If you happen to be in Pittsburgh, you might see this truck driving around.

The Milk Truck is the brainchild of Jill Miller, an artist and mother who is trying to spread the message that Pennsylvania mothers have the right to breastfeed wherever they want. The truck came about after the Andy Warhol Museum asked her to do a project on the subject. Miller is currently using raising money to extend the project and its mission:

“The Milk Truck is a combination of guerilla theater, activism and a little slapstick humor. Yes, we have a truck with a giant boob on the roof. There’s a reason for making The Milk Truck – to create a mobile breastfeeding unit that allows mothers to feed their babies in places where they have been discouraged – restaurants, shopping malls, public spaces, etc. Babies should be able to eat anywhere. And everywhere.

The Milk Truck’s primary mission is to help hungry babies eat by providing a supportive environment for women to nurse their babies. However, the truck will also make regular rounds on its “Pump Route” to offer a private, clean space for women to pump breast milk at work.”

I flat out love the so-called boob truck.

Regulations on breastfeeding vary from state to state and many mothers don’t know their rights when it comes to feeding children in public. (I’m not going to go off on how silly it is that we even need to learn about the right to breastfeed given that babies need to eat and breasts are for feeding them, end of story.) Many women have reported being asked to cover up, asked leave a store or restaurant, or being told to go to the restroom to feed the baby.  Women who don’t know the rules in their area or who just wish to avoid confrontation can find themselves humiliated as they slink away to find a more “appropriate” place to feed their child.

A public awareness campaign about breastfeeding mother’s rights is a fantastic idea and I love the lighthearted fun of this truck. It would be amazing if it could become a fixture in the Pittsburgh area, not only helping to normalize breastfeeding but acting as an education resource for nursing moms. Imagine a fleet of boob trucks pulling up to the curb, much like a food truck for adults, with, not only a comfy place to nurse or pump but also nursing supplies for sale, breastfeeding information available for women, and maybe even a lactation consultant to offer advice to moms needing a little bit of help. The best of lactivism on wheels!

What do you think of the boob truck? A great advocacy tool for nursing mothers? Or a silly stunt?

Photo courtesy of TheMilkTruck.org

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