Aeroflow Healthcare Survey: New Moms Still Face Overwhelming Lack of Support when Breastfeeding or Breast Pumping in Public, from Both Men and Women
Aeroflow Healthcare announced the results of a proprietary survey designed to highlight the general lack of acceptance and support towards new moms who breastfeed or breast pump in public.
ASHEVILLE, N.C., June 18, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Aeroflow Healthcare, an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company, today announced the results of a proprietary survey designed to highlight the general unacceptance and lack of support towards new moms who breastfeed or breast pump in public. The third party-administered survey polled 1,048 adults living in the United States and was completed over a span of three days in May 2019. To download the full survey results, please click here.
Notable survey results include:
- 1-in-4 women (25%) and 1-in-5 men (22%) find breastfeeding/pumping in public inappropriate.
- Significantly more men than women do not believe women should be allowed to breastfeed or pump in a retail establishment (41% vs 34%) or restaurant/coffee shop (44% vs 34%).
- 1-in-5 men (20%) do not believe public spaces should provide a lactation room, which is significantly more than the 7% of women who believe the same.
- 1-in-4 women (28%) do not believe new moms should be allowed to breastfeed or pump in clear view of the public as opposed to just over 1-in-5 men (22%).
- Women are more likely to feel uncomfortable when seeing a woman breastfeed or pump in public because they find it too personal—about 1-in-3 women (30%), as opposed to just under 1-in-4 men (24%).
- More than 1-in-5 men (21%) do not think employers should be required to allow breaks during the work day for new moms to pump, compared to just 9% of women.
- An overwhelming amount of men—more than 2-in-5 (41%)—do not believe employers should be required to provide a lactation room for breast pumping, and a concerning number of women feel the same, more than 1-in-5 (23%).
- Almost half of men (46%) and about 1-in-5 women (24%) do not think employers with unconventional workplaces (police officers, firefighters, teachers, construction, etc.) should be required to have a lactation room.
The survey results clearly show that despite breastfeeding advocacy and national campaigns designed to bring awareness to challenges new moms face in public as well as the workplace, significant advancements have yet to be made. In particular, the notion that 1-in-4 people (25%) do not believe a new mom should be allowed to breastfeed or pump in clear view of the public if a lactation room or dedicated area is not provided and that more than 1-in-3 people (38%) do not believe new moms should be allowed to breastfeed or pump in a restaurant, a public place of eating, is disturbing. This lack of public awareness, combined with the challenges women face in the workforce, particularly for those in unconventional workplaces such as police officers, firefighters, and teachers, shows America still has a far way to go. The idea that a female professional can dedicate her life to serving the public, but not receive support in feeding their child, is unfortunate.
"It's discouraging that new moms still do not have the broad support from both men and women in this country to breastfeed in a public setting," said Jennifer Jordan, Aeroflow Healthcare Director of Mom and Baby. "These attitudes make it challenging for women to confidently return to work, run errands or visit a restaurant without without the fear or anxiety of being shamed. Considering the health benefits to both mom and baby, breastfeeding and pumping should be strongly encouraged and normalized in all settings."
"We hope this study raises awareness of the pressure and discomfort new moms endure when trying to feed their babies in public, and causes the population to develop an appreciation and sensitivity towards these women—being a mom is not easy and being surrounded by critics certainly does not help. Aeroflow proudly supports all new moms on their breastfeeding journey and remains committed to providing them with the highest quality tools, resources and medical devices to help them achieve their goals."
About Aeroflow Healthcare
Aeroflow Healthcare was founded Asheville, NC in 2001 as a home oxygen provider, and has since grown to become one of the leading durable medical equipment providers nationwide. For three consecutive years, Aeroflow has been ranked on Inc. Magazine's List of 5000 Fastest Growing Companies. In 2017, Aeroflow was also awarded the HME Excellence Award for Best Home Medical Equipment Provider and has been recognized as a business offering top-notch benefits to employees with the Great Place to Work Award. Aeroflow is an accredited Medicare and Medicaid provider and accepts most commercial insurance. To learn more about Aeroflow Healthcare and getting medical equipment through insurance, visit Aeroflowinc.com.
SOURCE Aeroflow Healthcare
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