10 tips for breastfeeding at work

1. Communicate the program.
Far too many employers remain silent on the subject of breastfeeding and expressing milk at work, although more forward-looking organizations are getting on the bandwagon every day. A great project for every corporate HR department is to create a New Mom's Handbook that includes information on breastfeeding and pumping milk in the workplace.

However evolved and sophisticated your organization may be (offering state-of-the-art lactation rooms, peer group support, and education for new moms -- or none of the above), let your employees know what they can expect and how your organization responds to new moms' needs.

2. Create some space.
A lactation room is about the simplest kind of space to create in a workplace, and an important way to support mothers in their desire to keep feeding their children in the healthiest way after returning to work. A lactation room can be a former conference room, a tiny interview room connected to the reception area, or even a converted closet, as long as it's ventilated, has electrical power, and enough room for a mom to sit comfortably with her pump on a table. In the best case, a lactation room includes a sink for washing up, a small fridge and freezer for storing expressed milk (and cold drinks for moms) and labels and Sharpies for labeling expressed milk. Nice-to-haves include a phone, computer with internet connection, rocking chair, and a stack of magazines.

3. Get involved.
Too many companies leave breastfeeding and pumping arrangements up to individual employees and managers, instead of getting involved with some simple guidelines and statements of support. Even if a dedicated lactation room is not practical at your company, you can let managers know that breastfeeding or pumping is a strongly supported activity in your company, and help them accommodate new moms who want to nurse or express milk. Manager training -- even a half-day session on the benefits and logistics of providing mother's milk to infants -- can allay concerns, cultural biases against nursing, or other issues.

4. Inquire.
It's a great thing for a manager to say to a mom fresh back to the workplace, "How is everything going, Nancy? I see you are expressing milk; can I help make that easier for you? Anything else I can do?" Your support need not be confined to the milk department, of course, but it's wonderful for a nursing mom to feel that she has an ally in her endeavour to feed her baby as nature intended.

5. Create a support group.
It costs nothing and it's a very strong gesture for an employer to establish an informal Mothers' Support Group that can meet at lunchtime in an empty conference room. You can invite local speakers to talk to the group, or let people share their own experiences and advice. It's also easy to connect moms to one another via a companywide e-mail discussion group, so that people can participate in the discussion even when they can't attend meetings in person. There is nothing more helpful to a new mom than non-judgmental peer advice.