The transition to “working parent” can be a bumpy road for moms and dads alike. But there are some struggles that new mothers typically face that new fathers don’t experience. Understanding the challenges that are unique to working moms is crucial for companies to better support the needs of the female workforce. Here are just a few of those challenges:

1. Recovery from childbirth

Every woman will recover at a different rate and with different postpartum symptoms. For many new moms, the recovery period is a long journey that continues for many months after they’re back at work. There are over 28 physical postpartum symptoms that new mothers commonly report, including pelvic dysfunctions, headaches, heavy bleeding, fevers, and uterine infections, to name a few.

“There are over 28 physical postpartum symptoms that new mothers commonly report, including pelvic dysfunctions, headaches, heavy bleeding, fevers, and uterine infections, to name a few. ”

2. Breastfeeding & pumping

For new moms that decide to breastfeed, pumping at work is cited as one of the biggest sources of stress when returning to their jobs. This may be due to a myriad of reasons. For example, workplace accommodations for pumping are often insufficient; office culture makes it difficult to take the necessary breaks for pumping, leading to physical discomforts like engorgement; and coworkers’ lack of understanding about a breastfeeding mom’s needs leads to an unhealthy work environment.

3. The “second shift”

In households with children under 6 where both parents work full-time, women spend 4.57 hours per day on housework and childcare, compared to 2.91 hours for men. As a result of the imbalance, mothers are 30% more likely than fathers to turn down a promotion, and more than twice as likely to quit their jobs altogether. Interestingly, in households where fathers take paternity leave and play an equal role in parenting a newborn, there tends to be a more even distribution of household and baby responsibilities after both parents are back at work.

The Bottom Line

The transition back to work after maternity leave can be difficult, but employers can help reduce new mothers’ stress in several ways. Offering flexible hours and a gradual phase-in back to work can make it easier for women to cope with postpartum symptoms. Clear lactation policies and a comfortable, private, designated lactation room can ease women’s anxiety about pumping while at work-- and breastmilk shipping services can ensure that breastfeeding moms never have to miss an important career opportunity due to inability to travel. Finally, one-on-one coaching (like the kind Maven offers) can help women feel supported and empowered as they navigate every part of this new phase of their lives, from time management to relationships with partners and colleagues.

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Shocking but true: Nearly half of all pregnant women in a 2018 survey said they’d consider leaving their workplace for a job that better accommodates breastfeeding mothers. While public health experts recommend that babies are breastfed exclusively for six months, in a country where there is no paid parental leave and where the average leave is 10 weeks, breastfeeding has become one of the biggest sources of stress for women returning to work.

Here are four ways companies can better support breastfeeding employees. The result is a win-win for moms who will experience more ease in their transition and employers who get the boost of greater retention.

1. Create a designated lactation room.

Although the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states that employers must provide women with “a place other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public” in which to pump breast milk, there are no rules that a designated lactation room must not be used for any other purpose. But storage closets and flimsy screens don’t exactly create an adequate environment for women to pump. For a lactation room to be functional, it must have a chair and a flat surface on which to place the breast pump. In order for it to be comfortable, it should also have a door that locks, paper towels or wipes (to clean the space after use), a mirror (to readjust clothing after pumping), and electrical outlets (to plug in an electric breast pump, or recharge a battery powered pump). A white noise machine might also be appreciated, so that women don’t have to worry about the sound of the breast pump disturbing their coworkers. Additionally, a small refrigerator and a sink would help women save time by not having to go elsewhere to store their milk and clean their pump.

“By providing comfortable, private, designated lactation rooms, breast milk shipping, and return-to-work coaching--not just for new mothers themselves, but also their managers, companies can become the type of breastfeeding-friendly work environments that so many women seek. ”

2. Give women control of their pumping schedules.

A mother needs to pump as often as every 2-3 hours in order to keep up her milk supply and avoid obstacles such as pain, leaking, and serious infections like mastitis. While the frequency of pumping may decrease as a baby grows, it’s important to give women control over when they pump and for how long. (While 15-20 minutes per pump session is the average, it can take longer when women don’t feel relaxed—another reason to provide a comfortable lactation space).

3. Make your lactation policies known to everyone—not just nursing moms.

Many new mothers report a “breastfeeding stigma” when they’re back at work—and making it the responsibility of a mom to communicate her rights to coworkers can worsen negative interactions or even harassment between colleagues. A simple solution? Educate all employees—not just new moms—about women’s breastfeeding needs and the company policies in place to support them.

4. Consider breast milk shipping benefits.

For nursing moms who travel for work, breastfeeding presents an added layer of stressors. For instance, mothers are forced to figure out how can they keep milk fresh while on the road, and safely transport it back home for baby’s use. (For the record, hitting pause on pumping for the duration of the trip isn’t an option, as doing this will cause a woman’s supply to dry up.)

More and more companies are recognizing the need to offer breast milk shipping for employees—a move that helps moms focus on their work while away from home while also helping companies retain their top talent.

The Bottom Line

Companies that go beyond the FLSA-required minimum to support breastfeeding employees can help ease some of the stress that new mothers experience during the transition back to work, and show women that their professional contributions are valued. By providing comfortable, private, designated lactation rooms, breast milk shipping, and return-to-work coaching--not just for new mothers themselves, but also their managers, companies can become the type of breastfeeding-friendly work environments that so many women seek.

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Did you know that as many as 20% of women in the United States suffer from mood and anxiety disorders before or after pregnancy? That’s a higher rate than diabetes, stroke, and breast cancer—and doesn’t account for all the women who suffer in silence. And yet, only recently are we beginning to talk about or understand it.

In May 2018, Every Mother Counts, Seleni Institute, Peanut, and Motherly have partnered with Maven, the digital clinic for women, to conduct a national survey of women who experienced mental health issues to shed more light on the many gray areas of maternal mental health.

In speaking to more than 700 new mothers, Maven revealed some shocking statistics. For one, the majority of women reported experiencing both depression and anxiety, though anxiety is rarely talked about. And despite the fact that “postpartum” is often associated with mental health, 32% of mothers experienced a mood disorder during pregnancy.

Despite that fact that perinatal mood disorders are quite common, more than half of women surveyed were never screened for mental health at any stage—during or after pregnancy.

To learn more and see the full survey results visit https://www.mavenclinic.com/maternal-mental-health-2018. If you or someone you know are suffering, sign up to video chat with a mental health specialists on Maven now. Together, we can break the silence and help every mother get the support she deserves.

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