Federal breastfeeding workplace law and university lactation support programs: Translating policy to action

Mothers are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. labor force. Approximately 70% of employed mothers with children younger than 3 years work full time. Working outside the home is significantly associated with lower rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration. According to the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, and the American Academy of Pediatrics the benefits of breastfeeding are numerous for both mother and baby. Medical, public health and child development experts concur that human milk provides a range of benefits for infants' immunity and development. Section 4207 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and was signed into law March 23, 2010. The amendment protects a women's right to breastfeed by requiring employers to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom place for nursing mothers to express breast milk during the workday, for one year after the child's birth. This research investigates the translation of policy to practice to identify key indicators for lactation support in the workplace. Large state university lactation support programs across the US are used as case studies to identify how large employers are working to meet the new law. By the end of the session participants will be able to identify the practices of successful programs and policies to support women's right to breastfeed and conceptualize how large university employers work to implement federal laws.