Cooper University Health Care wholeheartedly supports your decision to continue breast-feeding your baby once you return to work.
To make that decision as convenient as possible, we want to share some important information about the Cooper Employee Lactation Support (CELS) program, including lactation lounges, which are private, comfortable, safe places for you to maintain your breastfeeding routine during your work hours.
In its efforts to join the global Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund, Cooper has created this program to give new mothers the information, confidence, and skills they need to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. Cooper employees are an integral part of the program’s success.
Lactation Lounges
Lactation lounges were created to allow breastfeeding Cooper employees to comfortably and safely express milk as they continue a breastfeeding routine that works for them and their babies.
The lounges are located on the third floor of Dorrance (suite 324) and in the Conference Center. The lounge in the Dorrance Building has a coded door entry to ensure employees’ privacy, and it features two curtained pumping stations complete with hospital-grade electric pumps. Team members must provide their own flanges, milk storage bags, and other breastfeeding supplies.
This lounge also features a small refrigerator with bottled water to promote hydration; however, NO MILK may be stored in this refrigerator. The lounge in the Conference Center is available for one team member at a time and has a locked door for privacy. At this time, there is no hospital-grade pump in this lounge, so you will need to use your personal electric pump to express milk for your baby.
How to Participate in the CELS Program
To join the Cooper Employee Lactation Support program, please contact Cooper’s Lactation Consultants directly at 856.342.3283. The Consultants will be able to provide you with current information on each room and can offer support and assistance with questions or needs.
For More Information
There are several online resources to help you learn more about returning to work while breastfeeding, including:
- womenshealth.gov — This is a project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health.
- familydoctor.org — The American Academy of Family Physicians provides a host of online health information. Simply type “breastfeeding” in the search bar.