Early Childcare Education Providers and Breastfeeding

According to the U.S. CDC, breastmilk is the best food for growth and development of infants. More than half of women with infants work.1 Many women stop breastfeeding when they return to work. Having a child care provider that welcomes breastfed babies and supports nursing mothers is important for women who want to continue to nurse their baby after returning to work.

What can childcare providers do to support breastfed babies?

  • Train all staff in breastfeeding basics (handling and storage of milk, feeding a breastfed baby)
  • Inform families you accept breastfed babies
  • Have adequate refrigerator space to store breastmilk
  • Provide a private and clean space other than a bathroom for nursing mothers to breastfeed their baby
  • Create a breastfeeding policy that says all breastfed babies are welcome
  • Implement a worksite breastfeeding policy

Resources

[1]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Strategies to Prevent Obesity and other Chronic Diseases: The CDC Guide to Strategies to Support Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2013, pages 3, 23. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/BF-Guide-508.PDF Accessed 12.11.15