More than half of working mothers lack proper breaks and facilities to pump breast milk at work — even though it's required by federal law for large employers — according to the first national look at breast-feeding support in the workplace since the Affordable Care Act took effect.
The new study by the University of Minnesota surveyed more than 1,000 working mothers who gave birth in 2011 and 2012 and found that 60 percent lacked the required breaks or secluded spaces.
Given the well-documented health benefits for breast-fed babies, "it's a shame when the reason that women decide they can't is because it's too hard at work," said Katy Kozhimannil, the lead researcher. "That shouldn't be the case anymore."
Workplace support is important, she said, as women with adequate breaks and space for pumping breast milk were more than twice as likely to rely exclusively on breast-feeding their babies for six months. That is the minimum duration recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for the infant health benefits.
Emily Whebbe, a Twin Cities lactation consultant, said relaxation can help maximize milk production, but that isn't possible if women need to pump in a bathroom stall or hunker down in a cubicle and hope nobody peeks over the wall.
"A couple weeks after returning to work, it's wrecking their supply because they don't have the break time or don't want to ask their bosses to create space because it's embarrassing," she said. Many women quit as a result and feed formula to their babies, she said.
Federal requirements contained in the Affordable Care Act took effect in 2010, but apply only to businesses with 50 or more workers and to "nonexempt" employees — generally those who are not in management ranks.
Minnesota has had a comparable law since 1998, and it applies to all businesses and workers. The state's rules were toughened in 2014 to clarify that private space for pumping breast milk couldn't be in a bathroom and must be secluded and near an electrical outlet.
