I Tried 4 Different Breast Pumps And Here’s My Favorite

First, congratulations to you! If you are reading this blog, chances are you are an expecting mother. So, let me be the first to welcome you into the “Mom’s club.” This is not a real club, but you’ll quickly realize that the second you give birth you enter an elite group of superheroes.  

I have two kids, Barrett and Brock. They are only 21 months (about 2 years) apart and having two under 2 has been a wild journey so far! I have written many blogs about parenting, and you can find them all on Country 102.5’s website. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram. 

Today I want to dive into breast pumps. There are a lot to choose from, and I’ve tried many of them. So, I will tell you about my thoughts on the ones that I’ve tried. At the end of the day though, everyone has their own preference and if you’re able to give your baby food, that’s all that matters.  

The Medela Symphony is the one that was given to me while I was at the hospital. Just after you give birth, a lactation consultant visits you and asks if you plan on breastfeeding your baby. If your answer is “yes,” then they will give you all the guidance you need to get the breastfeeding process started. One trick to get your milk flowing is to start pumping. And even if there’s no milk yet, it will eventually happen! 

Here’s what I liked about the Medela Symphony. It has a 15-minute timer, so it holds you accountable to do a full 15-minute pump. The machine shuts off at the end of the 15 minutes. The suction was good, and I began producing milk in a couple of days using the machine.  

Here’s what I didn’t like about the Medela Symphony. There are only two pump settings. So, if you’re looking for different pumping rhythms, you won’t get it from this machine. I also don’t like the fact that you must keep the machine plugged into an outlet to use it. There’s no battery component to this.  

I rented this machine from the hospital to use for the first month I was home with the baby. I used it often, but I eventually returned it to the hospital.  

The Spectra was handed down to me from my sister. After she had her first child, she gave it her all and tried her hardest to breastfeed, but it wasn’t in the cards for her. When I gave birth to my first baby, she let me use it, and I kept it. I used it for the first three months of Barrett’s life, and it was very trustworthy. This is the pump that I currently use with my second son, and I love it. 

Here’s what I like about the Spectra. The machine itself is portable and holds a great charge. I can go a few days without recharging it. I also love that there are multiple flow cycles and vacuum settings. There’s also a light on the machine that you can press in case you’re needing to pump in the middle of the night, or a dark room, or a car. It’s come in handy for me a few times! 

What I don’t love about the Spectra are the plastic breast flanges. They seem hard to clean for some reason. All in all, I suggest this one over the Medela Symphony.  

This breast pump is all manual. There are no electronics involved. At first I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy something like this, but it’s very convenient for on-the-go milk expression. I like that you can fit it in your purse. The thing that I don’t like is that I don’t feel as though I get as much milk out of one sitting.  

I used the Momcozy after I gave birth to my first baby. At the time I felt like the portable aspect of the pump was desirable. But I never felt like it sucked out a lot of milk. I used it again with my second child and threw it away after a few times. I don’t suggest this pump. It might work great for you, but I felt like I could get better results with other pumps.  

At the end of the day, every mom has their own preference. But my favorite breast pump was the Spectra 1. It's given me as much milk as possible for both of my children. It will be a sad day when I retire it for good. (Or donate it to another mother).

I am hours (or days) away from giving birth, but I am ready to go with my labor playlist! At this point I don't know when the big moment will happen, but my baby's due date is May 17th.

One of the most important things is the labor playlist. During my first pregnancy, my husband made a great playlist for me. I had a very long and painful 23 hour labor, so listening to music to take my mind off of the pain was very helpful. When I finally got to the moment of pushing, it was a Celine Dion song that got me through it.

This time around, however, I think the labor will be much different. Here's why. I will be able to labor in the shower or the tub at the hospital. During my first pregnancy, I was unable to do that because I was hooked up to a Penicillin and Pitocin drip. I was confined to the delivery bed because of that. This time though, I will not have to be on any drips, so I will be able to move around the room, get in the water, sit on a medicine ball, and try different labor positions.

During the labor, I fully plan on listening to music. I have a portable speaker charged and ready to go. I have chosen a variety of music to get me through the pain. Some of it is country, some is religious, some folk. But at the end of the day, these are all songs that make me feel something in some sort of way.

Here's my playlist, which you can find on Spotify . But for the purpose of my blog, I have separated the songs based on genre and/or artist. I hope you enjoy my labor playlist!

Josh Turner has always been one of my favorite artists. Here's one of my favorite songs of his: 

Brooks & Dunn's "Neon Moon" is a classic. Their harmonies in the chorus really make me feel emotional. 

ERNEST is my son's favorite artist. Whenever Barrett is in a bad mood we put on his music and he calms right down. I'm hoping the same will happen to me in the delivery room. 

Morgan Wallen is probably my favorite country artist. I'm not sure why I picked this song of all songs, but I think it's because I'll be spinning around in all different positions on that medicine ball. 

Ian Munsick & Cody Johnson give me all the feels with this song. Their voices are so different, which makes it mysterious to me. I could listen to this song all day. 

Zac Brown Band has so many songs to choose from, but my favorite musical movie is "The Greatest Showman." This is one of the BEST songs from that movie. 

MacKenzie Porter

Gone West is a country band that Colbie Caillat started. Sadly, they are no longer a group, but their songs are amazing.

Colbie Caillat and Sheryl Crow give a great performance on this song, "I'll be there." It makes me feel connected to my son when I hear this.

Tamela Mann takes on a MercyMe classic. This stripped down version of the song makes me feel super connected to God when I hear her sing "I Can Only Imagine."

Lauren Daigle is a powerhouse and this song makes me feel inspired to push through it!!

Smokie Norful has one of the best voices and when I listen to this song I feel like I'm speaking to my son. I'm saying, "Ok son, I need you now to come out!"

CeCe Winans gives a breath-taking performance with this song. I have this vision that this will be the song that my son is ultimately born with.

These three Brandi Carlisle songs are three of my favorites. I love her songwriting and voice. I know Brandi will get me through the painful times!

I had to include The Supremes' "Baby Love" because there's no better song to describe a baby on the way!

Teddy Swims has one of the silkiest voices in the industry right now and I love this song of his!

My husband and I saw Leon Bridges live in concert in Nashville and he was incredible. Leon will always have a special place in my heart and I love this song.

James Bay's "Move Together" just makes sense when you're pushing out a baby. My and that baby have to work together to make sure he sees the world!

Ray Charles & Van Morrison

If I had to rank my favorite Noah Kahan songs, "All My Love" would be #1! I love everything about this song and it puts me in a great mood.

This Noah Kahan duet with Post Malone gets me GOING. Literally fires me up every time I hear it.

My Husband, Rob Bellamy! He wrote this song about our first son, and it's one of my favorites that he's ever written.

TALK has this song and there's something about it that makes me smile. SO I added it to my playlist.

The Lumineers has always been a favorite of mine. Here's one of my favorites.