Celebrating breastfeeding in the workplace

Celebrating breastfeeding in the workplace

World Breastfeeding Week takes place every year in the first week of August. This year’s theme is “Breastfeeding and work – let’s make it work!” The campaign aims to empower and support working mothers to combine work with child-rearing, particularly with continued breastfeeding. World Breastfeeding Week organisers have defined ‘work’ as paid employment, self-employment, seasonal and contract work, including unpaid home and care work.

Mel Arnold was able to return to work part time at Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service when her baby was six months old. The transition back to work was made much easier by the support her workplace offered, including allowing her to have flexible break times and access to a private area, so she could express breast milk. “It was reassuring to know that I could return to work and not have to stop breastfeeding my daughter,” says Mel.

There are many things you can do to support breastfeeding in your workplace and wider community. Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week in your workplace by promoting positive messages around breastfeeding. Visit www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org for resources, messages and other ideas on how to support mothers to continue breastfeeding while at work.

You can also support breastfeeding by helping your workplace and others to become a Breastfeeding Friendly accredited space with support from Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service. A health improvement advisor works alongside the workplace to put in place a breastfeeding friendly policy, signage, and staff training. When this has been completed, the workplace achieves Breastfeeding Friendly accreditation from Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service. This Breastfeeding Friendly initiative is free for workplaces across the Bay of Plenty District Health Board (DHB) and Lakes DHB areas.

For more information visit www.ttophs.govt.nz/breastfeeding_friendly or call Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service on 0800 221 555.

ENDS

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