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August 6, 2025
Media contact: Erica Heartquist, 503-871-8843, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
As summer heat continues, health officials share reminder about law protecting breastfeeding at pools
PORTLAND, Ore.—Oregon’s public and private pools are great places for families to escape the summer heat, so Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program share a friendly reminder that state law protects the rights of people to breastfeed in public.
Shelby Sayer-Cameron, a public health lactation consultant at Linn County Health Services, says support for the state breastfeeding law from pool operators helps reduce the stigma some people feel when trying to breastfeed their children in public places. And she knows this from personal experience.
“I was less comfortable breastfeeding in public with my oldest child, and I was new to it,” recalls Sayer-Cameron. “I would get so worked up trying to make sure to bring a cover to use and I cared what other people thought of it. By the time my second child came around, I realized how much of a hassle the ‘breastfeeding cover-up’ was and how much more awkward it was for me.”
August is a good time to remind the public about Oregon’s breastfeeding law, officials say. Summer temperatures can be at their highest this month, prompting people to head to swimming pools to cool off. It’s also National Breastfeeding Month, which Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has recognized with this proclamation: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/HEALTHYPEOPLEFAMILIES/WIC/Documents/bf/State-of-Oregon-Proclamation-Office-Of-The-Governor-National-Breastfeeding-Month-Aug-2025.pdf.
Since 2012, OHA’s Public Health Division has distributed guidance that breastfeeding an infant or small child is acceptable in swimming pool areas.
A link to the directive, including the section on breastfeeding, is available at http://public.health.oregon.gov/HealthyEnvironments/Recreation/PoolsLodging/Documents/InfoSheetBreastfeedingatPools12062012x.pdf.
For many parents, breastfeeding provides a quick and accessible way to feed their children, and they shouldn’t have to worry about where they’re doing it, Sayer-Cameron explains. It’s also more cost-efficient for parents who may not be able to afford formula or a breast pump that would allow them to collect and store breast milk for when it’s needed. Hear more from Shelby Sayer-Cameron, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxhSV6fBXig
OHA has long supported and promoted breastfeeding because of the many health benefits, including building babies’ immune systems to fight diseases and reducing mothers’ risk of chronic illnesses such as ovarian and breast cancer and type II diabetes.
WIC agencies still receive complaints each year from breastfeeding parents asked to stop breastfeeding, cover up, or breastfeed behind closed doors in a bathroom or other private area. As a result, Oregon Revised Statute 109.001 protects a mother’s right to breastfeed in public and has been in place since 1999.
Korina Skaff, Oregon WIC breastfeeding coordinator, says parents have the legal right to breastfeed in any public space and don’t have to nurse in a private place unless they choose.
“Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition for infants and is legally protected under Oregon law. Spreading the word to employees and patrons is a key step to creating comfortable places for parents with babies,” says Julie A. Reeder, Ph.D., a manager at Oregon WIC.
About WIC
The Oregon WIC Program improves nutrition security for families by providing healthy food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and connections to community resources for pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding individuals, infants, and children up to age 5. WIC serves families in all 36 Oregon counties through more than 100 clinics.
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