Mom from Brigham City creates ‘better’ breast pump

(YouTube/Naya Health)


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SALT LAKE CITY — Are you the working mom of a nursing baby?

If so, you can probably relate to this statement: “[Pumping] was awkward and frustrating and uncomfortable and any number of other negative reactions that other moms can identify with. The pump didn’t seem to function properly and it just didn’t work for my lifestyle as a full-time mom working. But I knew the issue wasn’t me, and this is true for millions of moms, it was the pump. There had to be a better way.”

Do these thoughts sound familiar? Well, these are the words of Janica Alvarez, co-founder of Naya Health. The company produces the Smart Pump by Naya — a new pump that “feels more like you’re nursing a baby versus nursing a machine,” Alvarez told The New York Times.

Janica Alvarez and her husband live in California now, but she grew up in Brigham City and attended Weber State University. She also spent time working at Intermountain Healthcare.

But how was this sensational pump born? When Janica Alvarez and her husband, Jeff, had had enough of the pumping frustrations, they didn’t just complain — they did something about it.

First, Jeff Alvarez, a medical device engineer with skills in surgical robotics, disassembled his wife’s cumbersome breast pump and tried to improve it — without much success.

But then he got an idea: to use water instead of air. His first prototype merely consisted of washers, plastic, a latex glove, duct tape, a syringe and a tube. But he could actually pump out milk.

The couple started Naya Health. After three years of labor, with help from experts and feedback from nursing mothers, the Alvarez's first prototype was improved to perfection.

The Smart Pump by Naya pumps similar to the way a baby nurses. The water produces a euphonic sound. There aren’t as many parts. There is even a Naya Health App for iOS that records how much you pump, and there will soon be one that keeps track of how much your baby eats.

Sales begin Friday and consumers can have their pump as soon as this August. While the retail price is $599, many health insurance companies could cover it soon. For now, those who are interested can buy the pump with money from flexible spending or health savings accounts.

For more information, visit Naya Health’s website.


![Katrina Hawkins](http://img.ksl.com/slc/2584/258498/25849802\.jpg?filter=ksl/65x65)
About the Author: Katrina Hawkins \---------------------------------

Katrina Lynn Corbridge Hawkins is a graduate of Brigham Young University, a Utah native, and a freelance writer. You can contact her at katrina.hawkins21@gmail.com.

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