On Thursday, February 1st, the Polytechnic University of San Luis Potosí (UPSLP) held the inauguration of the “UPSLP Lactation Room”, as part of the fulfillment of a promise and support from our governor, Ricardo Gallardo Cardona and Ruth González Silva, President of the State System for the Integral Development of the Family of San Luis Potosí (State DIF), that a space like this could be created for the benefit of mothers who belong to the UPSLP community.
The Lactation Room is located in the Academic Unit of Teachers and Students 4 (UAME4), on the ground floor of the building. It is a space for mothers who work or study to feed their babies or express and store their milk while they finish their work or academic activities in order to take it back home. Starting Friday, February 6th, they will have at their disposal a hygienic and safe place where they will be able to carry out this work.
In addition, this room will provide comfort for breastfeeding mothers with a comfortable seat, a place to put belongings, a sink, changing table and a minibar so that they can store the milk that was expressed. It also has adequate ventilation and lighting, electrical power connectors, being a space that guarantees security and privacy.
The inauguration was carried out by Virginia Zúñiga Maldonado, General Director of the State System for the Integral Development of the Family of San Luis Potosí, on behalf of Ruth González Silva, President of the State System for the Integral Development of the Family of San Luis Potosí; Néstor Eduardo Garza Álvarez, Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of the Government of the State of San Luis Potosí; Jorge Martín Hernández López, Head of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education of the Government of the State of San Luis Potosí, on behalf of Juan Carlos Torres Cedillo, Secretary of Education of the Government of the State of San Luis Potosí; Dr. Mario Alberto Martínez Rojas, Rector of the Polytechnic University of San Luis Potosí; Dr. Martha Angélica De la Rosa Hernández, Academic Vice-Rector; Yadira Edith Brann González, Head of the Human Resources Department; and Johana Saydeé Ramírez Rojas, Head of the University Extension Department.
Dr. Martha De la Rosa said that the reality experienced by many working women is that, despite knowing the benefits of breastfeeding, it is interrupted when they return to work and, unfortunately, there are not adequate conditions in the workplace for the extraction and storage of breast milk. She stressed that breastfeeding is an invaluable gift that mothers offer their children, from the moment of their birth, because it not only provides essential nutrients but also establishes a bond that cannot be replaced between mother and child. As a university, we support mothers who are in this process, recognizing the importance of breastfeeding, and promote an environment that allows each and every one of the women to exercise their right to feed their children in this natural and special way.
In her message, Johana Ramírez highlighted that breastfeeding is the bond of love that makes children strong and healthy, so today begins a new stage on our campus with the inauguration of this safe and adapted space for women. She emphasized that lactation rooms are important because they allow women to exercise the right to breastfeeding in conditions of quality and warmth in their workplace and, in addition, they allow women to develop, at the same time, in the professional and family spheres. She was grateful that this initiative will be carried out, because, previously, many mothers had the problem of not having a safe space for this activity and now, the colleagues of the UPLSP community will have the possibility of making use of the breastfeeding room.
For his part, Néstor Garza stressed that, today, any workplace that has a certain number of women or who are at a stage of their life that are potential users has the obligation to have a quality space for breastfeeding, being specified in the Federal Labor Law. He explained that there are situations in which women cannot breastfeed their babies or that there are hyperlactation syndromes, which require them to use the lactation room every hour and a half. Due to these circumstances, it is important to raise awareness about this issue not only for women but also for men. He invited the community to make this issue visible with colleagues, students, teachers and administrators to take advantage of this space.
Finally, in her message, Virginia Zuñiga, on behalf of Ruth González and Mr. Ricardo Gallardo, wished the UPSLP much success in the opening of the lactation room. expressed that she is confident that this space will have a great positive impact on the lives of the people who will use this room, and recognized UPSLP for taking an important step in supporting motherhood in the workplace and with the commitment to equal opportunities. She congratulated the UPSLP for the creation of this breastfeeding room with which it takes a step forward towards equity and inclusion, being a constant reminder of the commitment it has to women, working mothers, students and their families, and inspiring the creation of continuous actions for an equitable and better future for all. She stressed that the State DIF works in collaboration with municipalities and communities throughout the state to create an environment that supports breastfeeding so that mothers have the tools and support they need for this process.
The Polytechnic University of San Luis Potosí highlights that breastfeeding centers favor the exercise of women’s labor rights as well as the rights to health, nutrition, and care for children, mothers, and families. The university highlights the wide range of benefits that breastfeeding has for children for healthy growth and maternal bonding since breast milk contains all the nutrients that an infant needs during the first six months of life, including fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water, so the baby does not need to ingest any other liquids or food, in addition to providing bioactive factors that strengthen the immature immune system of the newborn, providing protection against respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. It also contributes to the health of mothers, in the prevention of diseases, where it has an antidepressant effect. Other benefits are that breastfeeding moms consume between 500 and 600 calories a day, which is equivalent to an hour of exercise, and it reduces the risk of having type 2 diabetes by up to 32%, the risk of breast cancer by 26% and the risk of ovarian cancer by 37%, so it is important to encourage and promote breastfeeding; Finally, it has economic benefits.
