PHOTO ADOBE STOCK

For nearly 30 years, the Allegheny County Health Department has recognized workplaces and public spaces with its annual Breastfeeding Friendly Place Awards as a way of normalizing and supporting nursing in everyday spaces.

The department is working to increase human breastmilk feeding and boost the number of infants who receive breastmilk for 8 or more weeks. Breastmilk contains important nutrients and essential antibodies for infants. By highlighting work and public spaces that provide superior service to nursing mothers, the department hopes to see more infants exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of their lives and continued breastfeeding with the addition of solid foods for at least their first year.

For the program’s 29th year, it received more nominations for the awards than ever. “Our winners really set the bar high for excellent accommodations,” ACHD WIC’s Breastfeeding Coordinator, Madeleine Putzi, said in a statement.

Here are the 29th annual breastfeeding Friendly Place winners.

Thermo-Fisher Scientific offers three lactation rooms, which have height-adjustable rolling tables, a comfortable chair that can swivel and recline, a mini-fridge to store milk, outlets and a sink. It also provides expectant mothers parking out front, free water bottles in the room, Sharpies to label milk collection bags and cleaning supplies. It has offered these Mothers Rooms since 2009 and then upgraded them in 2022.

There are three nursing rooms in the airside terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport — located in Concourse A near Gate A5, in Concourse B near Gate B7 and in Concourse D near Gate D4. The rooms include infant changing tables, a sink, comfortable chair and ottoman, a bottle warmer, mirror, electrical outlets, a diaper pail and adjustable calming lighting. They were created three years before Congress passed the Friendly Airports for Mothers Act in 2018.

OneValley at the Roundhouse, a coworking space on Blair Street in Hazelwood Green, offers a private space for the 100 members and employees. The mother’s room has a small fridge, counter space, comfortable chair and a rocking chair, side tables, electrical outlets and a large sink. Women can book time in the room through a virtual calendar. “As an all-female team, we wanted to make sure that our nursing members had special accommodations in their transition back to the workplace and when visiting for events,” Sarah Blazincic, the Innovation Center director, said in a statement. “It has comforted quite a few new mothers in our 3.5 years being open. We are very proud of it!”

In its effort to increase breastfeeding, the health department also is expanding access to Pacify, a 24/7 telehealth app offering free, real-time support from lactation consultants and doulas to all pregnant and lactating individuals in Allegheny County through the end of 2025. For details visit ACHD’s recent Pacify promotion or Pacify.