Mom2Mom recently spoke with the authors of the Milk Memos, Cate Colburn-Smith and Andrea Serrette. Their book is a real time diary of their experience returning to work after having babies and trying to deal with all the emotions of that and the hurdles of continuing to nurse their babies while working full time.

1. You have never written a book before, what inspired you to take the plunge?

Our great minds – ha! That is to say, we think alike. Cate started the notebooks in the IBM employee lactation room on her first day back from maternity leave, as a plea for help and support. Other moms wrote back, and we ended up sharing everything from “my baby learned how to crawl” to “I’m not making enough milk and my baby is going to starve” to “I love my job, but I feel guilty” to “I hate my job and I feel guilty.” By the time Andrea joined the group, the notebooks were chock full of information, advice and humor. Andrea knew instantly that they would make a great book – and a few days later, Cate joked about turning them into a best seller. As they say, the rest is history. Of course, we should mention that it took four years, a life coach, weekly writing sessions, a night class on how to get published, and supportive husbands to finally get our dream launched!

2. Love the name, The Milk Memos! How did that come about? We owe the name of our book to Kreighton, a guy in our writing class who blurted it out one evening when we were drafting query letters. Originally, we thought the title would be simply MILK. Once we heard “The Milk Memos,” we knew that was it. (Thanks, Kreighton.)

3. What was the process of writing a book like, from ideas to getting published?

Like childbirth (and raising kids in general), if you knew beforehand how much work it would be, you might think twice about diving in. It’s probably a good thing we didn’t have a crystal ball when we got started, but looking back, it has been an amazing journey and a dream come true. To this day, we can’t enter a book store without finding our book on the shelf and dancing a little jig.

4. You are both such inspirations, being working moms who continued to breastfeed/pump at the office. It is such a challenge and a big reason why many new moms stop breastfeeding earlier than they’d like. What hopes do you have for this book’s influence on working moms? We hope that through our book, working moms will find practical advice, humor, support, encouragement and the confidence that they can combine motherhood, breastfeeding, and career. Armed with this, we hope moms will be bold enough to ask for the time, space, and support they need to pump milk at work. Ultimately, we would like to pave the way to a future where breastfeeding is the norm, not the exception.

5. Lately we hear a lot from the media and government about “breast is best’ and programs to encourage moms to nurse longer, but they don’t make it easy when moms are sent back to work after 6-8 weeks without the support of their work place and for most, without a suitable place to pump. What kind of changes do you think are necessary in order for more moms to try and pump at work?

Don’t get us started! Clearly, our country needs to revamp its parental leave policy. The United States is one of only five countries out of 173 that does not guarantee some form of paid maternity leave – the others are Lesotho, Liberia, Swaziland and Papua New Guinea. In the meantime, we need legislation at the federal and/or state level to ensure a woman’s right to breastfeed in the workplace. Currently, only 12 states have specific laws related to breastfeeding in the workplace. The federal Breastfeeding Promotion Act has been under consideration for years – and is still moving at a snail’s pace. We also need to educate employers about the benefits of lactation programs (reduced absenteeism, lower health care costs, improved retention and productivity) so that they will offer this support on their own. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, working moms must create demand by asking for the support they need.

6. When you first published the book, did you ever think that it would be so successful? Were you prepared?

One of our favorite bloggers put it this way: A funny thing happens to you when your book is finally published – nothing. Our lives really haven’t changed all that much. Cate’s vet recognized her name, and a stranger congratulated Andrea in the grocery store, but that’s the extent of our fame. Of course, we do have the personal satisfaction of realizing our dream and then hearing from other moms that the book helped and encouraged them.

7. The book is both touching and inspiring, do you receive a lot of letters / emails from other moms thanking you for bringing such an important issue to light?

YES! We receive e-mails and comments on our Web site (http://www.milkmemos.com/ ) all the time. This is more gratifying than any recognition we ever received at IBM. It’s right up there with an unsolicited “I love you” from our kids.

8. What’s next for you both?

Rest, relaxation, and a day at the spa! After that, we’re launching Moms on Board, an organization that helps employers design and deliver programs to attract and retain valuable working mother talent, and coaches mothers to craft and negotiate flexible work arrangements that deliver employer results while honoring family needs and responsibilities. Stay tuned!

Buy the Milk Memos on Amazon…

The Milk Memos: How Real Moms Learned to Mix Business with Babies-and How You Can, Too

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