As someone who is days away from giving birth to baby #2, I came across an post on FlyerTalk that captivated my interest (especially since I already have a flight booked 11 days after my due date!).
Some airports are now attracted to the idea of being more family-friendly, with Milwaukee (MKE) being the first airport to install “nursing pods” throughout the terminals.
Photo Credit:Â General Mitchell International Airport via USA Today
I know how hard it is to be a nursing mom on the road, but “lack of privacy” has never really stopped me from doing my thing, so I’m undecided about my take on this initiative.
Out of the two comments on the FlyerTalk article, one commenter says this is a great way for mothers to get the privacy and comfort they need, while another said she would never nurse in there because it looks like a “glorified toilet”.
I’m curious – what’s your take? Do you think airport nursing pods will be a hit or a miss? Feel free to vote below and share your thoughts in the comments.
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I’m all for a little privacy when it comes to breastfeeding so that I don’t make others feel uncomfortable.
They look really useful for pumping actually. Just yesterday I saw a mom having to pump standing up next to the sink of a busy bathroom. This would be a much better alternative than what she was having to do.
I can see this as a great product for nursing Moms that are also business travelers, in fact that is exactly how I would market it if it were my idea. You can nurse a baby in a restaurant discreetly and without embarrassment, as it is more socially acceptable today than it was in the past. But- if a nursing Mom traveling with a pump would try that anywhere in public I’m sure it would cause a true ruckus. Most nursing Moms pump in the car, believe me because that is what my daughter had to do, or in a crampd bathroom stall, which is kinda gross. If you are interested in continuing to feed your infant breastmilk after returning to work and are using a portable electric pump, options can be limited. I think this is a great idea.
A better solution (IMHO) is for people to get over their discomfort with a woman feeding her child in the way her body was designed to feed her child! The pod feels to me like the nursing mom is being sequestered from the general public. I don’t like the message it sends. “We don’t like watching you feed your baby, so you go into this little pod. That way we don’t have to feel uncomfortable.”
I agree with AJM. These pods make me feel claustrophobic just by looking at them! When I was BF my infant many years ago I hated feeling sequestered to do so. Have mother’s rooms next to restrooms for those who enjoy the privacy, but for those who comfortable feeding with discretion in public I would encourage this.
After two kids, I’ve nursed anywhere and everywhere. With my first child though on that first trip, I was just nervous and worried and entirely unskilled at being discrete even though I wanted to be reasonably so (my daughter HATED a nursing cover). Having the option of a private space is AWESOME. Of course, the flip side is that moms should not feel compelled to use it either if they are comfortable nursing in public. It is about having options to make moms more comfortable – not about everyone else and their hangups. ;-)
I’m not a mom, so take this opinion with a grain of salt but…it amazes me that moms all over the world are OK nursing publicly (sometimes discretely, sometimes less so) and the rest of the world works just fine. But somehow in the USA it’s this big discomfort. Very strange dynamic that we as a society aren’t okay with a very natural thing.
These are a huge step backward. We need to help moms and society feel comfortable feeding their children everywhere! They should not be made to feel that these pods are necessary. I pump two times a day and I do not use a pod. I sit in my car and use a small towel to cover, I can do the same thing in an airport. Seventh Generation could help by giving money to support breastfeeding groups where mothers could gain support from other women. Empower Yourselves! Feed your children ANYWHERE! If I had to find a pod every time I needed to feed my baby while traveling there would have been a lot of tears!