Acelleron Medical Products

Tag: lactation room

  • Ninety percent of breastfeeding moms returning to work are pumping

    Ninety percent of breastfeeding moms returning to work are pumping

    According to Acelleron’s latest Human Resources Report, 90 percent of breastfeeding moms are either pumping at work, or are planning to pump at work, despite breastfeeding being one of the biggest challenges when returning to work from parental leave.

    Breastfeeding has tremendous health benefits for both mom and baby and is strongly encouraged by the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics. For employers, this is great news as breastfeeding in the workplace results in significant health care savings and higher retention rates.

    Acelleron is a health and wellness company that provides breast pumps through health insurance plans as well as employer lactation programs. The company disseminates a Return to Work survey to over 3,000 moms a month who receive a breast pump through their health insurance from Acelleron. The survey data aids in better understanding of breastfeeding decisions, duration, and challenges influenced by returning to work after having a baby.

    “When looking at some of the key statistics in our report, only 50 percent of our moms’ employers have a lactation/mother’s room to pump in and 78 percent of these moms stated their employer has greater than 50 employees, meaning these companies are not meeting the federal requirements for protecting breastfeeding women in the workplace.”

    “With the increasing trend of moms wanting to feed their babies human milk, companies need to better support breastfeeding employees returning to work,” Jason Canzano, managing director of Acelleron, said. “When looking at some of the key statistics in our report, only 50 percent of our moms’ employers have a lactation/mother’s room to pump in and 78 percent of these moms stated their employer has greater than 50 employees, meaning these companies are not meeting the federal requirements for protecting breastfeeding women in the workplace.”

    “The good news, despite many employers not having a room to pump in, almost 83 percent of moms still feel their employers are supportive of their breastfeeding/pumping needs,” Canzano said. “However, nearly 25 percent of the moms surveyed have considered a job/career change due to their need to pump at work. Despite the improving nursing laws and employer benefits, employers still need to do a better job supporting breastfeeding mothers returning to work.”

    The data collected from the Return to Work survey is used to help Acelleron achieve its mission to increase breastfeeding rates, especially when moms return to work. This mission is carried out in various ways, including providing a fully covered breast pump through the mother’s health insurance plan, as well as making pumping at work easy through their Pump@Work employer benefit program. Pump@Work is the first lactation room subscription service that removes the hassle of lugging breastfeeding equipment, supplies, and milk-boosting snacks back and forth to work for pumping employees.

    To receive Acelleron’s Human Resources Report, please download it here.

  • The Five-Star Lactation Room

    The Five-Star Lactation Room

    Amenities are a must-have.

    Could you imagine arriving at a hotel room for a vacation or business trip and the only things in that room were a mattress, toilet, sink, and shower? Basics, yes, comfortable, no. Would you want to bring your own sheets and pillows on this trip? How about some towels, along with shampoo, conditioner, and soap? Don’t forget the toilet paper, that would be inconvenient! And, don’t think for a moment that there would be a TV or coffee maker. Forget the refrigerator and complimentary water, too.

    Fortunately, hotels have evolved and offer wonderful amenities that keep people coming back. From beautiful décor and bedding to thick towels, high end toiletries, and toilet paper waiting for you shaped into a fancy rose to greet you upon first use of the toilet. When I arrive at a hotel with a coffee maker and complimentary water, I sigh relief…first world problems, yes, but they sure do make travelling more relaxing and enjoyable.

    Imagine the parallel to a lactation/mother’s room at a company. These days, companies are striving to meet the bare-boned federal mandates – a place “other than a bathroom that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public.” Some companies pride themselves by providing a chair, an outlet, and a counter. But, that sounds and feels similar to the hotel room with the basics. Will it do, sure, but will it keep me coming back? Will I feel thought of, appreciated, or the need to stay with this company? Not so sure.

    Top Ten Suggestions

    Do you want to provide an experience to your breastfeeding employees similar to the hotels that keep you going back? Enter the top ten suggestions for a five-star lactation room:

    1. Create a relaxing space by using soft colors and gentle lighting (e.g., lamps, wall sconces).

    2. Add artwork and decorations that encourage mothers to relax, which helps stimulate milk flow.

    3. Acoustics are an important factor, so consider purchasing a sound machine for the room. They help relax moms and dampen the sound of the breast pump and outside noises.

    4. Do your best to provide a sink so breast pump equipment can be cleaned. If a sink is not provided in the room, a clean sink should be available nearby.

    5. Consider providing a small refrigerator for storing breast milk.

    6. Place a mirror in the room for moms to adjust their clothing before and after pumping.

    7. Provide sanitizing wipes to clean up the flat surface and pump after use, as well as to clean pump supplies (e.g., breast shields and parts).

    8. Provide nutritional milk boosting snacks and water to help keep moms nourished and hydrated.

    9. Provide disposable nursing pads to prevent milk from leaking onto clothing.

    10. Consider providing a multi-user/hospital-grade pump so the mom does not need to bring hers to and from work.

    Looking for more tips? Does your company need help creating or enhancing its lactation room(s) to help ease the transition back to work for your breastfeeding moms? Visit our Pump@Work page to download a lactation room setup guide so that you can retain and recruit top female talent.

    Written by Suzanne Vecchi, the director of operations at Acelleron, a health and wellness company that specializes in employer lactation programs.