A recent survey found that most women don’t know the benefits they’re eligible to receive when carrying a child.
A thousand expecting mothers were surveyed across the country. Only 18 percent of them knew of all the assistance they can receive under the Affordable Care Act.
The act provides expecting mothers with breast pumps and lactation consultant sessions at no cost. It also states that employers are required to provide mothers pump breaks.
Shari Criso is a nurse midwife and board certified lactation consultant.
“These are benefits that have been in place for eight years and were put there because they really do help moms achieve their short term and long term breastfeeding goals, but with over 82 percent of moms not knowing they exist obviously they don’t work.”
Criso said babies that breastfeed long-term are typically healthier. The breastfeeding standard is six months to a year, but because so many mothers don’t know their options they often stop sooner.
She said if mothers were more aware of assistance options they might breastfeed longer, which would make for healthier babies.
More information on the survey can be found here.