When Newport did an assessment on how well its community was encouraging breastfeeding, it discovered an ironic discrepancy: Newport Hospital holds the prestigious Baby Friendly designation for providing extensive support and education around breastfeeding initiation and continuation, but once new mothers returned to work they encountered significant challenge from worksites that did not support breastfeeding. Federal law requires accommodations for breastfeeding, and Rhode Island state law is even stronger; still, many worksites were unaware of how easy it is to comply with legal obligations.
Newport Hospital has long promoted breastfeeding with clients in its Birthing Center and breastfeeding support group, but had not directly addressed worksite accommodations. A grant from a local benefactor, Van Beuren Charitable Trust, funded a lactation consultant nurse to promote and support breastfeeding for the first six months of life. With this additional resource, the hospital could then provide more direct support for working mothers who were breastfeeding.
Direct advocacy for worksite breastfeeding occurred through a partnership between the lactation consultant from the hospital, the Rhode Island Breastfeeding Coalition and a private company Healthy Mothers, Happy Babies. This team eschewed a heavy-handed approach in favor of encouraging dialogue with businesses regarding the law, and distributing an educational pamphlet titled “The Business Case for Breastfeeding.”
The human resources director of the Newport Wal-Mart was interested in this work, not only to encourage good health and prevent obesity, but also to make sure the company was complying with state and federal law. The group did a presentation for her, and eventually every Wal-Mart in Rhode Island was brought on board. This was a significant inroad, as Wal-Mart is one of the biggest employers in the state. In addition, the typical population of Wal-Mart employees may not otherwise have a high level of support for breastfeeding: In general, they don’t have the level of education or family support as women in higher-income fields, and they may not realize they have workplace breastfeeding rights.
The hospital’s breastfeeding support group for mothers who had given birth in the hospital has taken on an additional component: educating mothers and their employers about the law. The group has long encouraged self-advocacy, and now new moms know that the hospital, their pediatrician and the state will support them should they need to request breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace.
Other communities wanting to encourage breastfeeding and educate people about applicable labor laws are urged to partner with their local hospital. Hospitals “have so much influence over new moms” and tapping into this influence is a way to build momentum around breastfeeding in the community.