Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite
Faculty and staff, along with their families, play an important role in Baylor University’s culture and success. Baylor University is dedicated to fostering healthy babies and families and is proud to announce our Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The designation recognizes our efforts to offer parents additional support through establishment of our Lactation Accommodation Policy BU-PP 416.
While more than 75 percent of new Texas mothers breastfeed their babies, many mothers feel that they cannot continue to breastfeed if they return to work. We hope to make the transition back to work easier for faculty and staff and wish to support them in their decision should they choose to breastfeed their children. Leading medical and health organizations report that breastfeeding is the best form of infant nutrition. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants receive nothing but breastmilk for the first six months of life, with continued breastfeeding for at least a year or more.
Baylor University has established the following programs and procedures to meet the requirements of the Texas Mother-Friendly Employer Designation:
- Tolerance: A supportive, respectful environment includes a workplace that does not tolerate comments or actions that may dissuade lactating mothers from taking the time necessary for milk expression.
- Time: Work schedule and work pattern flexibility will be provided to accommodate a reasonable break time for faculty and staff to express breast milk for up to one year after the child's birth.
- Space and Storage: Baylor University shall provide a private, accessible area, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from colleagues and the public, for the purpose of expressing breast milk each time such faculty or staff member needs to express the milk.
Baylor University is proud to join thousands of other businesses across Texas that provide lactation support for their employees. We are pleased that our breastfeeding faculty and staff can successfully merge their important priorities of family and work through onsite lactation support.
Additional information regarding Baylor University’s lactation accommodation policy, as well as resources, may be found on our Lactation Accommodation webpage. To view Baylor University’s listing in the Texas Mother-Friendly directory, click here.
