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Breastfeeding supported at work

Posted on September 17, 2009, 8:08am

Mount Gambier employers have been supportive of breastfeeding mothers returning to work, according to Sandra O’Donnell.

The counsellor and publicity officer with the Lower Limestone Coast group of the Australian Breastfeeding Association said modern employers were willing to adopt specifications to meet women’s needs.

“We have a state working party on this issue that is flat out, which is a sign of the times,” she said.

“Mothers are returning to the workforce and wishing to continue breastfeeding for reasons relating to finances, health and bonding,” she said, adding it was important for women to be able to meet lactation needs during the day, such as expressing and storing milk when away from their children.

Mrs O’Donnell commented after issues surrounding breastfeeding in the workplace resurfaced last week with media coverage of the case of a New South Wales police employee allegedly forced to work overtime for every minute spent expressing breastmilk.

The Public Service Association has launched industrial court action claiming the woman was one of thousands of new mothers in the public service denied proper facilities for breastfeeding.

Mrs O’Donnell said she had not dealt with cases of mothers facing problems at work since 18 months ago when she assisted a woman who was discovered expressing breastmilk in a designated baby room during her lunch break at the Westfield shopping centre in Marion.

Mrs O’Donnell said a cleaner complained, but the breastfeeding association was able to intervene to help educate store representatives about standards to make mothers comfortable.

“Locally it has never been an issue — we put procedures in place for people to follow,” she said, adding the arrangements at Marion were similar to standards promoted by the group in Mount Gambier.

“We are approached regularly for procedures to help mothers in the workforce and encourage provision of feed and change facilities in businesses and retail premises.”

Mrs O’Donnell recently assisted with planning of the new Mount Gambier Public Library building to ensure appropriate baby feeding and changing facilities were in place.

She said the local branch of the breastfeeding association also met regularly, continuing its work to support mothers and promote the benefits of breast milk.

For more information call Mrs O’Donnell on 0400 058 335 or 8725 8335 or Lower Limestone Coast group leader Angela Devlin on 8725 1340.

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