Locking breastfeeding women in a cupboard ?

[lightlypoached]

Saw this at Miami airport.

What do we think about locking breastfeeding women in cupboards ?

I think it's weird and a bit sad. You?

[3out]

@bobstermum it says they’re for pumping or bf only inside the pods (in Miami)

[3out]

I like that the airport showed a mum and 2, maybe 3 year old in their promo video of it on insta.

[Thehop]

I’m comfortable feeding out and about now but I think it’s great those that don’t have an option!

[bobstersmum]

Well, as a breastfeeding mum I've fed everywhere and always managed to be very discreet, however I wonder if there were more of these types of thing in public places more mums would breastfeed? I'm sure it doesn't say you can ONLY breastfeed in there?

[pancaketosser]

travelling alone, not along.

[pancaketosser]

I breastfed for over 6 years in total, and whilst by my second baby I couldn't give a crap about feeding wherever and whenever, with my first I was self-conscious like PPs.

Having said that though, that pod does look a bit weird. And makes it seem like breastfeeding mothers are an afterthought. What's wrong with a room? Can only one person use it at a time? Would it be easy to use if you were travelling along and had a toddler (or 2) with you?

There's also lots of reasons why any mother and baby might need or prefer a bit of extra privacy regardless of how they're feeding.

It's not bad, but it's also not a solution.

[Settlersofcatan]

User - you could get a small pushchair in, probably not a huge uppababy vista type one.

One of the things I liked about using it in the airport was being able to keep my stuff contained. I didn't have a toddler then but can see that it would also help keep one contained and easier than having them running round the airport while you're attached to a pump or baby

[multiplemum3]

What a stupid title. Its not like breast feeding mothers are getting shoved and locked in there, so offended over nothing.

[flumpybear]

Where are you OP? ... nothing worse than settling a grenade and running in MN land

[RB68]

I think if they were just advertised as baby feeding spaces its fine - its the targetting thats an issue. I can't see certain cultures embrassing public breast feeding so in a multicultural environment like airports its a good plan

[DioneTheDiabolist]

Seriously OP? Proof that some people are determined to be offended.

[Chocolatecoffeeaddict]

If it's by choice, then I don't see the problem. Some would like the privacy it provides.

[GreatDuckCookery6211]

Some women like privacy and the choice to breastfeed away from the public, it’s hardly a cupboard to lock them in.

[Mummyoflittledragon]

Janet
Several posters responded to the points raised around giving the wrong message and expectation of using the pods but you decided to pursue it all the same. As I said I read an article on the pods when they were first introduced. They were and remain all about giving the woman choices and giving lactating women a clean, private place to express.

The response of individual member of the public to a woman breastfeeding in public is a separate issue. Someone upthread expressed displeasure eating around a mother feeding her baby.

I haven’t proven that you are hard of thinking at all. You did that by yourself by misreading responses.

[Imperfectsusan]

I would have quite liked the option.

[3out]

What a brilliant idea! I fed anywhere and everywhere, but I would never have pumped in public. A great facility. The seat looks a little uncomfortable to me, and the slogan on the mirror is a bit eye-rolly, but has good intentions.

[JRMisOdious]

What a good idea, wish they’d been available when mine were little. So, they actually lock the women in? 😁

[userschmoozer]

Its weird how its stuck in the middle of the traffic flow. Can you get a pushchair in there? What if you had a couple of children with you? Surely a whole room with some private cubicles would be better.

[MidniteScribbler]

MIA Unveils Nursing Suites for Traveling Mothers

MIAmamas Program Is One of the Largest in the U.S. for Nursing Moms

MIAMI, FL--(Marketwired - September 02, 2016) - On the heels of National Breastfeeding Month, Miami International Airport today unveiled a comprehensive program for nursing and pumping mothers. The MIA program includes eight custom-branded MIAmamas (pronounced "mia mamas") nursing suites located on each of MIA's concourses, with two in Concourse D and one in the Concourse E Satellite facility. Passengers can locate the new suites via MIA's free mobile app, MIA Airport Official.
"Nursing moms are free to feed or pump anywhere at MIA, but these suites now give them an option that is private and peaceful," said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. González. "We've made it our goal to provide our passengers with the latest, most customer-friendly services available, and the MIAmamas nursing suites are the latest way that we are accomplishing that goal."
Manufactured by Vermont-based Mamava, the MIAmamas suites are self-contained, mobile units with two comfortable benches, a fold-down table, an electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump, and a door that can be locked for privacy. The 4-foot-by-8-foot suites are meant for individual use, but can fit mothers with luggage, other children or a travel companion. Interior surfaces of the lactation suites are made of food-service-grade Fiberglass and Corian®.
After a press conference by MIA and Mamava officials to announce the program, event attendees were able to view the interior of a nursing suite. MIA has also launched an airport-wide employee awareness campaign for the MIAmamas program.
"MIA has become a role model for other airports with this comprehensive initiative, and we couldn't be happier to celebrate with them," said Mamava Co-founder and CEO Sascha Mayer. This program speaks volumes of their commitment to support their nursing travelers and customers, ensuring that moms anywhere in the airport have a dignified space in which to pump or nurse. I couldn't think of a better way to wrap up National Breastfeeding Month!"

m.marketwired.com/press-release/mia-unveils-nursing-suites-for-traveling-mothers-2155342.htm

There is something seriously wrong with you if you think that this is anything other than a great idea.

[MorrisZapp]

I never felt OK breastfeeding in public. Some women just aren't confident like that. Your options are to say its fine! Here, just sit at this public table in which case I won't visit your establishment, or to provide comfort and privacy in which case I feel better about coming out.

I never developed confidence changing dirty nappies out and about either, and this curtailed my life a bit until DS was fully clean and dry.

MN often doesn't understand that the nitty gritty of baby care isn't just a breeze to all of us. Any help we can get makes that ghastly part of parenting a bit easier. Please don't try to take it away because you personally think nothing of it and can't see the big deal.

[pigsDOfly]

I was a pretty radical breastfeeder nearly 40 years ago (eldest is 39) and would openly breastfeed anywhere and everywhere, but I think this is a great idea.

When I first breastfed my first baby I was quite self conscious when doing it in front of anyone else. Not because I was embarrassed about the feeding but because I was unsure about how to do it - baby took a while to latch on properly and feeding took forever - I would have loved to have somewhere quiet to sit alone with my baby at that time. As I said though, once I was confident with feeding I didn't care what anyone thought.

Does it say anywhere that breastfeeding mothers must use this pod? Unless it does your heading is misleading and silly; breastfeeding women are not being made to feed in a cupboard. And unless there us someone standing outside it with a key, neither are they being locked away.

[Pernickity1]

I also had a tongue tied, reflux baby so in my early days of feeding I had to get my whole breast out and do a whole lot of manoevering to get my DD to latch. While I would have loved to have the confidence to do this in public and hugely admire those who do, I just couldn’t do it. I’m extremely self-conscious, breastfeeding at all was a huge step for me! I would have loved more facilities like this, I avoided going so many places when mine were tiny for this reason, it was quite isolating.

I agree with the pp who said it would be good if there was a big sign stressing the point that mothers are free to breastfeed throughout the airport as well as the pod.

If I ever have another baby I’ll make it my mission to feed in public, I think it’s so important to normalise it.

[NameChange30]

@IM0GEN

[riddles26]

Something I would have loved in the early days breastfeeding my first child. I refused to go out to anywhere that didn't have facilities that I could feed privately until she was about 3 months old because I was so nervous about feeding in public and exposing myself. I got used to latching her without looking and happily fed for 15+ months in the end but many women like to have the option of feeding in private and this applies to bottle feeding mums too.

Because people who are eating or having a drink in a cafe or public area do not want to see woman flopping their boob out to feed. Yes it's natural and yes, it is normal but that's not something EVERYONE wants to see.
Disgusting attitude and thankfully the law doesn't agree with it. Babies have equal rights to eat where it suits them - if it is an appropriate place for me to have a snack, it is appropriate for me to feed my baby there. If you saw me in a cafe, you wouldn't even know I was feeding my baby, would just assume I'm holding him as overwhelming majority of breastfeeding mothers are discreet about feeding. If you don't want to see it, then you are welcome to go elsewhere and have your drink

[27dresses]

They could have allicated sone space for parents of young chikdren. Why not have a child corner with toys/entertainment for little ones and comfy chairs for breastfeeding mum's?