Medical experts agree that breastfeeding has profound positive physiological and psychological impacts on both mothers and babies. However, breastfeeding can be a challenging journey for mothers due to lack of information, support, and access to private facilities. This is especially true for mothers in male-dominated careers, like STEM (and especially more challenging for students without their own private offices).

This week, we ask you to respond to the US White House’s opposition to an international resolution that promotes breastfeeding.

US federal laws mandate that nursing women need to be provided both breaks during the day and appropriate (non-bathroom) locations to express milk. We invite you to advocate on behalf of either yourselves - if you are nursing mothers - or on behalf of your co-workers to ensure that your place of employment has proper lactation accommodations. If you are a conference organizer, please make sure that your meeting venue has a lactation facility.

We also invite you to support organizations, such as La Leche League, “Make the Breast Pump Not Suck”, and mamava, that provide education to and advocacy for nursing mothers.

Lastly, if you are currently nursing, consider participating in the Big Latch On August 3rd-5th, which is an international event that aims to support, promote, and normalize breastfeeding.