[theme song playing]
[dramatic music playing]
[device whirring]
[muffled music playing over ear buds]
[Mari speaking English] "Waste management... sustainable...
it is about...
for the future and the present."
[cell phone chimes]
Sayaka Kono Are you almost here?
[in Japanese] Oh, shoot!
[breast pump stops]
-Right. What? -[jiggling door]
I'll be right out!
Oh! Sorry, boss.
Please take your time.
[zipping case]
That does it.
Sorry, it's all yours.
Nagata, have a good meeting.
Yes. Good luck in Singapore!
Thank you!
[all] Have a safe trip!
[keyboard clacking]
Breastfeeding My Son, And A Few Other Gripes
[quirky music playing]
[sighs]
My mother-in-law told me to stop breastfeeding him
before he turns into a mama's boy.
I read online that wasabi works well for weaning,
so I tried dabbing some on.
But he cried so hard. I felt terrible and gave up on it.
[woman 2] What's wrong with being a mama's boy?
Orangutans nurse for seven years.
-Seven years? -[women laughing]
I know you're all having a great time,
but I'm afraid we've reached the end for today.
We're all out.
[Touko] Before we go, is there anyone else who'd like to share something?
Anything will do.
How about you, Sayaka? Do you have anything to share?
Uh, well...
Well, I'm sorry I'm late.
-My baby turns 100 days old today... -[women exclaiming]
...but I'm going on a business trip tomorrow, so I'm worried.
With my first-born, I didn't travel until she was about two years old.
Lately, pumping breast milk is my new hobby.
[all laugh]
Isn't that right? There, there. Here you go.
-[baby crying] -What a healthy baby we have here!
[woman] Yes, he sure has gotten bigger. Thank you.
Congratulations on his 100th day.
-Thank you. -[chuckles]
Will you have a Weaning Ceremony?
We'll do it tonight.
That's so amazing. You're a working mom.
And you're keeping up with breastfeeding. That's cool.
Thank you.
I don't think I could do it.
So, are you two "partners"?
We got married in Sweden.
How cool! You guys are so trendy.
Trendy?
It's your turn.
-[woman] Is it? -[baby crying]
Hush.
[Touko] Place your baby here. Good.
She's 8.6 kilograms.
Look at how big you've grown. [laughs]
You must be breastfeeding her a lot.
-[woman] Thank you. -[Touko] Everything looks good.
Okay, Tetsuya.
-Good luck on your trip. -Thank you.
[Touko] Here you are.
Yes.
Let's see how big you've gotten.
Up you go. Hey, there.
-[Tetsuya crying] -He's 6.3 kilograms.
No change from the last time. I think he's okay.
You're keeping up with breastfeeding, right?
I'm concerned because he's drinking less than my first child.
How's the pumping going?
I feel my milk production has decreased since I've gone back to work.
You'll produce more if you breastfeed more, of course,
but that's okay.
Just try pumping a little more often.
Mommy's milk is the best.
Hang in there. Don't you give up.
Pump to the last drop, okay?
Got it. I'll do my best. [chuckles]
See you.
[chopsticks clicking]
[knife chopping]
Tetsu, look. Lots of seaweed to give you more milk.
What's that?
Fennel. I read online that it boosts milk production.
Yeah?
[cell phone vibrates]
Grandma says she's almost here. Let's go downstairs to meet her, Yui.
-Okay. -Are you coming? Okay. Stand up.
Hey, there now. [chuckles]
[Yui] Grandma!
Wow! You've grown so much, Yui!
-I hope I'm not bothering. -Not at all.
-It's been a while. -It has.
-Have you lost some weight? -Mmm.
Tetsu has grown so much since the last photos.
Really? Say hello to Grandma.
I'm very pleased to meet you, Tetsu.
[chuckles]
He's a bit light, isn't he? Are you producing enough milk?
[sighs, clears throat]
Mother, let me carry this for you.
[Masako] Oh, thank you.
Grandma, what's this?
Those, my dear, are goodies. I brought them from Tokyo Station.
Let's hurry inside and have some. Let's go.
[Mari] But only after dinner, okay?
[Yui] Okay.
[Masako] Let me carry it for you.
[Masako] Go ahead.
I just dropped it again.
[Mari] No worries. That's it. Go slowly, now.
[Masako] That's very good.
You're good with chopsticks.
-Don't really feed him. -[camera clicks]
You're very good, Yui.
-All right. And next we have... -[Masako] Pickled plum.
[Sayaka] Have some pickled plum.
Here you go, Tetsu.
[all exclaiming]
[Yui] He ate some.
[Sayaka] Look at his face.
-Salty, right? -Surprised?
-[Masako] Salty! -[Sayaka] You did it.
-[Masako] He's surprised. -[Mari] Adorable.
-Congratulations, Tetsu! -Congratulations.
-Cheers! -Cheers!
[chuckles]
[Masako] That's a lot.
You're like a milking cow.
One bag every three hours.
All the instructions are written here.
Thaw this in lukewarm water for three to five minutes,
and put it in here,
then put the lid on.
And here. Watch this.
-[beeps] -Here.
After about three minutes, the "done" buzzer will sound.
-Got it? -[sighs]
That's such a hassle.
Why can't we just use formula while you're away on your business trip?
Why do you have to be so obsessed with breast milk?
You grew up just fine.
I had severe allergies growing up, remember?
I think the formula was to blame.
I think Grandma weaned me too early, too.
Didn't you say she fed me udon when I was three months old?
That's because you ate everything when you were a baby.
Your grandma even wrote in her diary
how you never cried and were such a good baby, so easy to raise.
And so is Tetsu, right?
Don't give him udon.
I won't!
If you're so insistent on breastfeeding,
why didn't you wait to go back to work?
Sayaka's job pays well enough.
If I didn't have to feed you guys,
I would have been a stay-at-home mom.
[scoffs] You wouldn't have lasted a month as a housewife.
You hate kids and housework, right?
[Masako] That's not true at all.
You just don't get me!
You and I see things differently.
I want the best of both worlds.
Breastfeeding connects me with Tetsu, so I never want to give it up.
And this trip is something only I can do.
Didn't you agree to this?
But it's impossible to balance motherhood and a successful career.
You'll figure that out soon.
Yeah. You'll find out, too.
Tetsu finally fell asleep. He was wired.
Okay.
Yui, isn't that your second? Hand it over to Mommy.
-Okay. -Good girl.
Mother, thank you so much for coming to help.
I was going to take time off,
but with the new project I'm directing, I couldn't.
No. Don't worry.
I love spending time with the grandkids.
You're both so busy,
almost like two husbands.
[chuckles awkwardly]
Mom, we're nothing like that.
We're partners without assigned gender roles.
I have two mommies.
Huh? Two mommies, Yui? You're so lucky!
Why don't we have lots of fun while one mommy is away?
-[Yui] Yeah! -Good girl. Now off to bed.
-Night-night. -Sleep tight.
-[Yui] Night-night. -Sweet dreams.
[quirky music playing]
[breast pump whirring]
[breast pump stops]
Have you said bye to Yui?
Mmm, I saw her, but she wouldn't wake up. Just let her sleep.
Okay.
Here, Tetsu.
Mommy's off to work.
Be good. Promise?
I'll be right back.
[Masako] There, there.
I appreciate this, Mom.
Get going. You can't get emotional each time.
Crush it, Mari. Say hi to Kaori for me.
-[Tetsuya crying] -Tetsu, wish Mama good luck.
[Masako] Just go! Go! Quickly!
Someone's hungry.
-I'm off. -[Masako] Want some milk, Tetsu?
What a good boy you are.
-Please wait. -Yes, ma'am.
[security guard] Ticket, please.
Please proceed.
Excuse me. Could you run a double-check on number four?
-Double check, please. -Wait here, please.
-Excuse me, is this yours? -Yes, sir.
Would you mind standing over there for a moment?
Right there.
-I'd like to look inside your bag. -Sure.
Huh? What is this?
That's my breast pump.
[security guard 2] What?
It's a machine. For pumping breast milk.
Breast milk?
[quirky music playing]
Oh.
-Okay. -[breast pump whirring]
[clicks off]
[unzips bag]
Sorry, you can't take this. It's not allowed on international flights.
What?
You can put them in your checked baggage.
I need them on the plane to store the breast milk I've pumped out.
[woman] Excuse me.
You can get ice on the plane.
That's right! Thank you.
[security guard 2] Ma'am?
[breast pump whirring]
[phone line ringing]
[Masako] Hello?
Hi, Mom. How's Tetsuya?
[Masako] He just fell asleep after some milk.
It seemed that 160 milliliters wasn't enough, and he started crying,
so I gave him a little extra.
Don't do that. We'll run out of milk.
Switch to the smaller nipple size so he won't chug it down.
[Masako] What's the big deal? There's plenty left in the freezer.
That's my rule in case my breast milk runs out
or another business trip comes up.
[Masako] Cut me some slack, will you?
Focus on your business trip.
[Tetsuya crying]
I think he woke up. I have to hang up now.
-[Tetsuya crying] -[line cuts]
[breast pump whirring continues]
[sighs heavily]
[clicks off]
-Here's your ice, ma'am. -Thank you so much.
-Will that work? -Yes, thank you.
Enjoy your flight.
[sighs]
12:00 ALARM SNOOZE
[sighs]
[breast pump whirring]
[knock at door]
[quirky music playing]
[rumbling]
[bell dings]
[flight attendant] The seatbelt sign has now been turned on.
Please return to your seats. We appreciate it.
Please be careful.
[breast pump whirring]
[sighs]
[line ringing]
I'm boarding the plane! Have a safe trip!
Have you arrived in Singapore? I'm at the hotel!
-[woman, in English] Thank you. -[waiter] Enjoy.
Would you like one?
Oh! No, thank you. This is fine.
Okay.
[Kaori, in Japanese] Mari!
-It's been so long! -It's been ages.
-How are you? -I'm fantastic.
-Has it been five years? -Time really flies.
[speaking English] What can I get you?
-Red wine, please. -You got it.
[speaking Japanese] You're not drinking?
I'm breastfeeding now.
Really? Did you bring the baby?
No. I'm pumping milk.
Pumping milk! Impressive.
You're not one of those crazy breastfeeding moms, are you?
Huh? What do you mean by that?
Mmm, like a mom who only breastfeeds and refuses to use formula,
holding her emaciated baby feeling all self-satisfied.
Oh, I'm sorry. I spoke too much.
I'm speaking from my bad personal experience.
[chuckles] Yeah, that did sound a bit harsh.
That mother did her best, didn't she?
See? So only bad mothers use formula?
No, that's not what I'm saying. Why are you on my case?
Oh, I'm sorry. It just brought back nightmares.
So you have two kids, right?
-Yes. -How old?
-Two and six. -I see.
They're both totally raised on formula.
I did try to breastfeed them, of course, but I have inverted nipples.
It was hell.
I felt like a failure as a mother.
But then, one day, I came to my senses and said,
"It doesn't mean I love them any less."
What I'm trying to say is,
there's no point in breaking your back.
Let's drink to that.
Sure.
-Cheers! -Cheers!
How about one drink?
You can just pump and dump.
What a waste! That's liquid gold!
[both laugh]
Well said.
[breast pump whirring]
Oh.
SAYAKA KONO MISSED CALL
OPEN
Sorry. I was having dinner. How's Tetsuya? Is he crying?
He's fine. Your mom's giving him a bath. Maybe he thinks she is you.
Very funny. She didn't drop him, did she?
[cell phone chiming]
Of course she didn't.
Give your mom a break, Mari.
How's the breastmilk supply? There's enough in the freezer, right?
There is, I think.
Here we go.
See?
[gasps]
Hey! What have you guys been doing?
Tetsuya is drinking a ton of milk and is in a great mood.
He really is.
[Masako] Stop splashing water on Tetsu. Here's how you wash him, see?
Did you hear that? Everything's under control.
Don't worry about a thing. Just focus on your work.
Okay?
Thanks, I will.
I'll call you tomorrow, okay?
Crush it tomorrow!
Don't give him so much milk--
[breast pump whirring]
[sighs]
[hip-hop song playing]
[announcer, in English] The next keynote speaker
is the Director of Environmental Development at Terra Plus.
Mari Takada!
[crowd applauds]
Thank you very much.
[all] Oh!
[all laugh]
[all applaud]
The time to start was yesterday.
Change starts here. From this room, from us.
-Let's go. -[all applauding]
Thank you.
-Would you like some drinks? -Uh, no, thank you.
-Idea brilliant, inspired everyone. -Yeah.
Thank you.
By the way, Mari-san, do you know chicken rice?
-Yes. [chuckling] -Yeah.
-[baby crying] -But here in Singapore,
you get one of the best chicken rice in the world.
And you go to a food market,
and it's cheap.
[woman speaking indistinctly]
[muffled conversation]
[baby crying]
[woman] Uh, excuse me,
uh, I think you have something on...
Oh! I must have spilled something. Excuse me. [chuckles]
[quirky music playing]
POWER INTERRUPTION NOTICE
AUGUST 28TH, 2021 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Breast milk at room temperature
Store at room temperature for up to four hours
[sighs heavily]
[speaking Japanese] Hello, Kaori? I need a bit of a favor.
-Sorry it took so long. -Thank you! Come on in.
Wait, slow down, will you?
You haven't changed a bit, Mari.
You don't have to work so hard, do you?
Compromise can be a good thing, sometimes.
[Mari chuckles]
Your baby won't love you any less.
[chuckles]
But, you know,
that's one of the things I like about you.
[chuckles]
You were amazing on stage today.
I'm proud of you.
[giggles]
Your kids will be, too, one day.
You think so?
It's possible.
Only possible?
-Possible is not good enough. -[laughs]
[quirky music playing]
-[woman, in English] Here you go. -Thank you.
-[woman] Enjoy your day! -You too.
Thank you for waiting. This is your passport.
And please board at 12:05 at Gate 105.
-Please enjoy your flight. -Thank you.
[child chattering]
-Let him look at it. -[children giggling]
-Stop upsetting him. -I don't want to.
Stop it!
[boy laughs]
[breast pump whirring]
[rumbling]
[chuckles softly]
[thunderclap]
[flight attendant] Please fasten your seat belt.
[captain over P.A.] This is your captain speaking.
Our plane was struck by lightning.
We have a slight problem with the radar system.
We'll make a detour to Manila International Airport.
There's no issue with continuing the flight. Please stay calm.
[all yelling]
[quirky music playing]
[breast pump whirring]
[guard, speaking English] Nothing in your pockets?
Baggage check.
-Is this yours? -Yes.
Okay. Please step aside.
[unzips bag]
Um, where is your baby?
At home in Japan.
Sorry, ma'am, but you can't bring this if your baby's not here.
What?
If the baby is here, I don't need to do this.
Sorry, but you have to discard this.
This is breast milk. Do you want me to drink it?
No, ma'am. It's a rule. Please discard this.
[zips up bag]
It's a rule for everybody.
I bet they are all upset.
You're the nicest one.
[speaking Japanese] Traveling with three children all by yourself?
That's amazing. How do you do it?
Mmm, you have to let go of things.
I'm a pro at compromising.
Do you have a baby? I see you have a breast pump.
Actually, yes.
I breastfed the first two, but this one is terribly allergic to my breast milk.
It's probably a reaction to something I eat.
We couldn't pinpoint what it was, so I had to give it up.
It's not the best choice for her.
I didn't know babies could be allergic to breast milk.
Mmm.
There are so many breast milk myths out there, aren't there?
They drove me crazy.
I came down to one conclusion.
We're always going to feel guilty,
no matter which choice we make.
[chuckles softly]
But that's because I love you, little Mari.
-What? Her name's Mari? -Yes.
I'm also Mari.
Wow! What are the odds!
Better than getting hit by lightning.
I couldn't agree more.
That was scary, right?
Do we really have the same name?
-Little Mari, she has the same name. -Hello, little Mari.
Say hi.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
We've just been informed by Manila Airport
that your luggage didn't make it on the plane.
You have to be kidding me.
That's where my breast milk is.
We profusely apologize for the inconvenience.
Even if we sent it on the earliest flight,
it won't get here until 2:00 p.m. tomorrow.
[chatter fading] We apologize for the inconvenience.
We'll give you a call as soon as we receive your luggage.
[soft music playing]
Welcome home.
Look, Tetsu. Mommy's back.
[crying]
[Masako] I know you're against formula. I'm sorry.
It's not that. That's not why I'm crying.
I just...
I just wanted to say, "Thank you."
Welcome home.
[Mari crying]
What's the matter?
Mama.
[Mari continues crying]
[quirky music playing]