Salem, New Hampshire

Canobie Lake Park – A reader writes: “Canobie Lake Park has added a brand new Nursing Room/ family room. These are super quiet, air conditioned rooms. They provide rocking chairs, and a sink. Perfect place to get away and nurse your little one.”

Glen, New Hampshire

Storyland – A reader writes: “StoryLand in New Hampshire has nursing rooms at every bathroom. They are a small room to the left, sadly without a lock. But they have two rocking chairs, and a changing station. I visited these several times, and they were always free. Very clean, and a great quiet place to nurse- or even to get away for a few minutes of quiet time.”

Annapolis, MD

Westfield Annapolis Mall – A reader writes: “Westfield Mall in Annapolis has a wonderful spacious and clean family room. It has three breastfeeding rooms with curtains. Two bathrooms — one of them with a little toilet for a toddler as well. It also has clean changing tables and a microwave.”

The Shedd Aquarium – Chicago, IL

Shedd Aquarium – A reader writes: “The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago recently finished some major renovations and added a “guest services suite” in the main foyer, complete with new restrooms, lockers, a nursing station, and family washroom.  The nursing station is a private room with a lock, a comfy chair, changing station, sink and air conditioned.  I used it last weekend when visiting the aquarium w/ out of town guests and it was wonderful!”

Another reader sent the following e-mail to the aquarium, regarding her experience as a nursing mother:

My name is (withheld) and I visited the Shedd Aquarium with my 2-year-old son and my 6-month-old daughter last Tuesday while my husband attended a business conference.  We had a wonderful visit, and as a nursing mother I want to thank you for providing a nursing room.  Although I support a mother’s right to feed her infant wherever she chooses, in the case of my daughter, she is an easily distracted and fussy nurser, and it is quite difficult to feed her in a more public setting.  On our long visit to the Shedd we wouldn’t have been able to stay and enjoy ourselves had I not found a quiet space to feed her.

I did want to offer a few suggestions to make the experience an even more positive one for other breastfeeding mothers.  I learned about your nursing room, not from your map or any wayfinding materials, but from another nursing mother earlier in the morning.  I also heard about it from a mother I shared an elevator ride with, who had used it once.  I set out to find the room, but unfortunately, had a lot of difficulty.  The room is not marked clearly in your finding aids or signage, and it is mismarked completely on the lower-level elevator!  I asked 2 separate staff members for help, and they both directed me to the family restrooms.  When I clarified that I wanted the nursing room, not a toilet, the second staff member said, “oh yeah, I heard we have one here but it’s hard to find so most people just end up doing that in the bathroom anyway.”  I approached a third staff member at the guest services counter and she also directed me to the family restroom saying she didn’t know you had a nursing room!  Finally, a fourth staff member directed me correctly to the room.

It seems to me like this valuable facility would be used and enjoyed by more families if it were marked clearly, and if your staff were better trained as to its whereabouts.  I hope you will also inform your staff that it is inappropriate to suggest a nursing mother should feed her child in a bathroom, ever.

When I did finally find the nursing room, I was disappointed to see the Shedd is still using a bottle icon to represent the nursing room! You are probably not aware that there is a new international breastfeeding symbol, which is to now be used much like the universal handicap symbol, to denote nursing in public spaces.  You may download a pdf for use on your maps and signage here:

http://www.breastfeedingsymbol.org/download/

I want to say again that I appreciate you providing the facility of a nursing room, but there are a couple of things you could do to make it more comfortable.  There was only one chair to sit in. . .no place for my toddler to sit and read a book while I nursed his sister, and no place for my husband to hang out had he been with me.  I would venture that many nursing moms would be accompanied by other family members or children, and another small chair (or even two) would be helpful.  In addition, although some moms prefer total privacy for nursing, at least two other families knocked on the door to come in while I was using the room–I would have let them in but when they saw there were no more chairs, they left and said they would find someplace else.  I hated to be hogging the room when it wouldn’t bother me if another mom wanted to nurse nearby.  Maybe a nursing “lounge” is more in order, with more seating available?  With the number of visitors I saw at your Aquarium the day I was there, and the fact that 2 other families wanted the room in the short 10-minute span I was in there, I would think there would be more demand for such a space than just 1 chair in a small room.

I also understand you are using air dryers in an effort to conserve our Earth’s resources.  However, nursing can be a bit messy at times and it would be nice if you had a paper towel dispenser so mothers could wipe up spit-up, spilled milk, or blot leaked milk that got onto mom’s shirt!  Most families probably carry their own wipes and burp cloths, but we were traveling from another city and despite our packing as if we were traveling to the moon, we still managed to forget burp cloths.  I hate to say I made a bit of a mess, and cleaned up as much as wipes would allow–but they are wet, not very absorbent. Since the room isn’t a toilet there is no toilet paper or anything to grab to clean up spills.  Again, just a suggestion, and perhaps something the room’s designers did not take into account.  It would be a huge convenience and much appreciated.

Thank you once again for allowing me to share my perspective as a nursing mother to make the Shedd Aquarium an even friendlier place for breastfeeding!

Killeen, TX

Killeen Mall – A reader writes: “The ladies restroom near the food court has a nursing room which includes a glider. It is separate from the rest of the restroom but doesn’t have a door. It is very roomy and would definitely fit a double stroller if needed.

The Motherhood Maternity in Killeen mall also allows their changing rooms to be used for nursing which is nice since it’s the opposite side of the mall from the food court.”

Glendale, CA

The Americana at Brand – A reader writes: The Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA is BEAUTIFUL!!! There are 2 private nursing rooms plus 2 private rooms with changing tables and complimentary wipes, diapers, etc. These are just off a play area with games and a flat screen tv that is constantly running some sort of cartoon for the older children that a mother may have. The rooms are in the back of the concierge area, by the women’s bathrooms. The mall is  up-scale and very kid friendly.”

Orleans, ON

Place D’Orleans Mall – A reader writes:  “Large nursing room (“Place Bébé”) off the food court on the upper level. Four glider chairs in a common area, one in an alcove with a curtain. Colourful decorations, very cheerful. Also has nice changing facilities with free supplies. Smaller nursing room on the ground floor near the bathrooms that are beside the bookstore. Only room for one, very private, but old and a bit dingy.”

Ottawa, ON

One reader sent all this info.  Many thanks!

“Note that in all the large (multi-person) nursing rooms in the Ottawa area, it is fairly common for men to accompany the nursing mothers. None that I’ve seen forbid men from entering.

Bayshore Shopping Centre “Family washroom on ground floor (across from the Cinnabon) has a private area, but it’s not very comfortable (poorly-padded bench). There is no sign advertising nursing facilities, so if you don’t go in, you won’t find it.”

Rideau Centre Mall – Sears has a room with one rocking chair and a change table in the baby/children’s section. It’s not very nice, and I don’t think the door locks.

Carlingwood Mall – Nursing room off the food court with two high-backed chairs and a changing area. This has been renovated recently and is very nice and clean.
St. Laurent Centre -Nursing room off the food court with three rocking armchairs and changing area. Recently renovated and fairly nice, but sometimes not as clean as it could be. Sears has a tiny room in the baby section that is barely big enough for the glider chair and change table they have in there. Toys R Us has a “parenting room” in the Babies R Us section. This has one glider chair and a changing area. It’s often not super clean.
Ikea – Tiny nursing room in the cafeteria with a big arm chair and changing area with free supplies (but they are often all out). Because so many people come with babies around lunchtime, there is sometimes a line-up.”

Bethel Park, PA

Babies R Us – A reader writes:  “There is a mothers’ room with changing tables and a comfortable couch and chairs for nursing.”

South Hills Village -

Macy’s – A reader writes: “The third floor women’s restroom has a comfortable lounge area.”

Milford, CT

Westfield Shoppingtown - Connecticut Post Mall – A reader writes:  “They have the big ‘family room’ with nursing booths and changing tables, sinks, a bathroom with a smaller toilet and sink for the little ones.”