The Foreign Service Journal, May 2011

54 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A Y 2 0 1 1 The challenges for the For- eign Service mother often come when she is working in an over- seas or classified environment. Although there may be access to electricity, some posts are wired for both 110 and 220 volts, and more than one breast pump has been destroyed by an outlet with mislabeled voltage. There is also no consistency in the application of rules about the introduction of electric pumps into classified space. While some posts have allowed them as randomly procured and/or scanned items, others take a firm stance that they may not be introduced into the clas- sified workspace. Finding space for pumping tends to be the biggest con- cern. It can be particularly difficult for students and those working in cubicles, shared offices and classified areas. Not all mothers are comfortable pumping in a cubicle, al- though some have done so discreetly under a nursing cover; and it’s often not practical to ask colleagues to vacate a shared workspace. Medical units, both overseas and do- mestic, are often designated as pumping space. However, they are not always available, procedures for accessing them are sometimes not clear, and they may be located at a prohibitive distance from the mother’s own work area. Space is particularly at a premium at overseas posts. It can be difficult for post management to justify setting aside a designated space, especially in a very small post or if lo- cally employed staff members are not generally requesting accommodation. But the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations has acknowledged the need by recently incor- porating wellness rooms into the design of several new overseas facilities, including Bucharest and Dubai. These rooms are intended for several purposes, among them ac- commodating the needs of pumping mothers. This is an important step forward, but does not address the space challenges in existing facilities. Fortunately, for most mothers working for State, flexi- bility in work scheduling is not an issue. Supervisors are often supportive of their need to pump every few hours. Mothers who are able to express milk at their desk and continue working while doing so have an advantage, while mothers with very fixed schedules or those serving the public, such as consular officers or students in long-term training, may have to be a bit more creative in getting their su- pervisor’s buy-in. Generally, how- ever, it can be done. The fact that pumping is a temporary need for each individual mother can make it an easier sell to a reluctant su- pervisor. Effective Employee Advocacy Most of the Foreign Service breastfeeding mothers I know have quietly made pumping work for them in their local context, doing what mothers all over the world have done for as long as there have been children: meeting the child’s needs the best they can. There are a few women, how- ever, whose efforts to find accommodation stand out. Following a virtual lockdown on activity in the wake of 9/11, the USAID mission in Tel Aviv found itself in the midst of a baby boom, with 18 babies due in June and July 2002. When FSO Erin McKee, the only American in this group, returned to work after the birth of her daughter, she developed a routine of expressing milk in her private office. Her many locally employed colleagues, however, were not so fortunate. Many were considering ending breastfeeding altogether because of the difficulties they experienced in pumping in the office’s main bathroom and in storing their expressed milk in the common refrigerator. McKee took up the challenge on their behalf. She used policy from the Office of Personnel Management on sup- porting breastfeeding in the workplace to advocate with her front office for provision of a dedicated room for moth- ers —a “pumping station,” as one of them put it. Although post management was reluctant at first, McKee success- fully lobbied them to agree to provide a roomwith outlets, chairs, a sink and a refrigerator. The mothers eagerly used this room, and management found that their productivity at work rose as a result. McKee’s effective advocacy resulted in what may have been the department’s first-ever dedicated pumping room overseas. Outstanding Management Support Some post managers stand out for their support on this issue. The development of lactation support at the For- eign Service Institute is one such example. In 2001, I was F O C U S Employers who support breastfeeding mothers in the workplace receive tangible benefits such as reduced health care costs and fewer days of sick leave used.