A mom’s review of the Spectra S1 breast pump

Looking for the right breast pump among so many options can be so difficult, especially if you’ve never had to deal with one before. The only breast pump I had any experience with was the Medela Symphony and that’s because it was what we lent out to new moms in the hospital. I thought that I wanted a Medela pump, but after reading so many mom reviews, I decided on the Spectra S1.

There are so many great things about this pump. Some of the features that are included in this pump are:

• Quiet hospital grade suction with different cycle settings

• Differentiate from expression and letdown (massage) mode

• Closed double pumping system

• Rechargeable battery

• Night light - super useful at night so you aren’t fiddling with your cellphone!

• Lightweight approx. 3 lbs

• Price: $200 (Can be covered by insurance!)

Why the cycles of letdown and expression are so great

I really like that this pump has both of these functions, my travel pump does not have this option. The different cycles are supposed to resemble how baby would be on your breast. The letdown cycle, controlled by the top middle button with 3 wavy lines, is locked in at 70 CPM, with 5 different suction levels. This is supposed to mimic the first time baby latches when they’re sucking fast to get the milk to release from the ducts. This normally takes about 2 minutes on average to happen, and you can help it along by massaging your breast in the beginning. The only thing that you have to keep in mind is that the pump does not automatically start on letdown, you have you press it once you turn it on.

The expression cycle is when the milk is steadily flowing and this is when baby will have a suck, pause, swallow motion. There are 5 speeds of 38, 42, 46, 50, and 54. It has 12 different suction levels as well. I would recommend starting at a slower cycle and lower suction speed when starting. Having a strong and fast suction does not always yield more milk, in fact, if you’re uncomfortable it may actually hinder your milk production. Another tip to make this easier on your nipples is to lube them up with nipple balm so they slide comfortably in the flanges.

A pump that suckles, not sucks

A small thing that I noticed was the vibration of the flanges when pumping. It’s actually kind of soothing to have a different sensation so it’s not just a straight suck from the pump. Spectra prides itself on it’s natural nursing technology which mimics a more natural feeding session that other standard pumps may not offer.

Closed Pumping system feature

The closed pumping system just means that as you’re pumping, the milk will never come into contact with the pumping motor. The Spectra has a good back flow system set up as well so the milk you’re pumping is going directly into the bottle or bag that you’re pumping to. Pretty much, the milk isn’t going to be exposed to unnecessary bacteria.

Spectra S1 with night light on

Stay at home pump or travel pump?

I definitely do not see myself traveling with this pump to work or anywhere else. The odd shape of the pump makes it a very awkward thing to pack in a tote bag. I did originally choose this pump so I could bring it to work without the worry of having the find an outlet in a private space just so I could use it. I do like that I can carry it anywhere in the house though.

If you had to only have one pump though, at least you know traveling with this pump, you’ll always get a good milk turnout. Plus it’s very easy to clean if you did have to travel with it!

What’s all included in the box?

• 1 Spectra S1 breast pump

• 4 Breast flanges (2 x 24 mm, 2 x 28 mm)

• 2 Tubes

• 2 Duckbill valves

• 2 Back-flow protectors

• 2 Spectra wide neck storage bottles

• 1 12-volt AC adapter

Top 10 Postpartum Must-haves for Mama

If you’ve been stressing out about what you need for your baby’s new arrival, let this blog help ease some of that stress. I feel like a lot of new moms stress about what they need for baby and forget about what they need for themselves. So I’m going to go over a few items that helped me through the first few days of postpartum and they are still items I’m using right now. Giving birth is hard enough, the time after it shouldn’t be as hard.

Depends | Don’t knock the diapers until you try them! You’ll most likely be given mesh undies, small chux pads, and a maternity pad (a normal period pad) after labor. You may be surprised at how much you’ll be bleeding after labor. You have to remember that you just lost a fairly large organ and you have a wound inside that needs to heal. Changing your pad after you use the restroom can become very tedious when you have multiple items you’re trying to shimmy up your legs. Lining a Depends with your tucks pads is so much easier than trying to make sure your pad stays in place in your Asian pear undies.

Dermoplast and Tucks | Your punani is going to hurt, and so is your butthole. You just had a human and an organ pass through your punani, so don’t be surprised if it’s super sore for a few weeks. Plus all of that pressure from baby’s head on your rectum is going to give you some mean hemorrhoids. Dermoplast has benzocaine and menthol in it to help give a nice numbing feeling to the area. It’s a spray you can use 2-3 times a day. Tucks contains witch haizel which helps with the pain from swelling and the itchiness that comes with hemorrhoids. These two items will make using the restroom a lot less scary for the first time.

Disposable Ice Packs | Sit on these, sis. Ice packs will help reduce swelling which helps with pain. That gate control theory is real with these ice packs. So the idea is that your brain can only process one sensation at a time. The receptors that process temperature differ from the ones that process pain. So if you overwhelm these nerves with a cold or hot sensation, then it’ll reduce the way you process the pain. So sit on it sis.

Aloe Vera and Vitamin E lotion | You will be so itchy after you give birth. During my pregnancy, I was so adamant about putting on my almond oil, Vitamin E belly balm, and lotion on that I didn’t think it’d be as bad after birth. BUT I WAS WRONG. My stomach was (and still is) itchy AF. So I’ve been using both lotion and aloe vera on my tummy to help soothe the itchiness. Both are good for helping keep your stretch marks hydrated. A plus for the aloe vera is putting it on your perineal pads to help soothe that area too.

Peribottle | Touching your punani is going to be scary the first few times around. Wiping your butt is going to be scary the first few times around. But I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep your area clean after delivery, especially if you were the unlucky few to get stitches during delivery. The last thing you want after delivery is an infection. So using a peribottle with warm water and some soap will save you the hassle of constantly wiping to keep yourself clean. Plus it makes peeing a whole lot easier when you spray at the same time. Your hospital should give you one to use, but if you want a better one, the one from Frida is a good purchase!

Motrin | The Army’s holy grail of pharmaceuticals; heals all ailments. LOL, just kidding. But after 9 months of not being able to take Motrin, it was the first drug I requested after delivery. You’d be amazed at how limber you are after delivery with all of the adrenaline rushing. Motrin helps with those afterbirth pains. Your uterus contracting back down, your perineum throbbing from having spit out a human and an organ, and the rest of your body aching from delivery and being so tense. This is one drug I would not pass up on.

Lanolin | I’ve been using lanolin for awhile now. I bought Lano’s Multipurpose balm and I use it for my lips and dry patches on my hands due to the constant handwashing. Lanolin is made from wool grease, or the oil from animals who have wool (sheeeeep, baa!) It’s widely used by breastfeeding mamas as nipple cream. If you and your little nugget are going to go on adventure together into the world of breastfeeding, then this is a must have. Cracked nipples are no joke. It increases the risk of infection for you, and can be really painful when baby is feeding. No one wants to be in that kind of pain. Trust me, it isn’t fun. The one I recommend for breastfeeding and pumping is Honest Company’s Nipple Balm!

Haakaa | This won’t let you down when it’s catchin’ your letdown (lol, bad mom jokes.) Honestly though, I’ve caught almost 2 ounces each time I stick this baby on to my other boob while Maverick feeds. It’s such a good way to build a small refrigerator stash. I don’t freeze it (… yet) because I only catch about 2 ounces. But it’s a nice lil snacky snack if baby is still hungry and you’re over breastfeeding for 40 minutes. Babies get heavy after awhile. This was a great gift from our sis Amanda. So if you know someone who is pregnant, get them a haakaa.

The great thing about most of these items is that you’ll receive them after delivery, so you won’t have to buy your first set, but it’s always good to buy a set for home. Or if you’re not wanting to buy a bunch of different products, you can grab the Frida Mom Postpartum Kit that includes disposable undies, cooling wipes, perineal foam, and ice packs. There’s a peribottle that is also available for a separate purchase! Regardless of how you decide to get your hands on these items, they’ll all be super helpful in helping you heal so you can take care of your little baby.

A Foodies Fantasy in Seoul, Korea

We lead our travel journeys with our stomachs, and then our hearts

  Living in Seoul, knowing that there is over 80,000 restaurants here per the World Cities Culture Forum in 2016, you can only imagine how much time we spend looking for the best ones to eat at.  In our little piece of Seoul, we have managed to find six restaurants that we visit frequently.  I wish I knew where all of the photos were saved so I could show you how good the food looked! But you’ll just have to trust me when I say that I highly recommend these restaurants!

Stacked (Gangnam)

  This place was in such a prime location if you knew where the Yongsan base was in Seoul.  Before Yongsan closed down, this restaurant was located right outside of the walk-in gate by Itaewon. Right before we left Korea, we found out it moved to Gangnam. I was pretty sad because Sean and I ate here and we made it our “go-to” when we wouldn’t know where to eat.  We usually spend roughly about $50 here when we go, and we would get four sets of dumplings, two orders of fried rice, and drinks.  It’s such a steal for good dumplings!

Ichiryu. Photo from ViaMichelin.Co.Uk

Ichiryu (Itaewon)

  44 Jandari-ro 3an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea | We found this restaurant by luck.  We were exploring the back streets of Itaewon where there is less traffic, and we noticed the Michelin recommended sign on the window.  When we entered, it was just a small bar.  They serve dinner menus here, and it’s three choices of Sapporo style lamb.  We ordered a French rack and lamb chops.  They prepared it for us, and it was absolutely delicious.  It’s a little on the pricier side for the amount of food you get, so we’d recommend saving for the occasion.

BBQ Chicken (Yongsan)

  If you didn’t already know, Koreans are well known for their BBQ and their fried chicken.  BBQ Chicken was a staple food in our household.  We ordered BBQ chicken almost every weekend when Sean came home.  There’s just something about those honey glazed wings and that undeniable crispy freshness the chicken had.  What blew our minds was the chicken would still be crispy (after heating in the oven) the next day! Witchcraft we tell you!  Absolutely mind blowing. 5 out of 5 for fried chicken, and I didn’t even eat fried chicken like that before Korea.

MenyaSandaime (Itaewon)

  24 Hongik-ro 5an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea | We are forever on the search for the best ramen we can find.  Unfortunately, Sean hasn’t been able to taste ramen in Japan yet, but Menya Sandaime has definitely come very close to hitting home.  This ramen shop is quaint, but the line will go passed the neighboring stores.  The ramen noodles are made in house, the broth is super rich and flavorful. We’d recommend the black garlic ramen since it has such a bold flavor.

Egg Drop (Various locations)

  The versatility of eggs is always inspiring to me.  This small café specializes in egg sandwiches.  The menu isn’t very large, but the items are packed with flavor.  We tried three sandwiches in one visit and they did not disappoint.  We recommend this for a quick on-the-go brunch stop as their containers do well to prevent you from getting sandwich droppings on yourself.  If you’re feeling adventurous, try their delicious egg vanilla latte! It’s egg-citingly delicious, no yoke! 

Maple Tree (Itaewon)

116-1, Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul | It would be a shame to leave Korea without finding some amazing Korean BBQ.  We hadn’t realized how small the restaurant was until we went there trying to get a seat.  Our first recommendation would be to call ahead and try and reserve a space.  Once we were in though, the service was extremely fast.  The menu itself is fairly large, and the quality of meat reflects in the price for sure.  It did not seem like a very large portion of food, but with the unlimited sides, I was surprisingly satisfied for the rest of the night.  The aesthetic of the restaurant was very nice as well, seeing as most of it was covered in empty soju bottles!

Hibarin. Photo from imperialpalaceboutiquehotel.com

Hibarin (Itaewon)

  737-25 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea | This is another Japanese restaurant located in Itaewon. We were lucky to find this place after visiting, Vinyl & Plastic, a record store and cafe. This restaurant is located under IP Boutique hotel. It had a very modern aesthetic to it so dining there is very Insta-worthy. The katsu that we ordered was so good! It’s really something you can’t go wrong ordering.

Breastfeeding: Getting comfortable for a pumping session

Isn’t it such a crazy thought that your body makes the perfect nutrition for your child every day? It still boggles my mind when I think about how my breastmilk changes to fit Maverick’s needs on a daily basis. That’s why I believe that if I can pump milk for him, then I’ll do that. In my previous post, I said “fed is best.” Some moms may have a different opinion on whether [exclusive] pumping is considered breastfeeding, and in my personal opinion, it is. Breastfeeding is hard. Pumping is hard, and it can be discouraging in the beginning if you aren’t getting “enough”. So to try and make your sessions a little more relaxing, make sure your environment is set up so you can just chill for 20-40 minutes while you pump.

How I started pumping to start building my supply

I started hand expressing as soon as Maverick was born and I tried to get him to latch. When he was admitted to the nursery, I started hand expressing and manually pumping to try and get colostrum for him as supplementation to breastfeeding. In the beginning, Maverick was jaundiced, so we did breastfeeding, expressed milk, and then formula to supplement. You always want to start with breastmilk first if you plan on supplementing with bottle feeds. I wasn’t getting very much out in the beginning, but by day 5 my milk came in. That’s when I started using my Spectra S1.

I would pump about an hour after feeding him or 30 minutes before I knew he was going to wake up again. Luckily Maverick is like clockwork and wakes up at 2 hours on the dot, so it’s been easy to guesstimate when would want to feed. I wouldn’t get very much in the beginning when I’d pump. I’d actually get more from my letdown in the Haakaa. But the more I pumped, the more I got. I’ve learned that my biggest supply comes early in the morning around the 0600-0700 feeding. That’s because Prolactin is highest throughout the night, which is what stimulates milk production. So in the morning before I start pumping, I make sure that I have everything I need so I don’t have to get up or be interrupted.

Related Reads:

> What is hyperbilirubinemia?

> Our breastfeeding journey

Setting the scene for your session

First off, you want to make sure you’re comfortable where you’re pumping. Whether it’s in your glider, on your couch, or cuddled in your bed. If you’ve got a pump that can’t be wireless, then this is even more important. I’ve found that when I’m uncomfortable on my couch because I sink into the crevices, I stop my session a lot sooner. Have your blanket and pillows if you need them, and adjust yourself so your legs aren’t asleep by the time your session is over.

If you’re like me, then you know nursing and pumping make you a savage hungry beast, also a dehydrated one. It’s so important to stay hydrated if you’re breastfeeding or pumping, and it’s also very important to maintain the appropriate amount of calories. I know a lot of women postpartum want to get back to that “pre-pregnancy” body quickly, but don’t let your focus on losing weight effect your supply. So choose a water source that helps you easily keep track of how much water you’re drinking, and have nutritious snacks that help with milk supply. I’ve tried Munchkin’s Lactation Cookies and Milky Mama’s Emergency Brownies. I noticed an increase in my milk supply when I was eating them, but it is important to be aware of how much sugar you’re taking in when you indulge in these treats. I’ve also made lactation cookies! I’ll post the recipe in another blog soon!

Now that you’ve got your environment set and your snackies on the side, let the pumping commence! The first night I tried pumping at home was awful. Not only was it in the middle of the night, but I didn’t have a hands-free pumping bra. Trying to hold two flanges up to your tatas when you’re half asleep is ROUGH. I invested in a Lansinoh bra and 3 Kindred Bravely bras. The Lansinoh bra is great if you’re just going to pump, otherwise it’s very difficult going back and forth between a nursing bra and that bra. The Kindred Bravely bras are worth the money though! There are two clips: one for pumping and one for nursing. So it makes it very easy if your little one is attached to you during a pump session.

Before you attach those flanges to you, make sure you have some lubies for your boobies. I hadn’t realized that pumping can be super uncomfortable after a few sessions and nursing in-between. To prevent chafed or cracked nipples, slather on some nursing safe lanolin. It helps prevent your nipples from getting sore due to all the suction that goes on. If you’re new to breastfeeding, you might still be getting used to the little one constantly trying to tear your nipple off (I’m 4 weeks in and it’s still a battle), so the lanolin helps heal those small cracks too. The one I use now is from Honest Company! It’s a lot easier to apply than the one I was using from Medela. I find that it glides on a little easier which is nice when your nips are super sensitive.

And lastly, make sure you have something to entertain you for those 20-40 minutes that you’re pumping. Use this time to read a book, catch up on a show, or like me, write a blog. Pumping has become a part of my “me” time, so make the most of it!

Three years into our story: Happy Anniversary to us!

I can’t believe Sean and I have hit our 3-year mark already! Yesterday we celebrated our proposal anniversary. That’s right, Sean and I got engaged the night before our elopement. I love telling our elopement story because it’s so different from the traditional wedding; it’s so… us. And I love bringing these photos back up because to this day it is still my favorite set of photos. Forever grateful to one of my favorite photographers, Carolina, for capturing our first milestone as a couple.

Sean and I met in 2014 after I came back from LDAC. It was unexpected for me to fall so hard for Sean since I had just gotten myself out of a whirlwind of a relationship, and I had just found my footing again being myself. But there was something different about Sean that kept my attention, and it was probably the fact that he and I seemed to be the same person (for the most part, I’m definitely meaner than Sean is). Sean and I dated all throughout college. We were apart for some time because of his career and my school was on the other side of the state. When I graduated from nursing school, my career brought me halfway across the world to Europe. That’s how we found ourselves in Copenhagen, Denmark.

We had a very intimate ceremony at the Bryllupsalen in Copenhagen’s City Hall. It was just us, his parents, sister, and my mom… and my mom’s random friend. If I had to choose to have a traditional wedding, I’d choose a place with the same aesthetic as the Rådhuspladsen. Every moment of our elopement felt like it was in a fairy tale.

After our ceremony, we walked over to the Botanisk have (Botanical Garden) for our photos. When I saw this place online, I knew that it was where I wanted my photos taken with Sean. It was definitely the best way to capture our fairy tale elopement. What I loved about Copenhagen, is that on the entire walk to the garden, everyone was congratulating us on getting married. So it was like we had a giant wedding party of strangers throughout the entire day.

So where are we now?

Sean and I still ended up spending about 1.5 years apart after we got married. When it was time for him to move duty stations, I put in the paperwork to follow. I left my European dream early and moved to Korea. We were still apart in Korea by 4 hours (due to Seoul traffic) but it was better than being a hemisphere away. We were lucky enough to escape Korea, and move to good ole’ Texas together. We aren’t fans of living here, but we’re grateful that we are able to be together especially since we’ve started our little family here.

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Dear Babe,

I can’t believe that you and I have made it to three years! It doesn’t feel that long, but it also feels like we’ve been together for so much longer. The past 3 weeks, I’ve loved watching you learn how to be a daddy to Maverick. From the moment that you held him, it’s like we were complete. I know that there have been some trying times we’ve had together, but I’m so glad to know that we work as a team to get through it all. Building our temporary home in Texas has been so much fun, especially since we finally have just one household. This upcoming year is going to be crazy together as we learn our new roles as parents, but I can’t wait to see where it takes us. I love you so much! Maverick and I are lucky to have you in our lives.

Love, Jakki