Breastfeeding supply company Medela just announced a partnership with the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago that will help make life a lot easier for mothers who need to pump milk for their nursing babies while they are traveling. While it appears that this program is currently one-of-a-kind (it's not even offered in any of the other Hard Rock outlets), a number of establishments throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world are instituting practices and offering amenities to support nursing moms and babies. Read on for more info about the new Medela/Hard Rock Chicago program and s__ome of the other venues that are discreetly lending a helping hand__–or room actually.
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1. Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. The hotel and Medela just recently launched the Nursing Mothers Amenity Program, which for an affordable $30 fee provides nursing mothers with a hospital-grade breast pump rental and a breastfeeding accessories starter set that includes Medela's Micro Steam Bags (one of my personal faves), Quick Clean Wipes, Pump and Save Bags, and disposable nursing pads. In-room refrigerators, microwaves, ice packs, cooler bags and staff trained to support nursing moms will also be available to moms enrolled in the program.
2. Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. The U.S. military is not exactly well-known for being accommodating to women and families, but at the 3rd Army headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base servicemembers and women civilian employees are thrilled to have access to a newly dedicated lactation room–one of only a few in the entire U.S. military. The "Third Army Nursing Center" features privacy screens, chairs, tables, a refrigerator, a freezer, storage cabinets, a sink, and a microwave, so set up, clean up and storage are all possible in the one facility–something many workplaces do not offer.
3. Six Flags New England. As babies get older and more distracted, nursing in public gets harder and harder, so having a quiet place to do so makes a huge difference. According to a commenter on the blog Nursing Room Locator, this Six Flags theme park in Agawam, Massachusetts, features an entirely separate building for families with babies and toddlers that houses a private nursing room complete with "comfy gliders." This amenity isn't advertised on the park's Website, but you can get information at the guest relations counter.
4. Liberty Science Center. The interactive center in Jersey City, New Jersey, is a great place for kids of all ages to get their science fix. Even more so when mom doesn't have to worry about how she'll be able to nurse her youngest in peace without having to disrupt all the family fun. Though basic, the Liberty Science Center offers a private, locked room with a rocking chair, just for nursing mothers.
5. Yummy Mummy. This maternity and nursing boutique in New York City recently garnered attention in the New York Times, not just because of the wide array of products and services it offers to expectant and nursing mothers, but because of the level of support it shows to breastfeeding mothers who may not even be paying customers. In the back of the store, moms will find a comfy sofa where they can nurse while they watch a breastfeeding video on the store's television or skim through one of the breastfeeding books or magazines fro the store's resource section. They can even borrow nursing pillows, stools, and covers or use a changing room to pump.
6. The Children's Museum of Memphis. This museum welcomes moms to nurse anywhere within its walls, but for privacy's sake it also features a dedicated nursing room that connects to a "mommy and me" bathroom. In the nursing room, moms will find a cozy glider as well as toys and books for toddlers to play with while mom nurses the baby and books and magazines for mom to read. The door to the room is only waist-high, so it's not completely cut off from the rest of the museum.
7. Hong Kong Internation Airport. There are a number of both domestic and international airports that have dedicated nursing/pumping facilities, including excellent ones in Amsterdam and San Francisco, but Hong Kong has gone above and beyond. Hong Kong International features 32 private nursing rooms with well-maintained changing and feeding facilities.
Image via Hard Rock Chicago
