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Daily Talker: Breastfeeding Mom Forced To Use Courthouse Toilet

When a nursing mother from Raynham got called for jury duty, she hoped there would be a small room she could use her breast pump during the day. Instead, Colleen Swanson had to use the restroom.

Like many women, the new mom of a five-month-old boy uses a breast pump to collect milk for her son when the two are separated. When she asked a court officer where she could go, she was directed to the ladies room.

"I don't need any luxury room or anything," she says, "but maybe something other than, you know, near a toilet." Swanson had trouble using her pump in such a small area, without a table to balance her equipment.

WBZ called court officials in Fall River to see what they thought about the idea of setting aside a room in their building for nursing mothers. We did not hear back from them.

What do you think a courthouse or other public or government building should do to accommodate nursing mothers? Share your comments below, and watch for them on WBZ News in the Morning between 4:30 and 7:00 a.m.

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