Instagram story viewer> @gembreastpump> Posts

gembreastpump

@gembreastpump

9.5K

followers

369

following

A proudly South African breast pump brand, designed to empower mothers, offering unparalleled comfort, convenience, and freedom
*Lets Pump*💪🏻✨🤍

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

79

20

5 months ago

A beautiful day created especially for expecting moms 🩷

There’s so much to think about before your little one arrives, and while there’s plenty to prepare for, child passenger safety is an important part of the journey too.

We loved being part of an incredible panel of women, all sharing their knowledge and expertise to help moms-to-be feel more informed and supported. Together with Nicole from @beyondtheirdreams, Jess from @gembreastpump and Tasha from @wmc_clinic, it was a day filled with meaningful conversations, helpful advice and lots of support.

As the Car Seat Safety Experts, we chatted about keeping little ones rearward-facing for as long as possible in their early years, and how their car seat safety needs change as they grow into the booster years.

We also shared how, for over 20 years, Maxi-Cosi South Africa has been creating car seat safety innovations to help give parents peace of mind - from easy and correct ISOFIX installation to G-CELL side-impact protection and AirProtect® headrest protection.

A big thank you to the main sponsors @bibs_southafrica and @thestellaclip for bringing everyone together for such a special and thoughtfully created day at The Alphen Hotel. 🩷

#ChildPassengerSafety
#MaxiCosiSA
#BackTheirFutureBuckleUp by @gembreastpump

31

2

a month ago

What to Expect When Expecting - recap 🤍

Still smiling after such a beautiful day at The Alphen Hotel, surrounded by wonderful moms-to-be, meaningful conversations, incredible brands and expert advice.

A huge thank you to all the participating brands, in particular our main sponsors @bibs_southafrica and @thestellaclip 🤍

And to our amazing Tasha from @wmc_clinic , thank you for sharing your knowledge, answering questions and guiding our moms-to-be with such care and expertise. Having you there created a safe space for honest conversations and practical advice as our mamas prepare for this exciting new chapter.

Most importantly, thank you to every mama who joined us — for showing up, asking questions, sharing stories and making the morning so special. Hopefully first out of many more 🥰

Here’s to motherhood, community and all the beautiful moments still to come. 🤍

These wonderful pics are taken by: @sarahlamourphotography taken in The Alphen Boutique Hotel & Spa by @gembreastpump

81

1

2 months ago

Tuesdays with Tasha 🌼

I was honoured to be a part of this beautiful “What to Expect when you are Expecting” event at the Alphen Hotel. Hosted by Linn from @bibs_southafrica and joined by an incredible panel of woman, supporting and educating mothers to be. Some real discussions about feeding, sleeping, pumping and car safety. Thank you Nicole from @beyondtheirdreams, Jess from @gembreastpump, Debbie from @maxicosisa and @_jennamcarthur for your incredible input on the day. And to the talented @sarahlamourphotography for capturing the day so beautifully!

Can’t wait for the next one! Watch this space 🌼

#wellmotherandchildclinic #whattoexpectwhenyoureexpecting #pregnancy #breastfeeding #newparents by @gembreastpump

49

4

2 months ago

𝐏𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐬.

Not the pumping itself. The room. Everyone else is at the dinner table, sitting round the braai, your toddler is playing on the lounge floor, and you’re sitting somewhere on your own watching millilitres and minutes.

🤍 Odene, one of our Gem mums, said something to me recently that I haven’t stopped thinking about. She said that not being isolated from her family while pumping kept her morale up.

That’s it. That’s the whole thing.

Gem was never about making pumping look glamorous. It was about not having to leave the room to do it. Sitting on the couch with your family. Finishing an email. Driving where you need to go. Being in the middle of your own life instead of stepping out of it four times a day.

So much changes when you become a mum. Pumping doesn’t have to mean disappearing.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞? Mine was a spare room in a friends house, while everyone was around the braai. Tell me yours, I don’t think enough people say it out loud.

#PumpingMom #WearableBreastPump #BreastfeedingSA #SouthAfricanMums #gembreastpump by @gembreastpump

29

1

2 months ago

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟕 𝐨𝐟 "𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬": not doing any of it alone.

World Breastfeeding Week is a strange week to sit through if yours didn't go the way you planned. Seven days of celebrating something that, for a lot of women, was the hardest thing they've done. Or something they wanted and didn't get.

So let's end there.

Mixed feeding counts. Six weeks counts. Exclusively pumping counts. Formula counts. Stopping because you needed to counts. None of it is a lesser version of feeding your baby.

The seven things I've shared this week were never a checklist for doing it properly. They're the things I've watched actually help, from where I sit, which is at the receiving end of a lot of messages from tired women at eleven at night.

And every one of them comes back to the same thing. Nobody does this alone.

🤍 The midwife who sat with you. The clinic sister. The friend who answered at 2am. Your mother. Your partner. The lactation consultant who told you it wasn't your fault.

That's the warm chain. It's the reason any of this works, and it's why I built Gem the way I did.

Thank you for a really good week. Whatever this week looked like for you, my inbox stays open, this week and every week after it.

#WorldBreastfeedingWeek #WBW2026 #StrengthenWhatWorks #WarmChain #gembreastpump Eight-slide carousel on cream and blush backgrounds closing a seven-day World Breastfeeding Week series. Acknowledges that the week can be difficult for mothers whose breastfeeding did not go as planned, affirms mixed feeding, exclusive pumping, formula feeding and stopping as valid, and thanks the network of people who support breastfeeding mothers, described as the warm chain. by @gembreastpump

24

1

2 months ago

499

22

2 months ago

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟓 𝐨𝐟 “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬”: a plan for four months, before you get there.

South Africa gives most mothers four months. Then a desk, a commute, and a schedule with no clear space in it for expressing.

This is where most breastfeeding journeys in this country end. Not because mums stop wanting it, but because the logistics defeat them. I hear it in my inbox constantly, usually in the first fortnight back, usually from someone who is exhausted and blaming herself.

The part almost nobody knows is that some of this is already written down.

🤍 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝟓.𝟏𝟑 of the Code of Good Practice issued under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act says arrangements should be made for breastfeeding employees to have two 30-minute breaks a day, for expressing or feeding, for the first six months.

It says “should”, not “must”. It doesn’t say whether those breaks are paid. And it stops at six months. It isn’t perfect protection.

But it exists. And that changes the conversation, because you’re not asking your employer for a favour. You’re asking for something already recognised as standard, and you have a document to point at.

🤍 Swipe for what to sort out while you’re still pregnant and still in the building, and what to do six weeks before you go back.

If you’re returning soon and don’t know where to start, message me. I’ll help you build the plan, whatever pump you own.

𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬. 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧.

This is general information, not legal advice for your specific situation. by @gembreastpump

238

5

2 months ago

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟒 𝐨𝐟 “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬”: knowing your pump parts wear out.

Yesterday I mentioned a mum who thought her pump had lost suction. It was a Duckbill Valve and an O-ring. She was pumping again a few minutes later.

That message arrives in my inbox almost every week, and it’s probably the biggest thing nobody tells you when you buy a breast pump. Any breast pump, not just mine.

The silicone parts inside your pump are consumables. The Duckbill Valves, the Diaphragm and the O-ring seals. They flex thousands of times, they get washed, they get sterilised, and after one to five months (depending on the part and how often you pump) they begin to lose their seal.

Your suction drops.

Your output drops.

And it can look exactly like a supply problem.

Often, it isn’t.

It’s a 𝐑𝟗𝟗 part.

I’ve watched mums give up on pumping entirely over this, or spend thousands replacing a pump that was working perfectly. That’s a link in the chain going cold for the sake of a small piece of silicone.

So if your suction has reduced or your output has dropped and nothing else has changed, check your pump parts before you assume it’s your supply or a broken pump.

Every Gem comes with spares in the box. We stock all of them locally, and this week they’re 𝟐𝟎% 𝐨𝐟𝐟, use code GEM_WBW20 at checkout. Because a mum who replaces a valve is a mum who keeps going.

#WorldBreastfeedingWeek #WBW2026 #StrengthenWhatWorks #WarmChain #gembreastpump by @gembreastpump

34

0

2 months ago

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟑 𝐨𝐟 “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬”: someone who answers when you’re stuck.

Yesterday I said support makes the difference. That’s easy to say. Here’s what support actually looked like in my WhatsApp/DMs last week.

🤍 A new mum messaged me at 11pm because she felt like her pump wasn’t emptying her breasts. She was convinced the pump wasn’t working properly. A few messages later, we realised it was simply her flange size.

🤍 Another mum thought her pump had suddenly lost suction. It turned out she just needed to replace the duckbill valve and O-ring seal. We include spares in every box, and she was pumping again a few minutes later.

🤍 Another mum reached out before returning to work. She wanted advice on pumping at work and which settings to use. I lived sharing my experience and what I have learnt from other mums over the past 2+ years.

These conversations might seem ordinary.

I think they’re exactly what support looks like.

This World Breastfeeding Week I am highlighting what makes breastfeeding feel a little easier. WABA calls it the 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭. The midwife, the clinic sister, the lactation consultant, a partner, a family member, a friend… every link matters.

I believe the person you buy your pump from should be part of that chain too.

So this week, whether you own a Gem or not, if you’ve got a question about flange sizing, pumping, returning to work, low output, or your pump is doing something strange…

My inbox is open.

#WorldBreastfeedingWeek #WBW2026 #StrengthenWhatWorks #WarmChain #gembreastpump by @gembreastpump

36

3

2 months ago

Behind every breastfeeding journey are moments that nobody sees.

💛The midnight feeds.
🧡The moments of doubt.
🤎The tears.
🩶The small victories.
🖤The determination to keep going.

This World Breastfeeding Week, we’re celebrating every mum and every person who helps make that journey possible.

Because one thing can make all the difference:

🤍 Support.

Whether that support comes from a partner, a grandmother, a friend, a lactation consultant, a healthcare professional, or simply someone who answers your message when you need it most, no mum should have to navigate her breastfeeding journey alone.

At Gem, we believe a pump is only one part of the journey. Real support is listening, encouraging, answering questions, troubleshooting problems, and reminding mums that they’re doing an incredible job.

To every mum on her breastfeeding journey: we’re cheering you on. 👏❤️🥰 by @gembreastpump

30

2

2 months ago

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸.

This year’s theme is Strengthen What Works.

Over the next seven days, I want to share what I’ve learnt after two years of building Gem and speaking to thousands of South African mothers.

Not theories. Not opinions. Just the things that consistently seem to help mothers continue breastfeeding.

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁:

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀.

Every journey looks different. Some mothers breastfeed exclusively. Some express. Some combination feed. Some return to work sooner than they planned. Some face challenges they never expected.

Whatever your journey looks like, mothers deserve support, practical tools and people in their corner.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀.

💛 What helped you keep breastfeeding when things got hard? by @gembreastpump

50

1

2 months ago