We’ve shared news about workplace lactation support initiatives here, here, and here, and now it looks like we may be able to add another link to the list!

The Alabama Breastfeeding Committee, the Alabama Department of Health, Birmingham Healthy Start, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health of Maternal and Child Health recently announced a statewide initiative to increase the number of businesses who provide lactation support to breastfeeding employees.

Birmingham was selected as one of ten pilot locations to implement the project by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which aims to encourage women to breastfeed their babies for longer durations after returning to work. When businesses accommodate basic family needs, such as lactation support for working mothers, the outcome is positive for everyone with cost-savings for companies and healthier starts for breastfed babies.

“Mothers are breastfeeding in record numbers today. Here in Alabama more than 64 percent of mothers choose to give their babies the healthiest start in life through breastfeeding,” Dr. Lewis Doggett, President of the Alabama Breastfeeding Committee, told Medical News Today.

Doggett says there are four things that make a difference for working moms:

• Flexible time to express, which would include three 10-15 minutes periods
• Education for employees about combining breastfeeding and work
• A designated space to express milk in private
• Support from managers and co-workers

Benefits for workplace support include:

• Lower health care costs since breastfed babies have a healthier start
• Lower absenteeism rates due to healthier babies
• Lower turnover costs since employees are more likely to return to work when lactation support is provided

As part of the national initiative, HHS has provided a comprehensive resource kit entitled The Business Case for Breastfeeding, which includes information, tools, and step-by-step instructions for implementing workplace lactation support programs. Businesses throughout the state will be encouraged to consider the suggested simple support options.

Kendall Cox wrote about the STEP Up initiative here and talked about The Business Case for Breastfeeding resource kit. In her post, Kendall writes how Alabama businesses can look forward to a return of four to one on the dollar upon successful implementation of lactation support programs. Currently, about 26 percent of U.S. companies provide lactation support programs, which enable babies to thrive on their mother’s milk for longer, giving them an edge in the fight against infectious disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

For more information on the program, visit the Alabama Breastfeeding Committee website or call (205) 975-2924. A raining event for community leaders is scheduled for July 30 and 31. The Business Case for Breastfeeding is part of a nationwide emphasis of the HHS Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.