Corporate Lactation Programs
Are you an employer looking to support breastfeeding employees in your workplace? Or perhaps you have a valuable employee beginning a maternity leave, and you want to make sure she comes back to work when it's over! If you want to help your employees manage their family life with small children, Healthy Babies, Happy Moms Inc. can help! We provide corporations with a wide variety of support for their breastfeeding employees that can be customized to meet the specific needs and budget of that organization. We are knowledgeable about Rhode Island's Nursing Working Mothers Law, and can help your company develop a corporate lactation program and policy to support your employees while protecting and benefiting your corporation.
We offer:
- Nursing Mother's Room Design, Set Up and Maintenance
- Classes on Breastfeeding in the Workplace
- Maternity Leave Breastfeeding Support
- Return to Work Consultations and Support
- Breast Pumps
- Breast Pump Rental
- Lending Libraries
- Breastfeeding Support Groups
- Gifts for Congratulating Employees on the Birth of their New Baby
We also provide a variety of newborn care classes for employees interested in learning about different childcare and wellness issues. Some topics are listed below.
- Surviving the Newborn Period
- How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night
- Introducing Solid Food to Your Baby
- Childhood Vaccinations
- Childcare Options
- Feeding a Healthy Family
- Infant Massage
When considering different options, keep in mind the significant benefits corporations reap when they support their breastfeeding employees. They develop a reputation as a family-friendly company and benefit from increased recruitment, retention, and morale. Corporations experience decreased maternal absenteeism and shorter maternity leaves as well as increased productivity. In addition, they have decreased health care insurance expenses and lower pharmacy costs, as their breastfeeding rates in the workplace are usually above the national average, keeping mothers and babies healthier. The bottom line for employers is that a company saves $1.50- $4.50 for each dollar it invests in a corporate lactation program. (Lisenbe, 1995) Let us know what we can do for your organization!
The Business Case for Breastfeeding
The Business Case for Breastfeeding is a long-awaited resource kit containing research, statistics, and templates for employers to help businesses understand the importance of supporting breastfeeding mothers in the workplace. This kit was developed by the Office of Women’s Health at the US Department of Health and Human Services. The Rhode Island Breastfeeding Coalition received a grant to provide this toolkit to Rhode Island employers. If you are an HR representative, employee or owner of a business that would like to receive this toolkit, please email Kathleen Moren, RN IBCLC, or call her at (401) 884-8273
Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Award
The Rhode Island Department of Health recognizes Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplaces based on the successful establishment of supportive policies, facilities and resources for breastfeeding employees and clients.
Employers may complete and return the Award Submission Questionnaire to be eligible for recognition at the Bronze, Silver or Gold level. Review of the questionnaire and a follow-up site visit by a Corporate Lactation Specialist will determine the level of award based on the number of demonstrated strategies.
The Completed questionnaire should be returned to:
Emily Eisenstein, MPH, CLC
State WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator
Rhode Island Department of Health
3 Capitol Hill, Room 302
Providence, RI 02908-5097
(401) 222-4605
(401) 222-1442 fax
Emily.Eisenstein@health.ri.gov
Workplaces identified as Breastfeeding-Friendly are posted on the Health Department web site. Newly recognized workplaces will be acknowledged through the media during World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) of the year that they are identified. The workplace with the highest level of accommodation each year will receive special recognition through the Department of Health and the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Previously recognized workplaces may reapply for a higher level of recognition in a subsequent year.