Saluting Working Women: Offices Grow Greater with Love

As we move through 2021, working women are playing an increasingly important role. Yet whenever workplace care is discussed, a large group of remarkable people tends to be overlooked — working mothers. According to relevant surveys, among women who pump breast milk at work, only 3% of employers provide a lactation room. Most "pumping moms" have to express milk in places with little privacy, such as bathrooms, stairwells, or meeting rooms.

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The scarcity of lactation rooms

According to available surveys, based on "lactation room" location data collected from Amap (Gaode Maps) by the New First-Tier City Institute, all cities in mainland China combined have only 2,643 lactation rooms, and only 7 cities have more than 100. In second-tier and smaller cities, the average is fewer than 10 rooms per city — truly a rare urban resource.

Data from the 2019 "New First-Tier City Institute: White Paper on Lactation Rooms in Chinese Cities"

As stated in the January 2019 Guangzhou "Proposal for Legislation to Promote Breastfeeding," among women who pump at work, only 3% of employers have a lactation room. Most "pumping moms" have no choice but to express milk in bathrooms, stairwells, meeting rooms, and other places with little privacy.

Yihang office furniture lactation room solution

A lactation room can be one of the most important ways for a company to show human-centered care. Mothers' requirements are not high. Through research into the needs of new working mothers, Yihang has designed a simple, warm lactation room solution as a reference for companies building or adding one.

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What kind of lactation room do new working mothers need?

1. A separate pumping room that respects mothers' privacy;

2. Comfortable seating for mothers who pump for extended periods;

3. Convenient power outlets so mothers can charge the pump while expressing;

4. A wash station equipped with cleaning supplies, disposables, and a waste bin, making it easy to rinse bottles;

5. A slightly wider countertop holding a bottle sterilizer and milk warmer, keeping breast milk safe and hygienic;

6. A dedicated refrigerator to keep breast milk fresh;

7. Extra-large storage space for pumping bags and other essentials.

As part of corporate care, the lactation room is becoming a must-have that can no longer be ignored. From color scheme to furniture placement, the whole room radiates calm and warmth. Fully considering the physical and psychological changes new working mothers go through, it meets their practical needs while also giving them a place to relax. As more and more working women return to the workplace soon after childbirth and strive to balance work and family, companies and society should show these "superwomen of the workplace" more care and understanding!