Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) companies with more than 50 employees who haven’t already done so now need to accommodate the needs of the nursing mothers among their staff. We spoke with Gina Ciagne, a Certified Lactation Counselor and Director of Breastfeeding and Consumer Relations for Lansinoh Laboratories. She wants to help you understand the reasons behind Section 4207 of the new law.
Breastfeeding is an important bonding and nutritional experience shared between a new mother and her infant. But it is much more than that, says Ciagne. The benefits of breastfeeding extend to the entire population.
“A study recently came out in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics showing that if 90 percent of moms exclusively breastfed for 6 months, 911 American babies could be saved a year. Not only that, but we could save $13 billion year in healthcare costs,” she says.
Remember, babies turn into toddlers, toddlers turn into kids, kids turn into teens, and teens turn into adults. Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity and overweight [health problems], hospitalizations for respiratory infections, ear infections, high blood pressure, heart disease, and more. It certainly starts with that baby and that mom, but it actually benefits all of us. It’s the best preventative medicine you can have.”
Section 4207 of the PPACA says that employers must allow nursing moms reasonable time and a reasonable location to express breast milk. As to location, Ciagne recommends that you take nursing moms out of the closet.
“Let’s say you have a small office that isn’t being used, or even a supply closet,” she says. “Make it not a closet! Don’t put the moms in there with boxes and mops falling on them. But it doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be a basic room, preferably with an electrical outlet, a chair, and a table. It should have a door that can lock, and no window or at least covered windows. If you want to make it a little bit better, put a mini-fridge in there. You can go deluxe and put in a sink so mom can clean her pump. But you don’t have to do all those things; you just have to provide space and time.”
Some companies establish a room for breastfeeding that, when it is not in use by a nursing mom, is used for other purposes. “Ours is a lounge,” Ciagne says. “We have a schedule and when that mom needs it, she gets precedence. But if somebody needs to lie down, they can.”
“Remember,” says Ciagne, “studies are showing that you have increased loyalty and decreased absenteeism from this simple act of putting aside a room for nursing moms.”