Lessons Learned During Large-Scale Implementation Project Focused on Workplace Lactation Practices and Policies.

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Public health policy
• Implementation science

Background:

• Translating evidence-based practices into real-world settings is crucial for public health.
• Work-site lactation accommodations are vital for supporting breastfeeding mothers and families.
• Limited research exists on the large-scale implementation of lactation policies in diverse work environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the implementation process of work-site lactation accommodations and policies.
• To assess the effectiveness and sustainability of newly developed or improved lactation spaces.
• To identify key lessons learned for guiding future work-site lactation initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A practice-based research project involving 34 businesses over 3 years.
• Development of work-site selection criteria and provision of mini-grants.
• Utilized pre-/post-implementation data via the CDC work-site scorecard and 6-month follow-up interviews.

Main Results:

• Successfully supported the development or improvement of 45 lactation spaces across 34 businesses.
• Lactation spaces remained in use at 6-month follow-up, indicating sustainability.
• Identified industry-specific challenges and practical lessons for implementing lactation spaces.

Conclusions:

• Work-site lactation accommodations and policies can be successfully implemented and sustained.
• Financial and technical support are effective in establishing supportive environments for breastfeeding employees.
• The study provides actionable insights for organizations aiming to enhance lactation support.