What Does This Mean for the Breastfeeding Working Mom?

First and most importantly, this means that mothers returning to work can continue to breastfeed their infants!  In California, the law supports breastfeeding mothers and so does the Governor.  In fact, Governor Schwarzenegger declared August 2007 to officially be Breastfeeding Awareness Month.  In doing so, he recognized that:

Breast milk is the ideal food for infants. It is physiologically tailored to fit their maturing digestive systems, ensuring adequate weight gain and physical development. During the first six months of life, breast milk is the only food a healthy full-term infant requires, providing a wide array of benefits. Breastfeeding helps strengthen babies’ immune system by supplying antibodies from the mother, preventing respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases and providing protection from other serious illnesses.

 

Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends continued breastfeeding with the addition of solid foods for at least one year, and thereafter, as long as mother and baby desire.  Because most mothers return to work after three or fewer months, mothers will need to discuss their desire to breastfeed with their employer. It is important to work out some of these logistics with employers before taking maternity leave or before returning to work. 

Discussing this aspect with your employer may be challenging, but again, California provides great resources for assisting in this process.  The California Department of Health and Services -- Women, Infant and Children – has a great site on the Internet with printouts and other resources dedicated to breastfeeding and assisting both employers and mothers. See http://www.wicworks.ca.gov/breastfeeding/BFResources.html.

Additionally, the author of Working Without Weaning, Kirsten Berggren, PhD, CLC has a website: www.workandpump.com with more resources.  Under “Back to Work Basics” there is a section on “Making Plans with your Employer” complete with handouts for mothers to provide to employers.  Included in this is an example of a draft letter from a pediatrician or other physician discussing the importance of and recommendation for continued breastfeeding.  The first

communication is sometimes easier to do in writing and continue any further discussions in person from there. 

Beyond working out logistics with an employer, it is important for mothers to educate themselves about breastfeeding and be aware of some trials mothers may encounter after

returning to work. It is also important to seek out people who support breastfeeding 100%.  I found that having a support group and others encouraging me were the way to survive any of the challenges I faced. 

Although not nearly enough mothers are continuing to breastfeed after returning to work, the numbers are improving and breastfeeding working mothers are out there. Some new or current mothers probably have spoken to colleagues or even nurses about how they or their wives “couldn’t breastfeed” or started to but quit after returning to work.  This sometimes puts doubt in a new mother’s mind and makes her think that above everything else she will be facing with this little child and returning to work, now she may not able to breastfeed her child or for as long as she wishes.  So, new mothers may start to think they should just wait to see if they are able to breastfeed before talking to their employer.  Change that mindset.  Find mothers that encourage breastfeeding or who have breastfed their infants.  Stop listening to the mothers who did not breastfeed...on at least that subject! Just tune them out with a pleasant “uh-huh.”  Talk to the mothers that say: “Excellent. I am glad you are going to breastfeed. How can I help you support your decision? Have you talked to your employer yet?”  The fear of not being able to do something is sometimes paralyzing and the myths that mothers are unable to breastfeed are overwhelming.  In addition, other mothers think that they cannot continue to breastfeed after returning to work.  

In my own readings and numerous discussions with doctors, lactation consultants, and other professionals, there seems to be very few reasons mothers cannot breastfeed a child and many of those reasons can even be fixed with the help of these same professionals.  All mothers should believe they can and will breastfeed and plan for it. In California with the lactation accommodation break law, there really is no reason why a mother cannot continue to breastfeed.

Before maternity leave talk to your employer.  With the California lactation accommodation break law, many employers expect this to be part of any discussion with maternity leave.  Ideally, employers would explain in any leave of absence paperwork the lactation accommodation and where a mother can pump after returning to work.  Employers, however, may not always initiate the conversation because that means talking about “breasts” in the workplace and some are just not sure how to

approach the subject.  Mothers should take an active role in informing their employers of their choice to breastfeed.

 

Breastfeeding, the Workplace, and the Law

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