Pumping Mama! A Breast Pump Review

Three pumps, many weeks, and a whole lot of milk! Over the past seven weeks I have tried three different breast pumps. Why three different pumps? When I started researching breast pumps before little C was born, I wanted to know the difference between Medela and Spectra. While researching, I found reviews of the pumps separately, but none where anyone compared them side by side. So, I decided to do my own comparison to help other mamas who were in the same boat I was!

Obviously, I included Medela and Spectra, and then we were offered an Ameda to review so we decided to toss that into the comparison as well! The pumps I used were the Ameda Finesse, the Spectra S2, and the Medela Pump In Style Advanced. Over these weeks I've used one pump at a time. Also, I e-mailed the companies various times with questions to be sure my comparison was as accurate as possible! If you have questions that are not answered here please comment, I'd love to help!

Side note: It can take your body up to 3 weeks to adjust to a new pump so if you are switching and getting lower volumes, give your body time to adjust before thinking the pump 'doesn't work as well!'

This post contains a TON of information so hang in there friend! I've given a brief review as well as listed the pros and cons of each pump.

Breast Pump Comparison & Review

Spectra S2

This pump is wonderful. I still haven't found a reason to not love this pump. Number one reason I love this pump: It is a closed system. From KellyMom, "A closed system pump has a barrier between the milk collection kit and the pump mechanism to prevent contamination by bacteria/mold/viruses/etc. An open system pump has no such barrier." The Spectra has a digital screen so you can easily see how long you have been pumping which is really handy if you don't have a clock, your phone, or its 1:30 in the morning and you don't know when you started. The screen also displays your vacuum, speed, AND it saves the settings you had it on last for both letdown and expression mode. This way you never have to adjust dials or buttons unless you want to. The pump starts in expression mode so you have to press the letdown button when you power it on. The only thing I found frustrating about the pump, was the bottles leak sometimes if you do not screw the lid on tight enough. Instead of using those, I just started pumping into the bottles Cora drinks from, which was easier in the long run.

Spectra S2 Pros

Duckbill valve is one single piece, no losing those little white things like with Medela
Everything is dishwasher safe
Closed system
Separate vacuum/speed options--super nice for unclogging ducts!
Nightlight with two settings
Digital screen displays
Timer so you know how long you've been pumping
Auto shut off after 30 min
2 year warranty since many moms pump longer than one year
Rechargeable battery model option (S1)--I have not found that I would need this option yet

Spectra S2 Cons

It is recommended to not use microwave sterilizer bags
Bottles that come with are difficult to get a good seal on, so they leak sometimes, I just pump into the bottles our baby drinks from to solve this issue.

Ameda Finesse

I was impressed with the way this pump presented, but not with actually using it. The pump has separate vacuum and speed options for customization which is ideal for getting your pumping as close to baby's sucking as possible. This pump is also a closed system (see definition from KellyMom above). This pump is fairly quiet when turned up to full vacuum; however, the power of the vacuum is hugely lacking and no matter what I tried during my times using this pump it was not efficient enough in emptying my milk fully. It was also difficult to remember where I had the separate vacuum and speed dials for letdown and expression so I was always adjusting the dials to get it 'just right.' Overall, this pump was not as friendly to use as the other pumps because of the dials, but the information provided with the pump was great.

Ameda Finesse Pros

Everything you need comes sterilized, so you don't need to sterilize before using
Comes with a guide for measuring nipples to get accurate breast shield size
Guide explains the difference between letdown and expression
Pump itself is very compact
Can easily be put into a pump bag you like
Comes with hand pump
Closed system
2 year warranty since many moms pump longer than one year
Separate vacuum and speed options
Decently quiet

Ameda Finesse Cons

Have to adjust speed and vacuum dials each each time you switch between letdown and expressing milk.
Hard to remember exactly where you had dials each time
Noise is annoying to listen to

Medela Pump In Style Advanced

All the moms I know have a Medela, and most of them have said they really like it, so I thought it was going to be a pretty great pump! But I was actually rather disappointed in the pump for many reasons. This pump is not a closed system so the setup of the pump does not prevent contamination of breastmilk (see image here). The Medela pump is also extremely loud. Every time I start using this pump, which is usually at 1:30 in the morning both my dogs come running because they aren't sure about the noise! There were a few nice things about the pump, including that it comes with a bag, and it switches to expression mode manually. The breast shields are designed to pump into narrow neck bottles like the popular Dr. Brown's so you could probably pump right into them. We use Avent bottles which are wide mouth and there is a conversion kit available if you want to pump into wide neck bottles. Overall, this pump was not as customizable as the other pumps and highly disappointing since it is an open system.

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Pros

Can be taken out and used in any bag
Automatically starts in stimulation (let-down) mode
Automatically changes to expression mode after 2 minutes or you can hit a button to manually change to expression mode
Comes with battery pack so you can pump anywhere (batteries not included :))
Comes with cooler bag and ice pack
1 year warranty
Comes with a carrier bag (not as nice as a Sarah Wells bag though, not much can fit inside)

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Cons

Not a closed system
No separate vacuum/speed options, not as customizable
No auto off
Hard to see inside bag when pumping to see where dial is set at
Those little white pieces get lost all the time
I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have about any of the pumps! Feel free to comment below with your questions or e-mail me at simplysheard@gmail.com!
What kind of pump do you use? If you are a mom-to-be what kind of pump do you want? Share below!

[Disclaimer] I did receive two of these pumps in exchange for a fair and truthful review; however, all opinions are 100% my own! Thanks to the weeSpring Parent Panel for providing me with one of the breast pumps!

Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

I don't really create my own recipes. It's very rare that it happens, even more rare that a creation turns out! Anyway, I'm really good at trying other people's recipes though, and comparing different recipes is even more fun. There are thousand of 'Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie' recipes around. The truth? Everyone has a different opinion of what makes a perfect chocolate chip cookie. I'm in the field of crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle.

In the weeks before our little one was born we made chocolate chip cookies a lot. They are a comfort food staple around here and it was always a nice surprise when someone would bring us dinner AND chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate and cookies warm the soul of a sleep deprived mama.

These are the links for our go-to chocolate chip cookies, listed in no particular order:

1 | My Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie by The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 | Coconut Oatmeal Cookie by Lil' Luna -- we add chocolate chips to this one

3 | Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies by Stuck on Sweet

4 | Milk Bar's Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies by Foodie Crush

Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe? Share with us below, we'd LOVE to try it & let you know what we think!

Kayty

Cora's Birth Story

Our June 9 due date came, went, and we originally scheduled to be induced on June 14, Flag Day, Josh pointed out. Then I got anxious that we were inducing too soon. I was nervous about all the risks of being induced, the complications that might result from being induced, about the baby not being ready, and my body not being ready. I truly believed my body would go into labor when it was time to do, yet I knew God was in control and wanted to trust Him, so we rescheduled for June 19 giving baby an extra ten days. My goal throughout pregnancy had been to deliver this baby naturally if I could, but if I needed pain meds, or a c-section, or whatever that I would not feel bad, or guilty, or shameful, or less of a woman for not having a natural birth. All I really wanted was a healthy baby and a healthy mama.

Those ten days we hoped and prayed that labor would start naturally. We did what we could to encourage baby to come. We walked about 3 miles every day, I kept doing my 100 squats every few day. But, we also enjoyed our last times as just husband and wife, we went to the lake, got donuts, whatever we wanted to relish those moments. As I had been the whole pregnancy, I prayed daily that God would be glorified in this baby's birth no matter the story of how it was birthed; yet I was still anxious about having to be induced.

The night before our induction we got all the bags together, set an alarm & went to sleep. Around 1 a.m. on June 19 I started having contractions every 10 minutes. Our induction was scheduled for 6:30a.m. I couldn't believe it was actually happening and I waited an hour or so before I told Josh because I didn't want them to go away, like telling him had any impact on that actually, ha! After telling Josh we called the birth center to let them know and ask when we were supposed to come in. They said to come in at 6:30a.m. since we had the induction scheduled & talk to the doctor, see how things were progressing and go from there. The rest of the night I tried to sleep but that was a little difficult as I was excited and thanking God for answering our prayers. At 6a.m. we showered, I always feel way better on a day I shower so even though we had a huge workout ahead of us, I felt more at peace having showered. We grabbed all our gear, I told the pups next time I came home I'd have a brother or sister for them & headed out the door.

At the hospital, after doing a check, I was 2 cm & 75% effaced, they gave us the option of starting induction or going home for 4 hours, then re-evaluating. Opting for the least invasive option & still wanting to do everything without medication we headed home. I kept praying the contractions would keep coming. They weren't painful at all but I did take deep breaths through them as needed to help my body continue relaxing and expand. We went for another walk then I walked around the house. I did more squats. I ate a little food, drank plenty water & kept praying. Towards the end of the 4 hours the contractions started to space out with 20 minutes in between it seemed which was the opposite of what we were wanting to happen. I laid down to try to relax some and around 12:30p.m. we headed out the door again & this time they admitted us when we arrived. We called my mom because she was my org support person I was planning to have in the room. My sister in law works in the birth center and was going to be working in a few hours and we were hoping she would be able to be there for the birth too!

After another check I was 2.5 cm & 80% effaced...small progress but progress nonetheless! They gave us the option of starting Pitocin, breaking my water then doing Pitocin if needed, or doing half a tab of Cytotec, after we inquired about this option. I opted for breaking my water which they did around 1:30pm. After starting to monitor my contractions they were actually coming every 7 minutes so apparently I just couldn't feel all of them. We were able to walk around the hospital as much as we wanted, every half hour or so we went back to be monitored for a bit. During one of our walks we saw a rainbow, a beautiful reminder that God is faithful and keeps his promises. We continued walking the halls as long as possible but then the contractions became so uncomfortable it was uncomfortable to walk longer distances so we stayed in the room. As the contractions started to get stronger I decided to try the yoga ball but sitting down was not comfortable so I kept standing, doing minor walking around the room, and breathing through each contraction. 

The nurse suggested trying the tub to help which I wasn't wild about since I don't like baths to begin with but I said I would try the shower. Hello amazing! This made contractions closer together. It's such a weird phenomenon being in pain, knowing the pain is going to and needs to continue to get worse. After a while in the shower I was so tired so I decided to try the tub so I could sit down. Being in the tub was nice, the contractions didn't come as often but they seemed much much stronger and were terribly painful. I started to feel really warm, like too warm I decided to get out. At 8pm our doctor came in and said he wanted me to be at 5 cm by 10p.m. otherwise he would want to start Pitocin. I was at 4cm at this point. I knew I had to get to 5cm, so this became my goal, whatever it was gonna take to get there so we didn't have to do Pitocin, which was one of my biggest fears. 

The shower had seemed to move the contractions along, it didn't feel THAT amazing but I knew it was making contractions come closer together, which was getting us to the goal, so I got back in the shower and stayed there for about 3 hours. At this point of being in the shower I was exhausted. I remember telling Josh after being in there for a little while I wanted to be done but he kept helping me through each contractions. He stood outside the shower and would hold my hand as I rocked through each contraction in the shower. My mom would read some of the birth affirmations I had written down on cards. He asked me once if I thought I needed to do something for the pain but I told him no. When he asked me I knew I could handle it, I was just exhausted & wanted to be done. At 10p.m. they checked & I was at 5cm! I was so happy and thankful that meant no Pitocin. From then on we just continued to get through each contraction. Josh helped me through almost every contraction, my mom stepped in for a few when Josh was getting a drink of water when one would start. Being in bed was terrible for contractions, every position I tried and had looked up in preparation for labor was terrible, so I stood for all of them and rocked from side to side while Josh held my hands and matched my breathing.

Close to 8cm I felt lots of pressure & wanted to push but they told me I couldn't yet and to keep 'pushing' through each contraction. The contractions were coming super close together & the pain never really went away before it started rising again with another contraction. This was one of the hardest things since I was never sure if I was going to get a break in between contractions. At 12:30a.m. they called our doctor and told him my progress. At 12:50p.m. I knew it was time to push . Our nurse checked my dilation my mom went out to get the nurse and she checked you standing up while I tried to go to the bathroom that's when she felt the head and she had stuck only like a pinky's length of her finger in. Though I totally did not hear her say any of this because I was in the zone. She said that I should go back to the bed and that she would check me again and then she had the other nurse on duty did the recheck. 

At this point the nurses asked each other who wanted to deliver the baby because our doctor wasn't there yet, (he hadn't thought we would go so fast being a first time mom). Again, I didn't hear them saying this, when you're in the zone your in the zone! So, they told me I could start pushing. Pushing was difficult & painful but totally a different pain and difficulty than contractions. I pushed for about 10 minutes, a total of 4 long slow pushes & Cora was born at 1:05a.m. Feeling every inch of her being birthed and come out was totally amazing, one I hope to never forget. My favorite part of having absolutely no drugs was being able to feel everything. Even with the pain, being able to feel everything, being able to feel in control was wonderful. She came out, Josh announced it was a girl (we waited to find out baby's gender until then), they placed her on my chest, and the doctor walked in the door! He got to deliver the placenta so at least he got to do one of the two, and Josh got to cut the cord.

Woofda! God is so SO good! Almost daily I think back to how everything went and I am so thankful how God blessed us with this beautiful baby and this incredible story!

Share your birth story with me below, I love reading them!

P.S. They say you typically follow what happened to your mom with your first baby. I was my mom's first baby, born 13 days late. Fun part is, she also went into labor with me the morning she was scheduled to be induced :)

Lalabu Soothe Shirt

When Cora was born she was only six pounds! So we had to wait a few weeks until we could use our Lalabu Soothe Shirt since it should not be used for babies under seven pounds. Then we found out the day after we used it for the first time she is NINE pounds now! Looks like we could have used it a week or so ago little one, but oh well! She loved it all the same!

The Lalabu Soothe Shirt is essentially a tank top with a kangaroo pouch. It can be used for babies seven to fifteen pounds so it's more designed for the newborn days than other baby wearing things. In those early days and weeks something simple is perfect, complicated is not what you need at all with a new baby!

Everyone I show it too is like, "Woah, way cool!" I had put this shirt on our registry because I thought it was such a neat idea, and so much more simpler than traditional baby wearing. We have a regular cloth baby wearing "sling" too which we love and use often, but what makes this product wonderful is you are already wearing everything you need to wear baby since it is a shirt. Also, you don't have to learn how to tie anything so it is a great place to start with baby wearing. Plus it has a nursing bra built in so you are all set to feed baby when the time comes.

We were gifted it for Christmas from my mother-in-law and it has sat in the nursery closet until now! I figured a trip to the lake was the perfect opportunity to try out this tank. I'm pretty sure this was our first decently large outing where we were gone for several hours, and we totally survived & had fun! We brought the stroller along in case she didn't want to be worn, but she was a happy camper in her perch. Walking along the paths was perfect with C in tow! She just hung out, took in all the scenery and took a little snooze for a bit as well!

They ALSO make a Dad version of the Soothe Shirt, I keep trying to tell Josh he would love it, but he's not so sure. Maybe someday I'll convince him! I also feel like I should point out Lalabu also makes leggings now, which look amazing for postpartum comfort I haven't had the chance to try them yet, but if I do I'll keep ya posted on if we love them as much as the shirt.

What are your favorite baby wearing things? Share below!

Kayty

P.S. We tried to self-timer a cute family photo...