We recently surveyed more than 1,000 Americans to understand their perceptions of breastfeeding and pumping in public. The results may be surprising to some, but probably not to the moms living this every day. So, how do people feel about nursing or using a breast pump in public? We’ve included the full survey results below!
- About 1-in-4 people (24%) find breastfeeding or using a breast pump in public inappropriate.
- 61% of people think it’s unacceptable to breastfeed or breast pump in a restaurant.
- 1-in-4 people (25%) do not believe moms should be allowed to breastfeed or pump in the clear view of the public.
- About 1-in-3 people (31%) do not believe employers should be required to provide a lactation room, which contrasts sharply with the 90% of people who state that they believe women should be allowed to pump at work.
- More than 1-in-3 people (35%) do not believe unconventional workplaces (such as construction, education, etc…) should provide a lactation room.
We broke these results down even further to identify nuances between the opinions of men and women on this issue. Surprisingly, in some cases women were less supportive of breastfeeding in public.
- 1-in-4 women (25%) find breastfeeding/pumping in public inappropriate, which is greater than the just over 1-in-5 men (22%) who find it inappropriate.
- Significantly less men than women believe women should be allowed to breastfeed or pump in a retail establishment (59% vs 66%) or restaurant/coffee shop (56% vs 66%).
- 1-in-5 men (20%) do not believe public spaces should provide a lactation room, which is significantly more than the 7% of women who believe the same.
- More than 1-in-4 women (28%) do not believe new moms should be allowed to breastfeed or pump in clear view of the public as opposed to just over 1-in-5 men (22%).
- Women are most likely to feel uncomfortable when seeing a woman breastfeed or pump in public because they find it too personal—about 1-in-3 women (30%), as opposed to just under 1-in-4 men (24%).
- More than 1-in-5 men (21%) do not think employers should be required to allow breaks during the work day for new moms to pump, compared to just 9% of women.
- An overwhelming amount of men—more than 2-in-5 (41%)—do not believe employers should be required to provide a lactation room for breast pumping, and a concerning amount of women feel the same, more than 1-in-5 (23%).
- Almost half of men (46%) and about 1-in-5 women (24%) do not think employers with unconventional workplaces should be required to have a lactation room.
