Please click HERE for a PDF copy of the Press Release

Red Bank, NJ – January 17, 2018 – In an effort to commend, celebrate and increase the number of New Jersey worksites that support breastfeeding employees, the New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition (NJBC) has selected Hackensack Meridian Health Riverview Medical Center located in Red Bank, as a “NJ Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite.”

Riverview Medical Center was recognized for important breastfeeding supportive practices, including providing the availability of reasonable breaks and private space to express milk or to nurse their child.

“Studies show that simple worksite support practices increase the duration of breastfeeding among employed mothers,” says Kay O’Keefe, an NJBC trustee. “Research also shows that breastfed babies have fewer illnesses contributing to less employee absenteeism.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding, as research has revealed short-term and lifelong health benefits for mother and child. However, many mothers cite return to work as a reason for early discontinuation of breastfeeding.

“Returning to work after the birth of a baby can be a difficult transition for any mom, but for breastfeeding mothers, this transition often comes with its own set of challenges,” says Mara Warehime, a registered nurse at Riverview Medical Center. “The lactation room at Riverview Medical Center is private, clean and comfortable and also has a refrigerator for storing breast milk. Having the lactation room just down the hall from my unit made my return to work much more seamless and I not only felt supported but extremely grateful!”

The breastfeeding room at Riverview Medical Center was established in 2017 and contains a comfortable chair, refrigerator for milk storage, hand sanitizer, bathroom access and contact information for lactation support. The room is private and available only to team members.

“It’s important for new mothers to feel supported when they return to work,” says Cassandra Leahy, MSN, BA, RN, IBCLC, LCCE, a board certified lactation consultant within the Riverview Medical Center Lactation Department. “Providing a supportive environment to encourage our mothers to combine breastfeeding and employment is one easy way to help make the transition back to work a little easier.”

The NJBC encourages all employers to learn about and become a breastfeeding-friendly worksite and then to complete the simple self-assessment at http://breastfeedingnj.org/breastfeeding-friendly-worksite-recognition-program/. Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center have also been recognized for their support of breastfeeding mothers at work by the NJBC.

 

About the New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition

The New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition is a collaboration of health professionals and community representatives whose mission is to improve the health of New Jersey families by working collaboratively to promote, protect and support breastfeeding. For more information about the New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition, visit www.breastfeedingnj.org.

 

About Hackensack Meridian Health Riverview Medical Center

Riverview Medical Center is a 492-bed not-for-profit community hospital located on the Navesink River in Red Bank, New Jersey. Riverview Medical Center provides health care programs and services in all major medical disciplines including: maternity, surgical services, emergency and critical cancer services. Riverview’s Cancer Care Center offers comprehensive cancer services close to home, while Riverview’s Jane H. Booker Women and Children’s Center combines expertise and convenience to address preventative health, diagnosis, treatment, and support for women of all ages. Riverview Rehabilitation Center is Monmouth County’s only fully-accredited inpatient rehabilitation facility, and Riverview Medical Center is a designated Primary Stroke Center and has also maintained prestigious Magnet designation for Nursing Excellence since 1998. Riverview Medical Center is the only hospital in the region with the groundbreaking CyberKnife® system, offering new hope for patients with inaccessible or inoperable tumors. For more information about Riverview Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health, please call 1-800-DOCTORS or visit www.riverviewmedicalcenter.com.

 

Cooper University Health Care recognized for supporting breastfeeding mothers at work

PDF Copy of Press Release

CAMDEN, NJ,  – In an effort to commend, celebrate and increase the number of NJ worksites that support breastfeeding employees, the New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition (NJBC) selected Cooper University Health Care  as a “NJ Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite.”  The award was presented on 10/20/17.

Cooper was recognized for important breastfeeding supportive practices including providing the availability of reasonable breaks to express milk or to nurse their child and access to a private space for expressing milk or nursing their child.   Studies show that simple worksite support practices increase the duration of breastfeeding among employed mothers.  Research also shows that breastfed babies have fewer illnesses contributing to less employee absenteeism.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies be exclusively breastfed for
the first six months with breastfeeding to continue, with the introduction of solid foods, at least until the baby is 12 months old.  Abundant research has revealed short term and lifelong health benefits of
breastfeeding for mother and child.  However, many mothers cite return to work as a reason for early
discontinuation of breastfeeding.

        “The pumping room has been a huge asset to me”, said Heather Comparri RN, Associate
Clinical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cooper.  “I spend my days helping to
care for some of the sickest infants while spending 12-14 hours away from my own child.  

While I love the work that I do, often times my days are busy, stimulating, and stressful. The pumping
lounge has been a place for me to, sometimes even for just a few moments, relax and focus on
how I am still able to provide the best nutrition, care, and support for my own baby even while
being apart from her. The pumping room has allowed me to feel successful as both a mother and
a healthcare professional at the same time.”

The NJBC encourages all employers to learn about and become a breastfeeding-friendly worksite and then to complete the simple self-assessment at:
http://breastfeedingnj.org/breastfeeding-friendly-worksite-recognition-program/ .

The New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition is a collaboration of health professionals and community representatives whose mission is to improve the health of New Jersey families by working collaboratively to promote, protect and support breastfeeding.   For more information about the New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition, visit www.breastfeedingnj.org.

 

On Tuesday, August 15, we joined over 40 organizations in sending a letter to the co-founders of the Fed Is Best Foundation to request a meeting to discuss their position on infant feeding and exclusive breastfeeding. Since then, many more national, state, and local organizations have signed on, bringing the number up to 85 total signing organizations. You can read the letter and see the full list of organizations here: http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/d/do/2018

While Fed Is Best did send a response, their message does not make mention of the joint request for an honest and constructive dialogue. You can read their response letter here: http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/d/do/2077

This response is disappointing, as it would be much preferred to engage in a discussion with the goal of improving the health and well-being of our nation’s families. As stated in the joint letter, “we believe that we can be most effective in serving moms and babies when we attack the root causes of a problem, rather than each other.” To that end, the offer to meet with the co-founders of Fed Is Best remains open.

 

On 8/20/17, The New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition became a “new signer”, adding to 40+ organizations mentioned in the 8/17/17 US Breastfeed Committee (USBC) letter below.

____________________________________________________________________________

Dear colleagues,

On Tuesday, over 40 organizations sent an open letter requesting a meeting with the co-founders of the Fed Is Best Foundation. As you may be aware, Fed Is Best has engaged in a public campaign that draws links between the recommended practice of exclusive breastfeeding—as well as its education and promotion by health care providers—and the tragic deaths and injuries of babies.

While the breastfeeding field disagrees on the root cause(s) of these tragedies, it is in everyone’s best interest to engage in honest and constructive dialogue. Therefore the open letter invites the co-founders of Fed Is Best to discuss their positions in a meeting and try to find common ground.

We are sharing this information to keep the USBC network up to date on the approach being taken to foster dialogue with this group. As informal “steward” of this collaborative action, 1,000 Days sent the letter on Tuesday, August 15, and is now planning for multiple scenarios, since it is unknown how they will respond. In addition to the tremendous contributions of 1,000 Days, Baby-Friendly USA also has played a leadership role in guiding strategy and sharing the services of a communications consultant. Throughout the process, the USBC has served as a neutral convener for this activity, providing “backbone infrastructure supports” for the work of the ad hoc group of organizations that planned and is now implementing this action. (Note that in the role of neutral convener, the USBC supports bringing parties together to take joint action, but doesn’t participate directly in the action itself.)

Note: As of today, the sign on form has been reopened indefinitely, to accommodate organizations that wish to sign on as the word spreads further. New signers will be added to the letter every Wednesday, and shown in subsequent versions of the PDF file uploaded to the public link below.

Public Link to Letter: http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/d/do/2018

At this time, there is not a petition or action for individuals, but this is under consideration. Please stay tuned for additional updates as the Fed Is Best response becomes clear.

 

United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)
4044 N Lincoln Ave, # 288
Chicago, IL  60618
Phone: 773/359-1549
Fax: 773/313-3498
office@usbreastfeeding.org
www.usbreastfeeding.org