Celebration of workplace breast pump legislation to be held Sept. 5
Mothers have a new option for safe, private breastfeeding on campus – the recently opened UNM Breastfeeding Support Program. Housed in the Women’s Resource Center, the program offers lactation spaces – some equipped with hospital grade breast pumps – and a listserv to enhance communication between breastfeeding mothers across campus.
UNM graduate student Lissa Knudsen successfully advocated for new breast pump use in the workplace legislation, which requires work sites to provide a suitable, private location for breastfeeding employees to use breast pumps. The law is critical to New Mexican mothers because while 78 percent initially breastfeed, many find they have to discontinue breastfeeding when they return to work.
“Breastfed babies are healthy babies. We want to support a mother in her decision to continue breastfeeding when she returns to work, and we want to help our lawmakers to keep New Mexico’s children healthy,” said Emilie Sebesta, UNM Hospitals pediatrician.
To use one of the designated lactation spaces on campus, breastfeeding mothers should register at http://www.unm.edu/~brstfeed/. The Web site also offers access to UNMH lactation consultants and classes, a family-friendly campus map highlighting lactation rooms, links to breastfeeding legislation, tips on how to use an electric breast pump, local breastfeeding resources, and tips and resources for how to become a “lactivist.”
Family-friendly advocates at UNM will hold a reception on Sept. 5, 12:30-2:30 p.m. in UNM Student Union Building ballroom A to recognize lawmakers who played a central role in passing the breast pump in the workplace legislation, and to begin setting a family-friendly agenda for the 2008 Legislature. New Mexico Representative Danica Picraux and Senators Linda Lopez and Dede Feldman are expected to attend. The event will include a virtual tour of the UNM Breastfeeding Support Program and a screening of the Motherhood Manifesto, a film produced by momsrising.org.
Sponsors of the reception include the Women’s Resource Center, Graduate and Professional Student Association, Staff Council and Peer Mentoring for Graduates of Color. About 20 other family-friendly organizations are expected to participate.