Feeding Frenzy
The New York Times recently revealed the latest in airport comfort. In an attempt to alleviate the stress new mothers might face while trying to find a space for breastfeeding, Seventh Generation, a household and baby care-company, is sponsoring the installation of nursing pods in New York airports. The announcement is being made to “coincide with Mother’s Day”. These 4 x 8 foot, free-standing containers, are being built by Mamava, a breastfeeding solutions and advocacy group. Their mission, as stated on their website, is “making the world a friendlier place for women who pump or breastfeed.”
But these fully enclosed, windowless, plastic compartments seem less than welcoming. Plastered in advertising for Seventh Generation, the pods seem clinical and cramped. Rather than ensure that new mothers are comfortable in the airport to breastfeed wherever they like, the containers create an implicit assumption that they need to be used, and that breast-feeding should happen here, inside these small, enclosed boxes, hidden from your fellow air travellers.
The need or desire for privacy while breastfeeding is subjective and for many, having a place to go could be a welcome respite. However, it seems that airport design could be investigating a wide variety of solutions that provide both comfort and privacy. Imagine dragging all your luggage and baby into this box every time your kid is hungry.
This investigation is well underway in workplace design. These pods, designed by Steelcase, bring a balance of comfort and uninterrupted concentration to the open office.
Unlike the Mamava containers, these look and feel comfortable. This has to do with the fabric and materials used as well as their protective cocoon-like design. Instead of creating claustrophobic anxiety, these cushioned seats are like a protective nest.
They provide privacy without isolating the occupant from the rest of the space or their companions. Their open design uses natural light (if available) and feels brighter than a completely enclosed space. It also makes them easy to get in and out of.
Integrating a design like this into airports would create space for all travelers to have some privacy, whether they are breastfeeding, taking a catnap, having a business meeting, or simply, in need of cocoon time.
Encouraging breast-feeding mothers into isolating containers may be positive for some, but it seems to miss the point making the world a friendlier place for breast-feeding.
