Whatever you call it, a nursing room, mother’s room, lactation room, station, nook or pod, nursing moms are making waves in the fight to have their voices heard. As the largest and most lucrative target market, companies are starting to take notice of the demand for nursing spaces and are creating accommodations for moms. Although many locations are not five star accommodations companies are leveraging open breastfeeding policies and providing nursing moms with spaces to breastfeed or breast pump.
According to federal law (and adopted by 48 states) a woman can breastfeed in public or private places she’s allowed to be without discrimination or harassment. What this means is a woman is free to exercise their natural right to breastfeed as long as she (as a person and not just as a breastfeeding mom) is allowed to be there. But if a woman chooses to she can nurse and breast pump in private.
Nursing in Public and Private Places
From airports, to retail stores and sports complexes moms are campaigning for accommodations. So if you are in nursing mom and you need a comfy spot to breast pump or breastfeed what do you need to look for? Here are the basic requirements outlined by Moms Pump Here for a nursing room:
• Comfy chair
• An electric outlet
• Changing table
• Sink
• A space with a door that locks
Some nursing rooms can lack any one of these requirements but some businesses go over and beyond to provide a great experience for moms using their facilities. Some outstanding amenities are recliners, TV’s, WiFi, refrigerators, microwaves, beautiful decorations and more.
If you plan on using a nursing room on the go and want to prepare before heading to the location here are some items to bring with you just in case an alternative is not available:
• Cooler with an ice pack to keep pumped breast milk
• Baby wipes and napkins
• Hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes (to wipes down a seat or table)
• A manual breast pump in case there are no electrical outlets to plug in an electrical pump (plus it’s easier to carry)
• A small bottle of water
• A coloring book, crayons and stickers for your older child or toddler
No matter if you breastfeed in public or private places, always know your rights and be prepared in case a location does not have the essential amenities.
Guest Author:
Priya Nembhard is Co-founder of Moms Pump Here. Moms Pump Here is an app that helps nursing mothers locate a safe and private place to breastfeed or breastpump. You can get the Moms Pump Here app on iTunes today.