🍼 Why Do We Need a Public Nursing Chair?

A public breastfeeding chair is not just a design solution – it’s essential infrastructure for accessible parenting, public health promotion, and inclusive urban space.
Many mothers report discomfort nursing in public – mainly due to the lack of suitable spaces in parks, malls, and public areas.
The Dafna Chair bridges this gap by offering an intimate, respectful space that allows quiet, modest, and comfortable nursing – without isolating the mother.
The design is based on dozens of field observations, interviews with nursing mothers, and an analysis of existing barriers.

A Design Born from the Body – and Built for the Street

The chair’s rounded shape echoes the womb – a soft, protective space.
Its curved back extends into open “wings,” evoking a gentle embrace without disconnecting from the environment.
The minimalist design language fits naturally in public spaces, yet reflects a deep understanding of the body, movement, and emotion.

Precise Functionality – Down to the Last Detail

The wide armrests comfortably hold a phone, bottle, or pacifier.
Heights, angles, and materials were carefully chosen to support the real-life breastfeeding experience – not just aesthetics, but a full solution accessible to every mother.

🔬 What Does the Research Say About Breastfeeding in Public? Breastmilk is the ideal infant food – protecting against infections, reducing chronic disease risk, and supporting neurological development ¹-⁶. For mothers, it lowers risks of breast and ovarian cancer, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes ¹-⁶. WHO and UNICEF recommend exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continuation to age 2 or beyond ⁷, while the AAP defines it as a public health imperative requiring support in all settings ⁸. Despite recommendations, only about 48% of infants worldwide are exclusively breastfed to 6 months ⁹. Major barriers include stigma, embarrassment, and fear of negative reactions ¹⁰-¹¹, as well as lack of appropriate furniture and privacy ¹². Many countries legally protect public breastfeeding (USA, UK, Spain, Germany, Canada, Australia) ¹³-¹⁶, but Israel still lacks a comprehensive national policy ¹⁷. Suboptimal breastfeeding is estimated to cost ~0.7% of global GDP due to medical expenses and productivity loss; in the U.S. alone, billions of dollars are lost. Promoting breastfeeding could prevent hundreds of thousands of child deaths and tens of thousands of maternal deaths each year ¹⁸-²⁰. Design recommendations for breastfeeding-friendly spaces include ergonomic chairs with footrests and back/arm support, partial privacy (e.g., shade or low partition), and an inviting, accessible 4m² area with lighting, ventilation, power outlet, changing surface, supportive signage, and nearby amenities like a sink or companion seat ²¹. Solutions like the Dafna Chair help shift from recommendations – to real-world environments that support breastfeeding. A city that installs such chairs not only aligns with public health standards but honors mothers and leads social change.

📖 Beyond medical and policy research, breastfeeding also holds deep cultural and spiritual meaning – especially within Jewish tradition.
🕊 Spiritual and Halachic Perspective on Breastfeeding 🌿 A Sacred Value in Jewish Tradition Breastfeeding is seen in Jewish tradition as an act of profound spiritual significance – not only physiological, but also emotional and sacred. The prophets Isaiah and King David compare God’s love for Israel to a mother nursing her child (Isaiah 49:15; Psalms 22:10)²² – an image of complete devotion, intimacy, and nurturing. ✨ Spiritual Influence and Purity The Sages teach that breastfeeding impacts the purity of the soul²³. The Talmud recounts that Moses refused to nurse from Egyptian women to preserve the sanctity of his mouth²³. A mother’s blood turning into milk²⁴ represents the transfer of “spiritual essence” from mother to child. Breastmilk is likened to Torah – both nourish and develop wisdom and life²⁵. Rashi and Ramban stressed that the mother’s spiritual and physical purity influences the milk and the child’s soul²⁶. Kabbalistic texts describe breastfeeding as the transfer of divine abundance and kindness²⁷. The Shelah Hakadosh recommended that mothers maintain positive thoughts during breastfeeding²⁷. 🕊 Breastfeeding – Obligation, Mitzvah, and Modesty Halacha sees breastfeeding as a natural and essential obligation. The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer, ch. 2) states a woman may be compelled to nurse her child until the age of two²⁸. Sages encouraged breastfeeding even beyond that age, viewing it as both mitzvah and kindness²⁸. Views on modesty differ: • Haredi authorities require private or fully covered nursing²⁹. • Religious-Zionist rabbis permit public nursing with reasonable discretion (e.g., a cover, sitting aside)³⁰. • Rabbi Ben Zion Mutzafi offers a balanced approach: encouraging continued breastfeeding and permitting it in public with complete modesty³¹. 🪑 Creating supportive, respectful public spaces – with privacy and cover options – enables mothers to fulfill this mitzvah safely, with dignity, and in line with halachic principles.

References

  1. WHO, UNICEF. Joint statement on World Breastfeeding Week 2023. Geneva: WHO/UNICEF; 2023.
  2. Meek JY, Noble L; Section on Breastfeeding. Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057988.
  3. Victora CG, Bahl R, Barros AJD, et al. Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet. 2016;387(10017):475–490.
  4. Rollins NC, Bhandari N, Hajeebhoy N, et al. Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices? Lancet. 2016;387(10017):491–504.
  5. Walters DD, Phan LTH, Mathisen R. The cost of not breastfeeding: global results from a new tool. Health Policy Plan. 2019;34(6):407–417. doi:10.1093/heapol/czz050
  6. Bartick MC, Schwarz EB, Green BD, et al. Suboptimal breastfeeding in the United States: maternal and pediatric health outcomes and costs. Matern Child Nutr. 2017;13(1):e12366. doi:10.1111/mcn.12366
  7. Hauck YL, Graham-Smith C, McCarthy R, et al. Breastfeeding in public: who sets the rules? Midwifery. 2020;81:102574. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2019.102574
  8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General; 2011.
  9. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Breastfeeding State Laws. Updated Aug 26, 2021. Available from: https://www.ncsl.org/health/breastfeeding-state-laws
  10. Boundy EO, Nelson JM, Li R. Public belief in the maternal health benefits of breastfeeding — United States, 2018 and 2021. Prev Chronic Dis. 2023;20:E18. doi:10.5888/pcd20.230010
  11. IBFAN. Report on the situation of infant and young child feeding in Israel. Submission to CEDAW Pre-session; 2017.
  12. Yeşildere Sağlam H, Aktaş Reyhan F, Dağlı E. What should a breastfeeding place in public spaces be like? A qualitative study on women’s experiences. HERD. 2024;17(3):97–110. doi:10.1177/19375867241237508
  13. Komodiki E, Kontogeorgou A, Papastavrou M, et al. Breastfeeding in public: a global review of different attitudes towards it. J Pediatr Neonatal Care. 2014;1(00040). doi:10.15406/jpnc.2014.01.00040
  14. Meng X, Daly A, Pollard CM, Binns CW. Community attitudes toward breastfeeding in public places among Western Australia adults, 1995–2009. J Hum Lact. 2013;29(2):183–189. doi:10.1111/mcn.13407
  15. Grant A, Pell B, et al. Views and experiences of breastfeeding in public: a qualitative systematic review. Matern Child Nutr. 2022;18(4):e13407. doi:10.1111/mcn.13407
  16. Australia. Sex Discrimination Amendment (Breastfeeding) Act 2011 (Cth). Commonwealth of Australia; 2011. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2011A00184
  17. Israel. Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty, Article on the Right to Privacy (no specific prohibition on public breastfeeding); No official national program for establishing public breastfeeding spaces.
    18. {# Translated specific Hebrew reference #}
  18. Oberrauch M, et al. Environmental design guidelines for public breastfeeding spaces. Appl Ergon. 2018;67:220–228. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2017.10.005
  19. U.S. Access Board. Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards: scoping and technical requirements for medical care facilities. Washington, DC; 2018.
  20. Facility Guidelines Institute. Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals; 2022.
  21. World Public Health Nutrition Association. Position paper on breastfeeding-friendly environments; 2021.

Jewish Sources and Expansions

22. Expansion on "The Spiritual Value of Breastfeeding in Jewish Sources":
In the Torah and Prophets: Prophet Isaiah 49:15 – "Can a woman forget her nursing child, or fail to pity the offspring of her womb?"; Psalms 22:10 – "For You are He who took me from the womb, You made me trust when I was upon my mother’s breasts" – The prophet compares God's love for the people of Israel to a mother nursing her child, emphasizing that a mother hardly forgets her nursing child because of the deep emotional connection. King David describes that his trust in God began when he was a baby at his mother's breasts, and our Sages learned from this that even at the stage of nursing, the baby absorbs faith and trust.

23. Expansion on "Breastfeeding affects purity of soul and spiritual development":
In the Talmud: Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 12b – It is told about Moses our Teacher as a baby, who refused to nurse from the milk of Egyptian women who were not Jewish. The reason given is that Moses' mouth was destined to speak with the Shechinah (with God), and it was not fitting for it to taste something impure. Our Sages teach here that nursing affects the purity of the soul and spiritual development: milk from a pure and holy source contributes to the baby's holiness and wisdom, while milk from an impure source may harm it.

24. Expansion on "The mother's blood turning into milk":
In the Talmud: Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 9a – “Blood coagulates and becomes milk.” – Our Sages note that there is a natural process by which the mother's blood turns into mother's milk during nursing. From a spiritual perspective, the Kabbalistic commentators learned from this that just as blood carries the soul (״For the blood is the soul״ – Leviticus 17:11), so too the milk produced from it carries the mother's spiritual essence and traits to the baby. In other words: through mother's milk, the baby ingests not only physical substances that nourish its body, but also a kind of "essence of the soul" of the mother, contributing to its spiritual development and the purity of its soul, according to the mother's spiritual level.
Midrash Chazal: Babies who sang praise – Our Sages expounded on the verse “From the mouths of infants and nursing babes You have established strength” (Psalms 8:3) that even nursing babies recognized God's miracles at the splitting of the Red Sea. The Midrash describes that when the people of Israel sang the Song of the Sea, even the babies at their mothers' breasts pointed with their fingers and said: “This is my God, and I will glorify Him.” This wondrous Midrash emphasizes the purity of the soul of a nursing baby – by virtue of their innocence and the purity of their nourishment (from the milk of their kosher and believing mother) even infants could experience a spiritual revelation. From this, it can be learned that breastfeeding in an environment of faith and holiness can create in the baby a special openness to holiness and a connection to God even at the earliest age.

25. Expansion on "Mother's milk is likened to words of Torah":
Midrash Shir HaShirim Rabbah (4:11) – “Honey and milk are under your tongue” – In this Midrash, it is said that words of Torah are likened to milk and honey. Milk is mentioned as a symbol of beneficial and nourishing influence: “Just as milk nourishes the baby and develops its body and wisdom, so too words of Torah nourish the soul and increase its wisdom.” The comparison between mother's milk and God's Torah suggests that milk has the virtue of bestowing wisdom and life. Just as the baby grows and develops thanks to its mother's milk, so too a person grows in wisdom by imbibing words of Torah. Although this is a metaphor, it is based on the assumption that mother's milk nurtures and develops the baby even intellectually and spiritually.

26. Expansion on "Commentators like Rashi and Ramban emphasized the influence of the purity of food and the mother":
Rashi on Exodus 2:7 – “A nurse from the Hebrew women – a parable from which they learned that they brought Moses to many Egyptian women to nurse but he would not nurse, because he was destined to speak with the Shechinah.” In his commentary on the Torah, Rashi brings the Midrash of our Sages about Moses, explicitly emphasizing the spiritual value of breastfeeding: Moses did not want to nurse from an Egyptian woman (a gentile) because the foreign milk was not fitting for a holy mouth that would speak with God. Thereby, Rashi affirms that the baby absorbs the purity of the one feeding him through nursing; milk from a God-fearing Hebrew mother contributed to Moses' holiness and wisdom.
Ramban on Leviticus 11 – Ramban (Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, one of the Rishonim) explains that the reason for the prohibitions of eating impure animals is that they defile the soul: “Forbidden foods produce coarseness and grossness in the intellectual soul.” According to him, eating something impure corrupts the purity of the soul and instills bad traits. From this principle, it is understood that mother's milk, which is created from the food she eats, will also affect the baby: if the food is pure and kosher – the milk will be clean and pure and will instill holiness and wisdom in the baby; but, God forbid, if the food was impure – there could be a negative influence that dulls the heart of the newborn. In Ramban's commentary, the spiritual value of breastfeeding under conditions of kashrut and holiness is therefore implied.

27. Expansion on "The Zohar and the Holy Shelah elaborate on breastfeeding as the transfer of spiritual abundance":
The Holy Zohar – Spiritual abundance as a metaphor for breastfeeding – Kabbalah often uses metaphors from the world of breastfeeding to describe spiritual influences. In the Zohar, the Sefira Binah is described as a "supernal mother" who nurses the other Sefirot (souls and worlds) with spiritual milk of wisdom and kindness. For example, it is stated there that just as a compassionate mother nurses her baby and transfers vitality and love through pure white milk, so too the Shechinah nourishes the souls of Israel with Divine abundance described as milk. These metaphors teach that according to Kabbalah, milk (being white – a color symbolizing kindness and mercy) embodies an influence of kindness and wisdom. That is, the act of breastfeeding reflects the transfer of pure spiritual abundance from mother to child – something that purifies the soul of the nursing infant and connects it deeply to its spiritual root.
The Holy Shelah – Conduct for the nursing mother – Rabbi Yeshaya Halevi Horowitz (author of "Shenei Luchot HaBrit," one of the great Kabbalists) emphasizes in his writings the obligation of holiness for the mother during breastfeeding. He writes that the mother must be especially careful in her thoughts and actions during the nursing period, because mother's milk is the essence of her blood and soul, and it affects the baby accordingly. The Shelah explains that when the mother nurses with holiness and purity, the milk becomes a vessel for transmitting a pure soul and good character traits to the newborn. Thereby, the child receives, along with the milk, holiness, purity of character, and the foundation for a life of wisdom. In contrast, God forbid, if the mother is in a state of anger or spiritual decline, their influence may pass through the milk to the baby's soul. This guidance of the Shelah is based on Kabbalistic principles of the unity of body and soul, and reinforces the idea that breastfeeding is not only a physiological process but also a spiritual endeavor in which a deep connection is formed between the mother's soul and her child's soul.

28. Expansion on "The Importance of Breastfeeding in Judaism – Sources and Classical Halacha":
Chazal and the Poskim: Viewed breastfeeding as a natural and essential part of motherhood. In the Gemara, a biological rule was established that "whoever gives birth – nurses" – meaning, creatures that give birth also nurse their offspring. Halacha also generally obligates a Jewish mother to breastfeed her infant in the first months of life, for the sake of its health and development. In the Shulchan Aruch, it is ruled that if a woman vowed not to breastfeed her son, she is compelled to breastfeed him until the age of twenty-four months, whether the baby is a boy or a girl. This obligation stems from the assumption that the baby needs its mother's milk during this period. Although if she had means (e.g., another wet nurse or "maidservants" as appears in Halacha) it is possible that she is not actually obligated – but ideally, breastfeeding is considered the preferred default for the newborn.
Permitting breastfeeding beyond two years of age: Chazal permitted continued breastfeeding even beyond two years of age when there is a need for it. According to Halacha, a mother is permitted to breastfeed until the age of four or five in exceptional cases, even though it is not an obligation after the age of two. Breastfeeding is seen as a positive and proper act for both the baby's health and the mother-child bond, and not as a breach of modesty. Rabbi Yosef Chaim, author of "Ben Ish Chai," wrote that during breastfeeding, when a woman normally exposes her breast for her baby's needs, the breast is not considered "ervah" (nakedness) for the purpose of saying words of Torah – this exposure is different from exposure for other purposes.
The act of breastfeeding as a Mitzvah: The act of breastfeeding is seen in Judaism as a Mitzvah and a natural act of kindness by the mother. In Aggadic sources, it is told that Sarah our Matriarch nursed not only her son Isaac but also other babies, to publicize the miracle that happened to her. Thus it is emphasized that there is no disgrace in breastfeeding itself; on the contrary – it is a blessing. Rabbi Yitzchak ben Yosef summarizes: "To breastfeed is a great Mitzvah" – an expression of the mother's concern for her baby's well-being.

29. Expansion on "Breastfeeding and Tzniut (Modesty) – Main Halachic Principles":
In classical sources: Halacha distinguishes between the obligation to breastfeed, which is considered positive, and the manner and place of breastfeeding, to which rules of modesty apply. In the Mishnah and Gemara, Rabbi Meir's opinion was mentioned, which viewed open breastfeeding in the marketplace as an act of immodesty; however, Maimonides and the Shulchan Aruch did not rule this way in practice, and therefore there is no obligation to divorce a woman who breastfeeds in public. Nevertheless, Chazal emphasized the need to cover the body, especially the chest area, when others are present.

30. Expansion on "Rulings of Contemporary Poskim - The Haredi Stream":
The Poskim: Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Rabbi Pesach Eliyahu Falk are strict and require not to breastfeed in front of strange men, even if the area is covered. Women are asked to breastfeed in a separate room or with full coverage. Rabbinic courts reinforced this approach and ruled that solutions must be planned in advance, and even to use a bottle when necessary.

31. Expansion on "Rulings of Contemporary Poskim - The Religious Zionist Stream":
The Poskim: Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, and Rabbi Dov Lior permit public breastfeeding with reasonable modesty: sitting to the side, using a nursing cover or blanket, and preferring less crowded places. According to them, there is no inherent prohibition in public breastfeeding, as it is a basic need of the baby.

32. Expansion on "Rabbi Ben Zion Mutzafi's Stance – Balance between the Obligation of Breastfeeding and Modesty":
Rabbi's Recommendations: "Do not stop breastfeeding. He will become wiser as he grows, the more you continue to breastfeed." The Rabbi encourages breastfeeding for at least two years and even recommends reading Psalms during breastfeeding: "Give him twenty-four months of milk – it is good for him both spiritually and physically." "It is permitted to continue until he is weaned." The Rabbi does not set a rigid limit, but allows the mother to continue as long as the child needs it. "Halachically – when done with absolute modesty there is no prohibition." As long as the mother uses a blanket, apron, or other cover, she is permitted to breastfeed on a bus, in a park, or in any public place. Inside the home, even in the presence of understanding children, she must be careful to cover: "It is permitted covered, and it is permitted."
Source: "Doresh Zion" website.