How Cook Children's Provides Lactation Support To Working Moms
Three ways support for breastfeeding benefits the employer
No mom has it easy, but going back to work after the birth of a baby adds another level of complexity.
For moms who plan to continue nursing and pumping to provide their baby breastmilk, it becomes even harder.
It becomes so hard, in fact, that some moms decide they can't continue to breastfeed and stop altogether. For some moms, their insecurity in breastfeeding is the last straw that convinces them that going back to work will be too hard.
This is why providing lactation support to nursing moms throughout their journey is so important. It does not matter if they plan to return to work in weeks, months or even longer, support can help ease the transition back into the workplace.
Holly Erwin, Cook Children's Virtual Lactation Consultant says, "I believe there are three critical times that working moms need support in their lactation journey. First is education and support before their baby's birth. The second critical period comes in that first week after birth to help establish a solid, foundational milk supply. Finally, moms often have extensive questions about how to keep their supply and feeding up when they return to work."
In addition to benefits in mom's peace of mind, providing support for breastfeeding has shown to benefit the employer in several ways, including:
1. By decreasing overall healthcare expenditure due to the health benefits of breastfeeding (estimated approximately $2000 per employee)
2, By decreasing lost work time due to childhood illness who are breastfeeding
3. By decreasing turnover in employees after maternity leave (the national average is 59 percent but some lactation support programs report retention rates as high as 94 percent).
Cook Children's Virtual Lactation program has a simple, low-cost solution to providing the support that working, breastfeeding moms need. They partner with employers to find a customized solution that meets the needs of their employees at each of these critical stages.
Packages can include classes prior to birth and when approaching time to go back to work, personal consultations with an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) and assessments of pumping spaces and other accommodations necessary to maximize a working mom's lactation success. Because of the virtual nature of the program, employers can know that their employees are receiving great care without the high cost of in-person lactation consultation.
If you wish to contact us with questions, or need help accessing our virtual lactation consultation services, please contact Holly Erwin at lactationconsultation@cookchildrens.org.
Schedule an appointment with our virtual lactation consultant.
Get to know Holly Erwin, Cook Children's Virtual Lactation Consultant
Holly Erwin, LVN, IBCLC, is a mom of three boys and has worked as a pediatric nurse for over 11 years within the Cook Children's Health Care System. When not working, she spends her time running to and from sports for her boys, being outside with her family and dreaming of traveling with her husband of 10 years. For now, she settles for their bi-annual date-night!
Through her own children and the thousands of moms that she has helped over the years, Holly found a special interest in infants and breastfeeding. In 2015, she became internationally board certified as a lactation consultant and now works as an IBCLC virtually through the Cook Children's telemedicine department. Schedule an appointment with our virtual lactation consultant.
