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Guidelines for Breastfeeding Family Friendly Places of Worship

Breastfeeding supports maternal and infant health and provides developmental benefits for infants. The local Durham community is vital to our mission as we implement breastfeeding-supportive initiatives in our local faith community. Places of worship can support minority health and first food equity by adopting breastfeeding family-friendly practices. Breastfeeding Family Friendly Places of Worship follow best practices that guide the spiritual leaders, employees, volunteers, and partner organizations. To create a family friendly environment, spiritual leadership provides the space for volunteers and staff to express their milk or breastfeed their babies while working.

The best way to improve breastfeeding success rates is to provide adequate support to parents. Nearly 90% of families in the United States choose to start breastfeeding, but to continue exclusively breastfeeding their babies, families need ongoing support. Families with lower incomes receive less breastfeeding support and often stop breastfeeding earlier out of a lack of adequate resources. Implementing supportive breastfeeding at Places of Worship can provide families with the support they need to thrive.

Major medical organizations promote breastfeeding for optimal child health and development. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all babies receive only human milk for their first six months of life. Exclusive breastfeeding is when babies receive the healthiest choice: human milk and no infant formula, solid foods, or water. Below are some benefits of infant breastfeeding.

  • Infants who are exclusively breastfed may need fewer health care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations resulting in lower healthcare costs compared to never-breastfed infants.
  • Human milk​ contains antibodies​ that fight infection, including ear infections, diarrhea, and respiratory infections common among infants in emergency situations and in childcare environments.
  • Human milk provides infants with ​optimal nutrition​, including the proper amount of vitamins and minerals required for normal growth.
  • Breastfeeding releases hormones that​ lower stress and anxiety​ in both babies and parents.
  • Human milk​ changes to meet the baby’s changing need​s and promotes normal brain development.
  • The safest baby food is the parent’s own milk. Donor human milk is the next best option. Parents who cannot directly feed their babies also can be supported to express their milk.

The first few months are the most challenging. We realize that breastfeeding, while beautiful, can be exhausting and time-consuming — especially if you’re feeding based on your infant’s cues. We should NOT expect new parents to be up, cleaning, and doing normal activities. If the mother is returning to work early, information about breastfeeding and access to support can be be provided to help the family continue to meet their goals.

Parents are counting on their family and community to help them endure challenges. They need grandparents and loved ones, to be patient with them as they figure out parenthood. The community’s practical help and support are a investment in the baby’s future and the parent’s wellbeing. Here are some ideas of ways you can help families adjust: buy groceries, prepare meals, throw in a load of laundry, run errands, complete household chores, and ask what the parents would like or need. It’s important to avoid competing with the breastfeeding process. Be assured that bonding does not require feeding the baby.

We encourage the faith community to adopt a breastfeeding family-friendly policy. A supportive breastfeeding-friendly written policy should include the following:

  • Respect: Breastfeeding families are always welcomed and respected. They will never be treated poorly, asked to stop breastfeeding, or asked to cover up or move.
  • Privacy: Create a private place, as space allows for staff to express their milk and to accommodate parents who wish to nurse their infants in private. You can welcome breastfeeding in public spaces without sending parents to the bathroom.
  • Breaks for employees: All lactating employees are allowed breaks to express milk or nurse their children with access to a private space. This space should not be a bathroom. It should be lockable, shielded from view, include an electrical outlet, and have hand hygiene available.
  • Policy copies: Ensure that all staff, volunteers, and those who have contact with visitors receive copies of the breastfeeding policy.

Breastfeeding is important for the baby’s health and development and for the parent’s health. Research has found that breastfeeding works best when the baby is fed in response to hunger cues. That’s usually frequently, especially when the infant’s frequent feeding is establishing the milk supply. Most medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, recommend that babies be breastfed exclusively—no formula or solid foods—for six months or so, and continue breastfeeding with solid foods added to their diet into the toddler years—even two years old or more. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life–meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water. Infants should be breastfed on demand and no bottles, teats (nipples) or pacifiers should be used. From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years and beyond. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends “exclusively breastfeeding for about the first six months of a baby’s life, and then gradually adding solid foods while continuing breastfeeding until at least the baby’s first birthday. Thereafter, breastfeeding can be continued for as long as both mother and baby desire it.” Below are some practical ways to become a breastfeeding friendly place of worship:

  • Educate all extended family members in your faith community about breastfeeding through workshops, campaigns, and educational initiatives.
  • Continue to provide education to staff and families and share resources to support breastfeeding.
  • Encourage faith leaders to talk about the policy.
  • Choose members of your organization to be breastfeeding family-friendly advocates
  • Identify families who have personal experience with breastfeeding to assist and support other breastfeeding families.
  • Display the Breastfeeding Symbol, stickers, window clings, or signage in a visible location and even on your website indicating that you welcome breastfeeding families in the place of worship.
  • Set up a clean, comfortable private space for your staff, volunteers, and clients to express milk or breastfeed, while welcoming breastfeeding throughout the facility.
  • Hang an educational poster in your breakroom and educate your employees and volunteers about the place of worship’s commitment, policy, and practices for welcoming breastfeeding families.

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