Babies in the Workplace

and interesting environment for babies, and a more integrated community.

Increased Comfort/Rates of Breastfeeding

As more babies are breastfed in the workplace and society becomes more accustomed to the idea of breastfeeding as a normal, natural part of life, more women are likely to feel comfortable choosing to nurse their babies. Audrey Russo of MAYA Design said that Francine, the first employee to bring in her baby, was comfortable nursing anywhere--during meetings or at her desk. Audrey said this was never an issue with other employees or clients because Francine was so discreet.

Willie Jones of Magical Journey explained how his bookstore's baby program made his employees much more

comfortable with the idea of breastfeeding. Magical Journey had a staff room that most mothers went to when they nursed their babies, but other employees sometimes accidentally walked in on these mothers. Willie said that, in the beginning, the young men who worked at the store would "screech to a stop and turn around" when they walked in on a nursing mother. He said he discussed the issue with his employees to improve their comfort level, and then, after a while, he realized it was no longer an issue. He said that:

   The third or fourth time people saw [a
   mother breastfeeding], it might as well have
   been an elbow. They just got used to it--it
   was just like any other part of your body.

   Since the invention of baby formula (and due in large part to the aggressive marketing campaigns of formula companies), breastfeeding in public has