How to go to work with a baby

Katya Osadchaya recently became a mother for the third time. August 19, on Apple Spas, she gave birth to a third son - Danilo. And already on the fifth day after giving birth, she worked. First, she appeared at a solemn event dedicated to the Independence Day, and then on the set of her program "High Life".

Such a star mom's zeal for work is clearly not caused by a lack of money or fear of losing her job. But in the life of ordinary Ukrainian women, there are situations when they are forced to start working almost immediately after giving birth. How to ease parting with a baby, even for a few hours, and what life hacks will help a baby not suffer so much from the absence of a mother, read our material.

Is it possible to go to work immediately after childbirth

It is better to devote the "fourth trimester" to yourself and your child / istockphoto.com

In medicine, there is such a thing as "the fourth trimester of pregnancy." It has nothing to do with pregnancy itself - this is the period of recovery after childbirth and the maximum intimacy of the mother and the newborn baby. Going to work at this time is not recommended for two main reasons. First of all, this is the mother's health, which has not yet returned to normal. Secondly, the health and psychological state of the baby.

For the female body, the time is natural recovery after childbirth averages six to eight weeks. During this time, the hormonal background returns to normal, the menstrual cycle is getting better, the lowered internal organs "fall into place", the muscles of the spine come to tone. It is optimal during this period to dose physical activity, and not to hoist the exhausted body on hairpins and rush to the office. Moreover, the calmer this period is emotionally, the sooner the mother will feel like a human again.

Likewise with a child: in the first weeks after birth, he critically needs a single familiar creature. Only in the arms of the mother can the baby safely hide from the complexities of a new life, and begin to gradually adapt to new conditions. It is in the "fourth trimester" that there is not only an emotional but also a physical relationship between mother and child. To move away at this time means to break off invisible threads.

However, we do not live in an ideal world, and in some situations the mother needs to “stand on his heels”. And here it is very important not to crush yourself with guilt and not engage in self-criticism. If you have the opportunity, try to make sure that the working day takes no more than 3-4 hours of your time (for example, you can negotiate with your superiors and take part of the work home). And prepare yourself for the time of your absence to pass as imperceptibly as possible for the child.

How to go to work with a baby

Ideal if your dad is looking after the baby / istockphoto.com

First of all, you need to think about who you will leave the baby with. It is good if the same person is the “mother's substitute” every time, then the baby will develop compensatory attachment, and he will perceive separation from his mother much more calmly. If you go to work for a couple of hours, ideal is leave the child with dad. After all, the second most important adult in a child's life.

If dad can't be on the safe side, another optimal adult is grandmother. Of course, provided that her age allows her to care for a nursing baby. In extreme cases, a nanny remains - among them there are many professionals who are trained in caring for newborn children. However, be sure to keep in mind that in the case of both the grandmother and the nanny, you need to invite the person into the house at least a week before your expected absence.

Trust the child as much as possible in the hands of another adult, but do not lead the adaptation to fanaticism. If the baby cries, breaks free and asks to you, take him in your arms, and after a while pass it to the "nanny" again. The ideal situation is when a child in your presence calmly sits in the arms of another adult. In this case, we can assume that the baby partially recognized him as “his own”.

How to feed a baby when mom is at work

Create a milk bank for your baby before going to work / istockphoto.com

The second task is to provide your baby with a supply of milk if you are breastfeeding and do not panic to complete it. This will require pumping, and pumping constantly. Please note that a baby under 6 months old needs 6-8 feeds a day, so you will have to create a milk can in the refrigerator.

Fortunately, breast milk lends itself well to freezing and does not lose much of its properties when thawed at room temperature. However, it cannot be re-frozen, so it makes sense to store milk in portioned containers of 60-90 ml. Some mothers who have to leave in the morning feed their baby at night from only one breast. The second is just enough to express milk and provide the baby with at least one feeding.

Depending on how much time you spend at work, you will have to pump there too. Therefore, do not forget to take your breast pump with you. If you miss a couple of pumpings, lactostasis, and this is fraught with quite serious problems up to hospital treatment.

To bottle-train your baby, feed it yourself several times. After that, let your "nanny" feed him from a bottle (you can go to another room at this time). Experienced mothers advise such a life hack: you need to drop a couple of drops of milk on the breast and hands of the one who feeds the child. The native scent will calm the baby and create the illusion that mom is near. Do not worry that the baby will not breastfeed after the bottle. If you alternate types of feeding (bottle in the morning and afternoon, and mom in the evening and at night), the baby will gradually get used to this regime.

How to compensate for the time when mom is not around

Happy mom will give her child more care and attention / istockphoto.com

When you return from work, try to spend as much time with your baby as possible. However, while doing this, do not make the most common mistake: do not take the child away from the helper, removing him completely and completely. Otherwise, leaving it the next day will be much more difficult. Some mothers, out of guilt, literally do not let their baby get away with when they are at home. Because of this, the absence of a mother is then perceived as very painful.

The most important thing: when you decide to go to work, do not torment yourself with doubts about the correctness of your action. Remember that the child needs, first of all, a happy mother. If a few hours of work will bring you pleasure (while you know for sure what will be with the child at this time reliable and loving adult), you will return to your baby much more resourceful than if you were with him in the mode 24/7.

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