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SAVANNAH GA. () — Healthy Savannah and Georgia Southern University (GSU) have partnered to create more comfortable spaces for mothers who are breastfeeding or pumping.
GSU created three lactation spaces at their Armstrong campus and four at their Statesboro campus. The spaces are private rooms that have comfortable chairs, a sink, electrical outlets and some even have a fridge or microwave inside or close by that can be used for milk.
“You don’t want someone to have to choose between going to work and pumping or going to class and pumping,” Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of Georgia Southern’s College of Public Health Nandi Marshall said. “We are really trying to find ways to support student success, to support our faculty and staff, and make sure that they have the best quality of life.”
The university also provides resources to help support those who are breastfeeding. They provide information about how to breastfeed and offer support, as they said it can be a difficult journey while balancing everything else in life.
“Breastfeeding is natural and it’s not easy,” Marshall said. “So really providing that education and providing resources to support people really helps folks along their journey, helping them meet their breastfeeding goals.”
Organizers of Healthy Savannah said the instillation of these spaces with the Pump Act, which requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide the time and space needed for one to breastfeed, allowing mothers to have a safe space wherever they go.
Healthy Savannah also said that this project is just the beginning as the hope to create more lactation spaces throughout other universities and businesses.