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Eppley Airfield adds nursing rooms for traveling parents

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Eppley Airfield is joining the likes of Denver International Airport,  Minneapolis-St. Paul,  Dallas Fort-Worth and other  major airports across the country that have installed nursing rooms.
 
Eppley Airfield has added two in recent months. One inside each concourse just past TSA checkpoints. 
 
"I have a lot of friends who are working moms and fly for work and it's really important if they're not with their child to pump the breast milk and not be in a bathroom stall," said Jennifer Ramachandram, who is traveling with children. 
 
"You wouldn't want to drink your coffee from a bathroom stall so it's the same thing. You wouldn't want milk you're pumping for your baby to be from a bathroom stall."
 
To make life a little less complicated for parents,  Eppley Airfield has added a mother's room at each concourse. 
 
"When they get to an airport they check in and get through security and it's usually at that time they sit down and have an opportunity to wait for their flight - so we thought it was more important to put it in the concourse than just in the terminal," said Chief of Police Tim Conahan, Omaha Port Authority. 
 
Decorated with the work of local artists, and equipped with all the amenities of a nursery, each station is a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the airport. 
 
"They like having this kind of relaxing space to be able to do nurse their children - if they have an upset child a space to calm them down and a relaxing space for them too when they're at the airport," said Conahan.
 
"It's already stressful traveling with a baby so having somewhere to go when the baby is freaking out is awesome, said  Riva Enellums, who is traveling with children. 
 
The $18,000 dollar aluminum spaces were installed to coincide with the addition of a fourth TSA checkpoint and vendor redesign. Traveling parents say they're thankful for the space to relax. 
 
"it's nice to see some help for working moms and stay at home moms. Any moms," said Ramachandram.
 
There are a handful of smart phone apps that can help you find places to breastfeed or pump. The app "Moms Pump Here" is just one example. another is Mamava Lactation Suite Locator. The Mom's Pump Here website can be found here