Flexible Work
and
Breastfeeding: Best Choices for Nursing Moms
Like many nursing moms with a job, you've decided to
provide breast milk to your baby even after your
maternity leave ends.
Besides attending a breastfeeding class which addresses
working mom/nursing mom issues, a flexible work
arrangement can support your success in this area, as
well.
A family-friendly work schedule allows for a smoother
transition back to the job and can bolster your decision
to nurse your baby and pump your breast milk for as a
long as possible.
Here's an overview of your best flexible work options.
Telecommuting
If your job can be done at a home office for one to
three days out of the full-time workweek, telecommuting
is a top pick among flexible work arrangements for the
nursing mom.
In the ideal situation, your infant's caregiver would be
on the premises while you worked in a separate part of
the home. Then you would be nearby to nurse your infant
on demand.
If your infant is being cared for some distance away
from your home office during your work hours,
working from home allows you the advantages of pumping or
otherwise expressing your breast milk at the right
times, in a sanitary environment, in a relaxed setting
and with privacy. What a refreshing difference over sitting in a bathroom
stall trying to get a good let-down reflex going!
Unfortunately, the majority of employers still do not
provide a lactation room for nursing moms who have
returned to work.
Get instructions on How to Redesign Your Job to
Telecommuting,
Click here to get your free 30-day trial of GoToMyPC,
 which allows you to access your work computer from home.
Part-time or
job sharing
Either of these wins a best choice spot, too. With a
reduced workweek and/or reduced workday, your nursing
schedule can more closely conform to what it would
otherwise be if you were not away from your home and
baby.
Plus, you get the added benefit of more time to bond
with your baby.
Get instructions on How to Redesign Your Job to
Part-time or Job Sharing.
Gradual phase-back to work
If telecommuting is not possible or the reduced income
of a permanent part-time work schedule is impractical
for your family, you can still extend the opportunities
for nursing with a temporary part-time schedule after
your standard maternity leave ends.
In a little-known provision of the Family and Medical
Leave Act (FMLA), a reduced leave schedule is possible.
It allows you to work a shorter workweek for several
weeks after your standard maternity leave is over and
before resuming your full-time schedule. In other words,
a gradual phase-back to work.
Get instructions on How to Work Part-time Under FMLA.
With a commitment to give your baby breast milk for as
long as possible, be inspired to propose a flexible work
arrangement as a way to support your decision.
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