Private Lactation Room Opens At Union Station

After years of struggling to find a private space to breastfeed her children, LaKayla Farrow can now do so in peace in a newly opened room on the second floor of Union Station.

Located on the second floor of the city’s transit hub at 50 Union Ave., a new Lactation and Wellness space designated for those seeking to pray or chestfeed (a gender-inclusive alternative to the commonly used ​“breastfeed”) was opened at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

The Lactation and Wellness space features two rocking chairs equipped with medical privacy curtains, as well as a sink and locked fridge for employees to store their breast milk.

In terms of wellness, the room also includes east-facing windows for Muslim station patrons who wish to pray in an open space between the rocking chairs and the kitchenette.

The amenity is now accessible to travelers coming through Union Station, to Union Station employees, and also to New Haveners working near the station. 

Mayor Justin Elicker and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro spokesperson Anthony Afriyie opened Wednesday’s presser, thanking the organizations that made the space possible and expressing their commitment to making New Haven an inclusive and safe place for parents to chestfeed their children.

LaKayla Farrow, mother of two and member of the Healthy Start program, a project committed to improving the health outcomes of pregnancy for families through medical services, took the podium to share her thoughts about the new lactation center. ​“I found it difficult to breastfeed without privacy, which is why it is so important that we have these safe spaces to feed our children.”

Farrow’s husband and her vocal supporter, Robert Farrow, Jr., reflected on chestfeeding from the perspective of a father. ​“This was actually my idea,” he joked, ​“I’m just kidding,” laughing with the audience.

“This is a historic moment. Not just for Union Station, but for New Haven as a whole. This lactation center shows a commitment to growth and positive change not just for our wives and mothers, but for educating fathers about their role,” he explained. ​“This center is for families who are tired.”

New Haven Parking Authority Executive Director Doug Hausladen provided attendees with insight into initiatives to develop lactation-friendly spaces, starting with the lactation room in Union Station. ​“Over four million passengers traveled through Union Station last year, many of whom are parents, so we want to make the experience as comfortable as possible for them starting with this room.”

The Lactation and Wellness space will be accessible from open to close at Union Station, offering privacy to parents traveling at any hour of the day. Union Station currently operates from 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Hausladen’s next project entails installing a family bathroom in Union Station, one equipped with changing tables and sufficient space to allow parents to stay with their other children while tending to one.

“Who runs the world? Women do,” he concluded. ​“Thank you for chestfeeding.”

Chair of the New Haven Breast/Chestfeeding Task Force Tomeka Frieson, also the breast/chestfeeding initiative coordinator at the Community Alliance for Research & Engagement (CARE), closed the event. ​“We all play a role in making New Haven a welcoming place for those who chestfeed their children.”

Following the presser, Frieson led attendees to the new Lactation and Wellness space for a ribbon-cutting led by the Farrow family. Flanked by their daughters, Heaven and Harmony, the couple used a comically large pair of scissors to officially open the center.

Attendees filed into the room, taking in the calm and airy atmosphere curated by Hausladen’s team. 

“I am grateful for this very, very, very beautiful space where I can feed my kids in private, which is something I have had trouble finding in the past. And it’s relaxing, which is important for parents who are traveling and may feel overwhelmed,” Farrow said of the space.

Farrow, Jr. added, ​“This center proves that lactation is not taboo, it is not gross. We are opening a positive discussion about breastfeeding, one that I hope will shape New Haven’s inclusion of mothers.”

“So, where do you hope to install a lactation center next?” Hausladen asked the couple on the elevator ride down to the first floor.

“I’m going to answer this like a superhero — ” Farrow, Jr. smiled, assuming a powerful stance with his fists on hips, “ — wherever they’re needed!”