A Challenge For Military Moms: Breastfeeding And Pumping On Duty

Some military moms receive the flexibility they need from their chain of command, while others struggle to maintain feeding and pumping schedules for their infants.

By Carson FrameOctober 8, 2018 9:30 am, , ,

From Texas Public Radio:

Inflexible work schedules and lack of support can make it tough for new mothers in the military to keep breastfeeding their children.

Jesseka King returned to San Antonio’s Lackland Air Force Base last year after giving birth to a baby girl. She took advantage of a recent Pentagon policy change that gave her 12 weeks of maternity leave, during which she established a steady breastfeeding routine.

King, a basic training instructor, wanted to continue nursing after she came back to duty. She was aware that many military moms wean early, as the demands of their jobs prove too hard to balance with the logistics of breast pumping.

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