Working It Out: Encouraging Nursing is Good Business

By Elizabeth N. Baldwin, JD, and Kenneth A. Friedman, JD
Issue 93 March/April 1999

Breastfeeding should be so easy and so widely supported. It's natural, inexpensive, requires no special equipment, and lulls even the fussiest infants to sleep. For the practical minded, it is also staggeringly cost-effective. Individual households can save nearly $1,000 in healthcare costs during their baby's first year if the mother nurses. Nationwide, up to $4 billion a year could be saved in healthcare costs, and $93 million a month in lower food-package costs if all women nursed their babies.

The potential savings to businesses are almost as large. Women who continue to breastfeed after returning to work miss less time because of baby-related illnesses and have shorter absences when they do miss work, compared with women who do not breastfeed. Working mothers who continue nursing also have higher morale and, perhaps most interesting, tend to return to work earlier from maternity leave, presumably because they are less concerned about the effect of their return on the nursing relationship.

Why, then, is nursing so rarely encouraged or even allowed on the job? Only a tiny percentage of American companies provide new mothers with break time or with facilities for pumping, both of which are essential. A woman's milk supply is directly related to how much stimulation her breasts receive; in other words, the more a baby nurses, the greater her milk supply, and vice versa. If a mother is unable to breastfeed or pump sufficiently, she'll gradually lose her milk supply, which can result in her baby weaning prematurely. Also, if a mother is unable to express milk during the workday, her breasts will become engorged. This can result in the development of plugged ducts, which can lead to mastitis, or a breast infection, requiring the use of antibiotics and bed rest. In other words, she won't be able to work.

The best, long-term response to the issue of breastfeeding and working is legislation dealing with this issue. At present, only the state of Minnesota has passed a law requiring employers to reasonably accommodate breastfeeding mothers, providing them with break time and a room to express milk. California enacted a joint resolution of the legislature that calls on all employers to support and encourage working mothers who want to continue breastfeeding, recognizing that it benefits the employer as well as the mother and baby.

On the national front, Representative Carolyn Maloney last year submitted a federal bill (H.R. 3531) that would provide the most-extensive protection yet to working mothers, including one hour of unpaid leave time; a tax incentive to employers who provide a lactation-friendly environment; and an amendment to the Pregnancy Discrimination Act to clarify that it does apply to breastfeeding mothers. (For more information on breastfeeding legislation, see "Staying Abreast of the Law," Mothering, November/December 1998 and "Big Capital; Small Steps," Mothering, January/February, 1999.) While this bill hasn't yet become law, it does foreshadow the not-too-distant future. It heralds the inevitable arrival of a new, more progressive attitude on the part of businesses toward nursing.

For many of us, the very idea that a boss would forbid or discourage a woman from breastfeeding seems ridiculous. Don't most employers support breastfeeding mothers who return to work? Sadly, the answer is no. Breastfeeding has skipped several generations, and many people today view it as a "lifestyle" choice, not a health concern. As a result, employers don't see any need for mothers to continue breastfeeding when they return to work, viewing formula as much more convenient. Women bosses who did not breastfeed their own children may feel an implied criticism of their parenting choices when another working mother insists that she wants and needs to breastfeed.

In this context, breastfeeding-support legislation is a very positive step, a recognition by our government that breastfeeding is a basic act of nurture. Legislation also helps to change the public perception that breastfeeding is not important. But legislation is not enough. For one thing, none may be passed for several years, especially at the national level. In the meantime, women who wish to both work and nurse must find some kind of private accommodation with their companies, their direct supervisors, and their coworkers. This will require compromise on all sides. Keep in mind that nursing must be perceived by everyone as good business. You are not asking for special treatment, just for the ability to give your baby, yourself, and your company all the benefits that prolonged nursing can provide.

How can you convince your boss to help you continue nursing?

Begin by sharing information about the fiscal and physical importance of breastfeeding, and about efforts to support mothers when they return to work. Tell your employers that many prestigious medical and children's-advocacy groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and UNICEF, strongly encourage employers to facilitate the continuation of breastfeeding when women return to work. In 1993, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) even prepared a booklet entitled Women, Work and Breastfeeding: Everyone Benefits! To receive a copy, contact your local La Leche League office. Get an extra copy for your boss.