WONGDOODY and MomsRising Launch #IPumpedHere Campaign to Support Breastfeeding Moms

National Campaign Pushes for “Pumpers Rights” Including Facilities and Break Time

Los Angeles, CA – May 22, 2017 – Independent ad agency WONGDOODY and non-profit advocacy group MomsRising have teamed up to launch #IPumpedHere, a multi-faceted campaign to drive attention to the serious lack of clean, legal places for breastfeeding mothers to pump when they return to work. Through social media channels and advocacy resources at www.IPumpedHere.org, the campaign empowers breastfeeding moms and those who love them to share their pumping experiences as a creative tool to urge employers and lawmakers to expand protections for breastfeeding moms at work.

Medical guidelines recommend that new mothers breastfeed exclusively for six months and continue breastfeeding for at least one year, but many women, particularly women of color, face significant roadblocks in reaching those goals. Today a full 60% of U.S. working mothers do not have access to proper pumping facilities or adequate break time at work, though these things are required of most employers under federal law. Furthermore, millions of working mothers face loopholes leaving them with no protections at all. These statistics will only worsen if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

The #IPumpedHere initiative sheds light on the challenges working women face while pumping, through two :30 spots and dedicated social media channels encouraging women to share their pumping horror stories with the campaign hashtag. The videos and social media feeds will drive viewers to www.IPumpedHere.org to learn about pumping rights, share information and resources with employers and advocates, and sign a petition for lawmakers.

“Pumping rights is an issue that’s often overlooked, even though inadequate conditions and break time are incredibly common problems that can really have a negative impact on working mothers,” shared Skyler Mattson, Managing Director at WONGDOODY. “This issue impacts women from all walks of life, in all types of jobs, and employers and lawmakers alike must go farther in order to truly protect the needs of breastfeeding working moms. With the Affordable Care Act in a state of uncertainty, now is the time to shine light on this issue and make sure women are protected in the future.”

“Studies have shown that breastfeeding means healthier moms and babies – and the benefits extend to businesses too because healthier families mean less employee absenteeism and higher productivity. While 75% of American moms start out breastfeeding, the lack of clean, accessible places to pump means that that number drops significantly by the time a child reaches three months old,” explained Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising. “That’s why it is so important to highlight the need for clean, safe, accessible places for new mothers to pump. Our hope is that the #IPumpedHere campaign shows the impact of inadequate working conditions on new mothers and encourages all employers to create safe spaces for moms to pump.”

About WONGDOODY
WONGDOODY is an independently owned, full-service advertising agency with offices in Seattle and Los Angeles. Its inclusive process of Creative Democracy has fueled the agency for over twenty years, fostering multi-award-winning creative and a culture that consistently makes WONGDOODY one of the “best places to work” according to Ad Age, the Puget Sound Business Journal, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. WONGDOODY’s clients include Amazon, T-Mobile, Air New Zealand, and Papa Murphy’s Pizza; agency billings currently top $142 million. www.WONGDOODY.com

ABOUT MOMSRISING
MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women—particularly moms and women of color— and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.