Moms Leave 100 Encouraging Notes in an Airport Nursing Pod
Any nursing or pumping mom can tell you how hard it can be to find a place to do so while traveling—something Grace Stevens, a new mom and relations associate for LaGuardia Gateway Partners, had experienced first-hand while traveling for work. So, she began leaving encouraging Post-It notes for other breastfeeding mamas in one Mamava lactation pod at LaGuardia Airport. Little did she know just how impactful that small gesture would be.
When Stevens, who lives in Astoria, Queens, returned from maternity leave in January, she began to write encouraging post-it notes in a lactation pod in concourse D. She also left writing supplies and blank Post-Its for any other moms who wanted to add their own words of encouragement—and they did. The pod now has approximately 100 notes.
“I wanted it to be a personal thing, mom to mom. It started with a couple of Post-Its and has taken off from there,” Stevens told TODAY Parents. “When I was trying to navigate this on my own for the first time, I definitely needed these words of inspiration to get through it. It means so much to be able to help people and pay it forward.”
The airport is taking similar strides to ensure that moms have more spaces to breastfeed and pump in Terminal B. According to Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton, LaGuardia Airport is currently undergoing a complete makeover with an emphasis on new amenities for diverse groups, such as nursing moms, and more family-friendly spaces. So far, they have added six Mamava nursing pods to the airport.
Mamava is a lactation room start-up founded by entrepreneurs (and moms) Sascha Mayer and Christine Dodson, in an effort to give moms a private and clean space to pump or nurse while in public spaces.
Women definitely appreciate the support and Steven’s initiative. “I can’t thank you enough for this pod,” one woman wrote on a Post-It, while another wrote, “This is hard, and you are amazing.”
Steven is just happy she could give other moms the same encouragement she received while traveling. “This initiative and encouragement of the notes helped me fulfill my goal to nurse for as long as possible,” she told TODAY Parents. “To see other moms have this resonate as much unprompted, it truly comes from their hearts to support other moms.”
This isn’t the first time moms have left supportive notes in a lactation room. As you may remember, the Mamava movement swept through the holiday travel season last fall, providing many nursing and pumping moms with similar notes of encouragement and support.
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