In October 2018 , the Friendly Airports for Mothers Act ( FAM ) was passed by a bipartisan majority in Congress . The Act stipulated that all medium and large airports in the United States must provide private spaces in every terminal for mothers to express breastmilk . “ Mamava now has over 40 units in airports all across the country ,” notes Dodson . “ It ’ s encouraging to see legislators pass laws that further the cause of breastfeeding women , which is why we ’ re incredibly excited about The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections ( PUMP ) for Nursing Mothers Act . The Bill passed the House in October 2021 and is now in the Senate awaiting a vote .” If passed by the Senate , the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act will significantly improve workplace lactation protections for breastfeeding mothers . Specifically , it will require employers to provide all salaried employees with paid break time to pump breastmilk .
“ Our mission has always been centered around reducing breastfeeding barriers , so we ’ re grateful to be able to help employers support their employees and comply with legislation ,” says Dodson . To that end , Mamava has worked with large corporate employers who have purchased their pods , such as Amazon , Toyota , Boeing , Intel , and Home Depot , to advise them on how to place the pods to ensure maximum employee convenience .
“ The Mamava units are not plumbed , so they can be placed in any location with the space to accommodate them ,” says Dodson . “ Still , when you are using a breast pump , it has many parts that have to be cleaned . Due to those considerations , we recommend that all Mamava units be placed close to a water source , such as a bathroom . We also encourage businesses who buy our units to place them close to work areas , so that employees do not have to walk long distances or ‘ punch out ’ to use the pods .” Businesses that employ large numbers of warehouse workers are able to place the Mamava units directly on the floor near where the workers are . By doing so , they ’ re not just complying with federal regulations – they ’ re also providing a convenient solution for their breastfeeding workers .
Dodson adds that the units are designed to be easy to build . “ The units are assembled upon delivery , and they are fairly simple to put together . The wall panels are heavy , but they slide into the base of the frame in an intuitive manner . Two people working together can usually assemble a pod in several hours without any professional help . We have an online video on our website that fully explains the assembly process , and we also provide installation services for business owners who are in need of assistance .”
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