Lactation Pods on Job Sites Help New Moms Get Back to Work
Four organizations partnered together to raise funds, bringing this groundbreaking initiative to the Pacific Northwest.
New mothers in the construction industry are now being afforded an opportunity to get back to work sooner and with more conveniences thanks to lactation pods on job sites. Until now, they were forced to make do using provisional spaces (port-a-potties, vehicles, etc.) and it just wasn’t conducive to being a new, working mom. To alleviate this problem, a joint initiative between SMACNA-Western Washington and Smart Local 66 will be the first in the industry to make lactation pods available to mothers in need starting in April 2023.
Thanks to an exclusive partnership with a custom fabricator, the clean, sanitary pods will be digitally secure via an app which translates to peace of mind. They’ll have a seat, sink, HVAC, electricity for the breast pump and phone chargers plus a refrigerator to keep the breast milk cold during the remaining hours of the workday. The lactation pods are designed for comfort and accessibility and will keep women from the embarrassment of getting walked in on. They will also make it easier to keep breast milk fresh, reduce the difficulty of locating and getting to a private space and provide storage for their pumping gear.