Like many working moms, Kasey Jones struggled with adjusting to her new home life as well as returning to her job as a teacher after giving birth to her second child. It’s clearly not an easy thing to balance–having a job and being an attentive parent.
After realizing how exhausting it is to return to work and figure out how to do everything, especially when you’re breastfeeding, she wanted to make a positive change. Jones told The Huffington Post that she also wanted other moms to feel less alone:
“In the wee hours of the morning as I would pump, sleep deprived, preparing to teach to over 100 students, I felt alone. Our system does not support new mothers or families during this transitional phase.”
So, how did she do this? She created a photo series called “Working Mother Suit,” which she posted on Instagram. The series show Jones in an office wearing a suit made from over 150 breast milk storage bags. She explains why she did this:
“When you breastfeed, you are food on demand. You are up all night producing milk and feeding your baby. You wake up earlier than your shift starts to pump so that baby has enough food while you are gone. You go to work sleep deprived, not 100 percent, you work, you pump, you work, you pump. Then you come home and do it all over again.”
When you ask for a clean and comfortable place to pump, you often get looks of annoyance and judgment. You are also expected to combine your breaks, lunch, and pump time all into the same fraction of time. You are not given adequate time which can cause stress and anxiety to ‘perform’ within the 15-30 minutes you’ve been allotted.”
That being said, Jones is optimistic for the future–she thinks photos like hers will result in more discussions, and eventually, effect change. I sincerely hope so, too.
Here are some photos from the series:
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