Kudos to all the moms who pump at work. You deserve an award for your dedication--especially when the comments by co-workers make you wish you could be invisible as you walk to the pumping station. And I'm thinking you also deserve a better pump. One that is compact so moms can carry it without breaking their back and one that fits discretely in your purse. Moms should be proud that they are pumping for their baby, but sometimes you don't want to scream about it to the whole world as you lug the breast pump backpack to work.
You gotta love a new breast pump that is compact--fits in the palm of your hand--and operates with a lithium ion rechargeable battery, so pumping moms don't need to be tethered to a wall outlet. The Medela Freestyle breast pump weighs less than a pound and costs $380. The Freestyle is supposed to be hands-free, but even if you follow the pump instructions you might end up with some leakage according to writer Amy Joyce in her article in Washington Post. Joyce writes: "Once I was finally hooked up and ready for take off -- and yes, that's totally what it feels like -- I laughed out loud at myself...Whoever said motherhood is sexy must have been feeling very, very bad for herself and needed a pick-me-up that day."
Okay, so the pump isn't sexy and you might have to rethink the hands-free part. I think it is all about the learning curve. It just takes time to get used to it--and prevent the leaks.
