Tag: pumping

summer break: 5, 6, and 7 month update

hey y’all. i’m back. after a 2ish month hiatus from the blog (aka summer break), i thought it was time to give it some love. this post is all about months 5, 6 and 7 – the months i am calling the waiting months. the months we spent waiting for brady’s heart surgery to come, attempting to keep him healthy, failing at that, getting surgery postponed 9 more weeks, struggling with bottles, feeding and weight gain, and finally ending with surgery (and summer).

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month 5: brady celebrated landon’s second birthday and my first mother’s day with my two nuggets. he started giggling more, smiling with his entire body and getting stronger and stronger in PT. we took his first trip to the beach (and really first trip anywhere). we attempted to keep him healthy and ready for surgery that lingered just on the horizon. month 5 was a big one, but we knew (or thought) month 6 would be even bigger.

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month 6: heart surgery month. not exactly. i know i mentioned it on instagram, but we were prepped and ready for brady’s surgery. we planned a last minute baptism, attempting to fit it into the schedule with most of our family. we had family lined up to come in town and help with landon while we would be in the hopsital with brady. then boom, no surgery. i knew brady had caught a cold the week before. i was emailing with his cardiologist wondering if i needed to speak up to the surgical team or not. we decided to wait it out and see if his body could clear it before surgery. no dice. one nose swab test later and positive for rhino/entrovirus. no surgery. what we thought would be a 6 week bump, turned into 9 weeks thanks to school aged kids planning elective surgeries during the summer months. after this, we decided we wanted to live a little bit. we continued to struggle with bottles, so one day we tried to nurse and he took to it! we went from exclusively bottle-feeding/pumping to nursing after a 5.5 month struggle. things were looking up a bit, until we learned he was not gaining weight. between brady’s heart condition and the calories he burned nursing, he just couldn’t keep the weight on. back to bottles….

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month 7: living a little bit meant we were finally going to take the trip this summer that we missed out on before surgery. so we went to connecticut to visit mike’s family, have brady meet one of his great-grandmas and his great-aunts. he took his first plunge in the pool and officially became a rolypoly. he would literally roll straight across a room if you put him down! we also started brady on solids! month 7 was a big month for him. solids started off okay, he pushed out more than he was taking in, but he didn’t hate it which was huge! brady also finally got fitted for his helmet to correct his plagiocephaly (this will be a separate post) and took to it just fine. it’s a little hot and sweaty in the georgia heat, but like everything else he encounters, just smiled his whole way through it. he looks cute as ever in his helmet too. as we continued to live life and move through more weeks of waiting, brady continued to get stronger. he started to prop sit and impressed his pediatrician with where he was at developmentally.

month 8 update is just around the corner! this little bug of ours is truly amazing and continues to surprise us with his strength, love and smiles everyday!

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a review: spectra vs. medela

this is not your typical brady post, but it’s all thanks to brady that i am writing this post. finally, after 3.5 months of exclusively pumping and numerous texts from friends asking, i am writing my personal review of both the spectra S1 and medela pump in style advanced. i am actually writing this post while pumping (TMI). if you don’t have any interest in pumping, you can skip this post and wait for the next (likely an update on early intervention services).

so, here we go. i have been using both pumps daily – the medela stays plugged in to the wall by the bed for early morning, late night and middle of the night pumps. my spectra travels around the house and in the car with me.

which do i like better? which one would you recommend? these are the questions i get asked the most from my expectant friends. truthfully, i don’t have true winner. here is why:

  • i get the same output from both (sometimes i might think the medela gets a little more, but we would be splitting hairs)
  • i have the same level of comfort with both

in my opinion, i believe the above holds true for me because i naturally have a good supply AND i am using the correct size shields with both pumps. i believe a lot of women don’t pay attention to the size shield/flange and that is where a lot of discomfort comes into play. if you experiencing discomfort or don’t feel your pump is very effective, i recommend looking at the manufacturer website for sizing guidelines. this solves a lot of issues very easily.

here is my pros and cons list for each:

medela pump in style advanced

pros

  • compact size
  • effective
  • parts are easily cleaned and sterilized
  • easy to find parts and accessories at most retailers

cons

  • not portable without the purchase of a battery pack accessory
  • does not have a timer
  • LOUD

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spectra s1

pros

  • portable (the battery is rechargeable)
  • effective
  • quiet
  • closed system (meaning you can share the pump without worrying about cross contamination)
  • varying speeds of suck and varying levels of vacuum power
  • display with timer, speed, vacuum setting and light (if needed)

cons

  • parts must be boiled to sanitize (they are not recommended to be sanitized by steam bag, sanitizer, dishwasher)
  • parts are difficult to find in stores

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the reason there is not a clear winner for me is because while the spectra offers more options and portability, it’s not as convenient when it comes to needing to buy replacement parts and cleaning/sanitizing.

if i were a first time mom reading this and needing to make a decision, i would probably choose a spectra s1. if i am a second time mom and i had great luck with the medela the first go around, i don’t know i would say you should get one or the other. i know, not much help. BUT you have to look at your lifestyle and what matters most to you!

other helpful tips for pumping:

  1. EAT: now is not the time to try some diet if you want to maintain a good supply. i can tell on days where i am better nourished, my supply is better
  2. HYDRATE: without a doubt the most important thing you can do for your body while pumping
  3. RELAX: it’s easier said than done, but try your best.
  4. PREPARE: buy the extra pieces you need. the best money spent, for me, was on more flanges and bottles. so that i was not washing everything after every pump.

may i also recommend buying a hands free pump bra? seriously, life changing. do yourself a favor and buy one (or TWO) to make your life easier!

feel free to shoot me an email or comment with questions. i am happy to help in any way i can. be sure to check out my instagram story highlight on pumping – it shows all my favorite products and supplies!