Inside the airport’s main terminal, people mill about as they wait to board their flights. Among the flyers are parents carrying luggage and babies all while keeping toddlers busy. Air travel with kids is a lot to handle. Adding to the stress? Feeding the little ones. And when it’s a baby, that means finding a quiet space to nurse, pump or bottle-feed.
Christine Hernandez, the Community Relations Liaison at St. Peter’s Health Partners, says this is why the Nursing Mother’s Room is an important addition to Albany International Airport. She says the room can help provide a safe and accessible space for families.
"There's a lot of pressure that we put on mothers to breastfeed, and unfortunately, our societies aren't always set up to facilitate that, and so having this room so accessible and in the forefront of a busy airport shows that we are recognizing that moms need support from society," she says. "We need to be able to carve out spaces for moms to do what they need to do in order to keep their babies healthy.”
The room features soft dividers with multiple chairs for parents, including nursing mothers. There’s also a shelf of picture books and toys hung from the wall.
Helen Hellmuth, a nursing mother of two, says spaces like these provide a needed reprieve during hectic air travel.
"Rooms like these are like an exhale, because when spaces don't have a designated place to nurse, it's trying to find a discreet corner to nurse, to be out of the way, and also with a toddler in tow, trying to make sure that he's within arm's reach and not able to run around," she says. "So, comfortable, contained space like this is so helpful."
Airport CEO Peter Stuto said the room is one of many new amenities added to accommodate recent changes in flying trends.
“Traveling is increasing throughout the country, and a lot of travel is family travel," he says. "The trend throughout the nation, and we're trying to lead the edge in this, is to be family friendly.”
Albany’s addition comes as support for nursing mothers in airports continues to grow. For instance, the BABES Enhancement Act, which became law last year, directs the Transportation Security Administration to issue guidance that can minimize the risk for contamination of breast milk and other sources of baby nutrition. The Nursing Mothers’ Room is now open at the Albany International Airport.
