About: Pumpspotting is a community-driven platform designed to support breastfeeding and baby feeding, making the experience less isolating and more supportive.

In your field, what do you believe is the biggest barrier to successful breastfeeding?

I have seen both firsthand and through the tens of thousands of parents, we’ve worked with at Pumpspotting how much social isolation and lack of confidence can impact breastfeeding outcomes. When you are navigating constant feeds, lack of sleep, doubt over your ability—questions around everything from milk supply to work support—hearing a kind word or pumping insight from a mother who’s been can make all the difference between giving up and keeping going.

What solutions or advice would you offer to overcome this barrier?

Overcoming these barriers truly requires the entire community to come together and create more support and access to resources in every place a breastfeeding mother goes. Here are some of the areas where I think we can move the needle most effectively:

1. Community Support: Foster non-judgemental community spaces for breastfeeding and pumping women to be seen and supported. We need more community spaces to create a network of encouragement and shared experiences, from virtual support spaces like Pumpspotting to local breastfeeding support groups.
2. Access to Resources: Improve access to experts and resources like lactation consultants for mothers - both in person and virtually/on demand, as we do on the Pumpspotting app - to increase their chances of success.
3. Workplace Policies: Advocate for more breastfeeding-friendly workplace policies, such as designated lactation rooms, flexible schedules, and adequate break times.
4. Technology: Apps and platforms like pumpspotting help to break down barriers by connecting parents with real-time advice, tips, and a community of peers who can offer support and understanding.
5. A Mobile Boob Bus! Spaces for women to experience this community in person! We need to create environments that spur connection and conversation in real life, uniting communities around mothers. Our Feel Better, Feed Better Tour in our 36-foot Breast Express bus does just that!

At an organizational level, what are your future goals for advocating and supporting breastfeeding?

To do that we will continue to build solutions that meet moms where they are, fostering community in the palm of their hands, at work, and in person. This summer and fall, we’re excited to take Pumpspotting on the road with the Feel Better, Feed Better Tour, offering direct, hands-on support to mothers in 15 cities across the country. We’ll create safe, welcoming spaces for nursing and pumping, facilitate connections between moms, and raise awareness about maternal health. We are partnering with local organizations and beloved brands, like Momcozy, to host events, forums, and family activities that highlight the importance of nursing and pumping support. Our goal is to build a robust network that extends beyond the digital realm, fostering a stronger, more connected community of parents.

What's one word of encouragement you'd like to share with breastfeeding and future breastfeeding moms?

Don’t quit on your hardest day! You are not alone in this journey and when it feels hardest when you think you can’t make it one more pump or feed, imagine the community of women who have been there, are there, and will be there, cheering you on. Take it one day, one feed at a time, and know that whatever feeding journey you take is right for you and your baby. We see your dedication and we celebrate your beautiful work. The Pumpspotting team is here for you!