What is wrong with the American workplace? It's intolerable, that's what.

Breast-pumping doesn't constitute a medical condition, so a company is free to fire an employee who takes a break to do so? Wha??

People have to reproduce and they have to have families. If modern workplace efficiency and profit motive have so far removed us from this basic human, decent responsibility, then we really have to question what use 'work' is. And the indiginity visited upon this woman for doing a somple thing to better care for her child... I'm just shocked.

America has gone crazy. Really.

As a liberal, I believe in laws, human rights and basic decency. Companies have NOT PROVED FIT to make policies that are in line with basic human, free, American values. Do you get it, Conservatives? Companies are not qualified.

Since when is pumping breast milk on company time a basic human right?

I nursed my son for an entire year. Your body will adjust to your schedule. She may have felt discomfort for a day or two, but by the second or third day she would have been able to wait until 11:00 to nurse. Perhaps she didn't want to give up her lunch hour. Nursing is a commitment on the mother's part and I do applaud anyone who breast feeds her child since I know how time consuming it is.

Since urinating, defecating and breathing on company time have been a basic human right. Since eating, blinking, standing, sitting, and everything else that is a natural for a human to do. How on earth is it NOT a basic human right to want to feed your child what is natural to feed him/her. It was provided either by God or evolution (whichever you believe) as the perfect food for a woman's child. What an ignorant remark.

jewlbox:

Since urinating, defecating and breathing on company time have been a basic human right. Since eating, blinking, standing, sitting, and everything else that is a natural for a human to do. How on earth is it NOT a basic human right to want to feed your child what is natural to feed him/her. It was provided either by God or evolution (whichever you believe) as the perfect food for a woman's child. What an ignorant remark.

This looks, reads and feels like one of the more intellegent responses we have seen on the XXFray.

Speaking from experience as both a nursing mother and a La Leche League Leader, some women's bodies never adjust well to waiting...they'd be leaking all over themselves every other day.

I'm so grateful for my company and my manager being really supportive. I work in IT, which is male-dominated of course, and my coworkers and manager don't know much about it but they understand the importance. I take 3 pumping breaks a day. I'm available on my blackberry in case of emergency, and I get my work done. They also let me work from home one day a week so I don't have to be away from my child 5 days.

So, I'm grateful. But on the other hand, that's pretty much how it should be - employees are humans, not automatons without children or responsibilities or lives outside of the workplace. Reasonable accommodations for a nursing mother are just that - reasonable. It's kind of sad that my company's good attitude towards nursing moms is something remarkable.

Not only that, but a child fed breastmilk will be generally healthier than she would have been if fed formula. Fewer sick days mom has to take!

Yeah, that was me (leaking). I had to run out of a meeting once ... fortunately I had an employer who totally understood. Talking to your employer upfront is usually the best way to handle this, but not all employers are family-friendly. Maybe this will be changing soon ... read recently that women will soon be the majority of the work force. :-)

Although I somewhat agree with the previous poster that your body can adjust, that may not be the best solution if you want to pump enough milk to provide for a newborn. Even pumping 3 to 4 times a day, I couldn't keep up with my son, who was really hungry for the first 6 months. Had to supplement with formula some days. After he started some solids, it was a bit easier (I nursed for 2 years but only needed to pump for the first 9 months).

If I had been in that situation I would have offered to take shorter lunch breaks in order to make up for the extra minutes needed to pump during the breaks. Perhaps the woman tried to suggest alternatives. Unfortunately the article left out many details.