Health System Opens Lactation Room

The Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus is pleased to announce the opening of a new Lactation Room for the privacy and comfort of working or visiting nursing mothers.

The Lactation Room, located on the second floor, near the Sleep Management Center entrance, is equipped with comfortable chairs and a refrigerator, sink, restroom, electrical outlets, and a curtained pump station. It is open to all patients, visitors, employees and volunteers within the Health System. Mothers may bring their own pumps or use the hospital-grade Lactina, provided by the Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition, but individuals must bring their own pumping kits. A key is needed to access the room and is available in the Maternity Center and Administration.

“Breastfeeding is one of the most important things a mother can do for her baby, and we want to support that,” says Shannon Wainright, director, Patient Care Services. “Although Georgia law allows mothers to breastfeed in public, the Lactation Room helps to reduce the stress and anxiety associated with nursing or pumping outside the comfort of home, and provides the privacy that some mothers desire.”

Breastfeeding promotes better health for infants, mothers, and communities. In addition to the Lactation Room, the Health System offers breastfeeding classes and support groups. Lactation consultants assist new moms with breastfeeding techniques, including the use of breast pumps, and are trained to address breastfeeding concerns.

Section 4207 of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires that employers with over 50 employees must “provide a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year after birth each time such employee has need to express milk.” This area cannot be a bathroom and must be free from intrusion and shielded from view.

The new room is designed to meet initiatives to lower absenteeism rates and improve employee morale of working mothers. Research studies show that lactation programs result in a 77 percent reduction in lost work time due to infant illness and the retention rate for employees of companies with lactation support programs is 94 percent.