Conference moira::parenting_v3

Breast feeding is PARENTING issue!!!  We need support from you nursing FATHERS
as well!!!

    The LKG Health Services has been VERY supportive in my effort to
    contiue to nurse my son.  I have use of an examining room (shared by
    one other nursing mom).  We have coordinated our times so they don't
    conflict.  
    
    I agree, if any other moms needed to use this room or if someone was
    sick, we could have a problem.  Although, there is a storage room we
    could use.  The sick have top priority for the better room.  
    
    I have been back for about 5 weeks now and I'm surprised at how well
    nursing/working has worked out.    
    
     Linda

    re 826.1  Hear hear!
    
    I just dropped Louise WECARE:: Wilkins a note of appreciation.
    Hope it helps -
    
    Bob "Fatha" Hynes
    
    
    
                                      

    When I went back to work after giving birth, I cut back on the nursing
    to only evening hours because there was no place at work for me to
    express privately. As a result, my body did not produce enough milk and
    I ended up moving my daughter onto formula entirely, earlier than I
    wanted to, and earlier than the pediatrician recommended.  (Some women
    can nurse part-time but my body didn't accept it.)

    I also went through a protracted hormonal adjustment which
    was very uncomfortable until I stoppped nursing entirely.  This
    affected my job performance by causing a lot of  digestive upset.  Had
    I weaned at the time of my choice, I would have done it much more
    quickly and avoided the half-way state of nursing part-time.   

    I hope that DEC will make rooms available.  The benefits to the
    company are as follows:  

    * Babies who nurse are much healthier.  They obtain their mothers'
    antibodies.  For example, my child had only two minor colds this winter
    and she was an autumn baby.  Since the babies are heathier, the mothers
    are healthier and don't need sick time for themselves nor their babies. 
    Thus the mothers are more productive on the job.  

    * The bonding is stronger between mother and child.  When I weaned, my
    child was just beginning to look up at me and smile while nursing.  It
    broke my heart to have to stop at that time.  While it took a lot of
    time and energy, I still would have liked to continue a bit longer.

    * Nursing mothers can plan when THEY want to stop, and thus avoid
    unanticipated hormonal problems like those I experienced.
	
    I would like to see private rooms with comfortable chairs, a cabinet to
    store breast pumps, and a small refrigerator in every DEC facility.  If
    we can make  smoking rooms everywhere, surely we can provide rooms for
    nursing mothers.  Digital should support this very healthy and positive
    request.

    Laura

    While I'm still nursing my baby, I am not pumping at this point. 
    However, I do think this room is very important to us all.  There needs
    to be a place that a woman can express that is both clean and private.
    
    I will send mail to Louise to encourage her to support this.
    
    judy

    I spoke to Louise Wilkins (of ZK health services organization) today.
    She said that mothers are welcome to use the "bed-rooms" that are in
    the main health services office in ZKO2-3.
    
    			-John Bishop

    re .6
    
    John, While use of a nearby facility is better than nothing, its not
    always a viable option.  Pumping, for me, is not very easy, and made
    more difficult by a crazy schedule of meetings, etc.  I sometimes have
    no more than 15 minutes to pump.  This is barely enough time to run
    down to the nurse's office, get set-up, pump, clean up and get back to
    my desk.  I would not be able to get to another facility.  Luckily, in
    both facilities that I've worked, AKO1 and MSO2, the nurse have been
    very supportive, and there have been health services facilities
    available to me.
    
    Susan

    The ZKO Health Services area is avaiable for all nursing mothers to
    pump milk, and will continue to be available.  We believe that we have
    adequate space to accomodate the small number of employees requesting
    the area for this use.
    
    ZKO2 Health Services will continue to be the primary area to be used by
    nursing mothers.  Any other accommodations will be on an individual
    basis.
    
    As to time -- time available -- how to do this -- where will I get the
    time needed -- etc.  This is a decision that needs to be made
    individually.  Increasing stress levels due to time contraints does not
    help anyone.  Remember that time management is one of the first
    considerations in managing stress.
    
    If you have any further questions, please forward mail to me on
    WECARE::Wilkins
    
    Thank you
    Louise
    

These rooms could also be used by nursing mothers who pick up their babies
at lunch time and nurse them.  I know last fall we had 2 nursing mothers who
did this (the child care center is next door) but I guess they just used the
bathroom.  If I had my baby over there I would not have been able to use the
bathroom for this purpose because at that time my daughter needed almost
absolute quiet to nurse (I needed it too to relax enough for let-down).

So even though we don't need one at this moment (we're all 3 done 
breastfeeding), we or others might need one in the near future, and we're a
relatively small facility!  Gosh you guys out east probably *really* could
use them.

So, another vote for nursing/expressing rooms!

Kyra in Indianapolis where we currently have nothing.