Mom, group highlight ‘pump law’

CINCINNATI — This month marks National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, but one Ohio mom is now staying at home after breastfeeding struggles at work. One group is trying to help and highlight the "PUMP Act."

Kristina Boateng is a first-time mom who was trying to balance breast-feeding/pumping and working full time. She tried to do both but said she was isolated at work.

“I really felt overwhelmed at times,” said Boateng, “I did ask my employer where I could go to nurse. I was informed I could go into the electrical closet,” she said, “and then a few times, I had to use the restroom just to pump.”

It’s part of the reason she said she became a stay-at-home mom and left the work world.

“It shouldn’t feel as if, ‘oh, she’s just taking 90 more breaks.’ No, I’m not taking 90 more breaks, my child has to eat and so she’s co-dependent on me to make sure I produce the milk in a sanitary location,” said Boateng.

There’s a new federal law that went into effect this year.

It’s called the "PUMP Act." It states employers have to provide breaks and spaces other than a bathroom for moms to pump breast milk.

“When that law is not being, received or presented as an option, we know that there'll be lower numbers with families returning back to work," said Program Coordinator Kristina Davis.

Davis works for Breastfeeding Outreach for Our Beautiful Sisters, a breastfeeding support group based in Cincinnati. They’ve been doing online classes to help educate breastfeeding moms about the law.

“We do help provide a letter, a legal letter, for moms to take back to their employer, human resources manager, supervisor, whatever to make sure that that's been communicated,” said Davis.

Boateng said she’d consider going back to work, if she has that same support she got from the group and a place and time to pump.

“I feel like the additional support, it mattered and I didn’t have that in the workplace,” said Boateng.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers could face fines for not following the pump law for breastfeeding moms. Breastfeeding employees could also file complaints with the department if they feel their right to breastfeed has been violated.