Moms Often Have to Just Go With the Flow

(Newswire.net — June 2, 2018) Cheyenne, Wyoming — A pump has been more than an accessory for a working mom, it’s more or less their lifeline to providing the best for their infant while on the go away from them. It’s often a handful to express breast milk on any job, one can feel a little like MacGyver trying to strap on a contraption with bottles and tubes to one’s breasts but it’s a job worth doing so these supermoms solider on between meetings, travel and everything else life throws their way. 

Being aware of the laws of the land where you reside or have to travel to is always helpful informationt. America’s Fair Labor Standards Act which entails the Affordable Care Act specifies how nursing moms should be provided a designated space for expressing breast milk and “reasonable” unpaid respites for such purposes for one year after giving birth. On this note, it should be highlighted that a regular bathroom space does not qualify for a lactation room. 

Careers that require tons of travelling are a bit more flexible as the former “Laguna Beach” star  Kristin Cavallari showcased on Instagram as she shared a photo of herself pumping breast milk in a hotel room. Of course, she cheekily described it as “the glamorous side” of her book tour, “Balancing in Heels: My Journey to Health, Happiness, and Making it All Work.” 

As it relates to wardrobe planning, that’s planning on a whole new level when looking to pump during work hours. Revamping a wardrobe with tons of button-down tops, wrap dresses, jackets and cardigans are worthwhile investments for slipping in and out of a comfortable breast milk expressing position is key. 

Lindsey Burik, a New York City mom who flew for work while pumping, advises taking a dish towel to set supplies on, pump-cleaning wipes, and a sealable plastic bag for ice. “You can’t bring melted ice through security, so when flying home, I’d dump the ice that was chilling my milk before I got to security, then get new ice in the terminal,” she says. She requested a mini fridge for storing milk at hotels or asked to keep her labeled bottles in a hotel fridge. 

The next thing is really all about time management. As much as possible, one should schedule where and when and for how long it’s best to pump but as a rule of thumb, it ought to be done about the same time you’d normally nurse each day. While this may be easily doable for most working moms with a nine to five office job, for others with very different job environments, improvising will be the order of the day.

On The Ellen DeGeneres Show, actress Kristen Bell admitted to pumping milk during a conference Skype read through of the film Bad Moms (2016). She said, “When you gotta do it, you gotta do it. And I thought, ‘They’re not going to care, also it’s not going to be very loud.’ Again, I didn’t’ realize I was on a 200-inch screen on speakers in a conference room. I thought it was someone’s computer.” 

Lastly, there are dietary concerns to consider as what a nursing mother eats eventually makes its way into the breast supply for a period. While breast milk would be complimented by the introduction of solid foods by a certain point, typically around the time a nursing mom returns to work, the mother’s nutritional intake remains pivotal.

Eating healthy and on time is crucial to milk production and being mindful that anything consumed with alcohol in it will affect the composition of breast milk until the alcohol is fully metabolized. Brands such as HealthyWiser™ are keen on supporting nursing moms with their PureMilk™ breast milk analysis kit which provides all the information one would need to determine when it is safe to resume pumping or nursing.