Sutton hospital becomes first in the UK to have specialist feeding pod

The MyPodtm, which has been provided by a company called MumPod® and is the first of its kind to be installed anywhere in the UK, will provide a private and comfortable place for parents to feed infants and express milk.

The lockable room, which is available 24 hours a day, contains a comfortable chair with footrest, a place to plug in a breast pump and charge a phone, dimmable lights, a bag storage area and baby changing facilities.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals (SFH) Trust, which runs King’s Mill Hospital, provided the pod following feedback from a member of staff and results of a staff survey, which confirmed there was a lack of suitable locations to express milk while at work.

The location of the pod, beside the Community Involvement Hub, means it can be used by all hospital visitors - not just staff. In addition to the pod, there are also baby feeding rooms near the main entrance of King’s Mill and on the maternity ward. Parents are also welcome to feed their child anywhere on site if they feel comfortable.

Former SFH medicines management technician, Victoria Cooke, who first raised the issue of a lack of comfortable, private space, attended the official opening of the pod on Thursday, November 10.

She said: “I’m so glad that a proactive change has been made to facilitate people in the future, on the back of my own personal experience.

“Having the MyPod available to both staff and visitors is going to be really helpful and will relieve any anxieties that they may have about feeding or expressing in public places.”

Natalie Boxall, infant feeding specialist midwife, said: “Women and parents can feed their baby in public anywhere in the UK, including within SFH buildings when they are here to visit or work.

"However, the SFH pod is provided for anyone coming to King’s Mill Hospital who wants a quiet and private space to express their milk, breastfeed or chestfeed their child.

"The pod will be open access and is lockable from the inside.”