STEP 9. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) maternity care and employment or, in the U.S., The US Business Case for Breastfeeding is promulgated by the government and the Chamber of Commerce (CoC) or equivalent.
Ten Steps to a Breastfeeding Family Friendly Community
Supporting Lactating Employees During Covid-19
Breastfeeding is one of the few immune boosters that we can currently offer to our infants during this global pandemic. We also know breastfeeding rates increase dramatically with support.
- Create a Clean & Safe Environment
- Write a Policy
- Support Each Other
Supporting Businesses
Employers have gone to extraordinary measures to support and protect families. Connect families to a list of breastfeeding friendly businesses and organizations. Providing support for nursing families at work is good for business. Hundreds of companies provide lactation support programs as part of their family friendly benefit platform. They’ve learned that lactation accommodations produce a 3 to 1 return on investment which is attributed to
- Lower health care costs
- Few missed days of work among both mothers and fathers,
- Lower turnover rates
- Improved employee productivity and loyalty.
Now more than ever, we all need to work together to keep families healthy and safe.
Reaching Businesses
When building your stakeholder group, remember to connect with organizations that support the local business community. Here are some suggested organizations to get started.
- Call or email your local Chamber of Commerce or locate the business directory on the Chamber of Commerce website.
- Contact your local government Office of Business or Economic Development to connect with businesses in your community.
- Reach out to the Rotary Club.
Reviewing Legislation
International Laws
The 16th International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2020 was published by the International Network on Leave Policies and Research. This research report provides a comparative review of paid leave policies in 45 countries and includes information on specific workplace provisions related to breastfeeding. (Koslowski, A., Blum, S., Dobrotić, I., Kaufman, G. and Moss, P. (2020) International Review of Leave Policies and Research 2020. Available at: http://www.leavenetwork.org/lp_and_r_reports/)
Current United States Laws
- What is the “Break Time for Nursing Mothers” law?
- Are the breaks paid or unpaid?
- Who is covered by the law?
- What if your state already has a law?
- Who is in charge of enforcing the law?
- What are the benefits to employers?
- How should you prepare to go back to work?
- How should you talk to your employer about nursing breaks?
- What does the undue hardship exemption mean for employees?
- What are the space requirements?
- How much time is “reasonable”?
- How often can you pump during the workday?
- How long do you have the right to pump at work?
- How should you store your breast milk?
- What equipment and supplies do you need?
- What are creative solutions for break time and space?
- What do you do if your employer refuses to comply?
- Where should you go for help?
- How else does the Affordable Care Act impact breastfeeding families?
- What other resources are available?
- What about helpful breastfeeding tips?
State Breastfeeding Laws
All fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have laws that specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location.
National Conference of State Legislatures
The National Conference of State Legislatures website provides information on the breastfeeding laws in all states. Visit the NCSL website to search for specific information about a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Finding Resources
Pregnant@Work has created an online resource center to provide tools and educational materials for…
- pregnant and breastfeeding workers
- the healthcare professionals who treat them
- the attorneys who represent them
- companies
- human resources professionals
- management attorneys
The Office of Women’s Health Business Case for Breastfeeding provides “a comprehensive program designed to educate employers about the value of supporting breastfeeding employees in the workplace” with information for employers and employees, such as…
- For Business Managers
- Easy Steps to Supporting Breastfeeding Employees
- Employees’ Guide to Breastfeeding and Working
Supporting Families
Planning Ahead
Planning ahead for your return to work can help ease the transition. Learn as much as you can before the baby’s birth, and talk with your employer about your options. Planning ahead can help you continue to enjoy breastfeeding your baby long after your maternity leave is over. Read more.
Challenging Environments
- Breastfeeding and the Law
- Break Time for Nursing Mothers
- Engorgement
- Expressing Your Milk
- Storing Your Milk
- Growth
- Milk Supply
- Thinking of Supplementing?
- What Can A Support Person Do?
Please contact us with any feedback or questions.