Why Support for Lactating Parents at Work Matters
For many postpartum mothers returning to work, balancing employment, personal recovery, newborn care, and household responsibilities can feel overwhelming. Melanie, a nurse, returned to work just eight weeks after giving birth. She understood the benefits of human milk and hoped to breastfeed her baby for at least six months.
“I saw myself pumping in the car on my way to work,” Melanie shared. “My job requires constant movement, and I had about ten minutes and my lunch break to find a space to pump.”
Her experience is not unique. Many lactating parents want to continue breastfeeding but struggle to fit pumping into an already demanding workday. For many families, breastfeeding declines not due to a lack of effort or desire, but because workplace support and understanding are not always there when they are needed most.North America has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, and the drop happens fast. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breastfeeding rates decline by 38% within just three months. Although support exists for nursing or pumping in public and at work, many families find that navigating those supports—and feeling comfortable using them—can be the hardest part.
Image by Statista
What California Law Requires
In California, breastfeeding parents are protected by both federal and state law. At the federal level, the PUMP Act (Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers), signed into law in 2022, expanded the Fair Labor Standards Act and strengthened workplace protections for lactating employees. The law requires employers to provide lactation accommodations and maintain a written policy outlining employees’ breastfeeding rights.
California law provides stronger workplace lactation support than federal guidelines, generally requiring employers to offer a private, enclosed space for pumping for up to two years after birth. For smaller workplaces, flexibility is allowed so that employers can provide reasonable accommodations even if a dedicated room isn’t available. The space must be private and functional, with a seat, a flat surface, access to electricity and a nearby handwashing facility. A compliant lactation space cannot be a restroom or a location that is far from the employee’s work area.
Employers should also allow employees to store expressed milk in a refrigerator or offer an alternative storage option, such as a cooler, when a refrigerator is not available.
Employers play a key role in providing reasonable break times for employees to pump at work. Expressing milk can take place during existing paid breaks, such as a regular 10-minute break. If pumping takes longer, additional time may be unpaid, while still ensuring employees can pump without negative consequences.
A restroom is not a lactation room.
While these requirements establish clear protections, how they are experienced day to day can look very different. Some workplaces meet the minimum standard, while others take care to create environments where pumping is planned for, respected, and integrated into the workday rather than treated as an interruption.
When Pumping at Work Feels Difficult
If you’re finding that lactation support at work isn’t meeting your needs, consider starting with a conversation. Many issues can be resolved by clearly sharing what would help you continue pumping or nursing while working. Approaching the discussion with specific examples of what’s not working—and what would—can make it easier to find a solution together.
You don’t have to navigate this alone. Many parents find it helpful to connect with others who are returning to work while breastfeeding, whether through workplace parent groups, local community organizations, or online forums. Hearing how others have approached similar situations can offer reassurance, practical ideas, and a sense of confidence as you move forward.
If additional guidance is needed, you may choose to explore publicly available workplace lactation resources or connect with organizations that specialize in employment or family support to better understand your options. These resources can help you feel informed and supported as you decide next steps that are right for you and your family.
How Workplace Culture Shapes Lactation Support
Workplace culture plays a powerful role in whether lactation support feels accessible in everyday life. When parents are able to comfortably use the support available to them, pumping and nursing become visible, normalized, and woven into the rhythm of the workday. The difference often lies not in written policies, but in how those policies are understood and supported in practice.
Across the United States, some employers are choosing to lead by creating environments where pumping is anticipated, respected, and thoughtfully integrated into work routines. In these workplaces, lactation is treated as a normal part of employee well-being rather than an exception that requires special permission. Highlighting these examples helps set a higher standard and shows what’s possible when support is built into workplace culture—not just acknowledged on paper.
Building supportive workplace culture doesn’t happen by accident—it’s shaped by the choices employers make every day. Mothers’ Milk Bank California is proud to launch the Best Place to Pump Awards, a first-of-its-kind program that celebrates workplaces where lactation support is thoughtfully planned for, respected, and fully integrated into daily operations. By lifting up these examples, the program helps shift expectations and shows what’s possible when organizations choose to lead with care. If you know a workplace that supports breastfeeding families, we invite you to nominate them and help inspire a more supportive future for working parents.
