The Making It Work Tool Kit is a resource to help breastfeeding mothers return to work. It is designed to provide assistance to breastfeeding mothers, their employers and their families.
Overcoming Challenges
- Engorgement
- Expressing Your Milk
- Storing Your Milk
- Growth
- Milk Supply– concerns about baby getting enough milk vs oversupply
- Thinking of Supplementing?
- What Can A Support Person Do?
Planning Ahead
Planning ahead for your return to work can help ease the transition. Learn as much as you can before the baby’s birth, and talk with your employer about your options. Planning ahead can help you continue to enjoy breastfeeding your baby long after your maternity leave is over. Read more.
Daycare regulations for breastfeeding families
The NC Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Designation (NC BFCCD) is administered at the NC Division of Public Health (DPH). The NC BFCCD recognizes licensed childcare facilities statewide that promote, protect, and support breastfeeding. A rating system has been developed in which one gold-starred building block is awarded for achieving each of the five standards for breastfeeding-friendly child care.
The five standards of the NC BFCCD include:
- written policy
- community connections
- professional development
- environment
- curriculum
The NC BFCCD integrates the Ten Steps to Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care from the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI) at UNC-Chapel Hill into the five standards.
Current United States Laws
The Break Time for Nursing Mothers law, passed in 2010, requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for breastfeeding employees to pump during the work day. While this was an important step, nearly one in four women of childbearing age were not covered by the Break Time law.
The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (S. 1658/H.R. 3110), signed into law on December 29, 2022, makes several important changes to this landmark legislation:
- Provides the right to break time and space to pump breast milk at work to millions more workers, including teachers and nurses
- Makes it possible for workers to file a lawsuit to seek monetary remedies in the event that their employer fails to comply
- Clarifies that pumping time must be paid if an employee is not completely relieved from duty
The legislation went into effect immediately when it was signed, however, the enforcement provision included a 120-day delay, making the effective date for that provision April 28, 2023.
Know Your Rights
- The PUMP Act Explained: What You Should Know About the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act
- Center for WorkLife Law:
- Department of Labor:
- FLSA Protections to Pump at Work
- MomsRising: ipumpedhere.org
- Office on Women’s Health: Supporting Nursing Moms at Work
- USBC: Online Guide: What You Need to Know About the Break Time for Nursing Mothers Law
North Carolina Law
Executive Order No. 82: Accommodations for Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Breastfeeding
Consistent with Governor Cooper’s issuance of Executive Order No. 82, the Stateof North Carolina will provide workplace adjustments to enable employees to continue to provide workplace adjustments to enable employees to continue to perform job duties while they are pregnant, breastfeeding or affected by other related medical conditions. Employees and managers shall engage in good faith and in a timely and interactive process to determine the workplace adjustment.
Additional resources
- For Employers– in English and Spanish
- For Family Members: How to support mom’s journey to breastfeed
- Other Materials: Sample letters and policy to assist moms and employers
- WIC Breastfeeding Policy Update: All local WIC agencies are required to have a written breastfeeding workplace policy that applies at a minimum to WIC staff. This policy will be monitored by NSB staff on an annual basis.
Please contact us with any feedback or questions.