Privacy for Nursing Mothers

More privacy pods for nursing mothers installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory 

In an ongoing effort to support employee health and wellness, 13 more Mamava pods, which provide privacy for nursing mothers, are being installed at locations across Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Mothers returning to work after having a child may struggle to reintegrate into the office environment, but now there is one less hurdle for lactating Laboratory employees.

“We would like to provide support to employees at locations across the Lab,” said Tarah Logan, Chief of Staff for the Principal Associate Directorate for Operations and Business at Los Alamos. “What’s great about these units is they offer privacy to new mothers without sacrificing valuable office space.”

The Laboratory is on 40 square miles of DOE-owned property and the goal is to have one of these pods within 10 minutes of anyone who needs one.

Los Alamos Was the first place in New Mexico to install a Mamava pod, and now ten more units have been installed at locations across the Laboratory, while another three are waiting for placement.

Supporting employee health and wellness

The prefabricated units have smart lock-combination keypads and interior deadbolts. They are well-lit and roomier than they appear from the outside, and are equipped with electrical outlets, USB ports, benches, table tops, and motion activated lighting and vents. The pod sits on retractable casters for easy relocation.

The Fair Labor Standards Act states that employers of 50 or more nonexempt employees are required to provide both adequate time and space for nursing employees to express milk. Laboratory managers have previously found ways to provide space, but it’s been a challenge that the Mamava unit solves.

“Providing the pods goes above and beyond the regulation in support of employee health and wellness,” says Sara Pasqualoni, Occupational Medicine Medical Director.