Breastfeeding Room Established at Alicante Hospital to Support Work-Life Balance for Employees

Humanising the workplace environment is the aim of the management at Alicante General Hospital, following the establishment of a breastfeeding room to support the work-life balance of its female employees.

Located in the Obstetrics hospitalization unit (3rd D), the room ensures privacy and comfort for the staff, along with safe and hygienic conditions for the extraction and storage of breast milk, according to the Alicante hospital's statement.

Inés González, the Deputy Director of Nursing for Quality, Teaching, and Research, states that the initiative "provides crucial support for working mothers to continue breastfeeding, benefiting both their well-being and that of their babies. It also helps promote a work environment that prioritises balance, making it more humanised, healthy, and respectful."

González recalled that at Doctor Balmis Hospital, "we have a lactation room for mothers who give birth at the centre, also located in Obstetrics. For a time, it was also used by staff, but due to high demand for these facilities, it was decided to launch this project and establish this new humanised space, so that both admitted women and professionals can have their own lactation room and access it immediately."

"With this lactation room, ultimately, we promote breastfeeding and its numerous benefits for both the infant and the mother, the bond between them, and also facilitate work-life balance," emphasised Inés González.

The lactation room features three stations, two of which are equipped with electric pumps, and a third for those who prefer a manual pump or wish to have a companion. All three stations have comfortable chairs, making them suitable for both milk extraction and breastfeeding if needed. A refrigerator has also been installed for milk storage during work hours, and there is an adjacent restroom for hand and equipment hygiene.

The room has been designed to create a personalised space, decorated with vinyls and phrases highlighting the benefits of breastfeeding, aiming to generate a relaxing and pleasant environment for the staff.

In this regard, a mural with a tree has been installed in the centre of the room, with the trunk carved into the figure of a mother and her baby, accompanied by the phrase "Breastfeeding is a journey of discovery, patience, and unconditional love between mother and child. Share your experience," allowing women to leave their messages on the tree's leaves.