New year, new reasons to celebrate motherhood! From breastfeeding pods you can build in an afternoon to all-in-one system for storing, cooling and monitoring breastmilk, here are 6 of the best innovations to come to breastfeeding moms in the workplace.
Mamava
For moms on-the-go, Mamava is a gamechanger. They design lactation suites for breastfeeding moms, making the world a friendlier place for women to breast pump or breastfeed.
Their best-selling pod model installs in under four hours and is best suited for workplaces and small venues. It comes complete with two spacious benches, a fold-down table, and power outlets. These can also be located and unlocked with the free Mamava app and proprietary smart access system.
There are already more than 1,300 units across North America and across many different industries—healthcare, transportation, office spaces, education, government and the military to name a few. Mamava earns bonus points for being a women-owned small business and making their pods in the USA.
Villyge
When it comes to employee benefits, Villyge ranks high on our list. In short, Villyge is a comprehensive support platform that helps working moms and dads succeed, both as parents and professionals.
From preconception to college, Villyge has thought of everything. They provide corporate lactation support services ranging from support for co-parenting, childrearing, sibling dynamics, children with special needs, returning to work, advancing your career and more.
Villyge believes that companies supporting working parents is the norm—not a perk and they aim to educate employers on the ROI of supporting their working parents. After all, working moms and dad shouldn’t have to choose between achieving their personal goals and their professional success.
Milk Stork
While Covid has significantly lessened essential business travel, many moms out there still need to travel for work, which can make breastfeeding and pumping extra challenging. Milk Stork is the first and only breast milk travel solution for working moms.
Milk Stork really caters to the working mom who travels frequently and therefore does not have the time, flexibility or means to breastfeed their baby. Ordering breast milk through Milk Stork ensures that their babies are getting the best possible nutrition.
They currently have three plans, starting at $119, plus shipping. Plans specify the amount (in ounces) of breast milk being shipped to your door, where the milk is coming from (whether the US or another country) and whether the milk will arrive frozen or refrigerated.
Maia by Pippy Sips
Aiming to create ease, convenience and safety in the breast pumping process, Pippy Sips developed Maia™, a patent-pending, all-in-one system for storing, cooling and monitoring breastmilk. The Pippy Sips team chose the name Maia™ because it’s a name that means different things in different languages: ‘mother,’ ‘bravery’ and ‘love.’
The product features a vacuum-insulated stainless steel shell, into which is nested a BPA-free, high-grade plastic storage bottle that connects to industry-leading pumps. The storage bottle component holds up to 10 ounces of milk and has a unique design that maximizes cooling speed and duration.
Knowing that one’s breast milk will be stored safely for the entire day is a huge weight off the shoulders of many moms.
Nest collaborative
As a new mom, getting support is a key component for your physical and mental health. Nest Collaborative is a collection of International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants® who conduct online video appointments to help guide moms through the breastfeeding process.
Their team provides lactation support for prenatal and postpartum moms, beginning with breastfeeding education and prenatal planning to breastfeeding tips and tools for balancing life and breastfeeding.
While you’ll need to double check with your insurance plan, many commercial insurance plans will cover these virtual appointments at 100%—including no copay or deductive.
Lactation Lab
Dr. Stephanie Canale, MD founded Lactation Lab after returning to work after maternity leave from the birth of her second child. Despite her baby getting enough milk, her daughter was not gaining weight and there were very few resources available to test her breast milk.
She later discovered that she had iron-deficiency anemia and hereditarily low B-12 levels, and that her daughter had developed spina bifida. Her goal with Lactation Lab is to empower moms with the information she wished she had.
Lactation Lab works by analyzing your breast milk for basic nutritional content like calories and protein, in addition to vitamins, fatty acids and environmental toxins. The results are presented in an easy-to-understand format that reads a lot like a food label. Moms are also provided suggestions for inhaling the quality of their milk, with the hope that this empowers moms to breastfeed longer and stress less.
Lilu is a Women’s Health company building tech-enabled devices to empower new moms. Our first product, the Lilu Massage Bra, mimics compression massage, so you can empty your breasts fully to establish, increase and maintain your milk supply. Pump up to 50% more milk each session, all while going hands-free.
Introducing the revolutionary Lilu Lactation Massager Bra - designed to make your pumping sessions more efficient and comfortable than ever before. With our lactation massage cushions, you can experience the benefits of hands-on compression motions recommended by lactation experts, without using your hands. Our bra holds the cushions securely in place, massaging both breasts while you pump, helping to increase milk flow and maintain your milk supply.
