Intervention Strategies and Lessons Learned From a Student-Led Initiative to Support Lactating Women in the University Setting

The benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby are strongly supported by research. However, lactating parents who return to school or work soon after delivery face many barriers to continued breastfeeding. This article presents a student-led initiative to support lactation at a large public unive...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health promotion practice 2022-01, Vol.23 (1), p.154-165
Main Authors: Bell, Emily, Hunter, Cristina, Benitez, Trista, Uysal, Jasmine, Walovich, Carey, McConnell, Leah, Vega, Christine, Cisneros, Nora, Hidalgo, LeighAnna, Reyes Walton, JoAnna, Wang, May
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access
Advocacy
Breastfeeding & lactation
College campuses
College students
Colleges & universities
Dissemination
Infants
Maternal and infant welfare
Mothers
Parenthood education
Parents & parenting
Policy making
Postpartum period
Postpartum women
Return to school
Stakeholders
Teachers
Teams
Womens health
Working women
Workshops
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Summary:The benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby are strongly supported by research. However, lactating parents who return to school or work soon after delivery face many barriers to continued breastfeeding. This article presents a student-led initiative to support lactation at a large public university that emerged from advocacy efforts of student mothers of color. The socioecological model was used as a framework to understand and address the multifaceted influences on breastfeeding practices. Project activities included providing breastfeeding education to lactating parents and their partners, measuring availability and accessibility of lactation spaces, improving lactation spaces, connecting university stakeholders, and strengthening university lactation policies. The project achieved the following outcomes: formation of a stakeholder group with members across campus departments, improvement in accessibility and appropriateness of lactation spaces, provision of breastfeeding services through workshops and one-on-one appointments with lactation educators, and creation and dissemination of an online toolkit outlining parents’ lactation rights and support available on campus. Comprehensive lactation support at universities is essential to enhance educational and professional equity for women and to promote postpartum and infant health. Throughout the project implementation, the team learned many lessons that can help guide similar university initiatives.
ISSN:1524-8399
1552-6372
DOI:10.1177/15248399211004283