Game-changing: a manual breast pump and a bottle with a revolutionary air-free feeding design. Let me explain.
Recently, while talking to a friend of mine about the complications of nursing on a long road trip, she was like, “oh, you have to get a manual breast pump.” I was thinking I must have misunderstood—how would a manual pump be better than just feeding Ozzie when he’s hungry? But she was like “No, you just pump, put it in a bottle, and then you always have milk on hand when he needs it.” I still wasn’t really convinced because I’ve always had issues with pumping . . . getting only like one ounce per boob after 15 minutes of pumping. The type of breast pump I used didn’t seem to make a difference either: I started with the Medela with Greenlea and moved to the Spectra with Ozzie (thankfully both were covered under insurance), but the results were pretty much the same. So I was thinking there was no way a manual pump would ever work for me—but it did! Because I could control everything, it worked better than any other pump I’ve used and I got twice as much milk in half the amount of time. Who knew?
Before The Manual Breast Pump:
Leaning over the car seat with my boob out hoping he’d latch on and fingers crossed we wouldn’t hit any bumps while he was feeding.
After The Manual Breast Pump:
So much easier—pumping one side at a time and having milk on hand whenever Ozzie needed it. Yes, my hand got a little tired, but it wasn’t that big of a deal, plus the convenience drastically outweighed anything else.
Madewell Tee | Birkenstocks | Victoria Emerson Bracelet | Orly Nail Polish in Fireball | Floral Pants (similar, these are great if you prefer wide leg)
Bonus: Boon NURSH Silicone Pouch Bottles
OK, so Ozzie didn’t like the bottles that came with the pump. (Nor did he like the bottles that came with the previous two pumps.) Like most babies, he’s picky and, like most moms, I’ve tried a ton of bottles. This is by far the best one: Nursh’s “revolutionary air-free feeding design features a silicone pouch that collapses as your little one drinks, squeezing out the nasty gas-inducing air that causes colic.” (You can see the silicone pouch inside the bottle is collapsing as Ozzie’s drinking it.) The best part is that he can actually hold on to the bottle all by himself. Oh, and these bottles are super-easy to clean, too. They come in 4 or 8 oz sizes and in pink, clear or blue sets. I wish I had known about these with G.
drool bibs | hooded denim jacket | pants
These two came in SO handy on our long road trip, but I’m still using them both all the time. I love that the pump is small and portable, and that the bottles easily disassemble to go into the dishwasher. Great finds!
XOXO,
Scotti
