Workplace Lactation Programs

Employers play a critical role in mothers' success with breastfeeding when these women work full-time. Employers need information on the benefits breastfeeding can provide for working mothers and businesses. This article discusses current legislation and policies supporting mothers' ability to breastfeed in the workplace, the benefits of breastfeeding to the employer, mother, and child, and the need for employers to understand the benefits of breastfeeding. Finally, the role of occupational health nurses in facilitating the success of breastfeeding mothers through the development and implementation of a lactation program is explicated.