An initiative two years in the making from the State Chamber and the Oklahoma State Health Department to recognize worksites that support a woman's right to breastfeed officially was launched Thursday during an Oklahoma State Board of Health meeting.
The Oklahoma Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite Initiative, crafted with input from several Health Department services and two other agencies, is a statewide effort to encourage employers to support breastfeeding workers and to enlighten workplaces on Oklahoma legislation on the issue.
House Bill 2102, passed in 2004, says mothers have the right to breastfeed anywhere they have a right to be, and that they are excused from jury duty on request. House Bill 2358 addresses a woman's right to breastfeed or express milk during unpaid breaks and meal times during the work day, with a private area other than a toilet stall provided for that purpose.
But the bill only urges employers to provide that environment — it doesn't mandate that they actually do.
"This is an issue all over the country,” not just Oklahoma, said Becky Mannel, a board-certified lactation consultant and coordinator for the lactation center at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. "This recognition initiative is supposed to help raise awareness about the legislation.
"This is the ‘let's educate and see if people will change'” approach, she said.
While targeting employers is the focus, the initiative was also created to inform working women about the physical and emotional benefits of breastfeeding, as well as what the law allows, said Nancy Bacon, a nutrition consultant with the Health Department's Maternal and Child Health Service.
Outdated attitudes and unsupportive environments "are a major barrier to women coming back to work,” Bacon said.
Worksites, both profit and nonprofit, that meet set criteria will be recognized with certificates and decals that can be posted onsite. They will be publicly acknowledged by the Health Department.
Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite criteria include:
•Flexible break times for expression of milk.
•Comfortable locations with privacy — other than a toilet stall — for pumping.
•Access to clean water and sink for washing hands and pumping equipment.
•Written policy supporting breastfeeding that includes the above minimum requirements and a description of how all staff is informed of the policy.
Additional options include:
•Access to a refrigerator for safe milk storage.
•Prenatal breastfeeding education; education for all employees on breastfeeding benefits and company services supporting breastfeeding women. Also counseling by a lactation consultant as needed.
•Hospital-grade breastpump available for employee use.
Breastfeeding is the normal method of nurturing infants, the Health Department maintains; echoing the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation mothers breastfeed for at least one year to achieve optimal maternal and child health.
Breastfeeding has been shown to protect infants from infections and chronic illnesses and reduce the risk of certain cancers and other medical conditions for mothers. Breastfeeding also helps families save money on food and is good for the environment as it saves energy and creates less waste.
But employers see benefits, too.
A breastfeeding-friendly workplace is an enticing recruitment tool, for starters. It reduces turnover and sick time and enhances job productivity and employee satisfaction, the Health Department says.
Almost 70 percent of employed mothers nationwide with children younger than 3 work full time, the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee says. And according to the Oklahoma Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, one-third of Oklahoma women who choose not to breastfeed cite returning to work or school as the reason.
One goal of the initiative is to raise the state's breastfeeding initiation rate from just under 67 to 75 percent, a national goal set by the U.S. Healthy People 2010. "We've got a ways to go,” Bacon said.
Mannel said Oklahoma ranks 45th out of the 50 states for breastfeeding duration, or for how long babies continue to be breastfed after they are born. Mothers unsure about the laws, and fearful of discussing the situation with work supervisors, often choose not to breastfeed just to avoid the conflict.
Employees who have questions about breastfeeding or who may need breastfeeding support may contact the Maternal and Child Health Service at 271-4480 or the Women, Infants and Children Service at 271-4676.
