The Medela Swing Breastpump won a coveted
JPMA (that's Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) Innovation award, beating out more than 100 other products for one of ten coveted spots. The pump was singled out for its portability, patented "2-Phase Expression technology", and its rendition of "America, the Beautiful" during the talent portion of the competition. The Medela Swing was chosen by a panel of trade media and industry buyers, who I now picture sitting in a row at a table with little suction cups attached to their chests for the judging.
Congrats to the Swing, but I've got a love-hate thing with pumps. On the one hand, the pump can win you a few hours of freedom or an extra chunk of sleep. It provides relief on those occasions when your baby isn't around and all of the sudden you have two painful rocks wedged in your bra and you know it won't take much for the levee to burst and all milk to break loose. And of course, many of us who worked outside the home before we weaned know what it's like to stare at a picture of your kid with a plastic cup on your boob and hope no one opens the office door by accident, but it meant we could work and nurse.
But, oh my, am I glad I'm done pumping. The first time I saw my nip stretched about five inches I almost cried. Just thinking about that weird mechanical suction sound makes me sore. And I know some moms are good expressers, but for me, it took about an hour to get a measly few ounces and I guarded that production like it was liquid gold. "I don't care if it looks freezer-burned, do you know what it took to make that?" I can't try out this award-winning pump thank the lord but if it gets good milk with minimal pain, it ought to get a Nobel.
