A majority of infants in the U.S. are not breastfed beyond three months of age (DHHS Breastfeeding, 2017). Mothers who are employed and plan to return to work after the birth of their children commonly report returning to work as a significant barrier to continued breastfeeding (Cross-Barnet et al., 2012; Dagher, McGovern, Schold, and Randall, 2016; DHHS Office of the Surgeon General, 2011). Approximately one-third of mothers return to work within three months in the United states and African Americans return to work on average 2 weeks earlier than mothers of all other racial and ethnic groups (Berger, Hill, and Waldfogel, 2005; Spencer and Grassley, 2013). Shorter breastfeeding duration is related to earlier maternal return to work (Ogbuanu et al., 2011).
Working mothers who breastfeed who receive employer support breastfeed longer than women who do not receive support (Bai and Wunderlich, 2013; Balken, Cadwell, and Fein, 2011; Cohen and Mrtek, 1994). In 1995 the Texas legislature created the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Program which recognizes employers in the state of Texas who develop and maintain breastfeeding policies that support employees who breastfeed. Since 1995 over 3000 employers have received the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Designation (Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite, 2018).
In addition to workplace support, federal and state laws have been passed that protect a mother’s right to breastfeed. The Affordable Care Act that was passed by Congress in 2010 requires employers of non-exempt workers to provide reasonable break time and a private space to pump milk that is not a bathroom (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). Most state legislatures have also passed laws protecting a woman’s right to breastfeed. In 2015 the Texas legislature passed a law requiring all public state employers to develop policies that protect their employees who breastfeed (Texas State Legislature, 2015).
While attention to workplace breastfeeding support has grown significantly in the last decade, few laws and policies exist that specifically protect mothers who are breastfeeding students. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that protects women from discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities (U.S. Department of Education, 2013). Title IX does not specifically name breastfeeding as being a protected activity, but breastfeeding is related to parenting and pregnancy that are named specifically in the law. At present, Title IX applicability to breastfeeding students has not been legally challenged.
In 2017 Texas Woman’s University (TWU) formed a lactation committee comprised of students, staff, and faculty members to evaluate and develop breastfeeding support on campus. The primary reason for the development of this committee was in response to several comments made to the Student Affairs Office from breastfeeding students who did not feel adequately supported on campus (A. O’Keefe, personal communication, March 9, 2017). The actions of this committee to date have resulted in a breastfeeding policy that brings the University into compliance with the 2015 Texas law, upgrades to lactation rooms and plans for lactation rooms in new buildings, improved processes for accessing the lactation rooms, a breastfeeding class that is offered at least once per semester on the Denton, Dallas, and Houston campuses of TWU, and a University webpage that communicates the University policy, support offered on campus, and local resources for breastfeeding students using gender inclusive language. TWU received Mother-Friendly Worksite designation for all three campuses in 2018.
The purpose of this presentation is to present the work of the committee in creating a community of breastfeeding support at TWU. The process and lessons learned regarding: 1. Engaging university stakeholders in designing a breastfeeding policy, 2. Working with university facilities management in creating lactation rooms, 3. Designing and implementing a breastfeeding class for all members of the university community, and 4. Designing and launching a university community inclusive webpage. Statistics on lactation room use and results of student and employee surveys will be presented. Current legislation regarding breastfeeding support will also be reviewed.