Category Creator Sees Double-Digit Growth as Demands For Nursing and Pumping Accommodations Rise. Photo Courtesy of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Vermont Business Magazine Mamava, design expert in lactation accommodations, has delivered its 1,000th Mamava lactation pod, validating the company’s mission of transforming the culture of breastfeeding in the United States by providing flexible lactation space solutions designed specifically to meet the needs of breastfeeding people. This 1,000th pod was successfully placed at The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Hillman Cancer Center on December 6. This Mamava suite and three others to be placed at other UPMC campuses was funded by the Ladies Hospital Aid Society (LHAS) in Pittsburgh.
Women-owned, and B-corp certified, Mamava is the category creator of freestanding lactation spaces and the leading expert in lactation space design. From 2018 to 2019, Mamava has experienced a 50% increase in pod placements. In 2014, eight customers purchased Mamava suites. Today, there are Mamava pods in 1,000+ locations in 48 states including airports, malls, hospitals, universities, corporate offices, military bases, football and baseball stadiums, schools and zoos. One reason for Mamava’s growth: A 2010 amendment to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act that requires employers to provide a clean, private place other than a bathroom to express milk—and a variety of state, and other, laws that outline lactation accommodations support breastfeeding people.
“We are truly excited to have reached this 1,000th pod milestone in 2019,” says Sascha Mayer, CEO and co-founder of Mamava. “A tremendous need for dignified spaces to breastfeed, chestfeed and pump remains. Cultural change takes time. We look forward to the day when support of breastfeeding will no longer be news—when our cultural norms see breastfeeding as positive and nourishing human behavior.”
Mamava’s lactation pods are powered by a smart technology platform that enables easy wayfinding, autonomous access, and a delightful experience for moms, as well as remote maintenance monitoring and usage reporting for facilities. The Mamava pods pair with the free Mamava app, which helps moms find the pods, see availability and opt into vacancy alerts and customize the in-pod experience by adjusting lighting and airflow. The app also serves up helpful resources (like Mamava’s state-by-state legislation guide) that empower mothers to advocate for themselves and support each other. Perhaps most importantly, the free Mamava app helps breastfeeding mothers find more than 5,000 lactation spaces—never a bathroom and not just Mamava pods—wherever they go. Over 100,000 women have used the app to find places to pump and nurse on their breastfeeding journey. Mamava pods have surpassed 1.7 million user sessions.
According to a recent survey Mamava conducted of over 4,700 moms in the Mamava community who were currently breastfeeding or had weaned within the year, it was revealed that:
-
Most moms start out breastfeeding - Breastfeeding rates have been steadily increasing over the last decade—current rates are at 83 percent (CDC report card) up from 74 percent in 2008 (CDC report card)—and this was mirrored in our study with a whopping 97 percent initiation rate!
-
95% of breastfeeding moms pump - Most moms work outside of the home (70 percent, according to the Pew Research Center) so it’s not surprising that 66 percent of our survey respondents cited returning to work as the main reason for pumping breast milk. But moms also reported pumping to increase their milk supply (54 percent) and so their partners can feed the baby (47 percent).
-
Moms want privacy options - The majority of moms reported feeling totally comfortable nursing in front of their partner, their family, and their friends. But in front of just anyone (or everyone)? Only 37 percent. And when it comes to pumping in public, only 16 percent of moms have done it. Moms need private places to pump wherever they go—airports, train stations, schools, hospitals, stores, sports stadium—and most public spaces are not designed to support breastfeeding moms.
-
Work sites lack lactation spaces - Only 40 percent of employed moms in our survey reported having a designated lactation room at work. A mother’s working conditions directly impact her ability to meet the breastfeeding recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics to exclusively breastfeed for at least six months. So it’s no wonder that national breastfeeding rates drop to 47 percent at three months, and plummet to 25 percent at six months.
*For survey details and additional results, visit the Mamava 2019 Breastfeeding Survey.
Miami Airport. VBM photo October 2019
About Mamava
Based in Burlington, VT, Mamava is the expert in lactation space design, thoughtfully designing solutions for breastfeeding moms on the go. With both analog and digital products, Mamava products celebrate and support the 21st century breastfeeding mama. Mamava is mama-owned, made in America, and a proud member of the B Corp community. The Mamava app, free for iOS and Android, helps moms find pumping and breastfeeding friendly locations on-the-go, unlock Mamava suites through the proprietary Mamava Smart Lock, and find useful breastfeeding content.
Source: Burlington, VT, December 11, 2019 – Mamava. For more information, visit www.mamava.com.