The Breastfeeding Mom's Guide to The FAM Acts

Intentionally blurry image of a mother traveling at an airport, indicating that she is in motion

Traveling when you're breastfeeding can be challenging, especially when you need to find a private space to pump. But thanks to the Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act, and the Friendly Airports for Mothers Improvement Act (both written by Senator Tammy Duckworth)—all large, medium, and small hub airports are required to provide lactation spaces for nursing mothers.

What are the FAM Acts?

As part of the FAA reauthorization act, the Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act requires all large and medium hub airports to provide a private “lactation area” beyond security in every terminal. And now the same applies to small hub airports, thanks to the Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Improvement Act, which was signed into law on October 30, 2020.

The FAM Improvement Act has been endorsed by over 85 organizations, including the U.S. Breastfeeding Coalition, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, Association of Women's Health, and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, La Leche League USA, MomsRising, and the National WIC Association.

What does this mean for breastfeeding mothers?

The FAM Acts require all large and medium hub airports to provide a private lactation area beyond security in every terminal by September 30, 2020. Small hub airports must also provide a lactation area, but they have until September 30, 2022 (FY2023) to come into compliance.

The lactation area must:

Not be a bathroom
Have a locking door
Include a place to sit, a table or flat surface, an electrical outlet and a sink or sanitizing equipment
Be accessible to, and usable by, people with disabilities

Does this mean that all U.S. airports will have a lactation space in every terminal?

As of October 2022, every small, medium, and large is required to have a lactation space in every terminal. However, the laws do not apply to private airports or Fixed Base Operators (FBOs).

What can I do to make sure my favorite airport gets better lactation accommodations?

If you travel through an airport that lacks lactation spaces, be an advocate for yourself and other traveling moms. Airports want to provide amenities for their travelers, but they may not be aware of the problem. Contact Customer Care to let them know they need to provide better spaces for their breastfeeding guests.

Mamava designs solutions to empower breastfeeding and pumping parents on the go, like our freestanding lactation pods, Mamava’s lactation space locator app, and other helpful resources.