BENTONVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In time for National Breastfeeding Month this August, Walmart and Mamava announced plans to install Mamava lactation suites into more than 100 Walmart stores this year, further extending breastfeeding support to associates and customers.
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. Walmart is the first retailer to install Mamava pods in a store setting, offering moms another breastfeeding option. 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.”
An Associate With An Idea
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 Walmart stores.
“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.
Breast Pump Program
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.
Baby Feeding Guide
Walmart recognizes the challenges that new moms can face when working to provide the proper nutrients their newborn. With our Baby Feeding Guide, we inform and empower new moms with the knowledge they need to feed their baby, whether they are breastfeeding or formula feeding. Our guide meets mothers where they are, with information about caring for a newborn, toddler, and even themselves. New moms can also find a variety of other resources including lactation consulting services, nursing must-haves and feeding tips for working moms.
About Mamava
Mamava, the leading expert in lactation space design, is dedicated to transforming the culture of breastfeeding in the United States by providing flexible lactation space solutions designed to meet the needs of breastfeeding families. Mamava pods are linked into a proprietary smart technology system that empowers easy wayfinding and autonomous access. Moms can open them with Mamava’s free app (available for iOS and Android). The app also allows moms to see availability of pods, opt into vacancy alerts, adjust interior lighting and airflow, and leave digital notes of support for the next person. Best of all, the app helps moms find more than 6,000 (Mamava-vetted) places to pump on the go—not just Mamava pods, and never a bathroom. To learn more, visit Mamava at mamava.com, and follow Mamava on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 265 million customers and members visit approximately 11,500 stores under 56 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2020 revenue of $524 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at twitter.com/walmart.