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• An employer with fewer than 50 employees does not have to comply with these requirements
• These requirements do not override state laws that provide more extensive employee rights
› A descriptive cohort study in the United Kingdom including 18,552 children born during the period 2000–
2002 found that breastfeeding initiation and continued breastfeeding for a duration of 9 months were
positively associated with evening workplace arrangements when compared to other shifts(22)
› Although authors of a systematic review found no evidence that workplace modifications are effective in
promoting continuation of breastfeeding after return to work, researchers in a study published in 2008
found that(1,8)
• the availability of employer-sponsored childcare increased the likelihood of breastfeeding at 6 months
after birth by 47%
• working at home 8 hours per week was associated with an 8% increase in the rate of breastfeeding
initiation and a 16.8% increase in the rate of breastfeeding at 6 months after birth
What We Can Do
› Learn about breastfeeding in the workplace—including workplace barriers, necessary resources, corporate
lactation programs, and legislation—so you can accurately assess your patients’ personal characteristics
and health education needs; share this knowledge with your colleagues
› Assist working women with formulating a plan for breastfeeding and/or pumping(9,12,16)
• Assess each of your patient’s individual needs
• Educate new mothers on their legal rights with regard to breastfeeding
• Before delivery, encourage working women to schedule maternity leave for at least 6 weeks, if
possible, and to discuss breastfeeding during work hours with their employer
• Encourage women to practice expressing milk before they return to work and to begin freezing milk a
few weeks before they return to work for a small back-up supply
• Suggest women schedule pumping times at work which mimic their infant’s feeding pattern
• Educate that over-pumping can result in a creation of oversupply (i.e., maternal production that far
exceeds infant’s feeding needs) and that both over-pumping and missed pumping sessions can result in
plugged milk ducts which can increase risk for mastitis(i.e., breast infections)
• Collaborate with others in your healthcare organization to develop a program to educate employers
regarding the benefits of having a policy that allows breastfeeding in the workplace and to assist
employers in allocating resources to support breastfeeding in the workplace(16)
• Educate your patients regarding the following suggestions for breastfeeding in the workplace:
– Get plenty of rest and learn stress management techniques
– Return to work near the end of the work week, if possible
– Breastfeed before leaving for work and when returning from work unless childcare is available
close to the workplace
– Wear clothing that is appropriate for breastfeeding
– Educate about the types of breast pumps that are available, including which pumps might be more
effective (e.g., electric piston double pumps) for use in the workplace
- Provide instruction on how to use a breast pump. Educate women to pump before work, allow
enough time to pump at work, pump every 3–4 hours, and pump after work and on days off when
they are not breastfeeding their infant
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