Briefcase. Check! Breast Pump. Check!

Did you know that some employers have breastfeeding and breast pumping rooms on-site?

The breast may be best for baby, but is it best for you? As a mother who has chosen to return to work, your career is obviously important to you. But will breastfeeding get in the way of your climb up the corporate ladder? And will your best suit coat hide potential leakage issues? Do the questions ever end?

Yes, they end here. We're going to explore the world of breastfeeding at work, from the corporate benefits to what kind of reactions you may experience from coworkers.

Let's Define "Family-Friendly" Workplaces

Many employers whose HR departments market them as "family-friendly" not only allow on-premise breastfeeding, but also actively encourage it. They're smart - they know mothers who breastfeed are less worried throughout the day, and generally have a higher morale and a stronger work ethic. For example, Plante and Moran, an accounting powerhouse, is so dedicated to mothers being able to breast-feed in its office buildings that it has implemented breastfeeding rooms on every corporate campus it has.

Beth worked for Dallas-based JC Penney when she returned to work after having her first baby. "The company actually provided a nursing room for us, so we couldn't have been happier," she says. "Even my coworkers who didn't take advantage of the on-site daycare could still pump in the nursing room in comfort."

Financial Benefits of Breastfeeding

Beyond producing more productive, happier employees, breastfeeding at work can also be good for financial reasons. It's true! Statistically, a family can save almost $1,000 of health costs in the first year a baby nurses. Women who return to work and continue breastfeeding also take less sick days on behalf of their baby because even when nursing babies get sick, they tend to recover faster than those who aren't breastfed. So your employer ends up benefiting from this arrangement as well.

Facing Discrimination

Just because there are numerous benefits to allowing breastfeeding in the workplace doesn't mean that everyone will automatically be open to it - and it's not just the men who don't get it. In fact, because breastfeeding is considered a lifestyle choice, not a health issue, just as many women as men discriminate against nursing mothers.

Emily spent eight years climbing the corporate ladder at an investment firm in San Francisco before becoming a first-time mom. Her pregnancy and maternity leave from the company were flawless. It was only when breastfeeding became an issue that she felt discriminated against. "There was absolutely no compassion or understanding for what I was trying to do. I definitely felt I was at a disadvantage working with mostly men. There was no way they could comprehend how important this was for me," she says.

Handling Discrimination

Treat discrimination in this instance just as you would in any other; have a talk with your boss. If that doesn't get you anywhere, or your boss is the one doing the discriminating, go to your HR manager. Stand your ground and remember it's in their best interest to accommodate you. It's more cost-effective and much easier to keep you on staff and make you happy than it is to find a replacement.

"In the end, it just wasn't worth it to me," Emily decided. "I was so stressed that my relationships with my baby and my husband were suffering. I thought my company's reaction to breastfeeding was a good indication of how they would treat me in the future. I didn't want to face ten years of being made to feel guilty every time I needed to take Jayden to the doctor or leave early for a tee-ball game. I knew there were other employers out there who would not only tolerate my being a mother, but appreciate that it made me a better employee."

The Hazards of Discouraging Breastfeeding at Work

Aside from potentially losing valuable employees over this controversial issue, a woman who is discouraged from breastfeeding or pumping during business hours faces health problems for herself, as well as the baby. If nursing or pumping throughout the day doesn't stimulate the mother's breasts, her milk supply will eventually dry up. If Mom doesn't have enough milk, the baby will be weaned before it's time, possibly causing bonding issues and health problems.

Mom will also be vulnerable to developing plugged ducts which can become infected and cause her to take yet another sick day. Not to mention the fact that she will be in pain, sore, tired, possibly leaking and annoyed.

Preventing These Issues Before They Start

Even if you don't anticipate a problem, talk to your boss about breastfeeding while you're still expecting. If you are nervous, you can broach the issue by making a joke, but make sure to let them know that you are serious and that it's important. By letting your boss know the importance of the issue, it appears as though you've made an effort to accommodate them as well. Most importantly, remember you're not asking them for any favors. A company who does not respect an employee's healthy family life is not the kind of employer whose bottom line you should respect (and they're probably not a keeper anyway.)

Rights for Working, Breastfeeding Moms

Currently, Minnesota is the only state with a law requiring employers to accommodate breastfeeding moms. (We've called them to tell them how great they are.) There is presently a federal bill in the works, which would give breastfeeding moms firmer rights and provide nursing-friendly employers with tax breaks. Like anything else associated with politics, reform for breastfeeding mothers is going to take time, but things are moving in the right direction.

For more information about your rights as a working, breastfeeding mom, check out the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (an organization focusing solely on breastfeeding in the workforce) at http://www.waba.org.my/womenwork/working.htm.