ORDAirport Guide

Nursing rooms and lactation pods at O'Hare

Each terminal has a Mother's Room open 24 hours. Mamava pods are in Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Gate numbers, family restrooms and where to buy diapers.

A white steel column standing on the checkerboard floor of Concourse B at O'Hare.
Concourse B near Gate B10, Terminal 1

Every terminal has a Mother’s Room, open 24 hours, with seating, a sink, outlets and a changing surface. Lactation pods are in Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and the airport lists none in Terminal 5. In Terminal 2, the Family Lounge and the Travelers Aid office sit around Gate F1, and the airport’s pages put a pod near the lounge at Gate F1 or Gate F3.

Every Mother’s Room and pod, by terminal

Terminal Mother’s Room Lactation pods
Terminal 1 Concourse B, Gate B10 Gates B7, C11 and C23
Terminal 2 Concourse F, in the crossover between Gates E5 and F9. The airport’s map puts it near Gate F7 Gate E1, and Gate F1 or F3 near the Family Lounge
Terminal 3 The Rotunda next to the Yoga Room, Gate L6, and Gate L26 Gates G12, K1, K5, K19 and L24
Terminal 5 Gates M8, M20, M32 and M37 None listed
Multi-Modal Facility Level 1, two rooms on the north and south sides None listed

The airport says the Mother’s Rooms are for nursing, pumping or looking after young children. It adds that each one meets accessibility requirements. The pods, developed by Mamava, are private spaces for nursing or pumping. The airport doesn’t publish pod hours or say how a pod locks, so for a 3 a.m. feed use a Mother’s Room.

The airport’s own pages disagree on five pods. The Mother’s Room page puts them at F1, G12, K5, K19 and L24, while the accessibility page says F3, G11, K6, K20 and L22. The airport’s terminal map agrees with the accessibility page on F3, K6, K20 and L22 and with the Mother’s Room page on G12. In Terminal 1 the map puts the pods near Gates B6, C12 and C23, where both pages say B7, C11 and C23. If a pod isn’t at the first number, try the second. Gate L26 appears on the accessibility page, but not on the Mother’s Room page.

Changing tables and family restrooms

The airport publishes no list of changing tables. It says changing stations for young children are in most restrooms. The terminal map marks 27 family restrooms and describes each as a single-user restroom with a baby changing station. By terminal, that is 7 in Terminal 1, 3 in Terminal 2, 14 in Terminal 3 and 3 in Terminal 5. The map gives no written list of where. Its all-gender single-user restrooms, which are private rooms open to any gender, are the nearest thing to a list.

Terminal All-gender single-user restrooms (a number in brackets is how many rooms)
Terminal 1 B4 (2), B10 (2), C16, C20 (2), baggage claim (2)
Terminal 2 Across from the Family Lounge, the crossover between Gates E5 and F9, baggage claim
Terminal 3 G11, Rotunda/H1, H3, H5, H12 (2), K1 (2), K8, L7, L21, L24 (2), baggage claim (2)
Terminal 5 Near the security checkpoint, and in the food court
Multi-Modal Facility Lower level, and Levels 1 to 3 at the north and south ends

The accessibility page names slightly different gates at Terminals 1 and 3, such as B1 and C19 in Terminal 1 and H2 and L10 in Terminal 3.

The Companion Plus Restroom in Terminal 2, across from the Family Lounge, is a private, fully accessible space for travelers with disabilities who need extra support, including those who need help from a caregiver for toileting or changing. It has a powered ceiling lift to an adult-sized changing table rated to 330 pounds. It also has two accessible showers and an accessible toilet.

Terminal 2: the Family Lounge and Travelers Aid

The Family Lounge is in the Main Hall near Gate F1, past security. It has colorful seating, device charging and stroller parking. The airport’s terminal map lists it open 24 hours.

Across from the lounge is the Travelers Aid Chicago office. The Terminal 2 office keeps limited baby supplies, clothing and hygiene items. It’s open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at weekends.

If your gate is in Terminal 1 or 3, you can walk to the lounge on the secure side, because those terminals have pedestrian connections to Terminal 2. Terminal 5 has none, so a parent there takes the Airport Transit System.

Where to buy diapers and formula

Oops Diapers 2Go vending machines sell baby supplies (diapers, formula, wipes, bottles and pacifiers) and extras (snacks, activity kits and toys). The airport’s pages don’t list where the machines stand. Searching its directory for “diaper” finds them, and the terminal map lists five vending machines labeled “Chicago Baby / Travel Essentials”, open 24 hours: near Gate C11 in Terminal 1, near Gate F1 and in a hallway in Terminal 2, and near Gates G2B and H1 in Terminal 3. The airport says Hudson News & Gifts stores offer travel necessities, and Hudson has stores past security in every terminal. Most of the Terminal 1 to 3 stores open at 4 a.m. and close at 10 or 10:30 p.m., and the Terminal 5 stores at Gates M18 and M20 run 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Hudson guide gives each store by gate and hours.

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