Pinky McKay
World Breastfeeding Week, an annual global campaign, is set to take place from August 1 to 7, 2023. This year’s theme, “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a Difference for Working Parents,” highlights the importance of supporting breastfeeding mothers and creating conducive environments for breastfeeding in the workplace.
To celebrate the week, lactation consultant and baby care author Pinky McKay, one of Australia’s most recognised breastfeeding experts, is offering a FREE webinar for breastfeeding mums, ‘Balancing Act: Juggling Breastfeeding and Returning to Work.’
In the webinar, McKay will discuss the practicalities and options for mothers to continue breastfeeding as they return to work, she has supported many women to combine working and breastfeeding in environments as diverse as prison (social worker), school (teachers), hospitals (Drs and nurses) corporate offices and private businesses.
Pinky says, “although the juggle can be difficult for many women, there is always a way around managing a balance that can work for an individual woman to continue breastfeeding as she transitions back to work, as well as ways to negotiate with employers to provide support.
Some women are able to transition gradually to the workplace or work a hybrid model of working from home with some on-site days. For others, it’s straight into full-time on-site work. There can be carer issues too, from dealing with a carer who is likely to give your baby a full bottle right before you arrive home a few minutes late with busting breasts; teaching carers how to safely handle your precious liquid gold; and tricks for handling colleagues who may find it challenging to have human milk in the work fridge – ‘moo’ comments are harassment!”
Breastfeeding matters
Breastfeeding is widely acknowledged as the optimal way to nourish infants, providing them with essential nutrients and boosting their immune systems. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life, followed by continued breastfeeding alongside complementary foods for up to two years or beyond.
Despite the well-documented benefits of breastfeeding, many working parents face significant challenges in maintaining breastfeeding practices while balancing work responsibilities. Recognising this, World Breastfeeding Week 2023 aims to shed light on the crucial role employers, policymakers, and society can play in enabling breastfeeding for working parents.
Important facts regarding breastfeeding and its impact on working parents:
Health Benefits: Breastfeeding offers numerous health benefits for both infants and mothers. It helps prevent malnutrition, reduces the risk of various diseases and infections, promotes healthy growth and development, and fosters a strong emotional bond between mother and child.
Workplace Support: Employers have a vital role to play in supporting breastfeeding mothers. Providing appropriate facilities such as clean and private lactation rooms – this can simply be a private room with an electric outlet to charge a breast pump, a small fridge and a comfortable chair with a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door, flexible work hours or breaks for breastfeeding or expressing milk, and access to breastfeeding support resources can significantly contribute to a positive breastfeeding experience for working parents.
Economic Advantages: Enabling breastfeeding in the workplace not only benefits the health and well-being of employees but also has economic advantages for businesses. Breastfeeding-friendly workplaces experience lower healthcare costs, reduced employee absenteeism (because breastfeeding protects babies’ immunity, women don’t need as much leave to care for unwell babies), higher employee retention rates, and improved productivity.
World Breastfeeding Week 2023 encourages employers, policymakers, and society to take action to enable breastfeeding for working parents. By implementing supportive policies, creating breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, and raising awareness about the importance of breastfeeding, we can make a significant difference in the lives of working parents and their children.
About World Breastfeeding Week
World Breastfeeding Week is a global campaign celebrated annually from August 1 to 7 to raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding and promote supportive environments for breastfeeding mothers. The campaign is led by various organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), along with national governments, non-governmental organizations, and communities worldwide.
