Position Paper on Breastfeeding and Work

The role of the lactation consultant is to provide care, problem-solving, education, and counseling to breastfeeding mothers and their families. These clinical services, however, make up just one part of the community system that supports women while they are breastfeeding their children. Mothers also need to be able to integrate breastfeeding with other activities, especially with the work that they do to earn income or to maintain their family and household, as well as their own self-care and leisure pursuits. In this position paper, the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) expresses its endorsement for women’s right to receive support for breastfeeding in the context of their paid and unpaid work. The paper also spells out the role of the Association and International Board Certified Lactation Consultants in reducing the barriers that mothers face as they seek to harmonize breastfeeding and work.