My Breastfeeding Journey
Life’s hectic with Luke in the family now, going through the newborn journey without a nanny and taking care of Leia Lauren in their active four-turning-five stage. With so many things going on in a day including work and making sure that all my kids have their undivided attention, I need to be managing my time really well, and that includes regularly expressing to ensure that I keep up with a constant supply of breastmilk for the little one.
Why not latch? Some asked. Well, I would if I could. Luke, like his sisters, doesn’t take well to latching. I do what’s best in my own circumstance. I was determined to try expressing as I did with Leia and Lauren, though with them it only lasted 3 months before they moved on to formula milk. Breastfeeding twins was a challenge. They had such a huge appetite and I struggled to keep up 😂.
At this point of writing, Luke is approaching 5-months and I count my blessings to still be able to produce 1- 1.2L of breastmilk a day for him. My goal is to go for a year if I can!
With Leia and Lauren, I used the Spectra S9+ which was generally an effective electric breast pump but had some disadvantages that probably ended my breastfeeding (BF) journey earlier than I hoped for. One of them was the pumping duration and the other was its in-built battery life.
My pump sessions used to go for 30mins as I was used to the gradual build up of suction power. Multiply that by 6x a day that’s a lot of time spent on pumping. Battery life was another problem. The Spectra S9+ had an in-built battery that could only last me 2 pumping sessions on full batt. But in reality, i rarely leave home with a pump that is fully-charged. That also means that if I am out for a full afternoon, I would have to either find a charging point or not be able to pump at all. There is no USB attachment that allows me to connect to a powerbank. Suffered painful engorgements as a result and a whole lot of inconvenience. Assembly of the pump was also a challenge- the suction parts were not easy to put together, considering I had to do this a few times in a day.
Well this time round, I had the chance to try out Pigeon’s new GoMini Electric Double Breast Pump and it instantly solved both the issues I mentioned above. And that’s perhaps why I’m able to last the BF journey longer than before.
With this new model from Pigeon, I was having 15min pump sessions as the suction is powerful and because the gradual build up wasn’t an option, I quickly grew into the habit of pumping fast. Taking a shorter time to express makes all the difference, especially that dreadful middle-of-the-night sessions. There is just something about the ergonomics of the suction cup that enables me to yield an average of 200ml each time, more than the usual 120-130ml that I was able to produce before. And that’s coming from this sleek piece of engineering, not those ‘rice-cooker’ models out there.
Powering the pump is no longer an issue as all I need is a power bank that connects via micro-USB. Be it in the car, working in cafes (using laptop power), or on the flight, I was able to keep up with the regular schedule.
Another main difference is the flange. Not only is the Pigeon’s one detachable, hence more practical than the fixed flange on the S9+ while using hands-free dual pumping bras. Pigeon’s flange is designed with a subtle curve that holds the boob better resulting in a stronger suction. Having it detchable has also made it so much easier to have the insides thoroughly cleaned.
To top it off for me, I appreciate a product that is simple to use (yet effective) and fits into the whole eco-system of Pigeon products. We have been bottle users since Leia Lauren days, and its a plus to be able to pump directly to their bottles. The kit currently comes with a narrow neck teat that allows me to attach and feed the baby direct. The wide-neck bottle adaptor is also provided. Reduced spillage and contamination risk and also less bottles to carry around.
That’s about the reasons why I prefer and still use the Pigeon GoMini. As for tips on how i still get yields of over 1L a day, the key is to eat well, hydrate regularly and making sure that I keep to a consistent pump schedule. Having a trusty and reliable pump is never a bad idea.
Disclaimer: This is a partnership with Pigeon Singapore, all opinions are entirely our own. If you are keen to shop for your own Pigeon GoMini check out their webstore link here!