Congratulations to the 2018 Mother-Baby Friendly Workplace Awardees!

BigCommerce in San Francisco, provides a private room that locks, access to refrigeration and two paid 30 minute breaks that may be used to express milk. In addition to any state provided benefits, they supplements an employee’s regular pay for up to two weeks to allow bonding time in connection with birth or adoption of a child. New mothers are also eligible for company-paid disability leave up to six weeks.
“We hope the encourage mothers to return to work by instilling confidence that they can achieve their breastfeeding goals in a safe and supportive environment to express milk at the office. There are many positive health benefits for baby and our goal is to aid mothers in breastfeeding for as long as the mother needs.”

Desert Regional Medical Center has 3 different pumping rooms located throughout the hospital. All employees that are breastfeeding are provided with a hospital grade pump. They also offer free breastfeeding classes for employee and or spouse, and provide access to free lactation consultants.
“Our hospital has a policy on supporting a breastfeeding mother. When an employee goes out on Maternity leave they are given the brochure for supporting breastfeeding employees. We collaborate with local breastfeeding support programs such as the Loving Support Breastfeeding Program and the WIC Program.”

Eisner Health has demonstrated support for the employees returning back after maternity leave by providing a private lactation room equipped with a breastpump, refrigerator and sink at the main site and at the Women’s Health Center location. The Lactation accommodation Policy allows employees to extend their break time from 10 to 20 minutes when nursing. The HR department communicates the policy to all managers and provides information to employees going on maternity leave. An in house IBCLC is also available to provide breastfeeding support and supplies.
“Overall, more Eisner employees are taking the opportunity to express milk for their babies since the Lactation Room was inaugurated in 2013. Currently 6 employees are taking turns to use the room daily at the main site. One medical provider was able to schedule her baby’s visits for nursing instead of pumping!”

Father Joe’s Villages has developed and implemented an important policy that stresses the importance of promoting a breastfeeding friendly work environment to its staff and the public at large.
“As the region’s largest homeless services provider, we exist to help our “clients” obtain income and housing. Part of our services includes offering childcare while our clients work. Therefore, encouraging our staff to breastfeed also sets a great example for our clients on how to raise healthy children.”

John Muir Medical Center – Walnut Creek Campus has been supporting lactating employees with a private room that can accommodate two nursing moms at once. It recently came to the administration’s attention that more accommodations were needed to serve other employees. They quickly renovated a space designed to accommodate three more lactating employees.
“The staff commends the leadership on their efforts to ensure a supportive work environment for lactating employees.”

Kaiser Permanente Davis Medical Office Building provides employees, returning from family leave, with a welcome back letter in support of breastfeeding. It outlines the lactation accommodation policy, lactation room rules, location, peer support group and are provided access to a hospital breast pump for use while at work. They are also given their own pumping supplies. The clinic has created a healthy environment for mothers to feel supported and to balance their motherhood with their work responsibilities.
“It truly is amazing to work in a clinic that is so supportive and flexible. I successfully breast fed my daughter and met my personal goal of 3 years because they’ve been so accommodating. I never thought that would be possible while working.”

Project Concern International PCI has always been very supportive of breastfeeding employees and they even allow employees to bring their infants to work until they are 6 months old. They created a beautiful Mother’s Room and opened it up to be used by any breastfeeding tenants or guests in the City Heights Center building which includes over 20 organizations. There has been an increase in building visitors from other organizations–and their guests–who have been reserving and using the lactation room and storing their expressed milk in the PCI refrigerator. Over 16 other employees have made use of the room as well as PCI Healthy Start breastfeeding mothers who are utilizing PCI’s services.
“PCI demonstrates that policies can be put into place that allow women to simultaneously parent their infants and work. They’ve shown that it’s not necessarily “either/or” but can be “both/and” in a society that has normalized unhealthy ways or forced choices of parenting and working.”

The Resource Connection (TRG) allows eligible staff to bring their breastfeeding infant to work until the infant reaches 6 months of age. Once the baby turns 6 months of age, TRG supports employees to pump at work. They allow for time and location for pumping at the
employees choosing.
“I was able to take advantage of this policy and bring my breastfeeding baby to work until she was 6 months old. With staff support, the WIC director made staff schedule changes to adjust my work schedule to allow baby and I to be together and breastfeed with minimal disruption to business. The director, breastfeeding coordinator, and staff also helped in making modifications to my work station to allow for a safe space for baby and me to breastfeed and bond.”

University of California, Riverside has 8 rooms available for faculty, staff and students to express milk and also an option for moms to create-their-own space in a convenient room where they are provided with a pump and supplies. Educational workshops are held annually on work/life balance, breastfeeding support, disability benefits, time management for moms, healthy eating during pregnancy and beyond, etc. UCR also links with community organizations such as WIC and Loving Support to refer moms to their services.
“This program demonstrates UCR’s commitment to providing an environment for its employees and students to achieve a balanced work, school, and family life.”

Download Mother-Baby Friendly Awards Flyer

Download Educate your Legislator about Breastfeeding Flyer