. 

As we said earlier, there are a couple of beliefs about breastfeeding that tend to circulate in our culture. We, as a population, tend to believe that breastfeeding is a good thing, but that it is "harder" than formula feeding is, and by following that line of thinking many people feel that formula feeding is better for some situations (especially when moms are returning to work) because of the stress associated with breastfeeding. We would like to point out a couple of things regarding these beliefs. Firstly, breastfeeding can be hard, but we find that infants are simply very demanding of our time, energy, and resources. They only know to ask for what they need, and they have no understanding of boundaries. This includes both formula and breastfed babies! Secondly, breastfeeding sometimes has a learning curve. If it is painful or difficult, mothers can and should get help, and the sooner the better. Once breastfeeding is well established it is actually less work than formula feeding. There is no mixing, measuring, sterilizing, or running out in the middle of the night. Working moms reap those benefits during all of the time that they are with their baby, even if they do not have the ease of simply latching on during the day. When mothers breastfeed they also experience something called a "letdown". While letdown sounds like a negative thing, this is when the milk begins to flow more freely and is triggered by the release of oxytocin- a relaxing and soothing hormone. Both nursing mothers and babies benefit from the release of oxytocin, as it helps to reduce stress and promote bonding. What working mom doesn't need a good dose of oxytocin to boost her mood and help her reconnect with her baby in spite of all of the demands on her time? 

As far as the belief that many women have difficulty producing enough milk, we will say that this is a very common concern but that it really should not be happening in most situations. In a well established breastfeeding relationship, supply is regulated by stimulation and milk removal. As the baby nurses, the mother's supply is maintained. However, this natural balance can be upset by many different factors during the back-to-work months including long separations from the baby, pumping instead of breastfeeding, introducing early solids, or supplementing with formula. Working with a lactation professional can help! 

Here are some things that childcare providers can do to help prevent early weaning:

• Openly support nursing in public in the childcare setting. At the very least, know that this means you are following the law (here in Florida, women are legally permitted to breastfeed anywhere and without a cover). Better still is knowing that by encouraging a mother to nurse her baby last thing before she leaves and first thing when she returns, you are helping to keep the breastfeeding relationship strong. 
• Invite the nursing mom to stop in during her lunch hour to nurse if that is logistically possible for her. This is an excellent tactic if she feels like her supply might be getting low.
• Don't minimize her feelings in an effort to help her feel "better". Saying that it's "not that bad" to supplement with formula doesn't help to solve the actual problem. Do listen and empathize if she shares how hard this time is. 
• Educate yourself on what is normal for breastfeeding moms and babies. This includes how much and how frequently breastfed babies typically eat (guess what- it's different from formula feeding babies!), what pumping is generally like, and what some signs of trouble are. For example, if a mom is struggling to pump enough, or if she is experiencing any breast pain or sore nipples. 
• Ensure that all staff know the basics about human milk storage and handling. It's not a bio hazardous bodily substance, for example, yet many facilities require it to be stored in a separate refrigerator. It is normal for the cream to rise to the top, leaving the more watery milk at the bottom. We have heard of many parents and caretakers tossing moms milk out because it looked curdled after sitting for several hours. It's also important to not vigorously shake the milk to recombine the cream with the milk- this can damage the delicate live particles in human milk. 
• Finally, it is wonderful if you can point nursing mothers and babies in the right direction when they are struggling. Keep a list of local lactation professionals in your parent resources. Bonus points if they do home visits and are familiar with pumping and returning back to work! You might even think of handing this out to all of the new families that you take on.