Walmart to add Mamava lactation suites to 100-plus stores
Walmart is marking National Breastfeeding Month with an effort meant to better serve its breastfeeding shoppers and associates. The retailer announced Wednesday that it would be rolling out Mamava’s lactation suites to more than 100 stores by year’s end.
The Mamava suites are free-standing pods that offer a private room to allow for breastfeeding or pumping. Access is granted via the Mamava app, which opens the door and allows moms to customize lighting and airflow, as well as play soothing sounds. Walmart said it is the first retail to install the free-to-use Mamava pods in a store setting.
“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 relationship between Walmart and Mamava began with Walmart associate and new mom Tennille Webb, who used a pod while travaling and worked to help 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,” Webb said. “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 wide rollout follows a three-store pilot that took place last year. Several hundred Walmart stores already offer “mother’s rooms” for associates and customers, and the Mamava pods will be added to stores that don’t already have a space for breastfeeding of pumping.
“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 of Walmart U.S. People. “We are very excited to provide this for moms who work and shop at our stores.”
In addition to the Mamava pod rollout, Walmart also is highlighting its Breast Pump Program, which helps expectant moms receive a premium breast pump that is covered by their health insurance from home. The service, which is offered in English and Spanish, allows parents to see which pumps are covered, and then a team of mom and baby specialists fill out and file paperwork. Once approved, the pump is delivered to the customer’s door for free.
The retailer also hared its Baby Feeding Guide, meant to help new equip new moms with information to inform how they feed their baby, either via breastfeeding or formula feeding, as well as resources for lactation consulting services, nursing necessities and feeding tips for working mom.