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Women have become much more active members of the workforce during the
last half of the 20th Century. Two generations ago, women typically
entered the workforce in their teens to early twenties. Most women
left a few years later during their childbearing years and some
returned to work later in their life. This pattern has changed to a
continuously rising work rate during women's lifetimes
(
International Labor Office, 1997
). Consequently many women are returning to work soon
after the birth of a child. Data shows that women in the United
States who are planning to return to work after the birth of a child
start breastfeeding as often as women not working. However, women
planning to return to work full-time breastfeed for a shorter duration
of time than women returning to work part-time or not returning to
paid employment (
Ryan, 1997
).
Ideally women would be able to stay home with their infant and
continue breastfeeding for as long as desired. In some cases, this
may not be possible. Many European countries offer working women a
significant period of paid maternity leave that is not available to
women in the United States (
Oberg, 1994
). Breastfeeding can be
continued while women work. A number of options exist:
- Women may consider returning to work on a part-time basis instead
of full-time. A women may be able to negotiate a part-time return for
several months and then return to full-time employment. This makes it
easier to continue breastfeeding.
- Women can have a babysitter or spouse bring the baby to them at
work during breaks and they can breastfeed the baby.
- Some businesses have on-site or near-by day care centers where
women can go and breastfeed their infant.
- Women who are separated from their breastfeeding infant for more
than 3 or 4 hours will need to express some breast milk while at work.
This can be done using manual expression, a hand breast pump or an
electric breast pump. Some businesses provide rooms where
breastfeeding women can express their milk (
Weiss, 1998
). In
some instances breast pumps may also be provided. The milk can be
refrigerated and fed to the infant the next day or frozen for later
feeding.
As of 2008, 21 of the states and the District of Columbia have laws that
support breastfeeding mothers returning to work
(
CDC, Breastfeeding Report Card, 2008).
In the United States, the cost of renting an electric breast pump has
been shown to be less than the cost of formula if the infant is weaned
(
Auerbach, 1999
). So continuing breastfeeding while working may
provide a financial advantage as well good nutrition, immunological
benefits and the other benefits of breastfeeding.
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