Hesperian Health Guides
When Parents Work Outside the Home
HealthWiki > Where Women Have No Doctor > Chapter 7: Breastfeeding > When parents work outside the home
Many parents, including those with newborn babies, now work away from their homes. This can make it hard to give a baby nothing but breast milk during the first 6 months of their life.
You should not have to choose between your work and your child’s health.
Working parents need support to breastfeed. Some jobs allow someone to bring their baby for a few months after birth. This makes breastfeeding easier. If there is child care nearby, it might be possible to breastfeed during the day, on breaks. Some employers organize childcare centers so parents can have their children close by Here are some ways to make sure your baby gets only breast milk while you are at work:
When you are with your baby, feed it only from your breasts. If you sleep with the baby at night, it may feed more, and this will help you to make enough milk.
In some cases, people ask a friend or a relative, like the baby’s grandmother, to breastfeed their baby. If you want someone else to breastfeed your baby, they should be tested for HIV and have no risk of becoming infected while breastfeeding.