“No,” she said emphatically with a look partly of surprise and condescension. It was as if I had two horns on my head, or had asked a ridiculously stupid question. I walked away wondering what to do with the soreness and tightness in my chest and thinking about the dwindling stash of pumped breast milk in the freezer at home.
I had asked this airport attendant whether there was a breastfeeding or pumping room. It was my first business trip after my daughter was born and nothing could have prepared me for this aspect of the tug-of-war that is motherhood and full-time work, especially full-time work laced with frequent travel. I had started my day in the wee hours of the morning with the obligatory morning pump and in between presentations; I had made use of the spacious and only restroom in a Chipotle nearby, much to the chagrin of restaurant patrons who needed ‘to go’.
I don’t know why I imagined that when I finally got to the airport, I would find an oasis for lactating mothers, where I could pump several hours worth of breast milk before boarding my final flight back home. Surely, many lactating mothers must fly through Laguardia Airport daily without their babies? What on earth do they do?
After asking and searching the terminal, in vain, I thought of my dwindling alternative locations to pump, cringing at the only option I had left – a bathroom stall. I scoured the terminal to find the cleanest possible stall. After about thirty minutes of standing with my nose scrunched in disgust, making painstaking efforts to ensure that my pump and bottles had no actual contact with the bathroom stall, and finally collecting and storing several ounces of ‘liquid gold’, I made my way out of the stall, washed my hands, and marched in frustration to my gate.
Airport bathrooms are gross and no mother should have to pump in a bathroom. In today’s day and age, when the benefits of breastfeeding are well-publicized and documented you would think that there would be ample provision made for mothers who need to provide food for their babies and keep their milk supply up while travelling.
Laguardia wasn’t the only airport that disappointed me. I had searched in vain for pumping places in several major airports on the east coast and south-west of the country while travelling for work. So you can imagine that the tiny Burlington airport in Vermont completely knocked my socks off, when I discovered it had a designated pumping location. I asked customer service attendants again about a pumping room, while in Burlington on business and waited to hear the usual ‘no’.
‘Yes we do have a place where you can pump,' the customer service agent replied.
Wide-eyed with surprise, I asked for further clarification in total disbelief, ‘Where?” With an empathetic smile, the agent I asked pointed to an odd-looking kiosk neatly stashed away in the main airport lobby. Honestly, I initially doubted that the closed kiosk was roomy enough to fit me, my pumping gear, and travel bags. On entering it, I realized, to my relief and amazement that there was more than enough room.
I promptly learned from the posters inside the kiosk that this wonderful contraption was called a ‘Mamava Lactation Station’. It had no shortage of electric outlets, a place to sit, and enough room for my travelling bags. It was such a retreat from the hustle and bustle of travelling and I wish, for the sake of all lactating mothers, that there were more of such stations installed in airports across the country.
‘Yes we do have a place where you can pump,' the customer service agent replied.
Wide-eyed with surprise, I asked for further clarification in total disbelief, ‘Where?” With an empathetic smile, the agent I asked pointed to an odd-looking kiosk neatly stashed away in the main airport lobby. Honestly, I initially doubted that the closed kiosk was roomy enough to fit me, my pumping gear, and travel bags. On entering it, I realized, to my relief and amazement that there was more than enough room.
I promptly learned from the posters inside the kiosk that this wonderful contraption was called a ‘Mamava Lactation Station’. It had no shortage of electric outlets, a place to sit, and enough room for my travelling bags. It was such a retreat from the hustle and bustle of travelling and I wish, for the sake of all lactating mothers, that there were more of such stations installed in airports across the country.
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| The Mamava Laction Station at the airport in Burlington,VT http://mamava.com/the-mamava-lactation-station/ |
Of all places to find this treasure who would have thought it would be in a tiny regional airport in Vermont, when several major airports still had no such provisions. Indeed, it looks like smaller regional airports may be establishing a trend in being more compassionate to travelling mothers. I was in for another treat at a small airport on a later business trip to New York. I had opted to fly into the smaller McArthur airport instead of JFK or Laguardia because of its proximity to my client, and again, there was a little haven tucked away in that airport for travelling lactating mums. This time, it was a very pleasant nursing room, complete with a rocking chair and changing tables. Indeed, a one-stop shop for a travelling mum’s needs whether she’s travelling alone and needs to pump, or has her baby in tow.
In today’s world mothers shouldn't have to crouch or stand in an unsanitary bathroom to provide food for their babies just because their jobs or lives necessitate travel. The Mamava station in Burlington, Vermont seems to be the only of such stations installed and nursing rooms at airports are still few and far between – this needs to change.
If you are reading this post and know of any examples of airports with nursing or pumping rooms please leave a comment with this information. It would be useful to publish a list of such places for mothers in need.
