Just in time for National Breastfeeding Month this August, Walmart and Mamava have partnered together to support mothers across the country. They plan to install Mamava lactation suites into more than 100 Walmart stores this year for the benefit of associates and customers. Walmart is the first retailer to install Mamava pods in a store setting, offering moms another breastfeeding option.
Mamava lactation suites, or pods, are freestanding spaces that provide a clean, comfortable, and private option to breastfeed or pump. The pods are accessed through the Mamava app, which guides mom to a pod’s location, opens the pod with the touch of a button and allows mom to customize lighting and airflow, leave digital notes of encouragement for other moms and listen to soothing sounds. The pods are free to use. See which Walmart stores have a Mamava pod.
“We started Mamava to ensure that every breastfeeding mother could choose whether or not to breastfeed, so we set out to remove all barriers to making that choice,” says Sascha Mayer, Mamava’s CEO and co-founder. “Walmart’s commitment to supporting breastfeeding associates and community members with Mamava pods is a huge leap forward for inclusivity and normalizing breastfeeding culture.”
The Walmart and Mamava relationship began when Walmart associate and new mom, Tennille Webb, discovered a Mamava pod while traveling and advocated to bring them to Walmartstores.“When I discovered and used the Mamava pod that first time, it was a game-changer for me and I knew it would be a great option that gives my fellow Walmart associates and our customers another choice in their breastfeeding journey, says Webb. “I’m honored to see that my idea has come to reality in our stores, it’s teaching my son how one person can make a big difference.”
The launch follows a successful pilot in three Walmart stores last year. The retailer plans to install a Mamava pod in more than 100 stores across the country by the end of this year, with more planned in the years to come.
“There is nothing else like the Mamava pod. We strongly believe in what Mamava is doing to support moms and the experience the pods help create, said Julie Murphy, Executive Vice President, Walmart U.S. People. “We are very excited to provide this for moms who work and shop at our stores.”
Walmart currently has Mother’s Rooms in several hundred stores for associates and customers to use. The Mamava pods are intended for select stores without a Mother’s Room, offering moms another choice.
A recent survey by Mamava and Medela found that COVID-19 has made moms even more committed to breastfeeding, in part for its immunological benefits. For more information about how Mamava supports breastfeeding moms, visit www.mamava.com.
Walmart’s commitment to helping moms doesn’t stop with Mamava. Through the retailer’s new Breast Pump Program, expectant moms can receive a premium breast pump covered by their insurance, without ever leaving their home. The easy-to-use service, offered in English and Spanish, allows parents to quickly see which pumps are covered under their insurance. A team of mom and baby specialists will take care of filing the insurance paperwork and once approved, the breast pump will be shipped straight to the customer’s door for free.
—Jennifer Swartvagher
All photos courtesy of Walmart
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