working mom

5 Working & Pumping Mom Must-Haves

It’s time to talk working & pumping mom must-haves because we have a feeling that might apply to most of our readers. Are you planning to return to work after baby? You’re not alone. At Gugu Guru, our users take a quiz to tell us about their lifestyle and we see that over 80% of our mama community plans to go back to work after maternity leave.

Going back to work after baby can be challenging, especially for mothers who wish to continue nursing, so at Gugu Guru we are always on the look-out for products and services that make the transition more smooth. In this post, we put together a list of some of our favorite products – from both new and classic brands – for working mamas, especially pumping mamas.

Zohzo Lauren Breast Pump Bag
While there are a lot of great breast pump bags out there, we like the Zohzo because its large compartment is big enough to fit most brands of pumps. Plus it offers a ton of pockets for organization of both your pumping items and work stuff – including your laptop. Note: you’ll also need an insulated cooler bag for storage (we like the Skip Hop Grab & Go insulated baby bottle bag.)

Ollie Gray Anywhere Bra
The team at Gugu Guru is SO digging this new brand founded by a husband and wife team looking to develop a super comfortable and stylish nursing & pumping bra. They teamed up with a former designer from Lululemon to create a gorgeous athleisure-inspired and, more importantly, highly functional line of bras.

Nanobebe
The Nanobebe feeding system is the ultimate for working, pumping mamas. The bottle itself is designed to preserve the nutrients in breastmilk. We also love that you can store and stack the bottles. Also key for working parents is that the Nanobebe bottles have a very high acceptance rate because they’re so breast-like.

Cache Coeur Curve Reusable Nursing Pads
These nursing pads are super absorbent, while also being virtually invisible – plus, they stay in place. The affordable Curve pads come in two sizes – day and night. We love that because they’re reusable and OEKO-TEX certified, these pads are truly eco-friendly and sustainable.

Are you a working parent or parent-to-be? Don’t forget to check out these services for busy professional parents too.

A Full Plate: Convenience Food Hacks

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In this week’s Convenience Food Hacks episode of A Full Plate, mom and Chef Nikki Dinki brings us ways to make convenience foods (think mac ‘n’ cheese) a lot healthier.

For more fun food hacks, check out Nikki’s Ultimate Healthy Meal Hacks here.

By the way, these awesome food and nutrition tips from Nikki are brought to us by our friends at VeeTee Dine In Rice.

About VeeTee Dine In
Five Star Taste in Just 2 Minutes
VeeTee Dine In rice is delicious, microwaveable rice ready in just 2 minutes. VeeTee uses only real ingredients and contains no artificial flavorings, colors or preservatives. All Veetee Dine In Rice products are gluten-free and suitable for ovo-lacto vegetarians.

(Featured image: Nikki Dinki’s KRAFT-STYLE MAC + CHEESE WITH CAULIFLOWER + SWEET POTATO)

Product Discovery: Milk Stork

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March is Women’s History Month and today we’re excited to introduce you to a brand founded by a woman (and mom) revolutionizing the way that moms can work outside the home and continue to breastfeed (and pump). Milk Stork was started by Kate Torgenson in 2015 after struggling to get her breast milk (more than two gallons of breast milk and eight pounds of melting ice) home to her eight month-old twins after a four-day business trip. She was determined to create a solution so Milk Stork was born. We interviewed Kate all about why and how she founded Milk Stork; you can follow Milk Stork on Instagram, Facebook, and check out their website. Moms shouldn’t have to choose between their careers and breastfeeding, and now they don’t have to thanks to Kate.

Why did you start Milk Stork?

In 2014, when my twins were about 8 months old, I was faced with a 4-day business trip at Clif Bar. I was committed to breastfeeding them for at least 12 months (as I had done for my first child). Together, the three of us had fought through a lot of breastfeeding challenges including tandem nursing, a tongue tie, latching and weight gain issues, not to mention pumping relentlessly at work to maintain their half-gallon-per-day demand. At the same time, I was committed to being “all in” with my job. And, while it wasn’t the most important business trip in the world, just a conference, I really wanted to attend.

As I prepared for the trip, I started troubleshooting the logistics of shipping my breast milk home and quickly learned that there were no turnkey services to help. To do it, I would have to take a DIY approach– sourcing dry ice and shipping materials to my hotel room and then getting myself to a special FedEx shipping facility every day without a rental car. It was too just much to do on top of the conference and all of the pumping!

So, instead, I pumped 2 “extra” gallons of milk to cover my absence before I left (on top of the gallons that the twins were already drinking!) and then, I pumped like crazy while I was gone to maintain my supply. During the trip, I managed to squeeze 2 gallons of breast milk into a tiny hotel fridge, only to lug it all home – and through TSA – along with (4) gallon-sized Ziplocs filled with ice.

Dealing with all that milk amplified the logistical challenges, constraints, and frustrations that many moms face when it comes to breastfeeding and business travel. I got back from the trip and was determined to create a simple solution to this complex problem. We launched a year later in 2015. Milk Stork is the first breast milk shipping service for business traveling breastfeeding moms.

How do you see Milk Stork changing the way women work and travel?

Returning from maternity leave can be challenging; emotionally, physically and logistically. For working breastfeeding moms, business travel introduces painful tradeoffs. It can be so difficult that many moms limit or opt out of business travel altogether during their babies’ first years, some “pump & dump” while they are away (a frustrating experience given the time and energy that goes into pumping) and still others, wean their babies earlier that they would like. With Milk Stork, working breastfeeding moms can more fully resume their job responsibilities without making difficult personal compromises and vice/versa.

How does Milk Stork work? How does a mom go about using Milk Stork to make her life easier?

Milk Stork provides business-traveling, breastfeeding-moms with a no-fuss solution to safely overnight their fresh milk home to their babies. To place an order, moms go to www.milkstork.com indicating where they will be staying, where they would like their milk shipped, and choose the products that will best support their trip. Milk Stork ships the order to their hotel so it is ready and waiting for the mom when she arrives. Then, she pumps according to her regular schedule, activates her cooler when she is ready to pack her milk, and then drops her cooler with the front desk or concierge for overnight shipping. More instructions here: www.milkstork.com/howtopack. When she returns to the office, she should submit her Milk Stork receipt to her employer for reimbursement.

How can companies/businesses support moms in using Milk Stork?

One of the fastest, easiest ways employers can offer Milk Stork as a benefit is as an approved travel expense and having a policy and process that allows employees to expense Milk Stork. Milk Stork also has a program for employers that includes a special order portal for employees, monthly invoicing and utilization reports.

Why do you feel that Milk Stork is revolutionary for moms?

Breastfeeding rates have increased over the past 10 years, and today, most working women are moms. The combination of these two factors has a resulted in more breast milk is being pumped at work than ever before. With Milk Stork, working breastfeeding moms can more fully resume their job responsibilities without making difficult personal compromises and vice/versa. Additionally, by providing Milk Stork as an employee benefit, companies are supporting gender diversity while helping working moms nourish their babies and their careers. In doing so, these employers are creating a culture that acknowledges, normalizes and celebrates working motherhood and breastfeeding.

Video Overview: Skip Hop Tray Chic Dry & Store Pump Bag

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Our latest pumping, working mama must-have: the Skip Hop Tray Chic Dry & Store Pump Bag. It’s got a secret compartment that is cross-ventilated so you can store and dry your pumping parts – genius! Plenty of storage, other cool features (like a pen loop for labeling breastmilk storage bags) plus it’s easy on the eyes.

View Gugu Guru founder Monica’s video overview of the Skip Hop Tray Chic Dry & Store Pump Bag and learn more about why this is a must-have for working, pumping mamas.

Features of the Skip Hop Tray Chic Dry & Store Pump Bag include:

Bottom compartment with dual zip openings provides cross-ventilation to dry pump accessories
Removable drying tray doubles as a staging area to assemble pump
Dedicated side-zip pump pocket for easy access fits most ACA-approved breast pumps
Large main compartment with zip closure and two mesh pockets
Three ways to wear: tote, backpack and crossbody with convertible strap
Elasticized pen loop for easy labeling
Sturdy lightweight material
Size (inches): 17″h x 7″w x 14″l

Pumping mama? These articles may interest you:

This post may contain affiliate links.

Helpful Products for Pumping at Work

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-Sponsored Post-

Going back to work can be daunting for many moms, but the logistics of pumping at work are often overwhelming for new moms (and even seasoned mamas). We asked all of our social media moms what they think the essentials are for pumping at work, and rounded up some top tips to share with you all!

Bravado’s Clip and Pump Hands-Free Nursing Bra Accessory: Whenever we ask moms for nursing bra suggestions, time and again, they tell us how much they love Bravado bras – it’s no surprise to us – with many options to pick from, including plus size bras, Bravado provides flattering, comfortable, and functional nursing bras for breastfeeding (and not breastfeeding) moms. The Clip and Pump Hands-Free Nursing Bra Accessory is an essential item for going back to work! The Clip and Pump Hands-Free Nursing Bra Accessory’s revolutionary design offers moms the convenience, ease and discretion they’ve been asking for. It’s ideal for work because it is discreet, no need to remove your top or nursing bra. The patent pending figure 8 opening is engineered for easy breast shield insertion and removal – no need to detach breast shield from bottle. It is made from super soft, breathable cotton modal fabric blend and even has the option to pump on one side and breastfeed on the other! You can learn more about the Clip and Pump in our original review here, too!

Not sure how to even get a breastpump for work? Aeroflow’s quick guide will help you get one through your insurance! Check out the Freemie Collection Cups for discreet milk-saving at work, too. Looking for a way to carry your pump to and from work? Check out the Nurse Purse – it comes in mod designs!

When it comes to heading back to work and preparing to pump, many moms suggested a great nursing cover, such as the Goodbody Goodmommy Multitasking Cardigan (which is totally work appropriate), and many mamas sang the praises of companies such as BURU, Loyal Hana and Allette. Our friend Carly Walko from Thirty Something Fashion rounded up some stylish and functional looks for going back to work while breastfeeding. Looking for tips on how to head back to work after maternity leave? We have some helpful hints. If you head to our Instagram, you can see all of the helpful tips from mamas, but the one tip we loved? “Watching videos of my baby helps with a faster letdown,” such a great tip!

Thank you to Bravado for making this sponsored post possible.

Mompreneur Spotlight: FAB Mom Jill Simonian

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Affectionately known on-air and online as ‘The FAB Mom,’ Jill Simonian is the Parenting Lifestyle Expert for CBS Los Angeles news and author of The FAB Mom’s Guide: How to Get Over the Bump & Bounce Back Fast After Baby — a personal, practical and motivating guide with celebrity stories and expert lifestyle tips to boost first-time moms’ mind/body/spirit confidence and capability for that ‘bumpy’ year of new motherhood (F-A-B = Focused After Baby). Jill is a contributor for NBC’s TODAY Show’s Parenting Team and Mom.me and has often appeared on TODAY Show, Hallmark Channel, HLN, KTLA Morning News Los Angeles and more.

Connect with Jill on TheFABMom.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Gugu Guru: How and why did you start FAB MOM? Where did you come up with the name?

Jill Simonian: I wish I could say I was so creative to come up with “The FAB Mom” on my own, but it was literally the ONLY URL that was available for purchase when I first started blogging back in 2010! I remember typing in every possible blog name I could think of and “taken” kept coming up. I finally thought of ‘fab’ (because it was such a buzzword back then) and it turned out to be available… so I took it. I initially thought I’d write about fashion and entertaining after becoming a mom — you know ‘fabulous’ things — but soon found that most of what I was writing about had to do with me trying to stay motivated, creative and focused after having a baby. Turns out, the URL that found me was right on — FAB really does mean ‘focused after babies,’ which is what my new book for first-time moms The FAB Mom’s Guide: How to Get Over the Bump & Bounce Back Fast After Baby is all about. Staying focused and committed to bouncing back from bad days, confused parenting moments and the every day chaos of mom-life is something that we all must cope with and conquer.

GG: How do you balance work and family?

JS: Still trying to figure this one out (lol). Here’s one rule that I’ve learned the hard way this last year: Do not try to be a stay-at-home mom and working-mom at the same time! It sounds crazy, but that’s what I tried to do when I first got my job at CBS Los Angeles news in February 2016. I’d been a work-at-home mom (blogger/brand-ambassador) for years, but failed to realize that starting a new job on television and writing a book at the same time added up to full-time working hours. Sure, the time I could do my work was fairly flexible, but the responsibilities took time away from me being able to volunteer at my girls’ schools, cook dinner every night and organize the house like I used to. Whenever your time gets filled with something, you must account for the time you’ve lost in other areas — we cannot do it all at the same time (that’s not sexist, it’s just common sense). I also learned to do one thing at a time — multi-tasking does NOT work.

GG: What’s the best part about being a “Mompreneur” and running your own business?

JS:I do love the flexibility. Being more available for my kids is also very important to me. I’m a big believer in moms continuing to work after having kids (we need goals and accomplishments too!) but I’m also unwavering in my belief that the mom should be the kids’ primary caregiver. Don’t get me wrong — dads and sitters and grandparents are loved and needed and incredible, but no one can do what ‘mom’ can do when it comes to raising kids and giving them the security, guidance and discipline they need to grow into capable adults.

Product Discovery: Freemie Collection Cups

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It’s hard to imagine something being a game changer when it comes to pumping, but Freemie Collection Cups are indeed a game changer. Imagine the freedom of hands-free pumping, while wearing most any bra you want and keeping your shirt on! The cups each hold 8 oz and are designed to slip right into your bra. Once securely in your bra, you just insert the tube into the top of the cup and start pumping!

We won’t go so far as to say that no one will know, but the cups do allow for discreet pumping. They also allow you to go about your day while pumping – hold your little one in your arms, do your makeup, work at your desk, or entertain everyone who has come to ooh and ahh over your new arrival instead of hiding out in another room to pump.

The cups are designed for easy pouring – leaving the cups intact, simply take the tubing out and easily pour right into a storage bag or bottle. It is recommended that you hand wash them in hot, soapy water, so no waiting for a dishwasher cycle!

Freemie Hands Free Collection Cups are included with all Freemie pumps, but can be purchased separately and are compatible with many of the most popular pumps. The Freemie Collection Cups Deluxe Set comes with two 8-ounce collections cups and two sets of breast funnels (25 mm and 28 mm).

Back to Work With The Nurse Purse

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With my first child three years ago I lugged the standard issue Medela pump carrying case back and forth to the office and hated every beige minute of it. Before heading back to work after my second baby I was determined to find a more convenient, and stylish, solution. Enter The Nurse Purse.

I love having a cute bag to carry all my pumping needs from home to subway to office. But the Nurse Purse is so much more than a cute purse. The bag is pretty large and has a number of pockets to carry all of your work and pumping accoutrements which means you can grab it off your desk and go pump without worry that you’re missing something. The bag has a panel in the front that unzips to access your pump controls so there’s no need to remove the pump from the bag. The bag itself is plastic coated and easily wipes off any drips that may land on it. It seems very well made and I anticipate it lasting long past the past day that I need to pump.

I have only a few minor “room to improve” thoughts about the Nurse Purse. I wish the purse didn’t have the words Nurse Purse stitched onto a label on the outside of the bag; I’d prefer a more incognito pump transportation experience. I currently have, and love, a Spectra pump which doesn’t fit into the pump compartment of the Nurse Purse (but I was happy to find that you can remove this compartment entirely!) I have no problem fitting the pump into the bag or accessing the controls via the front panel but the inside is more cluttered than it might be with a different pump. I also have slightly too little space in the bag. If I’m carrying my pump, a cooler bag with bottles, some pump attachments and my laptop there is no room left for my lunch.

I highly recommend the Nurse Purse to working breastfeeding mothers.

PRODUCT WIDGET – ID: 58ad6c87af09b162d8db2c78

About Brianna Klemm
By day Brianna Klemm is a Product Manager at the Amazon subsidiary, comiXology where she wrangles spreadsheets, business requirements and coworkers in pursuit of glory and the best digital comic experience in the world. By night she’s the mom to Casper (3) and Quincy (4 months) and is in constant pursuit of an evening out, a bourbon old fashioned, a clean shirt and a full night’s sleep (someday…).

Vote on Your Favorite Breast Pump Innovation!

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From hands-free to cordless to whisper quiet features, there are lots of new developments in the breast pump category right now. Gugu Guru wants to know what you think so vote on your favorite using the thumbs up icon today! (Did we miss an innovation? Comment below to let us know what should be on the list!) Winner gets the Gugu Picks badge!

Mompreneur Spotlight: Amanda Cole of Yummy Mummy

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Amanda Cole, entrepreneur and blogger, conceived of the idea for Yummy Mummy after the birth of her daughter when like many other new moms, she was looking for help overcoming the challenges of breastfeeding and motherhood. She saw a need for a one-stop-shop for support, services and products to help new moms meet their personal breastfeeding goals and their needs as a new mom. Yummy Mummy is a retail store on the Upper East Side of New York City, and is a company dedicated to All Things Breastfeeding and for moms-to-be! Unlike large big box retailers which sell everything, but specialize in nothing, Yummy Mummy is focused on new and expectant parents. The store prides itself on carrying fashionable and functional maternity and nursing apparel.

Gugu Guru: How and why did you start you Yummy Mummy?

Amanda Cole: After I gave birth to my daughter, Alexa, I struggled with breastfeeding. I was happy to put up with the struggle because it was important to me. But struggling with purchasing breastfeeding products and finding support was not an option. I thought “there must be a better way” and so I set out to create it.

GG: How do you balance work and family?

AC: The balance afforded to me by having my own business is immeasurable. I do the work – and then some – but I don’t miss out on family. It does mean that I’m constantly in “work mode,” but it’s a sacrifice I’m happy to make.

GG: What’s the best part of being a “Mompreneur” and running your own business?

AC: I love how rewarding I find my job. I remember the days when working meant waiting for the hours to pass and I don’t miss that. When you have your own business you’re all in; if you’re going to be successful, you have no choice! But caring that much can make even the most mundane tasks interesting and exciting.

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