Multitasking senator breastfeeds during a Nebraska committee hearing, photo shows

Senator Machaela Cavanaugh is a “proud mother” and a “history maker,” according to the “about” section on her Facebook page.

The District 6 Nebraska senator, of Omaha, made history while legislating “like a mom” last week, she posted to Facebook.

“Today, my staff let me know that I am the first Nebraska State Senator to nurse on the floor in Nebraska History,” Cavanaugh wrote in her Jan. 22 post. In the post, she included the breastfeeding emoji and the hashtag, #legislatelikeamom.

A photo shows Cavanaugh draped in a gray cover as she breastfed her baby boy during her first Transportation and Telecommunications hearing. Her Facebook post has been shared nearly 1,000 times as of Sunday afternoon.

Cavanaugh, 40, was breastfeeding 6-month-old Barrett while lawmakers were debating, the Omaha World-Herald reported. In Cavanaugh’s post, she referred to her son as #bipartisanbarrett.

“I didn’t put a lot of thought into it. He’s my third, so it’s kind of on autopilot at this point,” she said, according to the World-Herald. “Normally when I’m nursing, I’m usually multitasking. I wanted to hear the floor debate that was happening so I just sat down at my desk because that was more comfortable than standing off to the side.”

Barrett was with her during the debate because of “inclement weather,” according to the Facebook post.

“Barrett won’t take formula — I say he’s a gentleman of discerning taste — and I don’t have an oversupply of milk, so he had to come with me,” Cavanaugh said, according to the World-Herald.

Cavanaugh said other lawmakers were respectful toward her decision to feed her baby while in the hearing, according to KETV.

“Everybody’s made me feel comfortable and welcome and I hope that other mothers will start to feel that way,” she said, according to the TV station.

The mom and senator, who was elected in November, has since introduced a bill that would create a nursing station in the Capitol building where moms could breastfeed. The bill was introduced Jan. 23 — one day after she nursed while on the Legislature floor.

“I wanted to let you know that today I introduced LB 709, which will create a space in the capitol building for nursing parents to express breast milk that 1) Is not in a bathroom, 2) Is a private space, 3) Has electrical outlets and running water,” Cavanaugh commented on Facebook. “The space will be available to legislators, staff, and visitors to the capitol.”

“So hopefully we can move this building forward in a more family-friendly, positive direction,” Cavanaugh said, according to KETV.

Also on Jan. 22, Kansas lawmakers passed a rule that allows woman to breastfeed on the House floor, The Wichita Eagle reported.

“Lawmakers adopted the breastfeeding rule on a voice vote,” The Eagle reported. “A few no’s could be heard.”

In 2018, the U.S. Senate passed a rule that allows senators to breastfeed babies while on the Senate floor, CNN reported.