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Evelyn Landry, lactation consultant at LGMC, gives information to a breastfeeding mother.

For years, medical experts have advocated the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child. Besides providing babies with "perfect" nutrition, studies show that breastfed infants have fewer infections, reduced risks of developing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and measurably higher IQs. Mothers bonus from bonding with their children, decreasing their chances of breast and ovarian cancers, and protecting themselves against osteoporosis.

Locally, interest in breastfeeding is surging. Evelyn Landry, an internationally board certified lactation consultant who has been involved in breastfeeding work since 1967, confirms this trend. "I think we went through a long period of time where the breastfeeding rates were very, very low," she says. "In the past couple of years, I've seen where there has been an increase in interest. I think it's due to more education, and the strong statements coming out of the Surgeon General's office [from former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Coop] and the American Academy of Pediatrics which are pointing to the benefits for the mother, the baby and the community when babies are getting perfect nutrition."

Aside from the obvious advantages to the mother and infant, breastfeeding benefits the community as well. Because breastfed infants tend to be healthier, nursing mothers do not have to use as much sick time. "A working mother is going to miss less work, and she's going to have fewer medical claims for her child, because her child is going to be healthier," Landry explains. "That's going to benefit the employers with insurance coverage because they are going to have fewer claims."

Realizing these benefits, local businesses are starting to accommodate their breastfeeding employees. One of these enlightened employers is The Schumacher Group, which provides emergency room management and physician staffing services. Last August, the company dedicated space for a breastfeeding room, affectionately dubbed "The Oasis," in its Lafayette headquarters.

During one point last fall, Schumacher had 10 pregnant employees, many of whom had inquired about breast pumping after delivery. The executive team was receptive to the idea, so The Oasis was launched. On a limited budget, Schumacher redesigned space with a sofa, rocking chair, water fountain and refrigerator. The room has a screen which allows two women to pump privately at the same time. Restrooms are located close by for washing and sanitizing.

Coding Operations Manager Kathy Comeaux, who had eight pregnant employees at the time, created some ambiance by eliminating the harsh overhead lighting and substituting a floor lamp and Japanese lanterns. After adding a little soft music and some relaxing neutral colors, The Oasis was complete. "You can walk in and just feel your blood pressure go down, even if you're not pumping," laughs Gayle George, vice president of human resources.

The Oasis is not limited to breast feeding mothers, although they do have first priority. Schumacher has a sign-in book which allows employees to schedule their pumping or relaxation times. "Most of the moms pump twice a day on a morning and afternoon schedule," George explains. "Then in-between, people will just come in and sign up for 30 minutes or so and just sit in the quiet room, like if they have a headache or need to catch a few winks."

Comeaux says that the room has been "very well received." "The working moms are just so appreciative that they have a place to go, and a place to store their milk until they are able to go home," she says. "And, one of our male executives has even gone in there, listened to the music and read a magazine just so he could say that he could use the room like other employees did."

Both Comeaux and George confirm that having this room available for breastfeeding employees has made the company more productive. "I had one mother, in fact, who was able to return to work earlier than she had expected because that room was available so she could continue to breastfeed for her newborn," Comeaux says. "Also, employees are not having to take an hour break to leave in order to pump or nurse. They are able to stop to take care of their needs and get right back to work."

So, how do mothers balance working with breastfeeding? Elisabeth Arnold, who is employed in LGMC's community relations department, breastfed both of her children while working. She nursed her daughter for eight months, and her son for almost eleven months. About two weeks before her maternity leave expired, she scheduled her pumping times so that they would coordinate to the times of the day when she planned to express at work. "I started just a little bit with the feeding schedule that I already had when I was on maternity leave, and then that way, when I went back to work, my body already kind of knew when it was expected to produce some milk for when I would be pumping," she explains.

Although LGMC has a room dedicated for breast pumping, Arnold, who works in one of the annex buildings, used her own office for expressing. She nursed her son before leaving for work, pumped later in the morning, around lunchtime and then in the afternoon. After she fed him at night, she expressed again to keep up her milk supply. "When I was working and nursing, the biggest challenge for me was knowing how much milk my son had to have for the next day, and just making sure that I had enough for him," she explains. "Because, they go through the little growth spurts, and all of a sudden, you need more milk, and your body's not ready to pump that. So, you're having to supplement. I kept some in the freezer that helped me when he had those little spurts."

Lafayette pediatrician Elizabeth Melancon also managed to balance work with breastfeeding her now 13-month-old daughter. On her patient schedule, she actually labeled a couple of appointments per day as "pump." But, even though some working women do not have the luxury of planning their own agendas, Dr. Melancon says that it can be done. "Most people can find 15 or 20 minutes, a couple of times a day, if their employers are amenable to that," she says. "From the employers' point of view, they end up having a mom who has to take off less days for a sick child, so I think it's worth their effort to find that bit of time for their employees to pump so they can keep the children of their employees healthy."

Melancon advises new moms to do their research before trying to breastfeed. She suggests meeting with a lactation consultant or talking with other mothers who have nursed. She also advises women to get a good pump.

The new pumping devices make breastfeeding easier than ever. Most allow nursing women to express both breasts within 10 to 15 minutes. Modern versions range from small manual pumps to single and double electric models. There's even a battery-operated, hands-free pump which fits inside a bra "where a mother could be literally walking around doing her work and still pumping," Landry says.

While Melancon strongly advocates breastfeeding, she emphasizes that mothers who cannot or choose not to nurse can still have healthy babies. "I've had moms who really, really wanted to make it work, and for some health reason or just their situation, it didn't work," she says. "I don't want them to feel guilty. They're still going to have a nice, healthy baby if they have to formula feed. So, it definitely can work."

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