As an exclusively pumping mom, there were many, many times that I wished I had a third hand to help me during the day. Trying to pump while keeping my hungry baby happy, transferring the milk to a freezer bag or to a bottle to feed her, cleaning parts, holding my daughter, answering emails, warming the bottle…it was a constant juggle and sometimes, I felt like I was literally juggling all the literal parts I was managing.

I distinctly remember when my husband had to finally go back to work after our daughter was born. She had arrived unexpectedly early and because my husband is a teacher, we had enjoyed some extra time over the summer together as a family. That time turned out to be a huge help, because my daughter had some difficulty with eating and wasn’t able to nurse. That started us out on a long journey of full-time pumping to feed her, which was a huge adjustment to me after exclusively breastfeeding my other four babies. I went from babies who refused to even so much as look at a bottle to a baby who wanted nothing to do with me and was bottle-only all the way.

Feeding her with my breast milk was important to me, but the learning curve was steep. For a long time, I was pumping every 2-3 hours, but she was also eating every 2-3 hours, so by the time I would feed her a bottle, finish pumping, get the parts ready for the next session, change her diaper, get her back to sleep, and store the milk, it was time to do it all over again. It was exhausting in so many ways and when my husband went back to work, I was terrified to do it all on my own. I just had no idea how I would manage physically pumping while feeding her at the same time while holding her pretty much 24/7 because newborns tend to be a tad clingy. I struggled my way through, finding tools to help me, like the Elvie hands-free breast pump (game-changer) and there is one bottle prep accessory I wish I would have had: the bökee.

Bottle Prep Made Easier

The Bokee is a bottle prep accessory made just for parents like me, who literally need another hand while making a bottle. The Bokee is a small, wide-mouth cup with a suction bottom that you can stick to any surface and it will stay put. It’s perfectly-designed to accommodate a bottle and snugly keep it in place while you prepare it. You can use it to prepare a new bottle, warm a bottle up, or use it to safely keep a freshly-pumped bottle while you finish up pumping or caring for your baby.

The Bokee is made of BPA-free, latex-free, lead-free, and phthalates-free food grade silicone and at 4 x 4 x 4 inches, it’s the perfect size to keep handy without adding to the clutter of a living space already full of baby items. It’s all one piece and small enough that you can throw in a diaper bag or breast pump bag to take with you to work or on-the-go and it can be washed right in the dishwasher on the top rack. It also comes in 5 gentle colors to blend in perfectly with your kitchen aesthetic. And when you’re done using the Bokee for bottles, it can be used to help you pour liquid one-handed into sippy cups and regular cups. Plus, with a suction grip, you can use it help you open jars or medicine bottles too, so it’s useful long after your sippy cup days are over.

A Game-Changer for Pumping Moms

I wish I would have had the Bokee as a pumping mom because I know this accessory would have made a huge difference for me. The primary role it can play for a pumping parent is to provide a safe place to put a bottle of pumped milk as you finish pumping or hold a ready-to-be filled bottle so you can safely pour breast milk from a bag right into the bottle with one hand.

Many times I would pump, only to have one side finish filling up before the other (shout-out to all the pumping moms who know exactly what I’m talking about), so I’d have to disconnect that bottle while the other side finished. That meant I’d have to put the full, freshly-pumped bottle down on my bedside table or wherever I was pumping and live in fear that I’d somehow knock it over or it would tip over and I’d lose all my hard work. With the Bokee, however, my fears would have been alleviated–you can simply plop that freshly-pumped milk bottle right in it and be assured it won’t tip over. Genius.

I also would have loved the Bokee when we eventually transitioned my daughter to supplementation with formula, because prepping formula bottles can still be quite tricky one-handed. First, you have to get the water in, then the formula in the small bottle cap, then mix it, then warm it. It’s a lot with one-hand, especially if you’re holding a fussy baby and the Bokee would have helped a lot, especially stashing it right near my other bottle supplies.

The Final Verdict on the Bokee Bottle Prep Review

There are really no drawbacks to the Bokee–it’s a simple, easy-to-use product that can make prepping a bottle for breastfed or bottle-fed babies–so much easier for parents. Some reviews of the Bokee have mentioned that it won’t stick to all surfaces, so you may need to test the suction before you commit to pouring a full bag of breast milk in while using the product.