Are Moms and Kids Truly Welcomed in the Workplace?

Breastfeeding is in the news lately, as more women demand the right to breastfeed their children in public places and at work.

Breastfeeding women are often forced to hide behind closed doors or else suffer staring from strangers, colleagues and employers.

Are moms and kids truly welcomed in the workplace when babysitting is not an available option or companies have on-site nurseries, yet there is some resistance to them from those individuals who are not parents?

Can we as a society find a safe acceptance zone for mothers who embrace this natural part motherhood?

Breastfeeding in the News

Recently, a Walmart employee in New Hampshire confiscated self-print photos from a woman who had tried to print pictures of her breastfeeding baby using one of the store's photo kiosks.

The employee, who clearly could have been tagged as having misinterpreted the spirit of the rule, cited the nipple in the images as being the reason the photos were prohibited from being printed at Walmart.

It's probably obvious to discerning observers that the regulation was put into place to discourage illegal photo prints such as pornography.

But the employee, who many might say ignorantly interpreted the rule literally, took swift action to wag her finger at the woman, making her feel shamed and judged.

Breastfeeding as a Stigma

Those who throw breastfeeding in the same box as public exposure you could argue are ignoring the basic example of humanity that breastfeeding represents.

Whereas breastfeeding is a natural and necessary part of holistic parenting, breast exposure is something else entirely.

The fight is between women who demand the right to breastfeed in public versus those who find the act distasteful and demand that women who insist of breastfeeding do it out of sight of everyone else.

The request to go behind closed doors is the part that many women find stigmatizes them, making it feel like breastfeeding is something to be ashamed of.

Breastfeeding in the Workplace

In the workplace, breastfeeding takes on even more complications.

If your workplace allows women to bring their babies to work, then you should also supply some guidelines around breastfeeding.

Women who request privacy to enjoy these intimate moments with their children should be able to have it. Women who demand to be able to breastfeed in public have no legal ground to stand on yet.

It's up to you, as the employer, as to whether you allow breastfeeding women to feed in public or not.

Your task is to find that happy common ground between placating lactating women, and making sure no one else in your employ feels offended to the point where they leave.

Breastfeeding by Surrogates

There are special circumstances where mothers who didn't actually give birth require breastfeeding by surrogates.

For example, there is Breastfeeding and adoption: Three things to consider:

1. Adoptive mothers aren't lactating, so what rights might they have regarding breastfeeding in the workplace?

2. Should adoptive mothers who aren't breastfeeding have access to designated breastfeeding areas in the workplace?

3. Should breastfeeding surrogates have access to your employees' breastfeeding accommodations at work?

The issues around breastfeeding are a potential landmine that you need to tread upon carefully.

Until the law becomes clearer about your legal obligations, your only guide as an employer will be your personal moral compass.