Most states in the U.S. have legislation that requires employers to provide a private lactation room where employees can pump and express their milk, making it easier for working moms to balance family and work life.

So what are these lactation rooms like and how do you set one up? We’ll tell you!

Lactation rooms can be set-up in no time and if you’re energized about the process, talk to your boss or HR representative to get one set up. To start, locate a private room with a door that locks from the inside (not a bathroom), and then check off the following:

• A few comfortable chairs to sit in while pumping
• An electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump
• A table to put a breast pump and other supplies
• A sink in the room if possible, and if not, nearby so moms can clean out their pumping supplies and wash their hands
• Identify someone who is responsible for cleaning the room

Some “bonus” features may include:

• A small refrigerator for storing breast milk
• Soft lighting and décor that promote relaxation
• A good double electric pump
• Magazines and newspapers for mom’s to read while expressing (if they pump hands free!)

If your office doesn’t have a lactation room or a policy enacted, remind your boss that workplace lactation programs often reduce health care costs and employee absenteeism, as breastfeeding keeps mom and baby healthier!

Celebrity Baby Blog recently spoke to Cleveland-based OB/GYN Dr. Majorie Greenfield, author of Dr. Spock’s Pregnancy Guide and The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book, about what to pack in your “time to go to the hospital” bag – both for your labor and post-baby’s arrival.

Click here to read, “The five expert tips.”

For more on what to pack in your hospital bag, here is a link to BabyZone.com’s checklist.

We recently read about Project Working Mom 2010, a cool, new initiative from eLearners.com that provides free information and resources to working moms (and dads) who want to go back to school to earn a college degree.  Many working parents aren’t able to overcome the challenges and barriers that lie in their way such as time, money and confidence.

Project Working Mom 2010 hopes to assist working mothers by raising awareness of the educational opportunities available, providing support and being a resource for information on pursuing a higher education.

What a great initiative!  The life of a working mother is busy enough…so if you’re thinking of adding school into the mix, it can seem slightly (to very) overwhelming. Hopefully Project Working Mom 2010 can be a much-needed “go-to” for mothers who wish to advance their career through education.

To find out more information about Project Working Mom 2010, including their recent release that they are now offering nearly $5 million in tuition-free scholarships, click here.

Buying maternity clothes can be a bit challenging at times, especially if you can’t find something that suits your style. However, the good news is that in this day-in-age there are so many more choices available. In the January issue of Lucky magazine, they listed their favorite “under-the-radar resources” for maternity clothes, and the list is worth checking out. It’s five great websites that offer a little something different. Click here to read and link!

Check out the post at LipstickToCrayons.com on the Easy Expression Hands-Free Pumping Bra now available in black. Plus enter to win your own hands-free pumping bra – a great gift for any working/multi-tasking/nursing mom!

http://lipsticktocrayons.com/2010/01/ultimate-giveaway-for-multi-taskingnursing-mom.html

Well most of us regular (yet still fabulous!) women out there, don’t have as many dress up occasions as someone like Kourtney Kardashian, during her pregnancy she did prove that just because your “with child” doesn’t mean you have to loose your personal sense of style.  Check out her “bump” fashions here.

We all know breastfeeding has amazing health benefits for baby and mom, but a new study has found yet another reason for moms to breastfeed their infants.

“Babies breastfed for six months of longer are less likely to be aggressive, anxious or depressed during childhood and into adolescence,” a study by Perth’s Telethon Institute for Child Research (Australia) found.

Lead researcher Wendy Oddy says more research needs to be done. “We’re not able to say from this study whether it was the specific nutrients in breast milk, the bonding aspects, or both.”

Either way, this is another study we can add to the list that proves breastfeeding is simply fabulous. Keep it up all your working, pumping, breast feeding mothers out there!

You know the drill. You wake up, hop in the shower, get the kids ready, eat breakfast, pack lunches, gather your work bag, throw on some clothes and makeup, and you are out the door to drop the kids at school (and it’s rush hour) before dashing into work. Phew!

But you’re not alone.

In a recent poll of over 2,000 working mothers, over 40 percent responded that they were stressed out before even getting to work for the day.  That’s no way to start the day.

Additional poll findings include:

• 42% said they snapped at their children on the way to school regardless of good or bad behavior.
• Approximately 42% admitted to road rage in morning traffic.
• 40% said the school run was the most stressful part of the day, while 38% said making sure their child had the right school supplies, homework, lunch money, and permission slips was the most stressful part of the day.

Does this sound like your day?  If so, maybe it’s time to reconsider your morning routine.  Is there something you can do at night to make the morning less stressful?  Perhaps have lunches ready to go and school/work bags packed and laid out. Sure it might not happen every day, but even a couple less stressful mornings would be beneficial.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Start a neighborhood carpool so you only drive your children to school every other day leaving time on your free days to get ready and drive to work in a relaxed time frame.

Either way – just remember – if you are feeling stressed out.  Stop for a moment and take a deep breath to clear your mind!

Check out the post at Babylune.com about the Easy Expression Hands-Free Pumping Bra now available in black!

http://www.blisstree.com/babylune/the-new-black-bra-hits-easy-expression/

According to a post on Peaceful Parenting, newborn babies are not designed to sleep alone. They breathe in irregular rhythms and even stop breathing for a few seconds at a time.

Dr. Jay Gordon, MD, FAAP, IBCLC, the author of two books, Good Nights: The Happy Parents’ Guide to the Family Bed (and a Good Night’s Sleep) and Listening to Your Baby: A New Approach to Parenting Your Newborn, says that babies sleeping on a safe surface with sober, nonsmoking parents respond to their parents, and the parents respond to them. On the other hand, he says babies in a crib or in a room away from their parents will breastfeed less and are at greater risk of infections.

And for those of you worried about SIDS occurring, he says the chances in this situation are close to zero.

Dr. Gordon goes onto say that the medical profession is approaching the idea of the family bed backwards, and that a baby surrounded by his or her parents is in the best possible surveillance and safety system.

If you choose to co-sleep just make sure you know all the safety guidelines before doing so. Click here for more information from Parenthood.com.

The Easy Expression(TM) Hands-Free Pumping Bra was mentioned yesterday in a segment on FOX in San Diego. Breastfeeding is great for mom and baby and will help new moms shed their baby weight this New Year! Check out the segment below as it includes some other fabulous tools for getting back into shape!

Just like in the days of Rosie the Riveter and the “We Can Do It” slogan post WWII when women stepped into the workplace in large numbers, today “We Are Doing It” again!

In a must-read article in the Economist, we read how women are about to make-up 50 percent of the American workforce.  The article quotes, “Women’s economic empowerment is arguably the biggest social change of our times.”

Powerful stuff when you consider that just a generation ago, the opportunities for women in the workforce were in more menial positions.

But let’s not ignore that women are still quite underrepresented at the top of companies. “Only 2% of the bosses of America’s largest companies and 5% of their peers in Britain are women.”

The article then moves into the working mothers. The women who feel they have to choose between their children and a career.  Not easy. Not fun. Not fair.

We do know that some workplaces, including the infamous “up or out” type places such as law firms and banks, are rethinking their flexible work schedule stance as the demand for female employees rises. “More than 90% of companies in Germany and Sweden allow flexible working. And new technology is making it easier to redesign work in all sorts of family-friendly ways.”

The article continues with some additional barriers for working mothers worldwide such as:

• Lengthy maternity leave – firms can’t afford to hire women who will be out for long periods of time – especially in Europe where maternity leave policies are quite different than in the U.S. – more time off!

• The American school system that shuts down each summer for two months. (Note: some charter schools are now offering longer school das and shorter summer holidays)

Regardless women should we proud of how far we have come. Onward and upward!

Reuters Health posted an article last week about the increase of c-sections due to induced labor.

Dr. J. Christopher Glantz at the University of Rochester School of Medicine found that “inducing labor introduces a risk of 1 to 2 cesareans per 25 inductions that might have been avoided by waiting for spontaneous labor to begin.”

C-sections are not to be taken lightly or made glamorous.  “They are major surgeries and carry the risk of infection, bleeding, blood clots, and injury to other organs,” Glantz said in a report in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.

For the study, Glantz used three comparison groups that were made up of women induced to labor, women delivering spontaneously and women induced at a chosen week. “The study found all labor induced groups faced increased risk for C-section, except for those women delivering after 39 weeks.”

So what can we take away from this? Well perhaps, unless you have an imminent need for a c-section, it’s worth waiting for spontaneous labor? There are of course situations when a c-section is essential and makes sense whether it be for baby or mom’s health, but if all parties are healthy, maybe it’s best to let nature take it’s course.

What are your thoughts?

Hands-free pumping was mentioned yesterday in a segment on NBC in San Diego.  Check out the segment below as it includes some great products to help moms get fit for the New Year. New moms should continue to breastfeed even if they are introducing an exercise regimen, as it’s good for baby, good for mom and will help mom shed the pounds more quickly!

The Journal of Pediatrics January 2010 issue reported that a small study found that refrigerated breast milk can be refrigerated for up to four days without losing its nutritional value or allowing bacteria to build up.

Researchers at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, stored breast milk samples from 36 mothers in the refrigerators of the NICU. The milk was all collected with a breast pump about one month after giving birth and stored at 39 degrees F.  It was tested after 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. They found that over time, “either no or minimal changes to the breast milk’s composition — including bacterial levels, acidity, immune-system proteins from the mother, beneficial fatty acids and protein.”

“The findings suggest that fresh breast milk can be refrigerated for up to 96 hours without compromising its integrity,” said lead researcher Dr. Richard J. Schanler.

But remember when you are storing milk at home, experts recommend using clean, dry glass containers or plastic ones that are free of the chemical bisphenol A.  Containers should be labeled with the date and placed at the back of a refrigerator set at 39 degrees or cooler.

This is good info and news for pumping moms! That pumped breast milk is oh-so-precious and we never want it to go to waste in the fridge!