Australian baby becomes first to be breastfed in parliament

It's about time employers everywhere take the child care needs of their employees more seriously, but it looks like the Australian parliament is light years ahead of the game.

Alia Joy Waters, the weeks-old daughter of Senator Larissa Waters, has made political history by becoming the first baby to be breastfed in the Australian parliament.

According to The Telegraph, Senator Waters returned to parliament today for the first time since giving birth to her second daughter, and brought Alia with her while she voted. When Alia Joy was hungry, Waters didn't hesitate to do what she needed to do and breastfed her daughter in the Senate Chamber.

Waters celebrated the moment later on Twitter:

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Fellow politician Katy Gallagher acknowledged Waters' actions by telling Sky News, "Women have been doing it in parliaments around the world... It is great to see it is able to occur now in the Senate. Women are going to continue to have babies and if they want to do their job and be at work and look after their baby... the reality is we are going to have to accommodate that."

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This occasion comes after Senator Waters, herself, instigated changes to Senate rules last year, and the guidelines already allowed breastfeeding in the chamber. The Australian House of Representatives made similar changes to implement more "family friendly" rules that allow parents to bring their children into the chamber.

If little Alia Joy leans towards pursuing a career in politics, it looks like she already has a seat.

[H/T: The Telegraph]