Help Working Families Stay Healthy: Support Breastfeeding Mothers
Tell Your Congressperson to Co-Sponsor H.R. 2236
Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2007
Only a few states have working mother laws to address the needs of the breastfeeding mother in the workplace. Florida does not have workplace protection laws to protect breastfeeding working mothers in the workplace. If more people encourage their congressperson to support the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2007, there would be little need for individual states to have workplace laws for breastfeeding working mothers. Please contact your congressperson or go to the site above and sign the email to support the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2007.
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MomsRising is working to bring together millions of people who share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America. Started in May of 2006, MomsRising has gained over 140,000 citizen members and is rapidly growing. More than 85 national and state organizations have signed on to be aligned with MomsRising.
Their members are bringing important motherhood and family issues to the forefront of the country's awareness. We are working to create both cultural and legislative change. It is time to break the logjam that has been holding back family-friendly legislation for decades and to advance workplace policies that will support families. MomsRising offers easy entry into citizen advocacy and is bringing the power of online organizing to motherhood and family issues.
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Helpful Working Mother Web Sites
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A Business Case
for Breastfeeding
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau, has released its comprehensive resource kit to support working mothers.
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Companies that provide time and space for women to express their milk when they are in the workplace and apart from their babies have been proven to enjoy significant cost savings, including:
Lower Rates of Absenteeism
When babies are sick less often, parents require fewer days of sick leave to care for them. One-day absences occur more than twice as often for mothers of formula fed infants (Cohen 1995).
Lower Health Care Costs
When babies are healthier, workplaces save on health care costs and medical claims. One study of employees found that for every 1,000 babies not breastfed, there were 2,033 excess physician visits, 212 excess hospitalization days, and 609 excess prescriptions for three illness alone --ear infections and respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses--(Ball 1999). Another study showed that among employees' infants who were never sick, 86 percent were breastfed (Cohen 1994).
Better Retention of Employees
Businesses that provide employee lactation support programs can enjoy a reduction in their turnover rates of women who do not return to work after maternity leave. One company estimated a savings of $75,000 per employee who returned to work after childbirth (EEO Trust 2001).
Higher Productivity and Company Loyalty
Companies that provide a supportive environment for breastfeeding employees may find that employees are more productive and committed to the organization (Galtry 1997).
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