Benefits of Supporting Breastfeeding in the Workplace

Supporting breastfeeding employees results in a win-win for all. The mother and child are not the only winners in this equation. By extension, the family benefits. However, in the grand scheme of things, from a company perspective, businesses have a lot to gain as well.

There tends to be:

• Reduced absence of a new-born mother due to child sickness (it is reported that breastfed babies are generally healthier and do not get sick often)
• An increase in staff morale and loyalty as well as a high rate of new-born employees returning to work

Additionally, supported breastfeeding employees tend to report sustained productivity within the parameters of the support offered by their employers.

Though benefits are easily stated, it should not be lost that some companies face actual and perceived barriers to breastfeeding support. These barriers include:

• Physical space – some companies lack the bandwidth to add safe spaces for mothers to either express and store milk or actually breastfeed their babies
• Cost and loss of productivity – some believe that a loss in worktime reduces overall productivity