The world is progressing and so are women. From the health sector to the education sector, from leading teams to becoming entrepreneurs, women have crushed the patriarchal stereotypes and are touching the pinnacle of success. But, when it comes to motherhood, there are still some arrangements that are lacking in the high rise corporate buildings. It is no news that newly become mothers are joining the offices back after the maternity leave. Office policies have surely progressed in providing maternity leave, however, when it comes to supporting breastfeeding spaces at the workplace.
To understand how a breastfeeding-friendly environment can be created in the office, OnlyMyHealth team interacted with Kavita Singh, Lactation Consultant and Women's Health Physiotherapist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, New Delhi.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, mothers should breastfeed their infants at least for a year. It also says that the longer a baby is breastfed, the greater the protection from certain illness and long term-diseases. Breastfeeding has enormous benefits for the baby as well as the mother. It protects the baby from a lot of chronic diseases, builds immunity and helps mothers prevent breast cancer.
Singh helped us understand a set of strategies that can support breastfeeding for working moms. “As a lactating mother, you can talk to your employers to ensure that breastfeeding laws and guidelines are being followed,” Singh said.
Also read: Did You Know Breastfeeding Benefits Mothers As Much As Babies? Know From Doctor
For employers to be fully supportive of their breastfeeding employees, three things should be in place, as per Singh. A good place to start is, reviewing some sort of self-assessment that covers policy, time and space.
1. Policy or Set of Guidelines
“Policy or guidelines can include items such as guidance on communication or maintenance of the lactation space. Some work sites may have a policy allowing infants in the workplace. Information about lactation policies and infant at work policies should be discussed and informed prior to joining after maternity leaves,” Singh suggested. In addition to creating written guidelines for welcoming breastfeeding parents, staff and volunteers should receive guidance and why this is important and how to address potential customer concerns.
2. Guaranteed Break For Breastfeeding
“Allow lactation breaks after every 3-4 hours within an 8-hour shift for at least one year after childbirth. Lactation breaks are considered paid working time. No proof of breastfeeding is required. Staff are not expected to work for longer hours to make up for the time spent on breastfeeding,” said Singh. To make up for the time spent on milk, expression.
Also read: Breastfeeding Vs Bottle Feeding: Expert Lists The Differences And What's Better
3. Private Lactation Space
Generally, there is no private space in offices for mothers to feed their child. Singh suggested that offices can work on creating a private space for breastfeeding that is not a toilet or a bathroom stall. “It does not have to be a large space, but privacy is the key. Even a small room can be transformed into a designated lactation room, where an appropriate environment for breastfeeding is provided. It should be clean, with a comfortable chair with a backrest. A small table for placing items is needed during breast milk expression. A power socket for plugging in breast pumps,” Singh said while describing how the lactating room should be like.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding is a crucial stage for every infant and mother. Work life balance should not take away this important phase and hence, it is essential for the employers to support new moms working at their office. If an breastfeeding-friendly environment is created, women would be more comfortable and relaxed without having to stress about their child’s feeding time table and manage it with work pressure.