Boston Public Health Commission’s Mission to Boost Breastfeeding

Improving lactation support for breastfeeding is a personal and professional passion for Morgan Taylor-McFadden, Director of Boston Healthy Start Initiative at the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). “I have three children, but I only nursed for six months with my first one because I didn’t have a lot of information or support. So the first time I saw a Mamava pod in an airport, I thought: How nice would it be to have one in the community I live in?”

The BPHC works to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents—including maternal and child health. Taylor-McFadden’s work focuses on helping those who live in neighborhoods with the highest rates of infant mortality and who are directly impacted by racism and systemic inequities. Her team also connects directly with families through the city's Nurse Home Visiting Program, which allows them to reach a broader population across Boston. “Many of the women we serve express a strong desire to breastfeed, but it's not easy,” says Taylor-McFadden. “Breastfeeding is not just a choice and not just a behavior. There are a number of barriers, especially when we’re talking about Black experience in this country. Our work goes beyond individual behavior to include the policies and infrastructure shaping our environment.”

One of the key pieces of infrastructure that was missing: the noticeable lack of breastfeeding-friendly infrastructure. “Whether it's a designated private room or a lactation pod, these supports are often missing in the spaces where families frequent,” says Taylor-McFadden. “The decision to place pods in our neighborhoods not only expands critical infrastructure, but also complements our broader breastfeeding awareness efforts.”

Make a statement and an impact

BPHC partnered with Mamava in 2023 to install a lactation pod in the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, which is home to the Boston Public Schools headquarters and serves as a central community hub in Roxbury. “Bringing the Mamava pod to the Bolling Building is about more than convenience—it’s a statement,” says Taylor-McFadden. “It creates an intentional, private space for nursing and pumping while also signaling that our city values breastfeeding families and is committed to supporting them.”

Identify the breastfeeding drop-off problem

As part of the BPHC, the Boston Healthy Start Initiative (BHSI) has been collecting breastfeeding data focused on self-identified Black women in Boston since 2020, and like the national rates collected by the CDC, the data shows a high initiation rate (93%) followed by a sharp decline at six months (34%). Among the key barriers to breastfeeding identified by the BHSI team: the absence of supportive spaces. When the World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics extended their recommendation to breastfeed from one year to two years, improving lactation support felt even more critical. “We’re already facing an uphill challenge to get to six months,” says Taylor-McFadden. “How can we support families to meet these new recommendations?” Procuring a Mamava pod was part of their work to create more breastfeeding-friendly spaces.

Help breastfeeding parents feel seen and supported

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Mamava pod was timed with a "Love for Latch" campaign during Black Breastfeeding Week in August 2023 to raise awareness and normalize breastfeeding in Black communities. As part of the campaign, BPHC created a gallery walk featuring portraits of local mothers nursing their children to capture the beauty and diversity of breastfeeding across different stages and ages. These same images were then displayed on buses to extend the visibility and impact of the campaign. “Breastfeeding in Black communities has a complex history, so we wanted to showcase the joy and show people breastfeeding,” says Taylor-McFadden.

Enhance communities with lactation spaces

Before the Mamava pod was in the building, parents pumped or nursed in bathrooms and cars. “The pod represents a shift toward providing intentional and dignified infrastructure that supports parents without compromise. It’s a step toward normalizing breastfeeding in community and workplace settings,” says Taylor-McFadden. “It’s also a symbol of support for families on their breastfeeding journey. We’re providing solutions for them to feel seen and heard—it’s a way of saying: Let’s do this together.”

Join the momentum to improve lactation support

The Mamava pod gets a lot of use and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. According to Taylor-McFadden, there’s also interest in expanding access to lactation pods across more city and community spaces. “While we know there's still more work to be done, this pod represents progress, and we’re committed to continuing that momentum.”

Choose the trusted lactation space experts

There are a variety of ways to provide lactation spaces in public spaces and workplaces, but Mamava was the solution for BPHC. “Mamava pods are trusted and visible in places like airports and museums, so we knew they would provide a high-quality, professional experience,” says Taylor-McFadden. “The process was smooth and collaborative. Working with the Mamava team was a pleasure—they were flexible, responsive, and made the installation process feel seamless.”