August is National Breastfeeding Month, a time to celebrate and promote awareness around breastfeeding (also sometimes referred to as chestfeeding) and to commit to supporting all parents who choose to do so. It is also a time to recognize structural inequities that can often make it difficult for some parents to nurse on their own terms, and to recommit to the solutions they need to manage their lactation needs without stigma, discrimination, or risking a pay cut.
For over two years, the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act and Pregnant Workers Fairness Act have together given workers nationwide the right to break time and private space as well as reasonable workplace accommodations to pump milk on the job. These laws have made an impact in the lives of millions of workers nationwide, and we’re continuing to equip workers with information about their rights to access break time and space to pump on the job, as well as lactation-related accommodations at work.
Laws that help workers manage their lactation needs are critical to helping ensure they can nurse on their own terms, especially for workers in low-wage, physically-demanding jobs where employers may otherwise not provide them with lactation accommodations. While the passage of the PWFA and PUMP Act marked huge steps forward, our work to ensure all parents’ lactation needs are fully supported doesn’t stop here. Without a national legal right to paid leave, a shocking 1 in 4 mothers return to work within just two weeks of giving birth, which can put pressure on them to interrupt or forgo nursing. A federal right to paid family and medical leave would ensure all workers can take the time they need to both recover from childbirth and establish nursing during this critical time if they choose to do so.
Additionally, transgender and non-binary parents often face additional stigma in advocating for their lactation-related needs at work. As a result, it’s especially important to ensure they’re able to access accurate, inclusive information about their legal rights to accommodations on the job, especially amidst widespread attacks on trans parents and families.
The decision to nurse and/or pump is personal and unique to every new parent, and everybody who chooses to do so deserves to be fully supported at work and beyond. This month, we must recognize that for many workers, this choice is often informed by whether or not they can access the time and accommodations they need at work without risking their job or paycheck. We are working toward a future where new parents can manage their health and feed their babies as they see fit without fear of risking their financial insecurity.