meetings, plus the mamas I have met,
have got me through the tough times
when I thought I might give up.”
Have baby, will travel
A determination to make
breastfeeding and work compatible
was also an overriding aim for
shoe designer Cher Skelling. While
pregnant with her daughter, Nina,
Cher thought long and hard about
how she would manage her return
to work. She says, “After looking at
all the options, I realised the only
solution was to take my baby with
me. I’m lucky that my colleagues are
supportive, so I knew ultimately it
would work out somehow.”
Cher works two days per week at
home in Hong Kong, and three days
per week in a sample room in China.
She says, “I usually stay two nights
per week in China in a company
apartment. When I knew I would take
Nina with me, I asked my Chinese
colleagues to look for a nanny to take
care of her during the day. I converted
one of the bedrooms in the dorm
building into a nursery so Nina was
never far away from me. I would go
over to her room to feed her whenever
she was hungry. I also had blinds
installed in my office in case I needed
to nurse in there. The only difficulty
was when I had customer visits as I
used to have to leave meetings for a
short while to go and feed Nina, but
my colleagues always covered for me
and, luckily, Nina was a fast feeder.”
For other women hoping to carry
on breastfeeding, Cher’s advice is to
seek support. “I would say you need
to make a decision to breastfeed, then
look for ways to make it work, rather
than obstacles to make it difficult.
Think outside the box and don’t be
afraid to ask employers and colleagues
for support.”
Keep talking
Returning to work is a challenge
for any mum with a ten-week-old
baby, and trying to maintain a
breastfeeding relationship can make
it even trickier. Depending on the
nature of the mother’s work, Maggie
advises exploring any possible
options for flexible working – such
as a delayed return, working from
home or exemption from travel – with
employers.
Communication with other mums
is also vital. “We encourage mothers
to attend a La Leche League meeting
where they can meet other working
mothers,” says Maggie
.
org). “Hearing how other mothers
cope is probably the most useful thing.
Working mothers can pick up practical
tips and they may also feel inspired
and encouraged to continue once they
realise it can be done. We also have
a Yahoo group for working mothers
where they can share tips on how to
cope and chat about the challenges
they face.”
Despite the challenges of returning
to work and breastfeeding, there can
be light at the end of the tunnel. “It
is useful to remember that the first
weeks and months are the hardest,”
says Maggie. “Like most aspects of
parenting, with time and practice it all
gets easier.”
It is useful to remember that the first
weeks and months are the hardest.
February 2014
61
