• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Women Deserve Better

Women Deserve Better: For us, that means better information, better support, and better choices. Life brings challenges. We bring empowerment, because we’ll never underestimate women.

  • Work
    • Find a Job
    • Build a Career
    • Take Maternity Leave
    • Thrive As a Working Parent
    • Know Your Rights at Work
  • Learn
    • Earn Your Degree As a Parent
    • Know Your Rights on Campus
    • Finance Your Education
    • Medical Care for Student Moms
    • Housing for Student Parents
    • Child Care While You’re In Class
  • Live
    • Child Care
    • Feeding Your Family
    • Housing
    • Clothes
    • Medical Care
    • Getting Around
    • Money Matters
    • Special Needs
    • Fun
  • Love
    • Fathers
    • Your Parents
    • Adoption
    • Support Networks
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Contributors
  • Shop
  • Support Us
  • Donate
  • Home

The Business Case for Breastfeeding

August 11, 2020 by Bethanie Ryan

Why should employers offer women the means to breastfeed while working? The benefits truly outweigh the costs for both mother and employer.

What do lactating working mothers need?

The lactation essentials at work include:

  • A private space with a door that locks (not a bathroom)
    • Breast milk is food and should be prepared with appropriate care.
    • There could be a designated space for all in-office lactation or the breastfeeding employee’s office.
  • A comfy chair
  • An electrical outlet for a breast pump
  • A miniature refrigerator
    • The milk is kept at a safe temperature.
    • Avoid using a common area fridge for breastmilk.
  • Midday breaks and flexible scheduling
    • Breastfeeding is not a task that can easily be postponed or adjusted each day.
    • Most women will pump two or three times during the workday, for about 15 to 20 minutes each time.
  • Support
    • A compromising, sympathetic attitude will go a long way for working parents, which equals lower turnover rates.
    • Resentment or inflexibility will only harm the office environment and make it harder for a mom to work productively or stay with the company.
  • Education
    • Studies show that offering resources and education on breastfeeding to all employees (women and men) leads to fewer absences of men later on, as their infants are likely to be breastfed longer and get sick less often.
    • According to one study, 83% of employees were more positive about their company as a result of breastfeeding education; 67% made it their long-term employer.

Why should breastfeeding be encouraged by employers? 

  • It’s the healthiest option for babies and their parents.
    • Babies who are breastfed get sick less often, meaning lower absenteeism rates for their parents.
    • Mothers who formula-feed take one-day absences twice as often.
  • It decreases health care costs as breastfeeding strengthens infants’ immune systems.
  • Mothers can take shorter maternity leaves if they know they will be able to pump at work.
  • The retention rate for companies with lactation support rises to 94.2%, significantly higher than the national average retention rate: 59%.

Further reading:
More on breastfeeding
More on formula
The Business Case for Breastfeeding, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Business Case for Breastfeeding, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

By Grace Berning

Filed Under: Know Your Rights at Work, Work Tagged With: breastfeeding, breastfeeding at work, parent-friendly workplace, parenting rights, parents rights at work

Primary Sidebar

Featured Articles

  • How to Find Legal Help for Evictions and Foreclosures
  • SIDS: A Contemporary and Preventable Nightmare
  • 11 Ways to Communicate with Children Online
  • 10 Tips to Stay Safe When Playing Outside in Winter
  • 7 Tips to Keep Your Child from Falling Behind
fb-share-icon

Footer

This message is only visible to admins.
PPCA Error: Due to Facebook API changes it is no longer possible to display a feed from a Facebook Page you are not an admin of. The Facebook feed below is not using a valid Access Token for this Facebook page and so has stopped updating.

neverunderestimatewomen

It is difficult not being able to see friends in p It is difficult not being able to see friends in person, and it can be disturbing when you learn that someone you know is sick with COVID. You want to help, but you also don't want to get sick. Here are 7 ways you can help a friend with COVID, including some ideas on what you can send in a care package if you have a friend who is sick who lives a long distance away.

www.womendeservebetter.com/how-to-help-a-friend-with-covid-19 

Link in profile
Thanks to your support, we continue to help the mo Thanks to your support, we continue to help the most vulnerable, of all ages, so the darkest nights are a bit brighter this season. Our next installment of articles for Women Deserve Better begins with "7 Tips to Keep Your Child from Falling Behind," by Bethanie Ryan.

www.womendeservebetter.com/7-tips-to-keep-your-child-from-falling-behind 

Link in profile. #WomenDeserveBetter
Winter is the time of year for cabin fever: It's t Winter is the time of year for cabin fever: It's the time of year that gave cabin fever its name. This is particularly true for growing bodies that just want to move! Playing outdoors in winter comes with its own set of safety concerns to keep in mind to keep everyone safe and healthy. Here are 10 tips for keeping safe when playing outdoors in winter.

www.womendeservebetter.com/10-tips-to-stay-safe-when-playing-outside-in-winter #WomenDeserveBetter
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Thanks for signing up!

GET OUR LATEST NEWS

ABOUT

  • Our Mission
  • Contributors

SUPPORT US

  • Donate
  • Become a Partner
  • Share Your Story or Your Expertise
  • Promote Women Deserve Better

Women Deserve Better: For us, that means better information, better support, and better choices. Life brings challenges. We bring empowerment, because we’ll never underestimate women.

Copyright © 2021 — Feminists for Life of America • All rights reserved.