Features

NFL teams cater for nursing mothers

NFL American football teams the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts have opened new spaces for nursing mothers at their home stadiums.

The Vikings, together with the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, announced the opening of the new Mothers’ Room at U.S. Bank Stadium (pictured) yesterday (Thursday) to celebrate National Breastfeeding Awareness Month.

The private breastfeeding room will be open for all major stadium events and will debut during today’s pre-season game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The space has been funded from the stadium’s capital improvement account and is designed to further the inclusive experience at U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in 2016.

The room complements U.S. Bank Stadium’s four Mamava lactation suites and the Vikings said the initiative is a direct response to fan feedback received during the first two seasons at the stadium, which hosted the Super Bowl in February.

The room will be 154 square feet in size and hold seating for up to four women. It features two private nursing areas, a changing table with supplies, seating and toys for toddlers and a television showing the game. The room is situated near Section 122 on the main concourse of U.S. Bank Stadium and can be located on the Vikings mobile app.

The Vikings’ chief operating officer, Kevin Warren, said: “When we launched the partnership with Mamava in 2015, we acknowledged it was a first step in our effort to create a positive experience for nursing mothers at Vikings games.

“Having witnessed the positive response and increased demand for the lactation suites, we strongly believed the addition of the Mothers’ Room was another critical step in building a family-friendly environment at U.S. Bank Stadium.”

The Colts have also teamed up with Mamava, which designs lactation suites for breastfeeding mothers on the go, to provide a new option for nursing mums at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Mamava suite is a self-contained, mobile pod and features comfortable seating, a fold-down table, interior lighting, an electrical outlet for a breast pump, a USB port and a lockable door. The four-by-eight-foot pod is designed for individual use but can fit more than one person.

The suite will also be complemented by a Mothers’ Room, which will cater for breastfeeding or pumping and is located on the Loge Level of Lucas Oil Stadium.

“We are so pleased to support moms with this new option during game days,” Kalen Jackson, Colts vice-chair and owner, and a new mother herself, said. “Whether it’s for fans, guests or stadium staff, the Mamava suite will give moms the chance to enjoy a game, while also providing them a clean, private location to care for their child if they so choose.”

Image: Darb02