Lactation pod to be built at Fedexforum this summer

On Monday, June 24, the Shelby County Commission approved funds to purchase Tennessee's first lactation pod from Mamava, a company that wants to raise visibility around the needs of breastfeeding parents.

The ADA compliant lactation pod will be the first of its kind in West Tennessee, and will be installed in Fedexforum during the Memphis Grizzlies' off-season, this summer, according to a release from the Shelby County Commission.

The Fedexforum pod will be one of roughly 850 Mamava pods that can be found throughout the U.S. by using the associated Mamava app.

The app unlocks the Mamava pods for use by parents, but it also links parents to more than 3,500 "approved" places for breastfeeding vetted by parents who use the app.

A spokesperson for the company said the app has created a community of breastfeeding resources for parents.

The specific pod bound for Fedexforum features wheelchair accessibility, seating, 60" of turn-around space, a fold down table, and outlets for electronic devices like breast-pumps.

A release from the Shelby County Commission says that the pod is a pilot, and it's success and use will be considered in the future as the commission weighs other possible locations for lactation pods.

County commissioners Brandon Morrison, Tami Sawyer, and Reginald Milton all expressed support for the pod as part of a wider initiative to make breastfeeding easier for parents throughout Shelby County.