Trenton Health Team Celebrates the Opening of a Mamava Lactation Suite with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at Trenton Free Public Library
by TRENTON, NJ—December 11, 2018—Trenton Health Team will commemorate the opening of a Mamava lactation suite at the Trenton Free Public Library with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, December 13th, at 4:00 PM.
Mayor Gusciora and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal will speak at the event, along with representatives from Trenton Health Team, Trenton Free Public Library, the City of Trenton Department of Health & Human Services, and Central Jersey Family Health Consortium.
Created by Mamava, a company dedicated to transforming the culture of breastfeeding by making it easier for more women to achieve their breastfeeding goals, the Mamava lactation suite is a self-contained, mobile pod with comfortable benches, a fold-down table, an electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump, and a door that can be locked for privacy. The 4-foot by 8-foot pod is meant for individual use, but it can fit more than one person, as well as mothers with babies or other children in tow. The Mamava lactation suite was purchased for the Trenton Free Public Library by Trenton Health Team with funds provided by Trinity Health through their Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) grant program. A multi-year initiative, TCI addresses the social determinants of health through policy, systems and environmental (PSE) change, focusing on the prevention of childhood obesity and tobacco use. Breastfeeding not only prevents childhood obesity, but it can also help breastfeeding women lose weight gained during pregnancy.
“We applaud the passage of N.J. Bill A2294, expanding civil rights protections to include breastfeeding mothers and requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations for breastfeeding mothers,” said Elena Cromeyer, Project Director of TCI at Trenton Health Team. “This is an important step to make breastfeeding more convenient for working mothers. Through providing the public library in Trenton with a private space for women to express milk, we hope to support this policy in a valuable gathering space that is open to the community.”
“Our library is dedicated to providing excellent services to Trenton residents every day,” said Patricia Hall, Director of Operations of the Trenton Free Public Library. “We are grateful to Trenton Health Team for purchasing the Mamava Lactation Unit, as it allows us to promote health and wellness to mothers and babies, one of the many innovative ways in which we serve the community.”
“We are excited to partner with the Trenton Free Public Library to make breastfeeding more accessible to Trenton mothers,” said Gregory Paulson, Executive Director of Trenton Health Team. “This collaboration helps us realize our strategic vision of building a healthier Trenton by promoting equity and providing support for families and caregivers.”
