Breastfeeding

"I breastfeed to provide my baby with proper nutrients to promote health"

"Support from my family made my breastfeeding journey successful"

"Support from my coworkers made my breastfeeding journey successful"

Breastmilk is often called the perfect food for human babies, because it changes to meet the baby’s nutrition needs as they grow. It contains more than 200 nutrients and other healthy factors that babies need to grow, develop, and stay healthy.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guide to Strategies to Support Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies.. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/BF-Guide-508.PDF.
How to Keep Your Breast Pump Kit Clean. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hygiene/about/about-breast-pump-hygiene.html
Storage and Preparation of Breast Milk. Breast milk is considered food and should be handled with care. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/preparation-of-breast-milk_H.pdf
The Utah Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program provides nutrition and breastfeeding services, and supplemental foods to pregnant women, mothers, infants, and children up to their 5th birthday. WIC offers nutrition education, personalized breastfeeding support, and referrals to other public health programs that may help your family. https://wic.utah.gov/
WIC Breastfeeding Guide English https://wic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Breastfeeding-guide_9.2024.pdf
WIC Breastfeeding Guide Spanish https://wic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/WIC-Breastfeeding-Guide_Spanish.pdf
The Utah Breastfeeding Coalition is a group of health professionals, public health organizations, educators, policy makers, employers, and other community individuals and groups whose purpose is to collaboratively promote, protect, and support breastfeeding in Utah. https://www.utahbreastfeeding.org/
La Leche League is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization dedicated to providing education, information, support, and encouragement to parents who want to breastfeed.https://www.lllutah.org/
Utah Maternal Resource Guide. Find resources for free, low-cost services and information on a variety of topics such as childcare, healthcare, mental health, substance use, safety, legal assistance, and employment. https://mihp.utah.gov/maternal-resource-guide-utah
The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is a national coalition working to protect,
promote, and support breastfeeding. Find answers to common questions regarding breastfeeding at the United State Breastfeeding Committee

"I breastfeed to provide my baby with proper nutrients to promote health"

Breastfeeding provides amazing benefits for both moms and babies. It strengthens their immune systems and helps protect against future health conditions, too. Expand the boxes below to learn more.

Studies on breastmilk show us that it has more than 200 factors that are critical for the baby’s growth and development. Breastmilk has carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that help your baby grow. It also has vitamins, minerals, hormones, antibodies, enzymes, stem cells, probiotics, and prebiotics that help your baby develop and stay healthy.

Breastmilk is dynamic, which means it changes to meet your baby’s specific nutrition needs. For example, the colostrum your body makes right after giving birth has more protein and antibodies to protect your baby from getting sick. In comparison, mature milk that’s made around 2 weeks postpartum is higher in carbohydrates and fat to help your baby grow. Mature milk can even change during a feeding. The milk at the beginning of a feeding is called foremilk and has more liquid, carbohydrates, and antibodies. The milk at the end of a feeding is called hindmilk and has more fat and calories to help your baby gain weight and feel full.

Your baby’s immune system is still developing after birth, and relies on protection from the antibodies they get from you during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Any amount of breastfeeding gives your baby antibodies and boosts their immune system. Antibodies not only help your baby from getting sick, but they also have long-term effects like lowering the risk of allergies.

You also pass helpful hormones to your baby while breastfeeding. These hormones help your baby grow, regulate their appetite, create sleep routines, and help to develop their digestive system.

Expand the boxes below to learn more

Breastfeeding has long-term benefits for both moms and babies. Did you know it:

Helps your baby’s brain develop.
Boosts your baby’s immune system. Your baby may not get sick as often.
Lowers your baby’s risk of asthma, allergies, respiratory and ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Lowers your baby’s risk for serious health conditions later in life, like type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
Lowers your risk of postpartum depression and anxiety, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and many other health conditions.
Lowers your baby’s risk of being overweight later in life.
Helps you burn more calories when you breastfeed your baby.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you feed your baby only breastmilk for the first 6 months of their life. You can introduce recommended baby foods around 6 months old and keep breastfeeding as long as you and your baby would like. Medical experts agree there are more health benefits for both you and your baby the longer you breastfeed—and recommend you breastfeed for 2 years or longer

“Support from my family makes my breastfeeding journey successful.“

Breastfeeding benefits the whole family. Moms are more likely to meet their breastfeeding goals when they have support from their loved ones. Support can start during pregnancy. Provide breastfeeding information early to help families know what to expect and make a breastfeeding plan. Expand the boxes below to learn more.

Tips for Spouse, partners and families

Provide emotional support. Be encouraging while listening and offering sympathy for any frustrations. Let them know that you believe in their ability to breastfeed.
Offer physical help. You can grab a pillow to adjust the baby’s position, or get snacks and water during feedings.
Help with other tasks around the house. These can include cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, or bathing the baby.
Educate yourself about the benefits of breastfeeding. This can help you offer support, sympathy, and encouragement.

Benefits for the family

Breastfeeding saves money. The long-term health benefits decrease healthcare costs for both moms and babies. Breastfeeding also saves money because you don’t need to spend money on formula or baby bottles.

We understand that there are many factors that influence the choice to breastfeed, and that this choice is deeply personal.

Keep in mind that everyone’s breastfeeding experiences are different. Some people may find breastfeeding easy right away, while it may take more time to figure out for others. Some people may naturally feel comfortable talking about it, while others do not. Your attitudes and support can directly influence your partner’s experiences. Be encouraging, talk about what you’ve learned about breastfeeding, and tell them how you plan to support them. This may help them feel more comfortable, ready, or even excited to breastfeed.

The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) released an Implicit Bias Resource Guide that lists 7 steps we can all take to minimize implicit bias.

Acknowledge your bias
Challenge your current negative bias
Be empathetic
See differences
Be an ally
Recognize that challenging your bias can be stressful or painful
Engage in dialogue

"Support from my coworkers makes my breastfeeding journey successful"

When you think of the best places to work, which companies do you think about? What do they have in common? They take care of their employees. More than half of Utah women return to full-time or part-time work outside the home after birthing. These women face multiple challenges when trying to continue breastfeeding. Expand the boxes below to learn more.

Benefits for the workplace

Supporting breastfeeding moms in the workplace has been shown to be beneficial not only for mom and baby, but also for employers. Here are a few ways that supporting your employees in their breastfeeding goals can benefit your company:

Reduced absenteeism: When a mom can meet her goals to provide breastmilk for her child, that means that she is able to provide antibodies to protect her child and her child will be less likely to get sick and she will be less likely to be absent from work in order to care for her child.

Employee retention: Providing lactation accommodations demonstrably improves mothers' return-to-work rates, resulting in significant savings for companies by reducing the expenses associated with hiring and training new employees.

Improved employee satisfaction: A study conducted in California found that 83% of employees (male and female) felt more satisfied with their company after a lactation support program was implemented. Employees who feel supported and that their company cares feel more loyalty to the company they work for and are more productive in their work.

Federal Law

March of 2010, Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 207) was changed to include two minimum expectations for lactation accommodation within worksites. This change to federal law required employers to provide 2 things to mothers.

Provide reasonable break time(s) for mothers (that are employees) for one year after childbirth.
Provide a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.

Utah Laws

2018 UT Code 13-7A-103

This code allows for mothers to breastfeed their children in all public places.

2016 UT Code 34A-5-106

An employer may not refuse to hire, promote, discharge, demote, or terminate a person, or to retaliate against, harass, or discriminate in matters of compensation or in terms, privileges, and conditions of employment against a person otherwise qualified, because of: Pregnancy, childbirth, or pregnancy-related conditions (including breastfeeding or expressing breast milk). Additionally, an employer may not refuse to provide reasonable accommodations for an employee related to pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related conditions if the employee requests a reasonable accommodation, and unless the employer demonstrates that the accommodation would create an undue hardship on the operations of the employer.

2015 UT Code 34-49-101

States that a public employer (County/Municipality/State Offices, school districts, etc.) must provide the following accommodations for public employees:

reasonable breaks for each time the employee needs to breastfeed or express milk and if possible this break time will follow their regular break schedule
a private room in close proximity to the employee's work area (shielded from view, free from intrusion, available at the times & duration needed, with an electrical outlet)
access to a refrigerator or freezer for the temporary storage of an employee's breast milk or provide a nonelectric insulated container for storage of the public employee's breast milk
written policies that support breastfeeding and identify how the employer will comply with the law

Have a written policy. A written policy is an important guideline that creates clarity on lactation accommodations for the employee and employer. The policy should include details about adequate breaks, using an employee shared space, options for storing expressed milk, and considerations for supervisors. It should also include locations of rooms, how to gain access such as a key, who to report issues to, etc.
Identify a space that is not a bathroom. Expressed milk is considered food so cleanliness is vital. There are multiple creative options to provide a lactation space. For example, using an existing office space, converting a closet/storage area, or converting an exam/patient room. Make sure the space has an electrical outlet and has the ability to include a chair and supplies.
Create a welcoming and comfortable space. This might include a small refrigerator to store milk, soft lighting, a full length mirror to adjust clothing after pumping, lockers or hooks to store personal belongings, and information about lactation support services. Solutions can be really inexpensive.
Location is important. Consider a place that is less than a 5-minute walk from the employee’s working location. In large buildings or campuses, consider providing multiple locations. By reducing travel time, the duration of the break will also be reduced. A company that has multiple locations should consider lactation accommodations for each building.
Privacy considerations. It is highly recommended that the space have a lock or latch to prevent intrusions. However, if the door cannot lock, consider having door knob hangers, blinds/curtains, or signs to show the space is in use. If multiple employees need to express their breast milk, consider having a schedule to sign up to use the room. This will allow each employee to know when the room is available and will avoid double bookings.
Talk with your employees about their needs to express milk. On average women pump every two to three hours, approximately three times in a workday. Determine whether milk expression breaks will be paid or unpaid, if you will require scheduled breaks, and what should be done if extra time is needed. Decide who will cover for the employee, if needed, during breaks.
Consider supplying breastfeeding equipment. Having equipment available will show your support to parents and increase the likelihood of continued breastfeeding. Some health insurance plans will provide pumping equipment for rent to employees.