Advocates want Laramie businesses to be breastfeeding-friendly

A group of residents in Laramie are trying to make it easier for new mothers to breast feed their babies and go back to work. Women who breast feed their children typically have to pump milk during the workday, but many workplaces don’t give their employees time and space to do that. So the Laramie Breastfeeding Coalition is hosting a session to show local businesses how to be breast-feeding friendly. Sarah Pruis, who heads the breastfeeding coalition, says there are inexpensive things employers can do. “I was just hearing one story where they found kind of an old store room,” Pruis said, “and a couple moms needed a place to pump, and the room wasn’t being used, so they just cleaned it out. … It’s a great little breast feeding nook.” Pruis says blocking off a small corner of a break room with a cubicle wall also works. She added that there’s a payoff for businesses. “There’s a reduction in sick time, because breast feeding is healthier for the babies, so the children aren’t going to be as sick and the moms aren’t going to need to take off as much time,” she said. Plus, she feels employees will be happier and therefore may be more productive. The session that the Breast Feeding Coalition is hosting will be at noon on Wednesday at Ivinson Memorial Hospital.