Breastfeeding & pumping on the go and in the workplace, with Mamava founders Christine Dodson and Sascha Mayer

For today’s episode, I was jazzed to chat with Christine and Sascha, the founders of Mamava. Having experienced the logistical challenges of juggling breastfeeding and their careers, Christine and Sascha were inspired to change the culture around breastfeeding and pumping and help breastfeeding parents reach their goals. Mamava provides freestanding lactation suites that are clean, private, and mobile. Mamava is also an app that provides resources for nursing parents who are facing challenges.

We talked about the barriers a nursing parent may experience while trying to maintain their breastfeeding relationship. Employers may be unsupportive, the laws protecting breastfeeding parents vary from state to state, and the logistics of finding a clean, quiet, private place to pump or nurse can be hugely difficult. 

We also delved into the psychological aspect of breastfeeding overall but especially pumping. Letdown is an intricate system involving signals from the brain and an orchestra of hormones, and it’s not always easy to letdown away from your baby. The privacy, cleanliness, and calm that Mamava suites provide can be helpful for mothers who need quiet and low-stress environments to letdown and fully empty their breasts. This is vital to maintaining the supply of breastmilk and continuing the nursing relationship. 

Christine and Sascha shared that these were the issues that drove them to create Mamava.  In addition to using the suites, Christine and Sascha encourage parents to make use of the other resources that can be found on their app.