By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
In the fall of 2009, members of The Aroostook County Breastfeeding Association sent business owners throughout Aroostook County an educational letter regarding legislation which stipulates that a mother has a right to breastfeed her baby in any location (public or private) as long as she is otherwise authorized to be there and that employers must provide adequate unpaid or paid break time to express breast milk for up to three years following childbirth; the employer must also make reasonable efforts to provide a clean place, other than a bathroom, where an employee may express breast milk in privacy.
Just over a year later, Coalition members are still working to make certain that every employer and every mother knows about breastfeeding rights under State Law.
“We want to get the word out about breastfeeding rights and support it in the county,” said coalition member Jennifer Plante, a nurse at Cary Medical Center. “It’s scientifically proven that it’s the best way to feed a baby and we just want to get the word out that breastfeeding is a choice and it’s the healthiest choice for a family.”
While the mission of the coalition is centered around getting the facts out to women, they’ve recently focused on getting the word out to employers that they are required by law to provide their breastfeeding employees with a private location — other than a bathroom — in which to pump breast milk while at work.
“Just like all other humans, we wouldn’t eat our dinner in a bathroom and newborns shouldn’t have to either,” Plante said.
There are, of course exceptions to the laws.
“If a breastfeeding woman is a logger or something then there wouldn’t be a facility with a sink and with an outlet to do this,” Plante agreed.
Whether an employer provides a breastfeeding mother with extra paid or unpaid breaks or whether the woman uses one of her regularly scheduled breaks/lunch to express breast milk, the law requires employers to give breastfeeding moms a time and a place to pump breast milk at work.
According to Plante, some mothers feel that it’s too difficult to pump at work, which influences their decision to stop breastfeeding after a few months even though the American College of Physicians recommends breastfeeding for at least six months to one year.
“Breast feeding moms and babies are healthier and sick less, which means fewer sick days for a mom, fewer health care costs and it increases employee satisfaction as well as decreases absenteeism,” Plante said. “Also, we want businesses to know that any place a woman is allowed to be at, whether she’s shopping or patronizing that business, she has a right to pump or breastfeed there.”
Businesses who’s facilities support breastfeeding mothers are able to obtain signs that state “breastfeeding supported here” from the coalition; businesses interested in obtaining a sign or individuals looking for more information about breastfeeding should contact Carole Bell at 768-3056.
The Aroostook Breast Feeding Coalition is supported by the Aroostook County Action Program, Cary Medical Center, Fish River Rural Health Center, Houlton Regional Hospital, Le Leche League, Northern Maine Medical Center, Public Health Nursing, the Aroostook Medical Center and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
