World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is an annual campaign to raise awareness about breastfeeding. This year’s theme focuses on how breastfeeding contributes to the survival, health and well-being of all, and the imperative to protect breastfeeding worldwide.
New York State has laws that protect mother's rights to breastfeed. Under a 2007 law, an employer cannot discriminate against a mother for choosing to breastfeed their baby or for pumping milk at work. The law guarantees:
- The right to pump milk at work for three years after giving birth.
- The right to use paid break or meal times, or reasonable unpaid break times, to pump milk.
- Employers must attempt to accommodate an employees' request for a private place to pump milk.
- For more information, see the NYS Department of Health website: https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/wic/breastfeeding/back_to_work_moms.htm
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federal assistance program of the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture for healthcare and nutrition of low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children under the age of five. Whether a WIC participating mom is learning about breastfeeding, starting to breastfeed, overcoming challenges, or thriving, WIC provides research-based information, scientific resources and non-judgmental support to help moms meet their individual breastfeeding goals. To learn more about the Tompkins County WIC program, see the website.
The breastfeeding team at Cayuga Medical Center currently has 6 Certified Lactation Counselors (CLC) and 3 International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC). They help protect breastfeeding by providing bedside support to new families, assisting with lactation initiation, and developing plans and goals for common challenges in the early days of feeding a new baby.
According to the CDC, even mothers who want to breastfeed have a hard time without hospital support; about 1 mother in 3 stops early without this support.
“We hope that families will feel well-prepared for their lactation journey when they are discharged from CMC, and we want them to feel proud of their success,” said Summer Killian, RN, IBCLC. Killian works at the Birthplace at Cayuga Medical Center. She also volunteers her time to counsel at WIC's weekly breastfeeding support group.
“The Tompkins County Chamber encourages all employers to ensure they are not only in compliance with NYS requirements around breastfeeding supports for working families, but to embrace these policies as a positive workplace benefit or offering,” stated Jennifer Tavares, President of the Tompkins Chamber of Commerce. “While any new projects must include an adequate space for parents to pump breastmilk, examining existing spaces through this lens is a great exercise, to understand how you might accommodate breastfeeding should an existing or future team member need this resource.”
Michelle Hall, Director of Tompkins County WIC stated, “We want to support breastfeeding parents every step of the way. Our breastfeeding peer counselor program is offered to all pregnant and breastfeeding WIC participants. Our community does a great job promoting and supporting breastfeeding, but we know that not all mothers have an appropriate space to use for pumping milk at work. We hear from participants about their challenges to have a safe, private space at work. We encourage employers to review the law and best practices for breastfeeding and pumping at work during this World Breastfeeding Week.”
For more information, events, and resources:
- The Big Latch On, Friday, August 6, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., register here for a virtual link: https://biglatchon.org/apps/location-detail/?location_id=4062
- NYS Breastfeeding Mothers’ Bill of Rights: Breastfeeding Mothers' Bill of Rights - Publication 2028 (ny.gov)
- NYS Your Right As A Nursing Mother to Pump Breastmilk at Work: fact-sheet-your-right-as-a-nursing-mother-to-pump-breast-milk-at-work-p708.pdf (ny.gov)
- Making It Work Toolkit: Making It Work Toolkit (breastfeedingpartners.org)
- World Breastfeeding Week: WBW website
- If employers have questions about complying with this law, refer to the NYS Department of Health website: https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/wic/breastfeeding/back_to_work_moms.htm
