Lactation and the working woman: Understanding the role of organizational factors, lactation support, and legal policy in promoting breastfeeding success
Book Chapter
Bruk-Lee, V, Albert, D, Stone, KL. (2016). Lactation and the working woman: Understanding the role of organizational factors, lactation support, and legal policy in promoting breastfeeding success
. 217-239. 10.1007/978-3-319-41121-7_11
Bruk-Lee, V, Albert, D, Stone, KL. (2016). Lactation and the working woman: Understanding the role of organizational factors, lactation support, and legal policy in promoting breastfeeding success
. 217-239. 10.1007/978-3-319-41121-7_11
This chapter explores the organizational factors shown to impact a woman’s ability to successfully combine breastfeeding and work. As such, we explore the role of support for breastfeeding at work, flexible work arrangements, organizational policies, and other work characteristics on women’s work attitudes and well-being, as well as on, breastfeeding initiation and/or duration. The chapter discusses interventions to overcome organizational barriers, with a focus on employer education efforts and workplace lactation programs, both of which promote breastfeeding continuation upon return to work while resulting in numerous corporate benefits. Last, we conclude with a timely overview and interpretation of the complex legal landscape surrounding this critical topic in the United States, including a discussion of recent changes in legislation intended to afford the lactating working mother additional protection in the American workplace.
