Breastfeeding
Benefits of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding provides many benefits to both mothers and babies. Because of the known health benefits, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of your baby’s life and continued breastfeeding to at least one year or beyond as mutually desired by mother and child.
Happy and Healthy Families
Breastfeeding is a healthy, low-cost and sustainable choice. Research shows breastfeeding makes babies stronger, happier and healthier; the longer a woman breastfeeds, the greater the protection for her and her baby.
The Benefits of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding mothers need support from their families, friends, health care providers, employers and the society as a whole. With this support, women are more likely to initiate breastfeeding and achieve their breastfeeding duration goals.
How MCC Helps Support Families Who Breastfeed
MCC:
Local and national breastfeeding resources:
Local Resources:
National Resources:
Businesses
How MCC Helps Businesses Support Breastfeeding
Let your customers know that breastfeeding is welcome and that you are in compliance with city and state laws that permit breastfeeding in public and private spaces, anywhere that a woman has a right to be.
Breastfeeding friendly businesses provide:
Employers
How MCC Helps Employers Support Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding-friendly workplaces retain good employees, reduce sick days taken by moms and dads and lower health care costs. They also increase worker satisfaction and productivity.—Philadelphia city law and federal law requires employers to provide reasonable break time to breastfeeding employees for pumping breast milk in a private, non-bathroom space.
If you are interested in learning more about what it means to be a breastfeeding-friendly employer, please fill out an interest form. MCC is an experienced provider of technical assistance.
Here are some of the breastfeeding friendly employers that already benefitted from MCC’s expertise: Watch our Employer Spotlight Videos and download our Breastfeeding Friendly Employer Spotlight Fact Sheets.
Breastfeeding Friendly List
Maternity Care Coalition has been working to build a Breastfeeding Friendly Philadelphia by certifying employers and businesses who support breastfeeding. Learn more about Breastfeeding Friendly Employers and Businesses by watching our Employer Spotlight Videos and downloading our Breastfeeding Friendly Employer text spotlights.
Breastfeeding Friendly Employers
The City of Philadelphia
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Spotlight Video
The College of Physicians
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Spotlight Video
Congreso De Latinos Unidos
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Spotlight Video
Einstein Healthcare Network
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Spotlight Video
The Health Federation of Philadelphia, Early Head Start Program
Laura Solomon, Esq. & Associates
Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School
Spotlight Fact Sheet
N.O.R.T.H., Inc. WIC
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Spotlight Video
Office of Representative Curtis Thomas
Pennsylvania Hospital
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Spotlight Video
Philadelphia Works Inc.
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Philadelphia Youth Network
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Spotlight Video
Representative Babette Josephs
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Spotlight Video
The School District of Philadelphia
Spotlight Fact Sheet
Senator Connie Williams
Breastfeeding Friendly Businesses
Retail
A.L.Pine, Philadelphia
Bridge Street Bookshop
Blessed Margaret Home Of Castello Home for Crisis Pregnancies
Born Yesterday, Philadelphia
The Expressive Hand, A Pant Your Own Pottery Studio, Philadelphia
Karl’s Furniture, Philadelphia
Restaurants and Marketplaces
Brewerytown Taproom, Philadelphia
Buzz Cafe, Philadelphia
Chick-Fil-A Northeast Tower, Philadelphia
Dunkin Donuts(5901 Rising Sun), Philadelphia
Dough Boy’s Pizza, Philadelphia
The Flavor Spot, Philadelphia
Good Karma Cafe, All Locations in Philadelphia
Gryphon Coffee Company, Kensignton
Kimberton Whole Foods, Kimberton
J’aime French Bakery, Philadelphia
Le Pain Quotidien-The Granary, Philadelphia
Maize Restaurant, Perkasie
More Than Just Ice Cream, Philadelphia
Ooh La La Salads, Philadelphia
Passero’s Coffee, The Ben Franklin House, Philadelphia
Peddler’s Coffee, Philadelphia
Que Chula Es Puebla, Philadelphia
Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia
rybread, Philadelphia
Tribe Cafe and Grill, Philadelphia
Trolley Car Diner, Philadelphia
White Dog Cafe, Philadelphia
Zuzu’s Kitchen, Philadelphia
Services
A Mother’s Touch Daycare, Philadelphia
The Coche Center, Philadelphia
Diamond Cutz, Philadelphia
Early Literacy Academy, Philadelphia
Food and Wellness Network (FAWN), Philadelphia
Fox Chase Family Eye Care, Philadelphia
Hightower Buzy Kidz Childcare, Philadelphia
Kencrest Northeast Center, Philadelphia
L.T. Laundromat, Philadelphia
Little Einsteins Early Learning Center, Philadelphia
Mastery Schools, Philadelphia
Maternity Care Coalition, Philadelphia
Minds Matter Learning Day Care, Philadelphia
Noah’s Inc, Philadelphia
Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, Philadelphia
Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, Elkins Park
Right Steps of Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia
Salon Pourquoi, Philadelphia
Sarana Nails and Spa, Philadelphia
Sprouts Preschool, Philadelphia
Swarthmore Public Library, Swarthmore
Temple University School of Social Work, Philadelphia
Trinity Memorial Church, Philadelphia
Quaker Diner, Philadelphia
Nominate a Breastfeeding Friendly Business and/or Employer near you!
Hospitals
Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative
Baby-Friendly Hospitals and Birth Centers reduce infant mortality and illnesses by increasing successful breastfeeding. The Initiative is based on The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, which summarizes the maternity practices necessary to support breastfeeding. A maternity facility can be designated ‘Baby-Friendly’ when it does not accept free or low-cost breast milk substitutes, feeding bottles or treats and has implemented these 10 specific steps. As of November 2017, 467 U.S. hospitals and birth centers have earned the Baby-Friendly Designation.
We work with local, state and national partners to create Baby-Friendly hospitals in the greater Philadelphia area. Of the five Baby-Friendly facilities in Pennsylvania, three are members of MCC’s Philadelphia Breastfeeding Promotion Multi-Hospital Task Force with the support of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, MCC leads this task force and works with all Philadelphia birthing hospitals to give babies a breastfeeding-friendly start. These hospitals joined forces and banned the formula discharge bag city-wide! Going beyond the city-borders, MCC facilitates the Southeastern Pennsylvania Hospital Collaborative under the Keystone 10 initiative.
Baby-Friendly Hospitals in Philadelphia:
To learn more about this city-wide effort, contact Katja Pigur, Director of Breastfeeding Services at MCC
Resources:
Breastfeeding: It’s the Law
Federal, State and City Laws Protect the Right to Breastfeed
Breastfeeding in Public
State and city laws protect the right to breastfeed in public. In fact, Pennsylvania passed the Freedom To Breastfeed Act in 2007, protecting a mother’s right to breastfeed anywhere she has a right to be. Philadelphia has a similar ordinance protecting a family’s right to breastfeed. Breastfeeding and incidental exposure of breasts during breastfeeding are not considered a nuisance, indecent exposure, sexual conduct, or obscenity.
If you are a business owner in the Philadelphia area and you would like to let your patrons know that you are a Breastfeeding-Friendly Business, get MCC’s “Breastfeeding Welcome Here” decal by submitting our online form.
Breastfeeding Mothers at Work
Federal and city laws require employers to support breastfeeding mothers in the workplace. These laws ensure that a breastfeeding employee has reasonable break time to express milk in a clean, private and non-bathroom space.
MCC is an experienced provider of technical assistance and can help you comply with the law. For more information contact Katja Pigur, Director of Breastfeeding Services at MCC.
Breastfeeding Rights Questions
For public breastfeeding issues in the city:
For issues at work:
Resources:
U.S. Department of Labor provides an excellent overview of the federal law and resources for employers and employees.
Other resources:
Northeast MOMobile Classic &
Breastfeeding Support
MOMobile is a free and voluntary home visiting program that provides support and education to help you with the changes and challenges that come with pregnancy and parenting.
MOMobile promotes healthy pregnancies, positive parenting, breastfeeding and overall family health and wellbeing. You are eligible for services if you are pregnant or have a child under 6 months old and live in North, Northeast or Northwest Philadelphia.
Breastfeeding & Doula Program
North Philadelphia Breastfeeding and Community Doula Program
Thanks to the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, our community-based breastfeeding and doula program improves the health and wellbeing of children and families in North Philadelphia and beyond.
Our Certified Lactation Counselors (CLC) offer free, culturally connected breastfeeding
support to families via phone and in-home consultations.
A Community Doula is trained to provide physical, emotional and informational support to a woman and her family during pregnancy, labor, childbirth, and the postpartum period. A Community Doula comes from the same community as the families she assists, providing them with more culturally and linguistically appropriate support.
Community doulas offer:
Community Engagement
We offer birth and breastfeeding workshops and presentations throughout the community
We host free yearly trainings where participants have an opportunity to learn and share in a group setting. An environment of community, respect and trust supports a transformational experience.
Session topics include:
