I thought you all might be interested in how enlightened a government workplace
can become when it comes to breastfeeding.
Please see notice below that was sent to all NIH employees.
Frank J. Nice, DPA, CPHP
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From: Strickland, Susanne (OD)
Sent: Friday, September 04, 1998 4:38 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
ATTENTION ALL NIH
NEW PARENTS AND PARENTS-TO-BE
NIH is pleased to announce the initiation of a pilot worksite lactation
program.
This program is open to all women who work at NIH, regardless of
employment
category. NIH dads don't need to feel left out; the program also offers
breast
pump rentals at reduced rates for your wives who are breast feeding.
The program consists of:
* Dedicated, clean, private, and secure lactation rooms (in
Buildings 31
and 10), equipped with comfortable chairs, tables and breast pumps. A
third
room is planned for the Natcher Building.
* The services of a certified, experienced lactation consultant
who is
available to provide information about breast feeding, and telephone
support
during the first weeks home from the hospital.
* Scheduled time to use the lactation room during the workday to
minimize
the disruption to daily schedules.
* Breast pump rental at discounted rates for use at other
locations.
* Use of the services of the lactation consultant and use of the
lactation
rooms are open to all NIH mothers. Users will be required to purchase
their own
personal kits to be used with the pumps.
Start up and the first year of the pilot are being funded by ORWH;
NICHD; NIGMS;
ODP and ORS, OD; NIDDK; NHGRI; NIDR and NIAMS. If the program proves
successful, there are plans to expand the number of lactation rooms to
other
buildings on and off-campus.
Mother's milk is the preferred source of nutrition for babies up to the
first
year of life, according to a 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics policy
statement. Breast milk offers superior nutrition. In addition,
breast-fed
babies have significantly fewer respiratory-tract infections than
bottle-fed
babies; breastfeeding reduces an infant's risk of food allergies and may
have
long term positive effects on the baby's immune system. For mothers
breastfeeding helps the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy state more
quickly
and may reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
For more information about enrollment in this program to improve the
quality of
worklife,
call Jane Balkham, Lactation Consultant at (301) 435-7850, or see the
Worksite
Health Promotion Web site http://odp.od.nih.gov/whpp/
Susanne Strickland, Project Officer, 61105.
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