When I was pregnant with Parker I knew I wanted to give breastfeeding a go. I did want Jack to be involved as much as possible though. Therefore I decided I needed to invest in a breast pump so we could use bottles too. After looking online at the many different options I ended up with the Lansinoh Single Electic Breast Pump and I have to say it was amazing!

Lansinoh is a brand I've only ever heard positive things about. The second I mentioned breastfeeding everyone raved about their Lanolin cream (which is also absolutely fantastic and saved me in those first few days!); so I knew the pump was going to be good.

I knew I wanted the electric version as I have heard how much more convenient and quicker they are. They have a double version as well - but I think this is more suited to if you are solely pumping or if you really want to have a large supply of breast milk stored.

Jack was really helpful in the first few days and was the first person to actually get the pump out of the box. He was really impressed at how simple it was to put together - something I think is really important when you've got a newborn to look after (and a toddler as well in my case haha). There are a number of parts but they all slot together quickly and easily, and there's not much chance to getting it wrong! There's also no need to clean the tubing which is a great feature.

The pump is so simple to use; you simply pop it on, press a button and you're off! The pump is designed to imitate how a baby feeds, featuring two stages. The first is the 'let down' stage which stimulates the milk flow, and then the second is the 'expression' phase which is slower and deeper suction to maximise the milk flow. You can start the first phase at any time by pressing the the droplet button, and the second has 6 adjustable suction levels by pressing the +/- buttons!

The pump came with one of Lansinoh's Momma bottles with the NaturalWave teat (which is designed to be as close to breastfeeding as possible). I pumped straight into these bottles and then either stored with the provided sealing disc in the fridge, or transferred into a storage bag. This means you can pump and feed straight away without having to transfer and risk losing any precious milk! Parker wasn't a massive fan of these bottles I will admit, but for others it would be much more convenient.

The pump can be either plugged into the mains (it's got a really long lead which is fab), or used with batteries. It takes 6 x AA which I think is quite a lot, but then I suppose it's doing a lot of work!

The pump itself felt comfortable when on, however I did have a few problems with the silicone bit. It would come away from my breast leaking milk out from the bottom - a lot of wasted milk which made me pretty upset. It happened a number of times so I'm not sure if it's from the position or just a flaw with the product. The only other negative (which wasn't really a problem for me) is that it's not that quiet.

Overall I'm very happy with the product. It made breastfeeding a lot easier for me and allowed Jack to be involved with feeding Parker. I don't think I would have carried on as long as I did without it; and even when I stopped breastfeeding it meant Parker was still getting my milk - and I was getting the relief I needed when my breasts were so full of milk! I would definitely recommend this product and I think it's worth it's £99.95 price tag.

Disclaimer - I was sent this pump for the purpose of this review. All opinions are honest, my own and 100% true.

16 Week Pregnancy Update | Baby #2

WOW! 16 Weeks! In just 3 days we'll know whether little pip is a brother or sister for Indiana, and I'll also (fingers crossed) get to hear the heartbeat at my 16 week midwife appointment! Time is whizzing by, and in a month I'll be half way already! Pip is the size of an Avacado and is about 4-5 inches long.

This week has been pretty normal, I've felt good and a lot of the time if I didn't look down I wouldn't even think I was pregnant haha. The only thing that's starting to change is my sleeping. I'm a full on tummy sleeper and with this growing bump it's becoming a bit of a challenge! I'm finding it hard to get comfy in bed in general and definitely think I need to invest in a pregnancy pillow at some point soon.

I've had a few vivid dreams this week too, none of which were very pleasant! Although I do remember one quite distinctly showing me I was having a boy. Who knows, but I have heard a lot of people who've dreamt one gender and had the other haha.

I'm wearing my very first piece of maternity clothing today! Only a simple vest top but it's a start haha. My tops are starting to ride up a bit too much so I think these will become a staple soon enough. My work trousers are definitely too tight as well, and I must invest in some maternity tights too!

We visited the Baby Show yesterday and saw some fab brands! The guys at Medela were extremely helpful and informative. We're considering breast feeding this time, and as Indie was bottle fed from the start we're complete novices (any advice is very welcome haha)! We've also definitely set in stone getting the iCandy Peach 3 Blossom as our double after giving it a spin too!

That's it for this week! I'll definitely be updating in the week with our gender reveal so keep an eye out! If not I'll be back next week for my 17 week update.