Across North Carolina, teachers and students have spoken out about the challenges of breastfeeding and pumping in schools. Their words paint a vivid picture of what too many families face every day.
One teacher shared: “By mid-day, my boobs were so full that I just began leaking everywhere. I’m here teaching these babies basic life skills, and I don’t even have the time to provide my own baby with food for survival.”
Another recalled: “With my first baby, I was given no time to pump during End of Course testing… I leaked through my shirt and my jacket and my shoes were soaked in milk. I developed mastitis because I couldn’t pump when I needed to. Eventually, I left the teaching profession. It was a choice between the well-being of my children and my profession. I choose family.”
Others described unsafe or humiliating conditions:
- “I had no private space to pump, so I ended up sitting on the bathroom floor with my pump plugged into an outlet by the sink.”
- “I have a friend who had a custodian walk in on her pumping, even though her door was locked and she had a sign up saying to come back later.”
These voices highlight the urgent need for schools that respect and support breastfeeding families.
The Proposal for Change
The North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition (NCBfC) has put together a statewide Lactation Accommodation Policy Proposal to ensure:
- Protected lactation breaks (15–30 minutes every 3–4 hours).
- Private, sanitary lactation spaces that are not bathrooms.
- Protection from discrimination or retaliation.
- Compliance and accountability through clear enforcement measures.
Models of Success
Several districts—Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Orange County, Richmond County, Robeson County, and Montgomery County—have already created breastfeeding-friendly policies and spaces. Their success shows that when schools prioritize families, teachers stay longer, job satisfaction increases, and student and staff health improves overall.
It’s time to make these supports available in every district.
Read the full proposal below: