Dear Jessica,

Congratulations on your course.  Sounds very interesting.

I often encourage mothers in my practice to continue breastfeeding once they
return to work.

One of the biggest problems for working mothers in unexpected illness.  When
mothers return to work,  their children face changes in care giving
situation.  This usually means more illnesses.   Continuing to breastfeed,
even partially, can help reduce the number of illnesses in their children.
It means fewer 10:00 am calls from the day care to "come and get your child,
(s)he's sick" and fewer 2 am trips to the emergency for ear infections.

Continuing to breastfeed can also help mothers make the transition to the
work place more easily.  Even if she has to work, her child will still be
getting the benefits of breastmilk while she is not there.

I find that mothers need to see that there are real financial and energy
savings to breastfeeding.   When you combine this information with the "how
to's" on working and breastfeeding,  it shows that breastfeeding and working
is "do-able".

From the Great North where it's getting colder by the minute,

Shirley Gross M.D.,C.M.,C.C.F.P.
Director, Edmonton Breastfeeding Clinic