Dummy link to fix Firefox-Bug: First child with tabindex is ignored

Breastfeeding-Friendly Community

Jena as a Breastfeeding-Friendly Community

Families are warmly welcomed in our city. We want parents and their little ones to be able to move about comfortably, safely, and at ease throughout the city. For us, this means taking a very clear stance: breastfeeding and bottle-feeding are the most natural things in the world and deserve space, acceptance, and protection in public life.

To provide you with the best possible support in your daily life, we have worked with various dedicated partners to gradually create more and more quiet spaces throughout the city. Whether you’re strolling through downtown or running errands at city offices: wherever you see our label for family-friendly places, you can breastfeed, feed, or change your baby in peace. 

Jena is now taking another important step for young families: On February 26, 2025, the Jena City Council approved the application to certify the city of Jena as a “Breastfeeding-Friendly Municipality in Thuringia.”

This is intended to highlight what has already been a way of life here for years—an open, supportive culture of breastfeeding and family life in our city.

The certification helps to consolidate existing services, further develop them, and make them even more visible. 

Our goal is clear: Parents should feel at ease and be able to discover and access places that support them during this phase of life—places that are open, accessible, and right in the heart of the city.

To save you the trouble of searching, we’ve compiled all the current options for you in our BabyMap (see Downloads). There, you’ll find all publicly accessible and private breastfeeding and diaper-changing areas in our city at a glance.

The breastfeeding and diaper-changing stations are also listed digitally in the Thuringian Family Compass. Feel free to follow the link to the Thuringian Family Compass.

We want our network of family-friendly places to keep growing—and to do that, we need to hear about your everyday experiences.

  • Where in the city do you still feel there is a lack of private spaces for breastfeeding or changing diapers?
  • What amenities would you like to see at these locations?
  • What makes a community truly breastfeeding-friendly to you personally?

Please feel freeto shareyour wishes, suggestions, and feedbackwithus using the contact form on the right. 

Together, we’ll create a city where people of all ages feel right at home.

Do you run a store, a café, a restaurant, or another public establishment in our city? Would you also like to offer new parents a private space for breastfeeding, feeding, or changing diapers?

We welcome any additional support from the local business and cultural communities! As a partner, you’ll demonstrate your commitment, send a clear signal of family-friendliness, and actively attract young families. 

  • Report a new diaper-changing location : Do you already provide a diaper-changing station or a quiet place for breastfeeding or feeding? Have your location added to our BabyMap for free. We’ll provide you with our official “Diaper-Changing Spot” door sticker free of charge to let parents know about the diaper-changing area available at your location.
     
  • Get certified as a breastfeeding-friendly location: Do you offer parents a clean, quiet retreat (with no obligation to purchase) and, for example, a glass of water? We’ll provide you with our official “Breastfeeding-Friendly Location” door sticker free of charge so parents can see right away that they’re welcome at your location. 

Please feel free to use the form in the download section to register a new breastfeeding and/or diaper-changing area.

Breastfeeding and Infant Nutrition: The Best Foundation for a Healthy Start

Breastfeeding is much more than just feeding: It provides warmth and a sense of security, and builds a close bond between you and your baby. Breast milk is perfectly tailored to your child’s needs, strengthens the immune system, and offers optimal protection for your baby’s development during the first months of life. Even if you feed your baby formula, loving closeness and healthy development remain the focus.

Every family finds its own way. To provide you with the best possible support for all questions regarding breastfeeding, nutrition during breastfeeding, and the transition to solid foods, we recommend the following reliable and scientifically sound information portals:

  • A Healthy Start to Life: Practical recommendations and everyday tips on nutrition for infants, breastfeeding mothers, and young families. 
  • Federal Center for Nutrition (BZFE): Valuable information on healthy eating and nutrition throughout the various stages of life, from pregnancy to early childhood. 
  • Child Health Info (BZgA): Independent expert information from the Federal Center for Health Education on topics such as your child’s development, breastfeeding, sleep, and health.

Questions about breastfeeding, latching problems, or general uncertainties about daily life with your baby are completely normal—especially in the first few weeks and months. You don’t have to face these challenges alone. 

In our city, a strong network of professionals and counseling centers is here to support you:

This service is designed for parents of newborns and aims to make everyday life with a baby a little more relaxed. The Jena Diaper Kit is a practical emergency diaper set for when you’re on the go, developed bythe Jena Alliance for Families and the City of Jena. It contains a diaper, wet wipes, tissues, hand sanitizer, a changing pad, and a diaper bag.

The diaper kit is available at the Family Information Point (FiP) in the Citizen and Family Services office—the same place where families register their children and apply for parental allowance.

Parents also have access to a modern changing area and a quiet nursing room right on site, making it easy to visit the Citizen Service Center even with a baby.

Organizations and businesses can also purchase diaper-changing kits and distribute them to customers or employees. For more information and an order form, please contact the Jena Family Alliance.

Download