A recent article on ABC News wrote about how difficult it is for a woman to go back to work and still maintain breastfeeding. According to the American Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, breastfeeding initiation is about 70% in the United States. Unfortunately by the time a baby is 6 months old, the breastfeeding rate is about 36%. Most women will tell us that the reason for the drop in the breastfeeding rate is because many women are going back to work during that 6 month period. This economy has forced women back into the work force even when their babies are still infants.
The NY Times reported in 2009 that the workforce is 49% female. With many mothers out of the home, it places them in a situation that makes them choose either their children or their job. Although the law does protect women who are in a company of 50 or more employees to take “reasonable break time” to pump, I have been told by most of my patients that leaving their responsibilities at their desk is next to impossible. Women have reported that the area delegated for pumping breast milk is either too far away from their desks. Others report that their company only placed one pump-room in their main office while the other satellite offices do not have a designated room for women to pump. This lack of compliance is discrimination. Even the people who smoke have an area they can go to, but a breastfeeding mother either has to challenge her employer or risk losing her job.
IBCLC (Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants) and other breastfeeding advocates have fought long and hard to educate the government on the benefits of breastfeeding and sometime we win the battle but lose the war. What do you think the next step is to assist mothers in their breastfeeding goals while working? Can you tell us about your breastfeeding experience at work?
