Federal and state laws protect a woman's right to breastfeed in public. Breastfeeding provides significant health benefits to both mother and child. However, some view public breastfeeding as inappropriate and discriminatory actions have been taken against mothers. Supporters argue society should normalize breastfeeding and change perspectives to support nursing mothers.

1. Women’s Rights to
Breastfeed in Public
By: Whitney Alfonse

2. Federal Law on Breastfeeding in Public
• Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breastfeed
her child at any location in a Federal building or on Federal property,
if the woman and her child are otherwise authorized to be present at
the location. (Federal Law)

3. Arkansas Breastfeeding Law
• Ark. Stat. Ann. § 5-14-112 (2007) defines indecent exposure and specifies
that a woman is not committing indecent exposure for breastfeeding a
child in a public place or any place where other individuals are present.
(2007 Ark. Acts, Act 680; HB 2411)
• Ark. Stat. Ann. § 11-5-116 (2009) requires an employer to provide
reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to
express breast milk for her child and requires an employer to make a
reasonable effort to provide a private, secure and sanitary room or other
location other than a toilet stall where an employee can express her
breast milk. (2009 Ark. Acts, Act 621, HB 1552)
• Ark. Stat. Ann. § 20-27-2001 (2007) allows a woman to breastfeed a child
in a public place or any place where other individuals are present. (2007
Ark. Acts, Act 680; HB 2411) (Breastfeeding State Laws)

4. Kansas Breastfeeding Law
• Kan. Stat. Ann. § 43-158 allows a mother breastfeeding her child to
be excused from jury service and allows jury service to be
postponed until the mother is no longer breastfeeding the child.
(2006 HB 2284)
• Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-1,248 provides that it is the public policy of
Kansas that a mother's choice to breastfeed should be supported
and encouraged to the greatest extent possible and that a mother
may breastfeed in any place she has a right to be. (Breastfeeding State
Laws)

5. Missouri Breastfeeding Law
• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 191.915 (1999) requires hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to
provide new mothers with a breastfeeding consultation or information on breastfeeding,
the benefits to the child and information on local breastfeeding support groups. The law
requires physicians who provide obstetrical or gynecological consultation to inform
patients about the postnatal benefits of breastfeeding. The law requires the Department
of Health to provide and distribute written information on breastfeeding and the health
benefits to the child. (SB 8)
• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 191.918 (1999, 2014) allows a mother, with discretion, to breastfeed
her child or express breast milk in any public or private location where the mother
is otherwise authorized to be. The law also states that breastfeeding a child or
expressing breast milk does not constitute sexual conduct or sexual contact as
defined in § 566.010, and is not considered an act of public indecency, indecent
exposure, lewd touching or obscenity. A municipality may not enact an ordinance
prohibiting or restricting a mother from breastfeeding or expressing breast milk in a
public or private location. (2014 HB 1320)
• 2014 Mo. House Bill 1320 allows a nursing mother, upon her request, and with a
completed written statement from her physician to the court certifying she is a nursing
mother, to be excused from service as a petit or grand juror. (Breastfeeding State Laws)

6. Oklahoma Breastfeeding Law
• Okla. Stat. tit. 38, § 28 (2004) exempts mothers who are breastfeeding a baby
from jury duty, upon their request. (2004 HB 2102)
• Okla. Stat. tit. 40, § 435 (2006) requires that an employer provide reasonable
unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to breastfeed or
express breast milk for her child. The law requires the Department of Health
to issue periodic reports on breastfeeding rates, complaints received and
benefits reported by both working breastfeeding mothers and employers.
(HB 2358)
• Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 1-234 (2004) allow a mother to breastfeed her child in
any location that she is authorized to be and exempts her from the crimes
and punishments listed in the penal code of the state of Oklahoma. (HB 2102)
(Breastfeeding State Laws)

7. Benefits to Breastfeeding Mother
• Many mothers feel fulfillment and joy from the physical and emotional communion they
experience with their child while nursing. These feelings are augmented by the release of
hormones such as prolactin, which produces a peaceful, nurturing sensation that allows you to
relax and focus on your child, and oxytocin, which promotes a strong sense of love and
attachment between the two of you.
• Mothers who breastfeed recover from childbirth more quickly and easily. The hormone oxytocin,
released during breastfeeding, acts to return the uterus to its regular size more quickly and can
reduce postpartum bleeding.
• Studies show that women who have breastfed experience reduced rates of breast and ovarian
cancer later in life.
• Some studies have found that breastfeeding may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes,
rheumatoid arthritis, and cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and high
cholesterol.
• Exclusive breastfeeding delays the return of the mother’s menstrual period (not always, but
usually), which can help extend the time between pregnancies. (Exclusive breastfeeding can
provide a natural form of contraception if the mother’s menses have not returned, the baby is
breastfeeding day and night, and the baby is less than six months old.) (healthychildren.org)

8. Benefits to Breastfed Infants
• Many studies show that breastfeeding strengthens the immune system. During nursing, the mother passes antibodies to the child,
which help the child resist diseases and help improve the normal immune response to certain vaccines.
• Respiratory illness is far more common among formula-fed children. In fact, an analysis of many different research studies concluded
that infants fed formula face a threefold greater risk of being hospitalized with a severe respiratory infection than do infants breast-
fed for a minimum of four months.
• Diarrheal disease is three to four times more likely to occur in infants fed formula than those fed breast milk.
• Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the likelihood of ear infections, and to prevent recurrent ear infections. Ear infections are a
major reason that infants take multiple courses of antibiotics.
• In developing countries, differences in infection rates can seriously affect an infant's chances for survival. For example, in Brazil, a
formula-fed baby is 14 times more likely to die than an exclusively breast-fed baby.
• Researchers have observed a decrease in the probability of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in breast-fed infants.
• Another apparent benefit from breastfeeding may be protection from allergies. Eczema, an allergic reaction, is significantly rarer in
breast-fed babies. A review of 132 studies on allergy and breastfeeding concluded that breastfeeding appears to help protect
children from developing allergies, and that the effect seems to be particularly strong among children whose parents have allergies.
(Benefits of Breastfeeding)

9. Benefits to Children that were Breastfed
• Infants who are breast-fed longer have fewer dental cavities throughout their lives.
• Several recent studies have shown that children who were breast-fed are significantly less likely to become obese later in childhood. Formula feeding is
linked to about a 20 to 30 percent greater likelihood that the child will become obese.
• Children who are exclusively breast-fed during the first three months of their lives are 34 percent less likely to develop juvenile, insulin-dependent
diabetes than children who are fed formula.
• Breastfeeding may also decrease the risk of childhood cancer in children under 15 years of age. Formula-fed children are eight times more likely to
develop cancer than children who are nursed for more than six months. (It is important to note that children who are breast-fed for less than six
months do not appear to have any decreased cancer risk compared to bottle-fed children.)
• As children grow into adults, several studies have shown that people who were breast-fed as infants have lower blood pressure on average than those
who were formula-fed. Thus, it is not surprising that other studies have shown that heart disease is less likely to develop in adults who were breast-fed
in infancy.
• Significant evidence suggests that breast-fed children develop fewer psychological, behavioral and learning problems as they grow older. Studies also
indicate that cognitive development is increased among children whose mothers choose to breastfeed.
• In researching the psychological benefits of breast milk, one researcher found that breast-fed children were, on average, more mature, assertive and
secure with themselves as they developed. (Benefits of Breastfeeding)

10. Cost Benefits of Breastfeeding
• Women who breastfeed avoid the financial burden of buying infant
formula, an average expense of $800 per year.
• Breast-fed babies are less likely to need excessive medical attention
as they grow. In one study, a group of formula-fed infants had
$68,000 in health care costs in a six-month period, while an equal
number of nursing babies had only $4,000 of similar expenses.
(Benefits of Breastfeeding)

11. Discrimination Against Breastfeeding in Public
• Case #1 – A young mother was breastfeeding her son at a restaurant when a man
who was there eating took a picture of the mother feeding her child without her
permission, and the man posted it on social media commenting about how rude
it was to breastfeed publicly when he was trying to have a meal with his family.
The mother was not exposed, showing her breasts in the restaurant.
• Case #2 – A young mother living in a Duplex breastfed her 1 year old child in the
back yard. Her neighbors were offended by it. She was out one day and when she
came home the plants in her garden had been destroyed. When the mother went
to management about it, he made a snide comment about the neighbors making
complaint and that if there were any more that he would have to evict her. Which
he had no legal ground to do so because the law protects her.
• Case #3 – Photos of mothers breastfeeding are being reported as inappropriate
pictures, while pictures of half naked and topless females is appropriate.

12. Acceptable Public Images in Society
(https://www.google.com/search?q=revealing+red+carpet+photos&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8Qq
MVdj3OIXfoASOgpagDA&ved=0CB4QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=613#imgrc=_)

13. Acceptable Public Images in Society
(http://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/Celebrities-Nude-Magazine-Covers-Pictures-34871575?stream_view=1#opening-slide)
(www.google.com/search?q=revealing+red+carpet+photos&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&sour
ce=univ&sa=X&ei=8QqMVdj3OIXfoASOgpagDA&ved=0CB4QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=613#imgrc=_)

14. Acceptable Live Performances in Society
(http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-style/news/pictures-whoa-miley-cyrus-dances-with-topless-stripper-
flashes-cleavage-in-tiny-cut-out-top-in-shocking-concert-2012912)
(http://www.nme.com/photos/music-s-25-wildest-publicity-stunts/210470#/photo/16)

15. Acceptable Live Performances in Society
(http://www.nme.com/photos/music-s-25-wildest-publicity-stunts/210470#/photo/16)

16. Unacceptable Images in Society
(http://www.tera.ca/photos13.html)

17. Unacceptable Images in Society
(http://www.tera.ca/photos13.html)

18. Society is Confused

19. Support Breastfeeding Mothers in Public
Changing Perspectives
• WE need to Normalize Breastfeeding and change society's perspectives
• This man’s perspective
• Watch his video below
• https://www.facebook.com/bfmamatalk/videos/vb.411182815596808/877451998969885/?type=2&theater

20. Works Cited
• "Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mom." HealthyChildren.org. American
Academy of Pediatrics, n.d. Web. 25 June 2015.
<https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-
stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Benefits-of-Breastfeeding-for-
Mom.aspx>.
• "Breastfeeding State Laws." Breastfeeding State Laws. National Conference
of State Legislatures, n.d. Web. 25 June 2015.
<http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx>.
• "Federal Law." Breastfeeding Law RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 June 2015.
<http://breastfeedinglaw.com/federal-law/>.
• "Issues: Health." Benefits of Breastfeeding. Natural Resources Defense
Council, n.d. Web. 25 June 2015.
<http://www.nrdc.org/breastmilk/benefits.asp>.