Breastfeeding in public is now finally legal in all 50 US states.

Utah and Idaho recently joined the rest of the country to protect mothers from public indecency charges and even fines levied by police.

While many countries have simply accepted that breastfeeding in public is a necessity and does not require legislation, Australia and the UK beat the US to the punch in providing legal protections for mothers needing to feed nursing infants in public.

Utah’s bill passed its house business and labour committee with just a six to five vote in February.

One of the state representatives who voted against the bill, Curt Webb, told a local radio station: “This seems to say you don't have to cover up at all. [I'm] not comfortable with that at all, I'm just not. It's really in your face.”

The bill passed with language requiring a woman to cover her breast while feeding a baby in a public place.

Idaho passed its law with far less resistance. Its bill was introduced by Republican state representative and father to a five-month-old baby Paul Amador.

Mother shamed for breastfeeding child at nurse-in event in Idaho, US

Mr Amador told the Idaho Statesman newspaper ahead of the vote: “Unfortunately, Idaho is the one state that currently has no protections for breastfeeding mothers. Personally, I find it disappointing that we’re in 2018 and we still haven’t passed this law.”

The bill passed unanimously, 66-0, in March and came into effect two weeks ago.

As the Christian Science Monitor reported: “New Jersey expanded its civil rights law to protect nursing mothers from discrimination at work, joining 28 states that offer workplace protections."

New York state will also require breastfeeding rooms in all state buildings open to the public beginning in 2019.

However, protections for breastfeeding in public remain somewhat controversial over objections of “modesty” depending on if the woman covered her breast.

Woman kicked out of court for breastfeeding

Part of the reason it took so long for all 50 states to pass such laws is likely because only one-quarter of state legislators in the US are women. Far fewer have nursing children while in office.

Until recently, breastfeeding mothers could not do so on the US Senate and House floors either.

That has changed with a new measure inspired by Senator Tammy Duckworth, who became the first sitting US Senator to give birth.

Breastfeeding in public controversies Show all 11 1 /11 Breastfeeding in public controversies Breastfeeding in public controversies A woman has sparked a heated debate among parents after she revealed that she breastfeeds both her and her friend's son. Jessica Colletti, from Pennsylvania, said nursing Charlie Interrante's son “seemed like the natural thing to do” because she was already breastfeeding her son. Colletti told the Mama Bean parenting blog that she asked permission to nurse Interrante’s son when she began looking after him, after they met at a photoshoot for new mothers. Interrante agreed as her son had not taken to formula milk Breastfeeding in public controversies New Hampshire State Rep. Josh Moore said on Facebook that men should be allowed to grab the nipples of breastfeeding mothers if the law banning women exposing their breasts did not pass Breastfeeding in public controversies When Gemma Colley's photo of her son with fake tan on his fake after she breastfeed him went viral, she also saw that no parent is alone when they make a silly mistake. Over 100,000 people liked and 40,000 people shared Ms Colley’s photo of her son’s sleepy face with fake tan encircling his mouth and nose, after she posted it to the Unmumsy Mum Facebook page Breastfeeding in public controversies A candid image of a mother breastfeeding her young child while using the toilet has divided parents online, as some argue it’s an honest depiction of parenthood, while others have labelled it “disgusting” Breastfeeding in public controversies The exclusive Claridge’s hotel has been widely criticised for asking a woman to cover herself with a “ridiculous shroud” while breastfeeding her three-month-old daughter. Lousie Burns said she burst into tears when staff members at the five-star venue asked her to cover herself and her baby with an oversized napkin in order to avoid “causing offence” to other guests Breastfeeding in public controversies An Australian café has been praised for sticking up for a breastfeeding mother after a customer told her to cover up. Jessica-Anne Allen, owner of Cheese and Biscuits Café in Queensland, Australia, has described how she was approached by a male customer in the café to complain that he was upset by a woman in the coffee shop breastfeeding her child nearby. The customer asked the café owner, 29, to tell the mother to cover up. When Mrs Allen refused to do so, he took matters into his own hands and challenged the woman himself. Staff at the café then asked the man to leave Breastfeeding in public controversies A woman who claimed a Primark security guard had forcibly removed her child while she was breastfeeding has admitted to perverting the course of justice. Caroline Starmer sparked a series of headlines after claiming on Facebook that a store guard had taken her nine-month-old daughter Paige away from her. The mother from Leicester then repeated her claims in a number of interviews, before Primark denied the incident and handed CCTV over to the police to show there was no evidence to support the allegations. Appearing in Leicester Crown Court, she admitted the charge of perverting the course of justice by not telling the truth Breastfeeding in public controversies Pope Francis has become an unlikely advocate for public breastfeeding, by encouraging mothers to feed their babies in the Sistine Chapel. During a ceremony in Vatican City on Sunday, the Pope baptised 32 babies and told their mothers: “If they are hungry, mothers, feed them, without thinking twice, because they are the most important people here” Breastfeeding in public controversies Facebook has changed its community guidelines to allow users to post photos of breastfeeding. The change comes as the wide-ranging #FreeTheNipple online campaign has built pace in its attack against guidelines used by social media websites to regulate nudity – from photos of breastfeeding to topless photos post by singer Rihanna’s on her now defunct Instagram account. Facebook’s Community Standards, which outline what users are allowed to post, never included a outright ban on photos of breastfeeding Breastfeeding in public controversies The manager of a public swimming pool at the Lux Park centre in Liskeardhas been forced to apologise after he told a mother to stop breastfeeding her son by the waterside. 23-year-old Rebecaa Hough of Torpoint, Cornwall, was feeding 10-month-old Max a few steps from the main pool, when the manager told her to carry on in the changing rooms in case the infant was sick into the water. She was also told that she should not to return for half an hour to ensure the milk was fully digested Breastfeeding in public controversies A Conservative MP has claimed allowing women to breastfeed in the House of Commons chamber would expose politicians to “tabloid ridicule”. Sir Simon Burns, a former transport minister, spoke on what he called a “controversial subject” in a debate in making Westminster more family-friendly

The rule change means she and other parents of infants do not have to miss a vote because of parental duties or being on maternity leave.

Ms Duckworth told the Chicago Tribune that while she has no plans to breastfeed her daughter on the Senate floor, she will if the situation calls for it.

“My daughter's got to eat, and I’ve got to vote,” Ms Duckworth said, adding:“I think it’s probably the same as anybody else going back to work from maternity leave."

She has also pushed for more lactation rooms in public buildings, particularly airports.

The move for nationwide legal protection for public breastfeeding comes just weeks after Donald Trump’s administration threatened countries with trade sanctions if they brought a resolution encouraging breastfeeding in front of the World Health Organisation.

It appeared the US was asking to have the language removed as a sign of support for the $70bn infant formula industry which relies on mothers not exclusively breastfeeding. Baby food lobbyists were in attendance as observers to the meeting.