Dear Brenda,

For the Mom who may be denied employment because she has to pump, you could try
getting a note from the pediatrician saying that she must breastfeed her baby.  A
local pediatrician in my town, now deceased, would do that occasionally.

By all means share this occurance with New York Representative Carolyn Maloney, who
is proposing a bill for passage in Congress to support breastfeeding by new morther
and encourage employers to support workplace lactation programs.

Best wishes,
Marcella Snow, BSN, RN, IBCLC

> Subject: Unsupportive employers
> Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 21:02:41 EDT
> From: BPhipps441 <[log in to unmask]>
>
> I work at a WIC office, and had a mom come in today who's husband has left her
> leaving mom high and dry and in need of employment fast.  She was offered a
> job at Walmart, and was told that it was not recommended she pump at work - in
> other words, if you pump, you can't work here.  Mom, needing a job badly, felt
> she had to bow to the employer's request and get supplement for her baby. She
> was very upset.  She told her employer that she wanted to pump so that she
> would not have to call in sick as much due to her infant's possible illnesses,
> but this was not successful.
>
> The supervisor/manager was a woman too!!  No doubt she either has never had
> children or has had a very unsuccessful experience of her own.  This made me
> so furious that I couldn't even see straight today.  I feel like calling the
> store and screaming at someone (of course, I won't be doing that!)  - I really
> do feel like calling the management of this supposedly family friendly company
> and telling her a thing or two, but I'm fearful of hurting this mom's chances
> at keeping a job right now.  What would you all do?
>
> Sometimes I feel like I spin my wheels all too often!
>
> Brenda Phipps, BS, IBCLC
>