Breastfeeding is one of the biggest challenges for a new mother returning to work in the U.S.
It usually requires bringing a breast pump to work, making time in a busy schedule to express milk every few hours, and then cleaning and putting it away after each session.
“What if, to order a cup of coffee, you had to pack up your coffee maker in the morning, bring it to work with you, put it in a duffel bag, go into a small little closet, take your clothes off, set up the coffee maker, and brew the coffee? And then do that three or four more times throughout the rest of the day,” said Patrice Meagher, founder and chief executive officer at startup MilkMate, a lactation room specialist for workplaces.
MilkMate says it has developed a way to help shave 15 minutes off each pumping session. For working moms who need to pump about three times daily while at work, that can mean saving as many as 23 working days a year.
Employers including real estate developer Hines, law firm Blank Rome, and Dartmouth College are already tapping MilkMate to support nursing parents.
The concept is simple: MilkMate installs their communal breast pumps — cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — along with a cabinet stocked with sterilized kits that are for personal use and disposable after each session. Milk collection and pump mechanisms are kept separate to prevent cross-contamination. A mom can just come in, grab a kit, pump, and go on her way. No washing or sterilizing parts necessary, and no need to lug a pump to the office.
