Babies in the Workplace

Each time I tried to breastfeed her, she would only nurse for a few moments and then would lift her head up to look around the front of the car and the scenery outside. She spent long periods of time observing everything around her, and it was extremely difficult for me to convince her that there was food available. All she wanted to do was observe her world. Even though she must have been ravenous, getting her stimulation needs met were more important. She probably nursed for a total of 20 minutes during the eight-hour trip--and then nursed for a long, long time when we finally reached our destination.

When the majority of American babies leave the house, they are carried in infant car seats (which, incidentally, are much heavier and unwieldy than just carrying a cuddly, soft, happy baby would be) or put on their back in a stroller. All they can see is the sky (if they're lucky), the ceiling,

or other people's feet. It's perfectly logical that most of these stroller and car seat babies always seem to be crying; they're bored out of their minds and are begging for something to look at so that they can learn. Babies who are held frequently cry far less, not only because they feel safe and secure from the physical contact but because this gives them more opportunities for learning about and interacting with their world. This is another reason that babies at work are so "unusually" happy--in many cases, they become very engaged in watching their parents' (and other people's) activities, and their craving to learn is satisfied.

Babies Love
Social Interaction

The workplace tends to be a very socially interesting and stimulating place