JOINT-BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Mothers at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam now have a new location to privately and comfortably breastfeed or pump. The 15th Medical Group recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony here, Feb. 1, 2019, to commemorate the opening of the new lactation room.
The room opened in October, and the response has been very positive.
“I think it’s wonderful that there is a lactation room,” said Senior Airman Sarah Phillips, 15th Medical Operations Squadron women’s health technician. “I know that in a lot of work centers, women don’t have access to a dedicated space to pump. I feel lucky that this room is available for me so I can pump in a comfortable, private space and then get back to work.”
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), breastfeeding is the best way to provide a child with the nutrients they need, while decreasing both long and short-term health risks for mother and baby. The AAP recommends that infants be breastfed exclusively for the first six months and then continue to be breastfed, along with introducing complimentary foods, until they are one year or older.
The lactation room is located at the 15th Medical Group in A wing, room A109 next to the pharmacy. It is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is closed on training days or official holidays. There is a massage chair, a TV, as well as a small refrigerator available to store labeled milk until the end of the day.
“Opening the lactation room in the 15th Medical Group is a small way to demonstrate our commitment to moms and families here on JBPHH,” said Col. Kara Gormont, 15th Medical Group commander.