When most people visit a new city, the dirty bathroom floor isn’t usually what sticks out in their memory. But ten years later, one of my most vivid memories of San Francisco is precisely that: being huddled in an airport restroom, the whir of my breast pump echoing like Darth Vader, crying and feeling completely alone. I waited to board what felt like the next red-eye flight in an endless series of flights for a travel-heavy job. I had just had my second child and, despite already having experience breastfeeding, navigating its logistics alongside work was proving to be one of the hardest things about the experience.
I was ready to quit.
There’s no reason to sugarcoat it: Breastfeeding is difficult. It’s painful and emotional, messy and leaky. It’s hard to get the baby to latch and then to release once they do. You have to do it all the time—at first, every two hours—and when you’re not nursing or pumping, you’re thinking about it. When you want to work, perhaps go to dinner with a friend, or simply leave your house to run a basic errand that once would have taken 30 minutes, you have to hook yourself up to a pump, clean all of the parts and safely transport the milk home. And then the cycle repeats itself.
But despite these “rock bottom” moments, there were bright spots in my experience, too. I remember sitting one day in Lil’s, a coffee shop in my hometown of Kittery, Maine, and seeing two other women nursing and feeding their babies. These women who might understand my journey were out there in the world—in my community, even‚—yet we were disconnected. Talking with them made me feel seen. It sparked an idea in me to build a bridge—a safe and powerful space in the palm of our hands, to connect and nourish one another.
There are some elements of breastfeeding that we can’t change. Nourishing another human with one’s own body is inherently difficult. But, I realized that day on the bathroom floor as I called my sister, that the bright spots in my journey were when I connected with other moms—or found an amazing lactation lounge in a mall or office building that was like a kind hug from whomever had designed it.
When I had a community behind me or felt supported, it all started to feel OK. (Hard, but OK.)
Women spend an estimated 20 to 30 hours per week pumping and breastfeeding—and half of working moms feel they have to choose between breastfeeding and working. Despite all of this, though, women all over the world nourish their children every moment of every day, and there is so much strength in that collective energy.
Despite the challenges, I saw beautiful, strong breastfeeding women all around me, and when I did connect with them I felt much better and more capable. Feeding a tiny human is hard work, no matter what your journey or schedule looks like. Whether you’re nursing, pumping, formula-feeding or a combination of all of the above, it’s a demanding task requiring constant attention and dedication. I realized if I felt isolated and demoralized, other mothers must be experiencing the same struggles—and something had to change.
Those early interactions fueled the fire to build Pumpspotting 2016 year, an app connecting moms in a safe and supportive space to make breastfeeding and the day-to-day of nursing, pumping, and baby-feeding less isolating. We provide parents with confidence, access to clinical advice and care, just-in-time insights and tips right when you need them most, and most importantly, a community of moms who understand what you’re going through. Nine out of ten moms on our app reach their breastfeeding goal of six months or more, which is a testament to the power of community and support.
What began as a practical solution quickly evolved into something much bigger: a community and a vital resource that helps moms feel more connected and empowered on their feeding journey at home, work, or on the go.
Early on in building, we decided if we were truly going to solve the challenges of breastfeeding, we needed to meet as many mothers as possible. So we had a wild idea to take to the road and connect our Pumpspotting parents in real life—an unusual step for a tech startup.
But as we know, moms can do anything, so we did: We turned a 40-foot RV into a nursing and pumping suite called the Breast Express and I moved on board. I traveled cross-country, meeting thousands of women at hundreds of different community events and workplace visits. What struck me most was that these women would come on the bus clearly carrying the weight of all they struggled with in motherhood: a lack of sleep, self doubt, concerns about balancing work and parenting, wondering if they were a good enough parent. We’d hold their babies, feed them, give them space to speak, and connect with them. It was clear they left much lighter than when they climbed aboard. (Mission accomplished!)
Seeing that transformational experience happen in real life was a pivotal moment for me. We’d built a digital product, but watching real-world experiences showed me Pumpspotting was a catalyst for desperately needed connections, whether in the palm of your hand or in-person. At the end of that first tour, looking over thousands of miles traveled and moms met, I finally realized the real ripple impact we were having on the world. I remember it as one of my proudest.
This year we decided it was time to go back to our core. It was time to reconnect with the community, forward the movement in this post-COVID world where parents are more isolated than ever—and get back on the road in a brand new bus. The Pumpspotting Feel Better, Feed Better Tour takes our mission on the road to bring this vital combination of community connection and support in person. This time around, we’re focusing on breastfeeding and maternal health on the whole—and it’s been gratifying to see more than 30 brands and countless community partners climb aboard to help raise awareness town by town.
Our mobile lactation room, fondly dubbed Barb the Breast Express, is a converted 36-foot school bus and joyride of support for moms. She will travel across the country from July through October 2024, offering a safe and welcoming space for moms to nurse and pump, meet their community, talk with experts, and discover delightful products built just for them. We’re visiting cities and towns in every region of the country, hosting events, and creating a network of support that extends beyond the digital world.
We’re out to transform the experience of baby-feeding one town, one mama, one feed at a time. I couldn’t be more pumped for this journey to continue.
To get involved with the Feel Better, Feed Better, visit our website for tour dates and locations. We’re hosting community events, forums and fun family activities through our partnerships with local partners. We invite you to join us, share your story, and connect with other moms who are on the same journey. Whether you’re a new mom struggling with the challenges of breastfeeding or a seasoned mom who wants to support others, there’s a place for you in our community.
