Got a lactation room? Well, that’s a start . . .
Nursing moms need flexible work schedule, too
Many companies are justifiably proud of the fact that they provide lactation rooms for nursing moms returning to work. But if they think they’ve done all they can to ensure the optimal health of mother and child, they’d better think again.
"I think the important thing to recognize is that continued lactation after returning to work necessitates a change in the workday schedule," says Judy Hopkinson, PhD, assistant professor, USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
"A nursing mom needs time to express milk; a great deal of energy is involved in producing milk, so she will find her resources taxed by the end of the week. So, moms may need a little extra time to take breaks, or some more time off in a planned fashion to allow them to modulate that energy expenditure."
"If you look at a survey of 1998’s 100 Best Companies for Working Moms,’ 81% said they had some sort of corporate lactation facility; but my guess is that they have a location and a pump, and that’s the extent of the support," says Beth Allen, RNC, IBCLC (international board-certified lactation consultant), manager of the Family Center Care Unit, the Lactation Center, and A Woman’s Place — a woman’s health care boutique, all at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. She will also have a similar position at the new Northside Hospital Women’s Center, which is opening this month.
"Women need to be taught prenatally about the value of breast milk and its impact on their child’s life," Allen continues. "Then, once she delivers, does the facility have the support mechanism to help her transition into successfully breast-feeding the child?"
Why companies should care
"Lactation is a terrific win-win’ for the employee and the company," Allen says. "It’s been documented that there’s less absence due to infant illness when the mother breast feeds."
Breast-feeding moms who adopt a full work schedule too quickly can also become ill, notes Hopkinson.
"The best thing to do is to arrange for her to go back to work on a Wednesday or Thursday, so she can ease back in slowly and still give her body a chance to recover on the weekend," she advises. "This can prevent her from becoming overstressed and possibly developing mastitis — an infection of the mammary tissue that can result when there’s excess internal pressure in the breast if milk is not expressed or there’s a sudden change in lactation frequency. She’ll be very sick and undoubtedly have to take time off from work."
Mastitis is "like the flu, but exaggerated," says Hopkinson. It is characterized by very high fever, chills, and body aches. And it’s "not uncommon" among women who push too hard when they return to work.
"If they do too much too soon, they will lose their milk supply," she explains. "This will then increase the probability of the baby and the mother getting sick."
Therefore, she notes, it’s in the employer’s interest to help ensure an adequate milk supply by arranging for the returning employee to have a flexible schedule. "She may not realize [the need] herself," Hopkinson says. "But if she can take off Wednesdays for just another few weeks, or come back part-time, she will adjust to the scheduling [for expression] and her body will adjust."
Another way an employer can show support is by contracting with a lactation consultant, says Allen.
"When provided as an employee benefit, it provides for a specified number of phone calls and visits. So, if a woman chooses to breast-feed, there is a professional, warm person to support her not only through delivery, but through the first six weeks of her baby’s life, and after she returns to work. A breast pump won’t make that much of a difference if she doesn’t have help once she’s back at work."
The type of equipment provided by the company can also contribute to optimal health, she notes.
"We recommend the hospital-grade autocycling double-breast pump, which duplicates to the best of our technological ability what the baby does at the breast. Physiologically, your body responds to the pump the same way it does to the baby."
There other challenges that may have to be met.
"If you are a multisite corporation, do you have lactation facilities at all of your sites?" asks Allen. "And what if the employee is on the road? Does the company pay for her to take a pump with her?"
Managerial support is important
The work atmosphere engendered by management can also play an important role in the returning mother’s health, notes Allen.
"There may be peer pressure within her department; the subtle stuff other employees do or say that sends the message, You shouldn’t be taking a break,’ can add more pressure," she says. "There should be a supportive philosophy within the corporation espoused by everyone on a supervisory level. If something’s going on, the employee should be able to seek out her super’ for support."
"By accommodating these employees during those critical first few weeks, you will also do a lot to engender loyalty," notes Hopkinson. "It’s not that long a period — maybe the first three or four weeks." But that small accommodation can make a big difference in employee health, and in your bottom line.
Sources
• Beth Allen, Northside Hospital, 1000 Johnson Ferry Road, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30342-1611. Telephone: (404) 851-8000.
• Judy Hopkinson, Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates St., Houston, TX 77030-2600. Telephone: (713) 798-7008.
• Laurie Coker, Texas Department of Health, 1100 W. 49th St., Austin, TX 78756. Fax: (512) 458-7446. (Tips for nursing mothers.)
• La Leche League International, 1400 N. Meacham Road, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4048. Telephone: (847) 519-7730. Web site: www.lalecheleague.org.
• The National Maternal Child Health Clearinghouse. Materials for breast-feeding working mothers. Web site: www.nmchc.org.
• Janine Schooley, MPH, Associate Director, Wellstart International, 4026 First Ave., San Diego, CA 92102. Telephone: (619) 295-5192. Fax: (619) 294-7787. E-mail: [email protected].
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