Supporting Women Who Continue Breastfeeding After Returning to Work

A mother-friendly workplace is a workplace that supports a mother in her effort to combine her commitments to her child while participating in the paid workforce.  Most mothers with young children return to work at a time when they are still (or could be still) breastfeeding.

Everyone benefits from breastfeeding: infants, mothers, families and society.  Breastfeeding helps protect infants from ear and respiratory infections, diabetes, bowel and other digestive diseases.  It helps to prevent diarrhea, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and childhood obesity.  Women who breastfeed for longer periods have a lower risk of developing some forms of cancer and osteoporosis.

In the United States, 3.6 to 7 billion excess dollars are spent every year on conditions and diseases that are preventable by breastfeeding. 

Breastfeeding benefits you as an employer.  The benefits include:
• lower absenteeism
• reduced health care costs to extended health care plans
• lower staff turnover
• increased loyalty and productivity

Health Canada recommends that women continue to breastfeed their children to two (2) years of age and beyond. The Ontario Human Rights Commission states that employers must provide a woman with enough time to breastfeed or express breast milk for her child.  By establishing the four pillars of breastfeeding support in your workplace – privacy, flexibility, education and support – you are assisting women to successfully meet their commitments to the workplace and their children.

Consultation is available from Project Health staff to assist with policy development that supports breastfeeding mothers in the workplace.  If you would like more information on this topic, please contact Mary Denomme R.N., Region of Waterloo Public Health Nurse, at 519-883-2257.

Resources
Breastfeeding Support in Waterloo Region is available for download at http://chd.region.waterloo.on.ca/en/childFamilyHealth/resources/BreastfeedingSupportWR.pdf

References
Ball T., Wright A. (1999). Health care costs of formula-feeding in the first year of life. Pediatrics, 103(4), 871-876.
Health Canada (2004). Exclusive Breastfeeding Duration: 2004 Health Canada Recommendation. (Available at www.hc-sc.gc.ca)
Ontario Human Rights Commission (2008). Policy on Discrimination Because of Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. (Available at www.ohrc.on.ca).

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