Supervisor support of lactation in the workplace

Supervisor support is essential

After having my daughter, I was worried that there wouldn't be a room available or that my manager would not support my efforts to breastfeed. I was completely wrong. When I asked my manager, she was fully supportive and even found a vacant room down the hall in my office building.

I was able to leave everything set up throughout the day, so additional time was not wasted. I found that this timeout from work was refreshing; I enjoyed the time to read, complete Sudoku or crossword puzzles or just relax. Occasionally, I even brought my laptop and checked e-mail or surfed the web.

Talk with your supervisor

I highly encourage women to talk with their managers and discuss their desire to breastfeed. Find out if there is a local space already used for the purpose, or if a vacant room can be used for a few months. Bring a picture of your little one, and enjoy the small breaks from work.

Here are a few books that I recommend:

• The Milk Memos
• The Happiest Baby on the Block
• Baby Wise
• This is How We Do It: The Working Mothers' Manifesto
• What to expect the First Year