ONA has reserved a private room on the lobby level of the Marriott Wardman Park as a secure and quiet space to breastfeed or pump during ONA17. The space — Park Tower Room 8218 — will be equipped with a bathroom and sink, purified water and a small refrigerator to store expressed milk or bottles — as well as some other goodies to keep moms comfortable.
Keys to access this space will be available at the front desk, and this sign-up sheet is available for women who wish to secure space in advance. The room can accommodate at least two people at a time, with a privacy divider, and will be accessible to any attendee from Thursday to Saturday night.
For families that wish to secure babysitting services during ONA17, we suggest connecting with White House Nannies, which offers individual childcare service for guests of hotels across D.C. Caregivers are screened and vetted and paid directly for their time at a negotiated rate (generally between $16-$22/hour with a four hour minimum) in addition to a daily referral fee. For more information, call 301-652-8088, weekdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and 301-655-8240 after business hours.
Washington, D.C., is an amazing place for families and the host hotel is a few blocks from the National Zoo (pandas!), Rock Creek Park and a short Metro ride to the National Mall and all of the Smithsonian’s treasures. We hope that you consider making your time at ONA17 one to share with the entire family, and don’t hesitate to reach out to me (Mom of two) as a resource. I even wrote a handy guide on great places to eat with kids across the D.C. region.