Have you heard of the organization, MomsRising? If not, you soon will.
On August 7th, members of the organization are going to pack up their babies in their strollers and head over to the offices of government officials to hand deliver letters, according to the press release.
The letters will be all about breastfeeding in the workplace. If you’ve ever done it yourself, you know how difficult it can be. Especially if your workplace doesn’t provide a private, clean, and safe pumping area for mamas.
Oh, and they’re also going to hand the government officials some breast milk bags filled with golden Hershey Kisses. Because breast milk is “liquid gold,” of course!
This movement is known as #IPumpedHere on social media. It’s a part of the endeavor to raise awareness for the importance of adequate pumping stations and feeding areas in the workplace. This is, after all, the kickoff to World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month.
Remarkably, about 60% of mothers still do not have access to an adequate pumping facility or break time at work. That’s totally not okay.
Imagine being told you can’t eat at work? That’s basically the message sent to these babies when their moms aren’t given the proper resources to feed them while they work.
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and Executive Director of MomsRising, explains:
“Airplane bathrooms. Parked cars. Utility closets. A cubicle with absolutely no privacy. These are just some of the places that breastfeeding moms have had to pump breastmilk because they didn’t have access to proper accommodations at work. While 8 out 10 of American moms start out breastfeeding as is recommended by pediatricians, less than half are still breastfeeding at six months postpartum.
One of the main causes for the drop-off in breastfeeding rates is the lack of clean, accessible places to pump at work. That is why it is vital to highlight new mothers’ rights to clean, safe, accessible places at the workplace to pump. It is shameful that in a developed nation like the Unites States, breastfeeding moms at work must resort to pumping on the toilet or other inadequate and unsanitary places because their employer does not accommodate their right to feed their child.”
Not cool, right?
Whether you work from home, in an office, or in a busy restaurant, you should have the ability to feed your child. That includes having enough time to do so without complaints or feeling guilty.
If you can’t make it to Washington D.C. for the demonstration, you can still participate.
Log onto Twitter and tweet your workplace pumping areas with the hashtag #IPumpedHere to spread awareness. You can use the same hashtag for Facebook and Instagram.
Some women are already joining in the movement:
Oh geez. In the ’90s: Office bath stalls, my boss’s office (praying no one would come in), my CAR. #ipumpedhere https://t.co/ZCB0IrDHru
— Karen Rosenberg (@KBRosenberg) August 6, 2017
Let’s bring mothers out of the bathroom stalls & into the pumping rooms they deserve. #IPumpedHere #breastfeeding https://t.co/EOyRwGygyc
— Tina Sherman (@TinaShermanNC) July 21, 2017
At my last job, sadly, #IPumpedHere pic.twitter.com/GosJR81gPN
— Audrey Goodson Kingo (@AudreyNGoodson) August 1, 2017
Laugh. Cry. Then demand change on Capitol Hill Aug.7th! #IPumpedHere #Breastfeeding #Pumping #NBM17 #RiserNBM17
https://t.co/q1trmojbeN— Tina Sherman (@TinaShermanNC) July 28, 2017
MomsRising will also be streaming the action live on its Facebook page on August 7th.
Where have you had to pump at work? Does your workplace provide an adequate area for pumping? Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram and keep the conversation rolling!
Amy is a mom of two, freelance writer, and blog manager who works with family-focused businesses to improve their content strategies. You can find her published work on Reader’s Digest Online, MSN, Niche, Frugal For Less, and other lifestyle publications.