THE
MOTHER’S
ROOM
The Mother’s Room is a project that explores what it means to be a mom in the workplace. Nothing encapsulates this experience more than the space created specifically for mothers: The pumping room.
These rooms represent a microcosm of motherhood today. The quality and accessibility of these spaces—if lucky enough to have one at all—takes on a larger meaning when viewed in the context of our paying work.
Paid work aligns to a capitalist system in which impressive job titles, slick office space and illustrious companies garner value and status. But within this system, there is a small room where another type of work takes place: Human-first work.
Breastfeeding is the full-time job within the full-time job. One that leaves us scrounging for time within our 9-5.
By opening the door to these spaces, we open up a larger conversation about what we view and value as work today.
We invite mothers to photograph their pumping rooms and share their stories to make these hidden spaces—and hidden labor—visible.
“WeLLNESS ROOM”
SAEDI BURKE
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
FIRST-TIME MOM
The first time I walked into this room, I burst into tears. Small, gray, windowless. It felt like mom jail. Us moms just did an incredibly difficult and momentous thing—made a person. And here is the room we are given to continue that work.
On top of that, room access and upkeep hasn’t been great. I had to create sign-in sheets myself and advocate for two keys (there are two rooms) and repeatedly ask that building maintenance clean the space. Making all of this work is a lot. (On top of actual work.) But, biology willing, I believe how you feed your baby should be your choice. Up to you. Not up to work. And that motivates me even more to stubbornly hold onto my choice.
