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Breastfeeding is the best thing a mother can do for her baby, it ensures a healthier and smarter baby, and it creates a special closeness between the mother and infant. Breast fed babies are five times less likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Breast fed babies are much less prone to illness and infection due to immunity passed through the mother's milk. Given the benefits of breastfeeding, it's important to encourage and help women breast feed. Many mothers who have to place their child in daycare do not breast feed because they think it will be too difficult. It is your job as a child care provider to make it easier for mothers to continue breastfeeding their infants. If your institution cares for infants who are breastfeeding these are steps you should take to become breastfeeding friendly. · Set aside a room or corner for breastfeeding; provide a comfortable chair and some privacy. · Provide a refrigerator to store expressed breast milk in. Ask the mother to date the breast milk, and only put three to four ounces per container, it should be used within two days. If you have more than one child that is breastfeeding, color code the containers, and have the mother put the baby's name on it. · Instruct the mother to get the baby used to being fed from the bottle by other people before she brings the baby to daycare; this will make the transition easier. · Make sure all employees know the proper method for warming expressed breast milk, running the bottle under warm running tap water is the best method. DO NOT use a microwave to thaw breast milk. This has the potential to make the milk too hot and burn the infant; it may also destroy some of the protective substances in breast milk. · Encourage the mother to come by on her lunch hour and feed the baby. Work the baby's schedule around the mothers lunch hour, if they are on solid foods, try not to feed them an hour before their mom gets there, wait until after they've nursed. · Get frequent updates from the mother about how much breast milk, and how often the infant is feeding. Remember that babies go through several growth spurts, and the amount they eat will go up suddenly. You need to be aware and keep up. · Have more breast milk on hand than you think you will need, this will ensure the baby gets enough to eat. Infants’ appetites fluctuate and you want to keep up, you don't want to keep a baby hungry. · In regards to serving frozen or chilled human milk use the following recommendations: 1. Thaw frozen milk at room temperature up to 4 hours; the best method to thaw frozen milk is to refrigerate overnight. Your can also thaw milk by holding it under warm running water, then shake it well to mix and check the temperature before giving it to the infant. 2. Fresh, chilled breast milk is not harmful to infants and is okay to serve as is. If infant prefers milk at room temperature, you may warm chilled breast milk under warm running water, or by setting it in a pan of warm water or they may be warmed in a commercial warmer 3. Temperature of milk may be tested using a sterile food thermometer (111-120 degrees F or 44-45 degrees C) Sources: Infant Nutrition and Feeding. United States Department of Agriculture: Food and Nutrition Service. 1993 For further information on breastfeeding, try these web sites: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
