Returning mom's worries Knowing the pain of "milking" April 26, 16:26

A woman who has just returned to work after childbirth may be suffering unknowingly.

It's a milking problem.



When you're breastfeeding, your breasts are full because breast milk is produced in your body.

If left untreated, it may cause severe pain, and in severe cases, it may cause illness.



Why don't you think about milking together so that everyone can work without anxiety?


(Good morning Japan Erika Sato / Mariko Sato, General Bureau of the United States)

The wall of milking that stands up

Yumiko (37 years old, pseudonym) living in Tokyo, who will return to her medical workplace this spring, is also one of those who suffers from milking.

She is raising a child who is 6 years old and just 1 year old.



She breastfeeds eight times a day during childcare leave, but is expected to reduce to four in the morning and evening after returning.



Even if the number of breastfeeds suddenly decreases due to returning to work, the body continues to produce breast milk, which makes me excited.



You "milk" with your hands or a milking machine to reduce the tension and maintain milk production.

Yumiko says that she was worried about the tension in her chest while working as the first person, and was worried about whether she would have any pain.



She wanted to milk, but couldn't get enough of her time.

Yumiko


"I was short on time and I'm sorry to ask another person for work. I couldn't say" I want to take time for milking "."

About two weeks after my return, my chest turned red and I had a high fever.

If you put up with it, there is a risk to your health.

Yumiko was diagnosed with "mastitis".


It is a symptom that breast milk accumulates in the mammary glands and causes inflammation.



According to midwife Atsumi Ito, who teaches breastfeeding management to women who are about to return, mastitis causes systemic symptoms such as fever of 38.5 degrees or higher, chills, and physical pain such as influenza. It is said that it may appear.

Midwife Atsumi Ito


"It is a phenomenon that breast milk, which should have been discharged if the baby is nearby, stays too much in the breast and causes inflammation due to sudden changes in life due to returning to work or entering the kindergarten



. Women returning to work must milk frequently, especially if they continue to breastfeed, and even if they do not



wish to continue breastfeeding, to control secretion and avoid mammary inflammation. , You need to breastfeed regularly for a period of time during work. The point is not to be too patient. "

No milking space

There is another reason why Yumiko, who was suffering from milking, had to put up with it at work.



It's a matter of location.



There was no space in the workplace where I could milk with confidence.



A place where you can be alone ...



Yumiko had no choice but to choose the toilet.

Yumiko


"I had no other choice, so I milked to the extent of pressure relief in the private room of the toilet during the lunch break. If there were people waiting, it would be annoying and uncomfortable, and I didn't feel like milking slowly. I haven't talked about it in particular. I don't think I know about milking in the first place. "

Squeezed milk can be drunk by babies if kept clean, but milked in the toilet is not hygienic.



Yumiko says she had thrown away the milk she had milked.

When I looked into the milking environment at work ...

Is there really only a place where you can milk like a toilet?



I decided to find out how many companies in the country have an environment where they can milk.



Then, I can't find any survey conducted nationwide on companies.



Even if you ask an expert who is familiar with women's labor issues, it is said that there is no such data.



According to Shinobu Naito, Deputy Senior Researcher, Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training, the 2000 Maternity Protection Recommendation by the ILO (International Labor Organization) requires each country to create rules such as creating an environment for milking in the workplace. increase.



However, there is no law in Japan that requires companies to provide milking space.



It is said that the current situation is that the only way to decide whether to set up a milking space is to expect the voluntary efforts of the company.



The Labor Standards Law has a system that allows women raising children under the age of one to ask the company for "childcare time" for 30 minutes twice a day.



However, he points out that this "childcare time" is a system tailored to the working environment of about 100 years ago, and does not take into consideration the working environment of workers who have current needs for breastfeeding and milking.

Shinobu Naito, Deputy Senior Researcher, Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training, Incorporated Administrative Agency


"The basis of childcare time is the provisions of the Factory Law Enforcement Regulations added in 1926. Made for needs. At that time, grandmothers and others brought their babies to the factory to feed them, or returned home to feed them in the neighborhood,



but now they bring their babies to feed .

There are no families to come to, and the in-house nursery school is not so fulfilling. In such a situation, if you try to milk at work, you will run into the problem of what to do with the place



. Some may even think about giving up, taking a little out in an unsanitary toilet, or quitting their job. How do you have the right to use it in the face of postpartum female workers? I think we should think about it again. "

According to Mr. Naito, although some companies in Japan have voluntarily introduced milking rooms, only a small number of them are said to have introduced them.



WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that you continue breastfeeding until you are 2 years old.



However, some survey results show that the lack of an environment for milking in the workplace is one of the reasons for giving up breastfeeding in Japan.



On the other hand, looking overseas, some countries have begun advanced initiatives.

The United States that mandated the establishment of a milking room by law

One of the countries where milking at work is no longer the norm is the United States.



The cost of purchasing or renting a milking machine is covered by a lot of insurance, and many fashionable cold storage bags for milking machines and breast milk are sold at supermarkets in town and online shopping. ..

Why is milking in the workplace common?



In fact, the United States does not have a maternity leave or childcare leave system.



Even immediately after childbirth, there are even cases where people lose their jobs if they take a day off from work, and many people return to work immediately after childbirth.



So, during the Obama administration, the United States enacted a law that required businesses to provide time and place for milking to employees until their child was one year old.



Western California amended state law two years ago and is working to improve the working environment by taking strict measures, including penalties for violating the obligation to set up a milking room.

Book the milking room online, and also have a breastfeeding service

Chevron, an energy giant headquartered in California, has introduced a milking room for over 20 years and has been making improvements in line with state law.



Even when the new coronavirus restricted office attendance, the milking room was not reduced and maintained.

One of the employees, Teresa Gunawan, returned to work three months after giving birth to her first child.



Before she went on maternity leave, she talked with her boss about milking, and after her return she used the milking room near her office about three times a day.

Teresa Gunawan


"If you don't have a milking room near your office, you can ask for a new milking room. You can book a new milking room online, just like a conference room. No one was in the way during that time. I was able to consult with my boss before giving birth, so I wasn't worried about returning. "

The company installs chairs, tables, power supplies, water services and refrigerators in the milking room in accordance with state law.



And there is an automatic milking machine that is also used in hospitals, and you can use it freely.



Since it can be milked automatically on the left and right at the same time, milking is completed in about 15 minutes, which is considerably shorter than milking by hand or breastfeeding directly.



Originally, it can only be used in hospitals, but the burden on women who use it is greatly reduced by having the company prepare it and perform hygiene maintenance.

In addition, the company also provides a service that delivers milk milked on business trips to your home while controlling the temperature.



This way, you won't give up breastfeeding because of your work.



Benefits officials say this support is a necessary investment for women to return to work.

Benefits Brian Walker


"It's also worth the investment for businesses. It's a big loss if a skilled woman retires because she wants to return but can't get help. Instead. Hiring new employees also requires training and costs more.



We value the people who are working now and those who want to work for the company so that the best people can continue to work. Has a lot of advantages. "

A milking consulting company too !?

The pervasiveness of milking in the workplace has created new businesses.



There is a consulting firm specializing in milking in California.



In addition to consulting with companies regarding the layout of milking rooms, we also provide various services related to milking, such as lending and maintenance of milking machines, and education for employers and employees.

Milking Consulting Company CEO Sheila Janakos


"The law of the state has expanded our business, but with or without the law, we want to improve the working environment of our employees. There are many consultations from large companies, companies with few female employees, and companies that work outdoors such as agriculture. "

Evolved so far Wireless milking machine

Wireless milking machines are now popular in the United States because they make milking easier and easier.



Put it in a dedicated brassiere and start it with the smartphone app to use it.



The sound is quiet, so it's possible to milk while working without being noticed by colleagues at work.

"Handmade milking room" in Japan

Even if you don't have the laws and facilities like in the United States, there is a way to secure the minimum space.



The image below is a "handmade milking room" set up by a brewer in Miyagi prefecture two years ago.

The room has a sofa and table, a blindfold curtain, and a disinfectant spray.



All of them are purchased at home improvement stores, etc., or reused from the surplus in the company, and no special items are placed.



As for the location, we used an empty room in the company.

Midwife Atsumi Ito is the key to the milking space: ● A



space where you can protect your privacy and feel secure



● A clean place



and if possible ...



● A refrigerator that can store breast milk ●



A power supply for an automatic milking machine



● A microwave that can be disinfected



● A milking machine



It would be even better if there was a water supply in or near the room where you could

wash your hands .

After the interview

It doesn't mean that you have to breastfeed, but I think it's great that mothers who want to continue breastfeeding have the option to continue.



Since the maternity leave and childcare leave systems are different in the United States and Japan, I feel that Japan is more fortunate, but even when I gave birth, if I could consult about milking before giving birth, if there was a milking room in the office. If there was a breastfeeding service, I felt through interviews that I could have balanced work and childcare in a slightly different way.



I hope that there will be social and corporate movements in Japan so that those who want to continue working after giving birth can return to work positively as much as possible.

Good morning Japan director


Erika Sato Joined the station in


2010


After working at the Shizuoka station, she is currently


raising two boys.


Mariko Sato , a

reporter for the U.S. General

Bureau, joined the Fukushima Bureau in


2011

.