We recently had the pleasure of awarding the University of Canterbury Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace status.
Breastfeeding is well researched and recognised as providing many short and long term health and wellbeing benefits to babies, mothers, families and communities. Today, for a myriad of reasons, many women are returning to work after the birth of their baby and wish to continue to breastfeed. Supporting women to express milk for their babies and/or breastfeed their babies at work is usually a short term measure as from 6 months of age babies are able to have other foods and will usually not need as many breastfeeds during the day.
The Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Initiative has been developed by the Canterbury Breastfeeding Advocacy Service to assist businesses with their planning around how they can support both returning and new women employees who wish to combine breastfeeding and work.
Supporting women to breastfeed after they return to the workplace is “a win-win situation that builds loyal employees, gives babies the best source of nourishment available and benefits society as a whole. ” (Flavia Bustreo WHO)
Given UC already had a breastfeeding policy in place (that supports breastfeeding staff by committing to offering appropriate time and spaces for them to breastfeed or pump) there was very little we had to do to be able to certify them as an official Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace. The HR manager with whom we worked was even able to tell us his mother’s story of him being breastfed on campus whilst she was studying towards her law degree.
Congratulations UC for supporting the health, wellbeing and IQ of future generations.
Tim Turnbull (Manager Human Resources UC) and Gemma Keren (Human Resources Advisor UC) receive their Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Certificate from Kelly Dorgan (Breastfeeding Health Promoter, Canterbury Breastfeeding Advocacy Service).
