--- title: Guides to Breastfeeding and Working date: 2013-11-07T20:39:30-05:00 author: OBOS Admin canonical_url: "https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog/guides-to-breastfeeding-and-working" section: Blog (Archive) --- [Donate](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/donate) [From the Archives of Our Bodies, Our Blog](/blog)# Guides to Breastfeeding and Working By Rachel Walden • November 7, 2013 Please note: This entry -- originally posted at [Our Bodies, Our Blog](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog) -- has not been updated since the publication date listed above. The American College of Nurse-Midwives recently published a free [guide to breastfeeding and working](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jmwh.12134/full "Breastfeeding and Working"), which carries tips for preparing to go back to work full-time, what to look for in a breast pump, how often to pump, and how to store milk. The suggestions are very practical, although some -- such as working part-time or working from home for a while -- are not realistic for many women, especially in non-office or hourly jobs. Newer legal protections for breastfeeding workers, however, should make some aspects of breastfeeding and work a little easier to manage. One rarely mentioned benefit of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is that the act amended the [Fair Labor Standards Act](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Labor_Standards_Act "Wikipedia overview of the FLSA") to require employers to provide breaks for nursing mothers to express breast milk for a year after the child’s birth. Workplaces with 50 or more employees [are required](http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.pdf "Department of Labor Fact Sheet #73: Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA") to provide “a reasonable amount” of break time for expressing milk as often as needed, as well as a functional space for pumping that is *not* a bathroom. The employers are not required to pay for the time of these breaks. Employers with fewer than 50 employees might be exempt if they claim it creates a “hardship,” so it’s important to check on if you work for a small business. The Department of Labor [provides more resources](http://www.dol.gov/whd/nursingmothers/ "Dept of Labor info and resources on break time for nursing mothers") on this topic for workers and employers. Some [states also have laws](http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx "National Conference of State Legislatures state-by-state info on breastfeeding laws") that protect breastfeeding women in the workplace. Where the state law does a better job of protecting workplace breastfeeding/pumping, the state law is what applies. --- #### 2 Responses Our Bodies Ourselves is no longer able to accept comments. **Ayesha** on Nov 07, 2013 Speaking of those new requirements.... http://slate.me/1hoHtZk **Breastfeeding @ MotherhoodCenter** on Nov 12, 2013 It's great that you have this guide to Breastfeeding because it's very important, health-wise, that a newborn be breast fed, whether or not Mom is working! ![](/assets/img/monogram.webp)Topics - [Activism & Resources](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog/topic/activism-resources) - [Breastfeeding](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog/topic/breastfeeding) ![](/assets/img/monogram.webp)### *Why You Can* **Trust Us** - We rigorously evaluate all content - We embrace a reproductive justice framework - We don’t accept ads or sell products - We reject funding from the pharmaceutical industry - We counter misinformation and disinformation - We address the social, political, and economic factors that affect health and sexuality [read more](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/why-you-can-trust-us) Share [](javascript:void();)[](javascript:void();)[](javascript:void();)[](javascript:void();)