MomCrush Monday: Sam Rudolph, CEO and Co-founder of Babyation

1.) Samantha, you are a mother and co-founder of Babyation, which is making it easier for moms to pump on their terms with a more practical breast pump. What was your inspiration for creating “The Pump” and Babyation?

I definitely didn’t have “making a breast pump” on my career bingo card! It all started when my husband and I were on a vacation pre-kids, and I read an article about the shortcomings of breast pumps. I wasn’t even pregnant yet, but I saw my future flash before my eyes. I woke up my husband to tell him about it, and without even thinking, he said “I can build a better one.” We fought the idea for a while, because we were really happy in the careers we had at the time, but eventually we took the leap!

2.) You are the mother of two sons. What was your breastfeeding journey like?

On the whole, it’s been relatively easy and very fulfilling. I’m incredibly lucky to have had good supply with both kids, and the side-laying position was the best thing to ever happen to me. But the first two months with my older son were rough and painful because he had a severe tongue tie. Luckily, it resolved itself (or my body just adapted), after that, I was able to have an extended, stress-free breastfeeding relationship with both of my kids. 

3.) What keeps you up at night? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

I’m a night owl, so I think you could say I keep myself up at night. After the kids go to bed, and after I’m done working, that’s my time. That’s when I read, scroll, watch TV, and (rarely) work out. I love my me time, and I don’t require much sleep, so I’m often up quite late. Given that, my kids literally get me out of bed in the morning, but I can’t imagine two cuter alarm clocks!

4.) As CEO of Babyation, what do you think is the largest issue facing working mothers today?

There are so many challenges, but the vast majority of them can be summarized in the category of the mental load. The juggle is real, and there are so many small things involved in being a working mother that often go unnoticed.

5.) What is your favorite song lyric? Why?

Ooohh, I love this question! It’s from Hamilton: “when you knock me down, I get the f*ck back up again.” I’m guessing it’s fairly self-explanatory as to what it means, but I’m a big believer in resilience, especially as a startup founder.