On March 30, 2010, the Affordable Care Act was signed, requiring employers across the country to provide ample accommodations for their breastfeeding employees. However, many lactating people still struggle to thrive in a system of obstacles influenced by social and political pressures that stigmatize breastfeeding. In an effort to overcome these issues, WSU Vancouver’s lactation room provides a private space for parents on campus who are balancing child care and their education.
“I was fortunate to find a bathroom that has a single stall, so it was not where anyone else could walk in. But that is not a great situation either. [WSU Vancouver’s lactation room] is quiet, it is private. You do not feel like anybody’s gonna come wandering in on you. It is kind of an offset area.” – Angela Dawson
Elizabeth Soliday, professor of human development at WSU Vancouver, says prejudice surrounding breastfeeding is rooted in policy, misunderstanding of human nourishment and the sexualization of breasts. As of 2018, legislation has been passed in all 50 states to allow for public breastfeeding, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, making the U.S. one of the most recent nations protecting this right.
“There was a wave of legislation during the Obama administration and the ACA that employers had to provide spaces for breastfeeding women to pump milk, and most businesses responded by saying ‘use the bathroom.’ A bathroom is a place where we eliminate waste from our bodies and you’re asking somebody basically to go prepare food in a bathroom? This reflects, I’d like to say, ignorance on the issue,” Soliday said.
Even though the ACA requires employers to provide a space for lactation, the conditions are often less than satisfactory. Angela Dawson, Clark College’s nursing program support supervisor, says it was difficult to find a comfortable space to breastfeed her child.
“I was fortunate to find a bathroom that has a single stall, so it was not where anyone else could walk in. But that is not a great situation either,” Dawson said. “[WSU Vancouver’s lactation room] is quiet, it is private. You do not feel like anybody’s gonna come wandering in on you. It is kind of an offset area.”
According to Soliday, public harassment against breastfeeding people is becoming less common as people educate themselves on lactation. Nevertheless, ignorance surrounding breastfeeding still creates a collective sense of shame and embarrassment.
“Some women are very comfortable using what they do to educate other people and break those barriers. We are in a transition zone where people are becoming more comfortable with their behavior, but it should not be on [breastfeeding people] to break those barriers. I am really amazed at women who have the courage to do that, but it really should not be on them — it is a larger cultural issue,” Soliday said.
While breastfeeding in public is sometimes perceived as controversial, the parental decision to bottle-feed one’s child can also receive judgment. This was the case for Nicki Segura, a junior strategic communication major and mother to her 4-year-old son.
“My husband’s family is more traditional, and they would [say] pumping is the best medical option, they didn’t understand that I was not able to. You feel like a failure. You feel incompetent,” Segura said.
Lactating people face several drawbacks when feeding their children, including stigmas surrounding the use of formula instead of breastmilk. High nutrition formulas are replacements for people who cannot, or choose not to breastfeed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“My son is thriving – he’s fine with formula, he’s very outgoing, [formula] doesn’t hinder the growth of a child,” Segura said.
(Rowan Segura/The VanCougar)
For those who do choose to breastfeed their infants, the U.S. Department of Labor encourages employers to provide private, hygienic spaces for lactating people to use breast pumps while at work. Specifically, the university’s new lactation room on campus is following suit by providing a secure place to breastfeed.
“As a student, you are always on the run and you try to find the most convenient thing. It’s beneficial, especially for staff. I think that [the lactation room] is really awesome,” Segura said.
Tucked neatly at the end of the second-floor hallway in the Clark College building, the lactation room has seating, a white noise machine, lockers and a refrigerator. According to Soliday, the refrigerator is vital for storing breast milk while on campus all day.
Even though WSU Vancouver is working to improve the lives of lactating people by providing the lactation room, there is always work to do when eliminating prejudice toward breastfeed- ing. Soliday says the students, faculty and staff who use the lactation room are motivating changes and bringing fresh perspectives to the university.
The lactation room is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Schedule an appointment by contacting nursedept@clark.edu with the subject line, “Lactation Room Scheduling.”
Bethanie is a senior studying environmental and ecosystem science at WSU Vancouver.