Phillip Atherton and Christine Buttrick publish article in ‘American Nurses Association of Maine Journal’ on breastfeeding rights in the workplace

Phillip Atherton and Christine Buttrick, both seniors in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, published an article in the May 2015 issue of American Nurses Association Maine Journal on increasing employer awareness of the law that protects breastfeeding mothers in the workplace.

"Support for Breastfeeding Mothers: Are You Violating the Law?" discusses the "Break Time for Nursing Mothers" law in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed by President Obama, which requires employers to provide an opportunity for nursing mothers to breastfeed during the work day.

The article states that employers should include the following to breastfeeding mothers: a private space other than a bathroom, a reasonable amount of time allotted for break, a sign or decal outside the designated room, and a comfortable place to sit in solitude.

Accompanying the article are photos of both poor and good examples of workplace nursing areas.

Read the article