In response to Dianne Kemp's note about an employer who
does not want to help a nursing employee find appropriate
pumping space at work:

 There are a number of ways to approach the new mom's
employer about space to pump at work:
  1. Does she work for a large company? Does she
have a supervisor other than her employer? Sometimes
these things are best worked out with supervisors, leavning
the company policy out altogether.
  2. Is there a human resource and/or employee realtions
department to turn to? They are often very helpful in helping
to work out arrangements when there is conflict between
worker and employer or supervisor.
  3. Is there an office manager or secretary who can let this
mom know where there are unused offices or conference rooms that
can be used for pumping. This may involve using a different room
every day, but it's better than a bathroom.
  4. When asking for pumping space it should be made clear from
the outset that bathrooms are not acceptabe places to pump just
as they are not acceptable places for anyone else to eat or prepare
food.
  5. In thinking about educating the employer, there is plenty of
literature about the benefits of breastfeeding, not only for
mom and baby, but for the company's bottom line. However, before you
or the new mom go into the employer's office armed with articles and
literature, it is worthwhile to probe what the employer's objections are.
Then you can target your educational campaign to the specifice needs/
educational holes of this employer.
  The Sept. and Dec issues of Journal of Human Lactation have a two part
series of articles I wrote on breastfeeding and the workplace, the first
addresses how lcs can help new mothers returning to work and the second
addresses how lcs can work with the workplace. These may offer further
information.

Hope this is helpful.
  Naomi Bar-Yam PhD

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New England Complex Systems Institute
http://necsi.org
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