Rebecca Thomas is a hard working mom, a Web content manager, who’s nursed two babies, both times pumping at work. When we asked her to contribute this guest blog post about nursing at work, she delivered this tribute to her “best friend.”

Is it her mom, her husband, her college buddy? Nope. Read what Rebecca says about nursing at work:

Medela Pump in Style

Before I had children, I never thought I’d breastfeed my children, much less be devoted to it once I returned to work. But here I am, with my second child, spending time in a storage room at work every few hours and nursing while I’m at home.

It’s easier the second time around. Probably because I know what to expect, I have the experience and I have an amazing network of support. But it’s still tough.

I gauge the success of my day by how many ounces of breast milk I come home with and how many pumping sessions I can squeeze in during the day. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I see the big stash of frozen milk in our freezer.

Ah, nursing mommy pride.

With my older daughter, it was easy to pump at work. I had an office with a door that locked and I worked with a mostly female staff. With my second daughter, there were more challenges right from the beginning.

From the moment we started talking about maternity leave at work, I brought up pumping. I wanted to locate the space I would pump in before I had the baby, since my cube wouldn’t do. I talked about it to my boss, who probably wished his ears would spontaneously fall off, but he was supportive.

While on maternity leave I reminded him a few times that I would be taking breaks to pump. When I returned, I would work things around pumping, but would always speak up when something interfered.

If I wanted it to work, I knew I had to advocate for myself. But behind the scenes, I have a lot of support. Besides my husband, a lot of my mommy-friends who have breastfed have become my cheerleaders  and I return the favor to them.

We share tips, informative web sites, encouraging words via e-mail throughout the day and winces at the words “plugged ducts” and “engorgement.” They know what it’s like to set a reminder in a calendar and then parade across an office to a little room carrying a black bag over a shoulder. They know what it’s like to worry about making sure to come home with enough milk.

It’s not easy, but it’s worth it to me. I see it as a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and my child. And as a working mom always on the go, I like the time it takes. I get to stop and think about my baby or cuddle her on the couch while I feed her and relax after my day.

Armed with my best friend and my support team, I can make the situation work for us.

Rebecca Thomas is a working mom who also tries to provide a few smiles to the unexpected through her web site UnexpectedSmiles.wordpress.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @rlwyatt

Hey! Stick around. MomstoWork has plenty of other good stuff to read on maternity leave, FMLA and preparing to have time off with your baby!