I know the intent was honorable, but the practical application would have cost every business in Wyoming potentially a lot of money. The issue is very important, but the mandates went a little bit far for practicality’s purpose.

It’s disappointing that businesses fail to recognize that breastfeeding not only benefits babies but benefits nursing mothers and their employers! Breastfeeding protects a mother’s health in many ways (I just wrote about how it reduces a mother’s risk of heart attack) and because breastfed babies are sick less often than bottle-fed babies, nursing mothers do not require as much time off work to care for sick children. Providing reasonable work breaks and a comfortable place to nurse benefits employers by providing a positive work environment and reducing absenteeism. Also, let’s not forget the simple fact that a happy mother is a good employee! Legislation shouldn’t be required to help employers realize that fact and it’s shameful that even when such legislation is proposed it is shot down by business lobbyists.

I wish I could have been there to defend that provision along with the one that would have required high schools to instruct students on the benefits of breastfeeding. Were legislators embarrassed to talk about the benefits of breastfeeding? Did they think it’s not an appropriate topic for high schoolers? Are they mistakenly sexualizing the act of breastfeeding? Why exactly was that provision shot down?

The revised bill (PDF) is a far cry from the progressive legislation originally proposed, but at least it would exempt breastfeeding from the state’s indecent exposure law.

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Not later than the 2008-2009 school year, all state school districts shall provide instruction on the benefits of breastfeeding. This instruction shall be given in a general health and safety course in grades nine (9) through (12).

Imagine how far such a provision would go to promote breastfeeding! This would help counter some Americans’ erroneous perception that infant formula is as good as breast milk. It would teach young people that breastfeeding is the “default” — that it is so beneficial that it should be every parent’s first choice, and formula should only be used as a breast milk substitute when breastfeeding is contraindicated. Wouldn’t it be nice to reach teenagers before the formula companies do?

Wyoming House Bill 105 (PDF version) also would exempt breastfeeding from Wyoming’s indecent exposure law, allow breastfeeding mothers to be excused from jury duty, provide for a breastfeeding mother friendly workplace, allow for protection of breastfeeding mothers who are incarcerated and provide criminal penalties for interfering with breastfeeding.

A few of those are so noteworthy they bear further discussion. The incarceration provision states that if a mother is breastfeeding her child under one year of age at the time of incarceration, or while incarcerated gives birth to a child she will breastfeed, the child may accompany her to the jail until the child reaches one year of age.

The workplace protections (so important in light of the United States’ dismal record in this regard) would require an employer to provide a private location and a flexible work schedule for a breastfeeding mother, including scheduling 15 minute breaks every two hours for breastfeeding or pumping.

If enacted as written, the criminal penalties would provide even stronger protection than the recently enacted local legislation in Wisconsin. This law would make it a misdemeanor to interfere with a mother breastfeeding her child and violators would face imprisonment up to six months and/or a fine of up to $750!

I commend Representative Kathy Davison and the co-sponsors of the bill for proposing broad protections for the promotion and protection of breastfeeding.

[Edited to add update: Wyoming Legislation Stalls in Committee]

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