MOTHER'S DAY RALLY AT THE STATE CAPITOL
LARGE GROUP COMES OUT IN SUPPORT OF BREASTFEEDING

 HARRISBURG, MAY 7 – State Sen. Connie Williams brought together families from across the state to participate in a rally in the Main Rotunda in the state Capitol today. The group came together in support of breastfeeding.

 "Mother's Day weekend is traditionally the time when we all stop to think about the great gifts our mothers have given to us," Williams said. "It is the perfect time to talk about an important health issue for women – breastfeeding. We must work together to ensure that breastfeeding remains a viable option for new moms. This means that there must be education and better efforts to accommodate the needs of nursing moms. I have introduced legislation that would protect a woman's right to nurse in public locations where the women are otherwise permitted to be."

 Williams' legislation (S.B. 34) supports and protects a mother's right to breastfeed her child in public places. It was advanced on the Senate voting schedule to third consideration on May 2^nd. This means the measure is poised for a vote of the full Senate.

 According to Williams, the need for the legislation became obvious when women were asked to leave public malls, public schools and even airports for attempting to unobtrusively nurse their babies.

 "These have not been isolated incidents, although some of the women have been more vocal with their stories than others," Williams said. "For every story that appears in the media there is at least one to two more women who write, call or e-mail me to tell me their story. And I’m sure that I've only heard from a fraction of the women in Pennsylvania who have been impacted by this type of discrimination."

 Leigh Bellini of Reading was one such mom who was asked to leave a mall in Reading when she tried to find an out-of-the-way bench to nurse her baby. She shared her story and spoke out about the need to enact laws to protect mother's rights to nurse in public places.

"Women have faced many impediments when they tried to nurse their baby – from accommodations at the office or school to discrimination at restaurants and other public places," Williams said. "Today we are taking a stand in support of women and in support of healthy babies."

Women's breasts were created to nurse babies. Breastfeeding increases the bond between mother and child. It has been shown to lower the rate of sudden infant death syndrome, lower the potential risk of certain cancers and ensure children have fewer cavities.

In talking about the benefits of breastfeeding, Williams noted the positive effects it has on babies, mothers, the economy and the environment. For babies, breastfeeding supports optimal development and protects against acute and chronic illness, including some forms of cancer. Mothers who breastfeed recover from pregnancy and childbirth sooner than those who don’t. Breastfeeding reduces the need for costly health services that must be paid for by insurers, government, agencies or families. It reduces the number of sick days that families must use to care for their sick children. A recent study suggests that women who delay pregnancy past their mid-twenties may reduce their risk of breast cancer later in life by breastfeeding their babies.

“With all of these benefits, shouldn’t we make sure that every mom knows about breastfeeding and can take advantage of it,” Williams said.

The need to raise awareness and educate the public and new moms about the value of breastfeeding is great.

“Not only does the United States have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the industrialized world, but statistical surveys of families show that over half of mothers with children under one are in the labor force,” Williams said. “If we support breastfeeding mothers returning to work, mothers are more likely to be productive and loyal to the company.”

Williams is offering a package of bills to protect and support breastfeeding mothers and to help businesses to support them, as well.

Her bills would:

• protect the right of a mother to breastfeed her child in a public or private location where they are otherwise authorized to be present.

• ensure that a breastfeeding mother cannot be fired or discriminated against in the workplace for breastfeeding or expressing milk during lunches or breaks.

• allow tax credits to businesses that support breastfeeding mothers by establishing lactation programs, hiring a lactation consultant, or promoting a lactation-friendly work environment.

 In closing, Williams wished all of the moms – biological and adopted -- grandmothers, aunts and other adopted “moms” a happy Mother’s Day.