Breastfeeding

It can be hard for women going back to work after they've had a baby. Employers that provide supportive environments to help women continue breastfeeding after childbirth enjoy many proven benefits, including: :

• Lower health care costs.
• Decreased absences.
• Lower employee turnover.
• Improved productivity and staff loyalty.
• Enhanced public image of the employer.

The more involved an agency is in lactation support, the greater the likelihood it will positively impact a new mother's decision to breastfeed and continue breastfeeding after returning to work.

Babies who are breastfed are less likely to develop common childhood illnesses like diarrhea and ear infections and chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, asthma, and childhood obesity. They are also at lower risk for rare but serious conditions such as severe lower respiratory infections, leukemia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breastfeeding is good for moms as well, lowering the risk for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Becoming a mother-friendly employer starts with making your workforce aware that you support breastfeeding employees.

• Provide privacy and flexibility to express and store breast milk.
• Develop and disseminate a written policy to support breastfeeding mothers.

Additional strategies can be implemented to build an inclusive lactation support program. More information can be found at The Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Initiative, which is a national, practice-tested way to help support Worksite Wellness. Learn more at Texas Mother Friendly.

Visit the References Page to see references.