Workplace Health Strategies
It is well known that more and more mothers work outside the home. One of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant is to breastfeed. The success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be greatly improved through active support from employers. Given the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of mothers and children, it is critical that employers support breastfeeding mothers.
Benefits of breastfeeding
- Decrease risk of breast cancer for mothers
- Decrease risk of ovarian cancer for mothers
- Decrease risk of type 2 diabetes for mothers
- Decrease risk for ear and respiratory infections for child
- Decrease risk for type 2 diabetes for child
- Decrease risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Employers who support breastfeeding mother’s experience
- Reduced staff turnover
- Reduced sick leave usage
- Lowered insurance and health care costs
- Increased job productivity, employee satisfaction, and morale
- Added recruitment incentive for women
Strategies to increase breastfeeding
- Implement policies to support breastfeeding
- Provide breastfeeding education programs
- Provide designated private space for breastfeeding or expressing milk that is not in a restroom
- Allow flexible scheduling to support milk expression during work
- Give mothers options for returning to work, such as teleworking, part-time work, and extended maternity leave
- Provide on-site or near-site child care
- Provide high-quality breast pumps and refrigeration to store breast milk
- Offer professional lactation management services and support
Breastfeeding Support PolicyDeveloped to provide employers with recommendations and guidance on ways to support employees who are breastfeeding