World Breastfeeding Week

In 2018, Lafayette General Medical Center became the first hospital in Lafayette to receive prestigious, international recognition as a designated Baby-Friendly birth facility. Now for 2019, we're partnering with the Acadiana Breastfeeding Coalition to show our support of breastfeeding.

Becoming a Baby-Friendly hospital is a comprehensive, detailed and thorough journey towards excellence in providing evidence-based maternity care with the goal of achieving optimal infant feeding outcomes and mother/baby bonding. Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this prestigious, international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. Since its birth in 2011, the Acadiana Breastfeeding Coalition (ABC) has made it their mission to make breastfeeding the "norm" in Acadiana which results in healthier babies, mothers and communities. Given the mission of ABC and LGMC's Baby-Friendly designation, this partnership is as natural as well - breastfeeding!

Below are the current laws regarding breastfeeding in Louisiana:

Breastfeeding in public:

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 51. 2247.1 (2001) states that a mother may breastfeed her baby in any place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement, and clarifies that breastfeeding is not a violation of law, including obscenity laws. The law leaves enforcement to the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights.

Child care facilities & breastfeeding infants:

RS 46:1407B(1)(e) (2013) prohibits any child care facility from discriminating against breastfed babies. The law leaves enforcement to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

Public school boards must have employee lactation policies for their school systems:

HB 635, Act No. 87– Enacts R.S. 17:81(W), relative to local school board powers and duties; to require city, parish, and other local public school boards to adopt policies to require schools to provide certain accommodations for employees to express breast milk.

Public Buildings – Accommodation for Breastfeeding and Lactation:

R.S. 49:148.4.1, will require at least 10 owned state owned buildings to provide/construct a space (that is not a bathroom) suitable for expressing milk and/or breastfeeding a child (should a private space be sought by the mother). Click here to read the full text of the law.

Louisiana Breastfeeding Sales Tax Exemption:

Act 331 of the 2011 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature enacts La. R.S. 47:305.67 to create an exemption from state sales and use tax for breastfeeding items beginning October 1, 2011.  For more information about the tax exemption click here. Address questions about the breastfeeding sales tax exemption to the Louisiana Department of Revenue Special Programs Division at 225-219-7462, Option 3, or by e-mail to sales.inquiries@la.gov.