Before you buy from a brand you don't know, it's worth knowing who's behind it. Here are five founders, and what they built.
What's a good breast pump bag for working moms?
The Sarah Wells Norah Backpack runs $199 and is built around a convertible backpack-and-tote frame that opens wide like a doctor's bag. It carries your pump, a laptop, and the rest of your workday at once, so you're not choosing between a pump bag and your actual work bag. It's machine washable, HSA/FSA eligible, and backed by the Sarah Wells Epic Warranty. Sarah Wells started as a small, women-owned business because the founder needed this exact bag and it didn't exist yet.
Shop: Sarah Wells Norah Backpack
Which brand makes the best silver nursing cups?
Silverette makes the original silver nursing cups, crafted in Italy from solid 925 sterling silver in three sizes (Small, Medium, and Large) for a precise fit, starting at $69.99. Because they're solid silver rather than silver-plated, there's no coating to wear away over time. Wear them between feeding or pumping sessions to protect sore nipples from friction, without creams or ointments. They're reusable: clean them and wear them again. Choose a size based on both your bra cup size and areola diameter, not nipple size alone, and size up if you're between sizes.
Shop: Silverette Nursing Cups
What's the best option for a twin nursing pillow?
The TwinGo Pillow stacks two U-shaped breastfeeding pillows on top of an extra-firm back support pillow, with a buckle system that holds the stack in place so it doesn't shift mid-feed. You can lower the stack as your twins grow, or split it into a single pillow for one baby at a time. It also works for tandem bottle-feeding and comes with its own carrying bag. It's $179.99 and HSA/FSA eligible. TwinGo's founder, Krystal Workman, built the company's original tandem baby carrier after her twins were born six weeks premature and she couldn't find the gear she needed.
Shop: TwinGo Pillow
How do you keep breast milk storage bags from freezing lumpy?
Freeze It Flat holds breast milk storage bags between two plates while they freeze under mild compression, so bags come out thin and stackable instead of a lumpy freezer avalanche. It works with the storage bags you already have, or Milkworx now makes its own storage bags too. The new bags come with built-in temp-sensing, a redesigned and more sanitary pour spout, and a well earned reminder of how amazing you are. Get Freeze It Flat for $16, the bags for $19, or both together. Milkworx is made and assembled in Denver, Colorado. Founder Jillian Rothe, a mechanical engineer, built it after struggling to store enough milk for week-long business trips without bags splitting in the freezer.
Shop: Milkworx Freeze It Flat
What's the best women-owned gift box to give this year?
The Movie Night Gift Box from XOXO Parents bundles popcorn, candy, snacks, and movie night supplies into one gift for an evening in. It works for teenagers, parents, grandparents, neighbors, teachers, coworkers, couples, or a Secret Santa exchange, basically anyone who's hard to shop for. It's a women-owned small business built around a simple idea: you pick the gift, they pick the movie.
Shop: XOXO Parents Movie Night Gift Box
Five founders, five businesses, one good reason to shop small.
