Mothers Win Nursing Room

By Ian Arnold, Steward, Contra Costa County

Sept. 2000

Following the birth of her child last year, Contra Costa County child protective services social casework specialist Stacey Anderson was looking forward to returning to work. But she immediately ran into unforeseen problems. Anderson, like so many modern mothers, chooses to breast-feed her child. "I purchased a pump and supplies with the intention of storing my breast milk and putting in a full workday," says Anderson. "I couldn't pump in my cubicle, so I set out in search of a safe, sanitary area to follow my doctor's instructions. What I found put me in shock."

She was told she could run an extension cord across a heavily traveled hallway and into the ladies' room. But the county fire department put a stop to this practice, citing safety concerns. The department then installed an electrical outlet in the wheelchair accessible stall of the ladies' room. According to Anderson, "There was no place to sit, so I'd have to sit on the toilet and pump. That's just, well..." There was also no place to store her supplies, so she tried to hold them in her lap, or put them on the floor by the toilet. The other choice?

"Some nursing mothers sat in their cars using the cigarette lighter adapter," adds Anderson. "I guess they're lucky the temperature wasn't in the 90s or 100s." Her division manager said she could use his office when it wasn't in use, but this wasn't a long term solution. She decided to do something about it herself, and began a campaign for a nursing mothers' room. She spoke to the department about it at every opportunity, pointing out more women are breast-feeding and doctors are recommending they continue for longer periods. But the department was unable to find her space. Then, on her own, Anderson located a 6 x 10 foot area of unused space in the break room and tried to make it work.

"It turned into a real grassroots effort," recalls Anderson. Anderson and her supporters held bake sales and took donations. She then heard from Shelly Goldblum, a representative of the employee-owned Ameda Company which manufactures medical items, including breast-feeding supplies. Ameda agreed to loan an industrial breast pump at no cost, freeing the Antioch office's nursing mothers from the cost of a pump. WalMart and Leonard's Tot Shop in Concord donated milk storage bags, breast pads, and lotions. County Volunteer Services donated a small refrigerator to store the breast milk. Anderson's coworkers donated furniture--a rocking chair, end tables, etc., and the county's Health Services Department and other organizations provided protocols and informational pamphlets, posters, and flyers.

The department agreed to provide wall partitions, a locked door, and the labor to construct the room. As a finishing touch, upon reading a report that nursing mothers are more productive and have less discomfort if looking at their baby when nursing, she located and mounted a bulletin board so women could look at photos of their babies as they pumped. On August 2, 2000, 13 months after starting her campaign and four months after she stopped pumping her own breast milk, Stacey held the grand opening of the Delta Vista Nursing Mothers Room coinciding with National Breast Feeding Week.

Construction is due to begin on a new home for Antioch's child protective services workers. "We are keeping an eye on the plans," says Anderson. "We have already identified a space for a nursing room, hopefully with a small sink. I wonder if we can find enough space for an on-site child care center?"