Via Community News Service, in partnership with Vermont State University Castleton, for the Rutland Herald
Every two to three hours, eight to 12 times a day for an average of 15 to 30 minutes per session, new mothers are in need of a space to pump breast milk for up to a year after giving birth.
Knowing that, Rutland Regional Medical Center has become the first location in Rutland County to provide a Mamava Lactation Pod that is open to the community.
“We are very excited to have the Mamava Lactation Station here at RRMC and to provide a safe, clean, comfortable environment to encourage breastfeeding and pumping,” said Jody Mclntosh, nurse manager in the Children’s Unit/Birthing Center at RRMC.
Using knowledge from their wives, who both happen to be lactation consultants and mothers, hospital Construction Manager Tom Christiana and Vice President for Human Resources Brian Kerns came together to provide a comfortable space for people who need a private area to breast pump.
“We both said we are going to make this happen, one way or another,” Christiana said.
The lactation pod features a private, wide space with an interior covered in easy to clean services. Inside there are two benches, multiple outlets to accommodate charging dead devices, several hooks on the wall for personal belongings, a full-length mirror on the back wall of the pod and a red phone connected to the hospital in case of an emergency.
“We specifically wanted this size,” Christiana said. “It is the biggest one they offer, and we wanted to make sure we hit the mark with being the first one.”
The pod is located inside the Allen Street entrance on the main floor.
The handicap-friendly pod is wrapped in a graphic design chosen to reflect a nurturing and welcoming space and it was installed in-house by hospital engineering and maintenance team member Larry Napolitano, with the exterior design done by Awesome Graphics of Rutland.
The idea was first presented to the hospital leadership in September 2024 by Sarah Christina, a RRMC employee and new mom herself.
In less than five months from the designing process, the pod was up and running, available to accommodate moms in the area.
Sarah Ryan, employee of the RRMC gift shop and mother of two older children and now a newborn, said she is excited to be able to have the privacy of the lactation pod that she didn’t have for her past births.
“Before, the space we had was like a closet, so not really a good place where you can go and someone won’t walk in on you,” Ryan said.
All Mamava pods are easily accessible through an app that provides nearby Mamava locations and opportunities to reserve a specific times.
“It’s nice because some people only have 30-minute breaks and the app allows them to reserve times and tells you when it will be blocked,” Tom Christiana said. “And there is a QR code right on the outside of the pod that leads you right to the app if you don’t already have it.”
Hospital officials say they are thrilled to be able to show their commitment to their child-bearing-aged employees and residents and plan to use feedback from the women’s health team to continue to improve services.
Kerns said the hospital is focused on offering benefits to employees and local residents. He said with four to six distinct generations in the workforce right now, providing benefits that meet the needs of all of them is very important to him.
“Making our community feel supported and like they belong here is so important to us,” Kerns said.