Breastfeeding Laws

"Babies are born to be breastfed!" - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Breastfeeding is Natural - Not Offensive

Nursing in public can be uncomfortable at first if you have concerns of offended someone. Relax, breastfeeding your child is perfectly and 100% natural. If someone is offended by it that is their own hang ups, you are doing nothing wrong when you nurse in public. There are state laws that say so, you can keep a print out of the breastfeeding state laws of the state that you live in if you are worried about someone accusing you of doing something that you are aloud to do.

If someone makes a comment, politely thank them for their opinion and don't worry about it. Nursing is natural, there is no reason that your baby has to eat in a fitting room or in the bathroom, yuck. You can nurse discretely without using a blanket, something your baby will likely not enjoy. Nurse in front of a mirror to see how much of your boobs are exposed when you are nursing, you'll be surprised just how good you get at getting the baby to latch on without anyone being able to see anything. Remember all you are doing is feeding your baby.

Know Your Rights - Some of the State Laws About Breastfeeding

Red Dots

There are a total of 39 states that have laws with language that specifically allows women to breastfeed in any private location or public private location.

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Wyoming

Blue Dots

There are 21 states that exempt breastfeeding from their public indecency laws.

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin

Green Dots

There are 13 states that have laws relating to breastfeeding in the workplace.

California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington

Yellow Dots

There are 12 states that exempt breastfeeding moms from jury duty.

California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia

Brown Dots

There are 4 states that have implemented or encouraged the development of a breastfeeding awareness education campaign

California, Illinois, Missouri, and Vermont

There are more laws that involve breastfeeding that are specific to particular states. You can find more specific information regarding breastfeeding laws for your state.

50 State Summary of Breastfeeding Laws