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Supporting Breastfeeding Employees — What Supervisors Can Do

1. Understand the importance of sufficient maternity leave for new mothers to establish breastfeeding. It takes 6 to 8 weeks for baby and mother to establish a good milk supply. Support fathers’ participation in the birth and lactation process by supporting leaves and flexible schedules for fathers.
   
2. If possible, allow nursing mothers to return to work gradually or on a flexible schedule so they experience less disruption to the breastfeeding process.
   
3. Allow for time during the workday for breastfeeding and pumping. Unless there are environmental health and safety hazards, allow infants to be brought to the workplace to breastfeed and mothers to leave the workplace to breastfeed their babies. If possible, provide flexible break time, as needed. Support the development of special work situations such as job sharing, part-time work; work at home, flexible hours and children in the workplace, if appropriate.
   
4. Consider setting up a lactation space in your unit. Click here for suggestions.
   
5. Be proactive in educating other employees about special arrangements for breastfeeding co-workers, to avoid possible misunderstandings.

Adapted from motherwear.com. Permission has been granted.