Do You Bring Your Baby to Work?

By Deb Baker on Thursday, February 5, 2009.

British child development specialist Penelope Leach mentioned in a recent interview that American babies go to daycare at an earlier age than their peers around the world, because their parents often lack paid family leave. Several media reports cite a growing childcare trend driven both by U.S. family leave policy and the economy – parents bringing babies to work.

The United States is one of only five countries that doesn’t mandate paid maternity leave, according to Inc. Magazine. Most expectant parents either accumulate vacation and sick days to use after their baby’s birth or take unpaid leave. The stress of lost pay and spent sick time is compounded by the difficulty of lining up newborn care, which is in short supply in some parts of the country.

It’s also costly. Lisa Belkin, author of the Motherlode blog at The New York Times, writes that childcare is second only to housing in working families’ budgets. She cites “bringing baby to work” as one way to rein in the high cost of care.

The Parenting in the Workplace Institute cites a number of benefits of babies at work for both employers and families. The nonprofit also offers materials to support those who want to implement the idea, and provides lists of Baby-Friendly Companies.

Do you or someone you know care for a baby on the job? How is it working? Leave your comments below, or call 603-223-2448.

(Photo by Tom Carmony)

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I'm breastfeeding my 8 month old as I type this! As a freelance writer I can't justify the expense - financial or emotional - of childcare, so I work in between the cracks. I write during naptimes, mealtimes, whenever my son is distracted, and Barnaby has slept on my chest through many an interview. It's amazing what a mom can accomplish with one hand.

Submitted by Andi Diehn on Thu, 02/12/2009 - 14:10.

I work in a customer service call center, and a lot of us had babies at the same time last year. When they are newborn they are so quiet & just sleep all the time. We all wanted to bring them to work but we were told we couldn't. I guess they were afraid of what would happen if they woke up & cried while we were on the phone. (I think customers would just think its cute. They love it when they hear someone's dog bark in the background.) But I did bring her in for an off-hours meeting the other day. Noone minded, in fact I think they enjoyed it. She wasn't very disruptive- she's 1 year old, so babbled a little bit, but thats all. I think if your not dealing with the public its great. I would be concerned about germs when they were tiny, though.

Submitted by Lizander on Sun, 02/22/2009 - 18:21.

There are definite boundaries here. I brought my newborn into the office when I only needed to be in for an hour or two and I knew she'd be sleeping. Now she is a toddler and I bring her by when I'm picking something up or just need to chat with someone. But I have had coworkers who make a big scene when they bring their babies in, assuming everyone wants to see them when many (younger, childless) coworkers are visibly annoyed. It's a fine line. But life definitely is difficult for a nursing working mom. I was lucky to be able to work from home 80% of the time.

Submitted by Mom to 1yr old on Wed, 02/25/2009 - 22:28.

Me and my partner have two young boys (now 3 and 5) and when they were younger the balance between what people found acceptable and what crossed the line was difficult. Generally my partner taking them into the office on occasion was accepted, but it was also made fairly clear that it couldn't become a habit.

Submitted by MartinTSI on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 07:57.

Idea Smackdown: Round III

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