The new policy was drafted after the Office of Personnel Management issued their Guide for Establishing a Federal Nursing Mother's Program in response to an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act initiated by the Affordable Care Act in March 2010.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 70 percent of mothers with children under three years of age are working full-time. The amendment grants nursing mothers a flexible schedule and a reasonable amount of time to express milk for up to 12 months after their children's birth, and a private space, other than the restroom, in which to do it.
ATEC headquarters already has a lactation room in place, but chose to issue its Nursing Mother's Policy to outline the workplace accommodations being provided for their nursing mothers returning to work after maternity leave.
"Not having a calm, clean place to pump really hinders milk productivity and made it harder to get a good milk supply," said Natalie Dennison, a recruit analyst at ATEC. "In the past, my only options for places where I could pump milk were either the bathroom stalls or the supply closets."
The CDC recommends that mothers breastfeed for at least the first six months after giving birth in order for their babies to reap the immediate and long-term benefits of breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that a significant benefit of breastfeeding is it minimizes a baby's chance of contracting certain short-term and chronic illnesses as well as reducing the severity of these illnesses.
Breastfeeding benefits mothers as well, as it reduces a woman's risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer. In addition, nursing mothers tend to return to their pre-pregnancy weights faster and have less postpartum bleeding.
The OPM guide encourages agencies to support the Nursing Mother's Program to the fullest extent possible and noted when agencies permitted nursing mothers to express their breast milk while at work, it lessened their time away from work and their need to take leave without pay.
According to ATEC's policy, nursing mothers are responsible for notifying their chain of command of their need and intent to utilize the workplace accommodation and to work cooperatively with their supervisors to schedule convenient breaks to minimize conflicts with mission accomplishment.
ATEC's designated lactation room offers nursing moms two separate and private lactation stations with access to electricity for breast pumps, explained Gale Sauer, ATEC's health and wellness coordinator.
"The setup of the lactation room is also great," said Dennison. "The tables allow the moms to bring laptops so we can actually keep working while we are pumping, which helps us remain productive."
Dennison added that being able to use the lactation room allowed her to pump milk for a longer period of time with her third child compared to the length of time she was able to with her previous children.
The OPM Guide noted that establishing workplace accommodations for nursing mothers allows them to better integrate their work and family needs and makes for a smoother transition after they return to work. As a result, employers will see a decrease in turnover rates, absenteeism, and will also enjoy higher morale and productivity from working mothers.
For more information on the nursing mother's policy, or for additional information on how to utilize the lactation room within ATEC headquarters, please contact the ATEC Safety Office at 443-861-9664, or the ATEC Health and Wellness Coordinator at 443-861-9260.
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