Office Feedings Even At Savvy Companies, Breast-Feeding Moms Need To Use Their Creativity

Former breast-feeding working moms often have vivid memories of trying to look professional while wearing a milk-stained silk blouse.

They commiserate over having to pump their breasts in a public toilet, or listening to co-workers wail over encountering breast milk in the lunchroom refrigerator.

But for today’s breast-feeding mothers, the reality is changing. As companies and mothers grow savvier, workplaces are transforming.

Companies such as Microsoft lead the pack, with a breast-feeding newsletter and support group. Breast-feeding mothers there often share tips and advice by e-mail.

Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane has installed breastpumping stations to accommodate employees’ needs for privacy. The mothers save their milk and their baby sitters feed it to their babies the next day.

Not all breast-feeding mothers, mind you, work under such supportive conditions. Says lactation consultant Karen Querna, “If you work at McDonald’s and there’s a little pit toilet and no break room, you’re probably not going to feel like pumping.”

Gretchen Dimico, an associate professor at Lewis-Clark State College’s Coeur d’Alene campus, conducted a study of 110 breastfeeding women who worked.

“What I found was that women are very resourceful and very creative in figuring out how to put it all together,” she said.

One legal secretary bought a word processor and arranged with her firm to work at home. A receptionist at a chiropractor’s office arranged to take her baby to work.

Dimico found that the most successful breast-feeding working moms were those who managed to take a four-month maternity leave and return to work part time.

Although women in higher income levels had more money to spend on nannies and other support systems, they actually found breast-feeding more difficult and more stressful than other women. Dimico said further research will be needed to determine the cause.

But the reasons for breast-feeding remain clear. Babies have fewer respiratory infections, fewer ear infections, fewer bouts of diarrhea, fewer doctor’s visits and fewer hospitalizations when the mothers breast-feed, Dimico said.

For the mothers, the rewards include a sense of satisfaction and pleasure. Women in the study found breast-feeding a special time.

Successful breast-feeding requires motivation, a supportive partner and planning. Here’s advice for working mothers from local lactation consultants:

Rent or buy a high-quality breast pump. Learn to use it at least two weeks before you return to work.

Store your breast milk in the refrigerator (up to five days) or freezer (up to three months) and have your caregiver feed it to the baby when you’re not around.

Don’t try to bottle-feed your baby yourself. He’ll smell your breast milk and likely be more resistant to the bottle.

Talk to your supervisor about creative ways to make breast-feeding easier. Perhaps you could schedule a longer lunch hour to go home and nurse your baby.

Consider finding a day-care provider close to your work. You could easily pop over on your lunch hour.

Ask your employer to consider renting a breast pump. If each employee buys her own kit, a group of mothers may share a single pump.

Buy a double pump kit. That way you can pump both breasts at once, saving time.

Arrange to pump every four hours. If you miss a pumping, pump or nurse your baby as soon as you can.

Look for a supportive child-care provider. Ask her not to feed your baby right before you pick him up at night. Consider breast-feeding immediately when you arrive at the child-care provider’s home, or as soon as you arrive home.

Allow your partner to take over dinner preparations, or postpone them until after you’ve taken time to feed your baby.

Breast-feed your baby first thing in the morning. Allow for marathon nursing sessions during the evenings and on weekends.

Relax as much as possible when you breast-feed. Keep nursing times calm and stress-free.

Have your baby’s weight checked frequently to make sure he’s eating enough and gaining properly.

Connect with other mothers who are also working and breastfeeding. Share tips and advice.

Buy a small lunch cooler and an ice pack. Store pumped breast milk in the cooler rather than in the company lunchroom.

Wash your hands before you pump, and clean the breast pump with hot, soapy water.

Ask your supervisor to help you locate a private area for pumping your breasts. If you have your own office, ask to install a lock on the door.

If pumping isn’t an option, learn to hand-express enough milk to avoid leaks and engorgement. Add supplemental bottles of formula.

Wear breast pads if leakage is a problem.

Invest in blazers, vests and prints. Bring an extra top to work.

Swear off silk until the baby’s weaned.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with story: Help for working mothers with breast-feeding questions: La Leche League: Lisa in Spokane, 448-4818; Jennifer in the Spokane Valley, 924-0008; Bonnie in Coeur d’Alene, (208) 664-5659. Deaconess Medical Center lactation consultant, 458-7056. Sacred Heart Medical Center Help Line, 455-3204. Holy Family Hospital, Women’s Health Center, 482-2477. Kootenai Medical Center, lactation services department, (208) 666-2028. For information from breast pump manufacturers, call Medela Inc. at (800) 835-5968 or Ameda Egnell at (800) 323-8750.