“We moms apply enough pressure to ourselves,” says Alisa Stoops, principal program manager at GE Appliances. “Especially while trying to find a work/life balance. Then, add a business trip while nursing an infant. It’s a lot to manage.”
That’s where Milk Stork comes in.
“My boss told me about a benefit offered to breastfeeding employees,” says Alisa.
Milk Stork is a program GE Appliances offers to nursing mothers for travel. If you are going to be away from home for two or more nights, GE Appliances provides reimbursement for shipping breast milk via Milk Stork.
Alisa’s firstborn arrived during the pandemic, so she never had to travel. When her second arrived, a whole new world opened. For her first business trip postpartum, Alisa was grateful she had options.
“With our Milk Stork benefit, I was able to order a Pump & Tote product,” says Alisa. “It was shipped directly to my door.”
When arranging travel, moms can have the tote shipped to their home in advance or to their hotel for pickup.
“This particular Pump & Tote cooler works for 60 hours after you have activated it,” says Alisa. “I loved the freedom to decide when I wanted the cooler to start working instead of relying on traditional ice packs.”
Typically, a mom could rely on her hotel fridge for storage. However, Alisa didn’t have that option.
“The cooler was also a lifesaver because my hotel fridge did not get very cold,” says Alisa. “I was not comfortable using the fridge as a storage option. Milk Stork was a helpful benefit.”
Moms can choose to ship their tote home or carry it on to the plane.
“On my return trip, I carried the tote as a carry-on,” says Alisa. “It caught TSA by surprise; not many of the workers have seen this cooler product. But it was cleared after testing with no issues.”
Milk Stork even provides a card to show TSA as a discreet way to communicate that you are carrying breastmilk.
Moms can get started using Milk Stork by simply logging into Workday and selecting the reimbursements tab.
“Once my travel was complete, I submitted my reimbursement request, and it was paid less than 30 days later,” says Alisa.
To moms like Alisa, support from GE Appliances makes all the difference.
“Overall, it was a very easy process that removed a huge anxiety in the brain of a mom traveling away from their infant for the first time,” says Alisa. “This benefit made it easier to focus my energy and attention on my job. I recommend it.”
Questions about Milk Stork? Get answers to frequently asked questions here or call 510-356-0221. GE Appliances has tried to make navigating all your parental benefits, parental leave and returning to work easier.