Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding Classes
The Livingston County Health Department offers breastfeeding classes for all expectant mothers and support persons at the Health Department or virtually. Classes cover breast milk basics, feeding cues, proper positioning, pumping, avoiding common roadblocks, and more. Register for classes by calling 517-546-5459.
In-Person Classes:
In-person breastfeeding classes are held 2nd Wednesday of each month from 4:30 p.m.-5:30p.m. at the Health Department.
Virtual Classes:
Virtual breastfeeding classes are held the 4th Wednesday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Breastfeeding Peer Counselor
The Livingston County Health Department has a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor available to all WIC families. Peer counseling offers:
- Breastfeeding encouragement
- Help with breast pumps
- Help planning for the return to work or school
- Problem-solving and support
- Education on basic techniques that help ensure a successful start
- Information on additional sources of help to breastfeeding families
Email: WICPeerCounselor@livgov.com
Call or text: 517-375-0554
Your Breastfeeding Rights
Breastfeeding in public is legal in all 50 states and all breastfeeding employees are protected under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This guarantees the right to breastfeed in any public or private location and provides individuals with workplace protections for pumping while at work. Know your rights.
Whenever, Wherever
In Michigan, you can breastfeed your child wherever you are. No one can require you to cover up, leave, or use another room, such as the bathroom, to feed your child. Michigan law says that “public nudity laws do not apply to a woman breastfeeding a child.”
Have you had a bad experience and want support? Call the Nursing in Public Incident Reporting Hotline: 1-855-NIP-FREE A volunteer from Bestforbabes.org will listen to your story and help you respond.
Breastfeeding and Working
Section 7 of the Affordable Care Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), was amended to require employers to provide “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk.”
Employers are also required to provide “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express milk.”
What types of employers are covered by the law?
All such employers are subject to the FLSA break time requirement unless they have fewer than 50 employees and can demonstrate that compliance with the provision would impose an undue hardship.
Does the break time have to be paid break time?
Employers are not required under the FLSA to compensate nursing mothers for breaks taken to express milk. However, where employers already provide paid breaks, an employee who uses that break time to express milk must be paid in the same way that other employees are paid.
Do employers need to create a permanent, dedicated space for use by nursing employees?
No, a space temporarily created or converted into a space for expressing milk or made available when needed by the nursing mother is sufficient provided that the space is shielded from view and free from any intrusion.
If the only space available at a work site is a bathroom, can employers require employees to express breast milk there?
No, the statute specifically states that the space provided for employees to express breast milk cannot be a bathroom.
Headed back to work?
You’re not on your own! If you have questions about your break rights under the FLSA or if you would like to file a complaint, contact: United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division 1-866-487-9243 www.wagehour.dol.gov. All services are free and confidential, whether you are documented or not. Have all pertinent information about the situation ready, such as your name, company’s name, manager’s name, etc.
Information & Resources
- WIC Breastfeeding Warmline – Available to all pregnant or breastfeeding families. Call or text today at 833-649-4223.
- HUG Your Baby – Help, Understanding, Guidance for Young Families.
- Women’s Health – Tips and suggestions to help you successfully breastfeed.
- Breast milk – Every Ounce Counts – A mother’s one stop breastfeeding resource.
- Choose My Plate – Health & nutrition information for pregnant & breastfeeding women.
- Coffective – To help a mother prepare for breastfeeding. Download Coffective’s free mobile app and the We’re Prepared Checklist to help your family get a great start.
Last Modified June 4, 2026
