An important bond

Amber Albertini, a Spokane bank manager, blocked off time for it on her appointment calendar, just as she would for any other meeting.

Jayne McLaughlin locked her office door for it during her lunch break and each afternoon, before dashing off to coach middle-school cross country.

And Katrina Ledgerwood rushed home during the noon hour to sneak it in before going back to work as a physical therapist.

What these women have in common is that they’re all fairly new moms, trying to balance returning to work with their commitment to continue breast-feeding their babies.

“Whatever my situation was, I was pretty determined to breast-feed for the year,” says McLaughlin, a fitness and health teacher at Sacajawea Middle School who had a baby girl in April 2004. “That was my goal.”

So, McLaughlin would lock the door of her office a couple of times a day so she could pump milk for her daughter. She counts herself lucky to have a refrigerator there to store the expressed milk.

“It was nice,” says McLaughlin, who nursed her daughter until she was 15 months old. “I was kind of spoiled.”

But, she says, no matter what her work situation, “I still would have found a way of making it work.”

Growing numbers of new mothers are trying to do just that, to find time in the day to pump or breast-feed in between meetings and sales calls and other workday obligations.

The percent of nursing moms has increased in the last decade, studies show. And, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released just last month, first-time moms are returning to work sooner than ever, with more than half going back in four months and 70 percent after a year.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for six months, with nursing continuing for at least the first year as a compliment to solid foods.

“I didn’t feel like I should have to give up that important bonding with my child as I chose to go back to work,” says Albertini, a mom of a 16-month-old and 3-year-old, who works at Washington Trust Bank. “That was really important to me.”

And besides being important to moms and babies, allowing working women to continue nursing makes good business sense, says Dr. Ruth Lawrence, vice president of the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee, a collaborative partnership of organizations supporting breast-feeding.

“There are very good data to show that mothers who continue to breast-feed their babies while returning to work have a much better attendance record because their babies stay healthy,” Lawrence says. “It can be looked upon as a great investment.”

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee has found that companies that support nursing moms:

“ Save $3 for every $1 invested in breast-feeding support

“ See reduced absenteeism to care for sick children

“ Have lower health-care costs

“ See improved employee productivity

“ Have higher morale and greater loyalty

“ Are better at recruiting and retaining workers

“ And have a more family-friendly image

Breast-feeding laws vary from state to state. Idaho has few such laws, but in Washington, businesses are encouraged to support nursing moms. Companies can bill themselves as “infant-friendly” in promotional materials if they support breast-feeding. Such companies should offer flexible schedules, a convenient and sanitary place (that’s not a restroom) for nursing or expressing milk, a water source for washing hands and rinsing equipment, and a refrigerator for the milk.

But accommodations vary from workplace to workplace.

At Avista, for example, there is no dedicated breast-feeding room, but women can use a private spot at the nurses’ station, says Avista spokesman Hugh Imhof.

The Spokane School District has no formal breast-feeding policy but works to accommodate employees, says spokeswoman Terren Roloff.

It is easier, obviously, to continue breast-feeding when a woman has more control over her work environment — a flexible schedule, a private office and a supportive employer.

“There have been some studies which do show the more skilled job one has, the more likely to be able to continue to breast-feed,” Lawrence says. “You can’t let one person off an assembly line.”

Ledgerwood, a Spokane physical therapist, nurses her 9-month old daughter at lunch each day, while pumping milk at night or in the morning.

“It’s actually been perfect,” she says. “My work is so supportive.”

She likes being able to feed her daughter at mid-day because, she says, “pumping’s not always that fun.”

Albertini, who manages the direct banking department for Washington Trust Bank, now oversees nursing moms as well as being one herself.

“There were occasions when I was in meetings and I needed to leave and I didn’t feel bad about it,” she says.

“For employers, it really builds employee loyalty. They knew it was important to me. They made me feel like it was important to them.”

At Washington Trust, the human resources department works hard to support new moms, says Katy Bruya, director of human resources.

“It’s a great way to prove we’re a good employer,” Bruya says. “It’s such a wise thing to do. It’s a win-win for both the employee and for us, and certainly for the babies.”