About Me...

Hello! I'm Claire; just another novice mummy, doing her best to navigate the many ups and downs of motherhood. Changing nappies, singing silly songs, trying to keep the house and the baby at an acceptable level of cleanliness. And clinging onto her sense of humour (just). Feel free to comment!

"The joys of motherhood are never fully experienced until the children are in bed." - Author unknown

 

"There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one." - Jill Churchill

This is a Breastfeeding Office

Welcome Carnival of Breastfeeding readers!  This month’s topic is Breastfeeding and Working.  Be sure to scroll to the bottom to read some great posts by other bloggers!

chairWhen I first read the title of this month’s carnival my initial reaction was to think that I didn’t have an awful lot to say on the subject of working and breastfeeding.  After nine months of maternity leave my return to work went pretty smoothly; I’d already cut Bubs down to just morning and bedtime feeds and he was happily drinking cow’s milk from a cup in between, without ever having needed formula or a bottle. I didn’t have to worry about pumping in the toilet or keeping expressed milk in the communal fridge or whether or not my boobs would explode before I got home.

For so many women, the workplace seems to be an obstacle to breastfeeding, and whether it’s awkward shift patterns or negative attitudes, going back to work often seems at odds with the breastfeeding way of life.  But when I started to think about it, I realized that my situation is exactly the opposite of this, and my workplace – or more specifically, my colleagues – actually played a big part in our breastfeeding success.

I first came to my current workplace to cover a maternity post – I took a leap of faith out of an office I’d grown fed up with and it paid off when my job was made permanent.  That first week we all went out for lunch with the girl who was leaving and my boss, who was on maternity leave herself at the time, joined us along with her three-month-old daughter.  Right there, in the middle of a busy Chinese restaurant, I got my first lesson in discreet breastfeeding as my boss fed her baby while eating and chatting as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world – which of course it was!  The colleague whose job I was covering also went on to breastfeed, and another colleague who fell pregnant shortly afterwards (stay away from the water cooler in our place!) successfully breastfed her second baby.

Even though I’d already grown up with breastfeeding, having a group of peers who were all doing it meant I was even more determined to give it a go myself.  During the tough times I had people I could call on for moral support or even a good kick up the butt to keep me going, and since I’ve been back at work we’ve had many a laugh about the ups and downs breastfeeding brings.  As an all-girl office there’s been a steady stream of babies since I joined almost three years ago, and it’s not unusual to see somebody breastfeeding in a swivel chair while they pop in to catch up on the gossip.  Around the lunch table in our office, formula feeders are in the minority and I think that’s pretty cool.

Blacktating:  5 biggest mistakes working & pumping moms make
Breastfeeding Moms Unite:  Breastfeeding at my Family Daycare
The Milk Mama: A Job Where Everyone Breastfeeds
Momnesia The Book: Sorry, Facilities Guy
Marshins: Taking your Boobs to Work
Strocel: Working and breastfeeding a toddler
The Marketing Mama: Working and Pumping
The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog: Breastfeeding and working is possible, and you can make it work
Chronicles of a Nursing Mom: Do you really need a pump?
Vanderbilt Wife: I think this officially makes me a Mommy Blogger
BabyREADY: What about breastfeeding when I go back to work
Stork Stories: My breast pump and I didn’t get along
Blisstree: Tips for breastfeeding and working
Breastfeeding Mums: Breastfeeding and working in the UK
Best for Babes: Beating the employment ‘Booby Traps’
Edenwild: Working mothers need workplace support

11 Responses to “This is a Breastfeeding Office”

  1. A Job Where Everyone Breastfeeds – The Milk Mama Says:

    [...] Mom Unplugged:   This is a Breastfeeding Office [...]

  2. Breastfeeding At My Family Daycare | Breastfeeding Moms Unite Says:

    [...] Unplugged This is a breastfeeding office Share and [...]

  3. Melodie Says:

    That is a very cool story. I worked with nurses and other health care paraprofessionals and it was shocking how unsupportive they were about my plans to breastfeed. I mean if I hadn’t been so determined and already educated I might have thought twice about it. Peers can have such a strong influence on our decisions - I’m glad yours was such a positive experience.

  4. » Working and Breastfeeding a Toddler Strocel.com Says:

    [...] MumUnplugged: This is a Breastfeeding Office [...]

  5. Amber Says:

    I think it’s amazing that your workplace is so supportive of breastfeeding, and that it’s simply the norm. If only more workplaces were like yours!

  6. Taking Your Working Boobs to Work « Marshins Says:

    [...] the UK by Breastfeeding Mums The 5 biggest mistakes working & pumping moms make by Blacktating This is a Breastfeeding Office by MumUnplugged Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)New drawing (6/25)kayaks adapted [...]

  7. My Breast Pump and I didn’t get Along « Stork Stories… Birth & Breastfeeding Says:

    [...] This is a Breastfeeding Office by “MumUnplugged” [...]

  8. Sinead at Breastfeeding Mums Says:

    It’s great you got so much support at work when you were breastfeeding :) Wouldn’t it be fantastic if this was the norm in all workplace environments!

  9. Tips for Breastfeeding and Working : Breastfeeding 1-2-3 - Breastfeeding 1-2-3: A Blog for Breastfeeding Tips and Support Says:

    [...] in the UK ~ Blacktating: The 5 Biggest Mistakes Working and Pumping Moms Make ~ Mum Unplugged: This Is a Breastfeeding Office ~ Best for Babes: Beating the Employment Booby Trap ~ My World Edenwild: Nursing Mothers Need [...]

  10. admin Says:

    Thanks for the comments ladies! I hadn’t really thought about it before because by the time I went back to work I was only feeding twice a day anyway, but I guess I am actually very lucky!

  11. Emma Says:

    Make our workplace sound like a dream! We wish…
    I think we should suggest a ‘This is a breastfeeding office’ sign for our front door!!

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