Mamava, the category creator of freestanding lactation spaces, is thrilled to announce a lactation pod has been installed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The pod is not only a much-needed amenity for the museum, but a design object worthy of one of the premier contemporary art museums in the world.
The interior of the pod acts as a miniature gallery and features reproductions of artworks by Betye Saar, for parents and children to enjoy, including Anticipation (1961), which depicts the artist pregnant with her third child and is one of Saar’s few early experiments with screen printing in MoMA’s collection, and In the Sunflower Patch (1963) and Flight (1963), depicting the early years of her daughter’s life. The artist also provided a quote, featured in the pod, in which she reflects on motherhood, birthing, and her printmaking practice.
Located under the lobby escalators on the Museum’s ground floor, which is free and accessible to all, the pod provides a private, comfortable space for parents to pump, or breastfeed. Use of the pod is free.
“We have put the ‘mom’ in MoMA. This design collaboration with MoMA is an incredible validation of our mission to create intentionally designed spaces for breastfeeding people,” says Sascha Mayer, co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Mamava. “I come from a family of artists and my co-founder and I incubated Mamava in the design studio where we worked, so the placement of a Mamava pod at the Museum of Modern Art is an exciting milestone for our company and me personally. This MoMA pod creates the experience we want users to have: it’s located in a prominent space in one of the world’s greatest museums, and delivers the experience of still being immersed in a gallery while using it. This pod exemplifies the human-centered design principles, showcasing art in a way that makes it an actual exhibit.”
Mamava now has lactation pods in more than 40 museums and family activity spaces. With over 3,000+ pods in all 50 states and Washington D.C.—including airports, train stations, corporate offices, schools, hospitals, military bases, retail, universities, sports stadiums, and zoos—Mamava has vastly improved the experience of leaving home for young families. A free locator app helps parents find thousands of lactation places, and Mamava reports more than 1 million sessions in 2022 and a 68% increase in app downloads.