US artist, Kasey Jones, has created a photo series to explore the “harsh realities” of being a new working mother.
“Our system does not support new mothers or families during this transitional phase,” the mother of two told The Huffington Post.
The artist created a series of images of herself covered in breast-milk bags, titled “Working Mother Suit”.
The mother of two says working mums are often forced to express in bathroom stalls which she describes as “pumping liquid gold as the smell of shit and piss lingers in the air”.
“If breast is best, give mothers the space they deserve in the work place so we can comfortably collect the food that nourishes our baby,” she says.
Jones, who has two daughters, 17-months-old and six-years-old, has called for a better deal for working mothers in the US.
“The pressure to breastfeed and the pressure to go back to work as quickly as possible in our society is incomprehensible,” Jones wrote on Instagram.
“Our effort goes unnoticed and that weighs heavily on our mental health.”
The visual arts teacher has also urged mothers to “unite” for paid maternity leave.
“We need to sustain families through this phase so they can re-enter the workforce healthy and balanced,” she said.
Welcome, parents, to the slightly-sticky world of This Glorious Mess.