A Call to Action to Address Barriers to Breastfeeding and Lactation Faced by Student-Mothers

Many new mothers returning to school after childbirth face barriers within their academic settings to meeting their goals for exclusive breastfeeding. Potential barriers to breastfeeding faced by student-mothers include lack of legal protection, lack of breastfeeding-friendly university policies, inadequate availability of breastfeeding facilities, and insufficient awareness of the importance of breastfeeding among mothers, health care providers, and university administrators and faculty. Here we advocate for six action steps to help remove barriers to breastfeeding faced by student-mothers.