Giulia Jones made ACT history when she became the first to breastfeed in the Legislative Assembly chamber in August. But what if baby Maximus had been crying, or had difficulty latching on to his source of milk?
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It's why the Liberal MLA and mother of five has backed a recommendation for party whips to convert informal pairing arrangements for voting into secure guidelines, removing uncertainty for members when family demands arise.
"I think in reality most of us would be too scared [now] to say, 'Can I have a pair so I can be breastfeeding if I need to?' " she said.
"Having a conversation about a reasonableness test with an older MP or a male MP, it's not that easy. It would be ideal if it was set in an agreement where that woman does not have to do that negotiation in that vulnerable state."
The recommendation came from a cross-party Assembly committee report released last month, but Ms Jones said she had achieved two family-friendly wins of her own in recent weeks.
The Office of the Legislative Assembly has agreed to put a lock on the door of the carer's room (available to MLAs and staff, including for breast pumping) to increase privacy, and to install a baby-change area in the public toilets.
Fellow MLA mother and Labor minister Meegan Fitzharris said MLAs had always been understanding when she had requested a pair, including when she had a parent-teacher interview, but there would be benefits in putting the practice into a written protocol.
This could cover a range of cases for both men and women, including care for elderly parents, she said.
"It gives reassurance, it reminds everybody else that everybody has a personal life," she said.
Ms Fitzharris, backed by Ms Jones, said former chief minister Katy Gallagher could take credit for making the Assembly working hours far more family-friendly.
The standing committee report said there had been no sittings after 10pm since 2012-13, and the average rising time for 2014-15 was 5.37pm, the earliest average since 1995-96.
The Assembly adjourned between 6pm and 7.15pm on 18 of the 39 sitting days last year, with only three later nights during the August budget debate.
Ms Jones, who returned to work within three months of the birth of four of her children, said there should also be a breastfeeding seat for the general public within the Assembly building, and a place for them to change nappies.
The Assembly's two youngest mothers said formalised pairing arrangements could be established prior to the next, expanded, Assembly when it began in October.
The standing committee said Ms Jones' proposal for proxy voting – where nursing mothers who could not attend the chamber would pass their choice to their party whip – was not possible under the current self-government laws.
