LGH staff benefit from breastfeeding initiative
VCH has committed to supporting healthy lives in healthy communities by establishing breastfeeding as the cultural feeding norm for women, children, and families through care, education and research.
As a result, VCH creating a Staff Breastfeeding Room which is located at the Star Wall on the third floor of the Acute Care Tower. The cozy room allows staff to comfortably breastfeed or pump during work hours.
“The room is a designated, quiet place for staff to breastfeed or pump, whenever they want,” says Sherry Moon, patient care coordinator with the LGH perinatal program. “By eliminating the perceived barrier to breastfeeding when returning back to work we can encourage mom’s to continue to provide breastmilk to their baby.
Since opening its doors eight months ago, the room has been used by numerous LGH staff including physicians, wanting a place where they can breastfeed/pump at ease and accessibly at work.
“Those that have already taken advantage of the room have been very appreciative,” adds Sherry. “The feedback has been really good. I hope that the awareness of this room grows and we keep moving forward in our advocacy for breastfeeding as the norm.”
VCH endorses exclusive breastfeeding to the age of six months and provision of safe, appropriate, and locally available complementary foods, with continued breastfeeding for up to two years of age and beyond.
Terri Betts
Kudos to VCH for funding this, and publicizing it, AND to our perinatal colleagues for advocating for it.
It’s worth mentioning that my colleague in Pharmacy at LGH, Beth Crossman, contributed the photographs that decorate the walls. As anyone who knows anything about let-down will appreciate, pumping is much more productive when accompanied by baby pictures!
21 years ago, when I was a new mom & worked at BC Children’s & Women’s Hospitals, they did not yet have a breastfeeding room for staff, otherwise I would have gladly used it. There was one available by the time some of my (younger) colleagues needed it.
Great to see that the work environment is becoming much more breastfeeding friendly!