I work for an agency that provides support services for pregnant and parenting teens. The high school where I lead a support group encourages students to come back to school as soon as they can after they deliver. Most of these girls are already struggling academically and taking more than a few weeks off puts them further behind. Even so, they require a doctor's note to return to school after delivery. Most of our local OBs will write notes for girls to return after 4 weeks. One came back for half days after two weeks and then full days two weeks after that.
As far as pumping, most of these girls simply aren't interested. I really stress the reasons for breastfeeding, but many of them simply can't get used to the idea of having a baby suck on their breast. A lot of them think breasts are for sex only! I have had some success at getting girls to put their babes to the breast at least a few times while still in the hospital. I consider that a victory when it was a mama who wasn't going to even do that till I talked about the benefits of colostrum.
My agency provides breast pump access and a cost-free pumping kit (we have grant $$) for any girl who wants to pump at school. The school nurse has set aside space in her office for pumping. The block scheduling at this school -- 90 minute classes where the last half is free study/homework time facilitates pumping, but still only one of eight pg girls pumped after her baby was born. One nursed till she came back to school at 4 wks pp and then weaned completely to formula. Another continued to nurse at night but had the baby fed formula at daycare during the day. One nursed 3 times and the others not at all.
The school has been supportive of pumping, but even so, I send the girls to their pp OB exam with a letter stating medical need to pump every three hours when separated from their exclusively breastfed baby for their doc to sign.
Girls also have to remember that if the school is allowing them flexible scheduling to pump they also have to be willing to give up lunch time and social time to pump and not just in-class time. One suggestion is to allow the pumping student to leave her class before lunch early enough to be first line in the cafeteria and for her then to bring her food to the nurse's office and pump during lunch time. I can teach her how to pump hands free. I also suggest that she do homework and/or class work while pumping in the nurse's office -- much the way an employee might taking a "working" pump break by reading technical journals or checking and responding to emails.
If pumping is presented as a medical need, a school district has to provide accommodations for the student to do so -- either via an IEP or a 504 plan. Technically, that puts the pumping student in the "health impaired, other disability" special ed category. Not everyone likes the idea of breastfeeding being viewed as a disability, but if it works to get baby breastmilk and mom pumping time then I think it's worth it.
