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We Wanted to Give Every Mother More Control Over Her Pumping Journey

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A Southern California NICU shares its experience evaluating the Ardo Carum and Ardo Bellis

Supporting mothers in establishing and maintaining milk supply is one of the most important—and often most challenging—aspects of neonatal care. When our NICU noticed a decline in the percentage of infants being discharged home receiving exclusive maternal breast milk feedings, we knew we needed to take a closer look at how we were supporting families throughout the pumping journey.

As our Clinical Nurse Specialist led the evaluation, our goal was to determine whether different breast pump technologies could improve comfort, consistency, and ultimately help mothers achieve their feeding goals.

Throughout the evaluation, our lactation team was impressed by both the Ardo Carum and Ardo Bellis.

“As a lactation consultant working in the NICU setting, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a variety of hospital-grade breast pumps. Both the Ardo Carum and Bellis consistently stand out for their quality and ability to support mothers during one of the most critical stages of lactation.”

We approached the evaluation with several key questions in mind:

  • How can we better support mothers in establishing milk supply?
  • Can we improve comfort and consistency during pumping?
  • How can we make the transition from hospital to home easier?
  • What operational benefits might we see for our team?

One of the biggest differences we observed was the ability to individualize the pumping experience. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, mothers could independently adjust suction strength and cycle speed to match their comfort, sensitivity, let-down patterns, and milk flow.

That flexibility allowed us to better support each mother’s unique lactation journey. For mothers establishing milk supply following preterm delivery, medically complex births, or prolonged separation from their babies, the Ardo Carum quickly became one of our preferred hospital pumps because it gave families greater control over their pumping sessions.

When it came time for discharge, the Ardo Bellis helped create continuity between the NICU and home.

“The Ardo Bellis has been an excellent addition to our NICU, particularly as a loaner pump for mothers transitioning from hospital to home.”

Its lightweight, portable design made it easier for families to continue pumping after discharge while maintaining a familiar experience they had already learned in the hospital. That continuity helped reduce one more barrier during an already challenging transition.

We also observed operational advantages. Before implementing Bellis, our annual loaner pump losses ranged from approximately $2,000 to $4,000. During the evaluation period, we did not experience a lost loaner pump. Because Bellis also represented a lower-cost loaner option than our previous model, it reduced the potential financial impact if a pump was not returned.
Following the evaluation, our hospital adopted both the Ardo Carum and Ardo Bellis as part of our NICU lactation program.

Over the following eight months, we observed the percentage of infants discharged home receiving exclusive maternal breast milk feedings increase from 88% to 92%, along with a more consistent upward trend. We also received positive feedback from mothers regarding pumping comfort and consistency.

Looking back, this evaluation reinforced the value of individualized lactation support. Giving mothers the ability to personalize their pumping experience—while providing continuity from the NICU to home—has become an important part of how we support families during one of the most critical stages of their journey.

Note: The experiences and outcomes shared reflect the observations of one hospital during its evaluation and implementation process. Individual experiences, workflows, and outcomes may vary based on patient populations, clinical practices, and institutional protocols.

Their [Dandle·LION Medical’s] willingness to educate, collaborate, and problem-solve has strengthened our developmental care practices and helped us provide safer, more individualized, evidence-based care.

Their [Dandle·LION Medical’s] willingness to educate, collaborate, and problem-solve has strengthened our developmental care practices and helped us provide safer, more individualized, evidence-based care.

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As a regional Level IV NICU, we care for some of the most medically complex and critically ill infants in our state. Many of our patients are recovering from major surgery or require advanced respiratory support, multiple lines, drains, and other life-sustaining therapies that make developmental positioning both challenging and critically important. In an environment where every movement requires careful planning, having the right positioning products—and the clinical expertise to use them appropriately—can make a meaningful difference.
While Dandle•LION Medical offers exceptional positioning products, what truly sets them apart is their unparalleled clinical support.

Their commitment to our team has gone far beyond providing products. They have sent members of the Dandle•LION Medical Clinical Team to our NICU on multiple occasions to provide rolling, bedside education and dedicated hands-on support. The clinical team worked alongside our nurses, rehabilitation team, and providers through bedside coaching, educational videos, hands-on demonstrations, and interdisciplinary discussions. They were equally willing to meet with our physicians and advanced practice providers to answer questions, demonstrate products, and discuss how developmental positioning principles could be safely adapted for our complex surgical and critically ill patient population.

The Dandle•LION Medical Clinical Team brings extensive critical care and neonatal expertise, making them exceptional educators who understand the realities of caring for fragile infants. Rather than simply explaining how to use a product, they share practical clinical examples that connect the evidence to everyday bedside decisions. They understand the competing priorities clinicians face and help bridge the gap between developmental care and critical care, making the rationale behind each positioning choice both relatable and achievable.

That perspective has helped our team recognize that developmental positioning is far more than simply making a baby look comfortable. Selecting the appropriate positioning support for the right infant helps maintain thermoregulation, promotes physiologic flexion and midline alignment, minimizes the effects of gravity on the developing musculoskeletal system, protects skin integrity, supports respiratory mechanics, facilitates self-regulation, and can reduce the risk of unplanned extubations and line or drain dislodgement during routine care. For our infants, these interventions are not simply developmental—they are an essential component of safe, evidence-based critical care.

Perhaps most importantly, the Dandle•LION Medical Clinical Team reinforces that every recommendation is grounded in current evidence and developmental care best practices. They don’t offer a one-size-fits-all approach; instead, they help our team think critically about adapting positioning strategies to each infant’s unique medical condition. That education has increased staff confidence, improved consistency across disciplines, and fostered greater buy-in from nurses, therapists, and providers because everyone understands not only how to position infants safely, but why those decisions matter.

The partnership didn’t end after the in-person education. The Dandle•LION Medical Clinical Team has remained an invaluable resource, answering questions by email and scheduling virtual consultations to help us problem-solve challenging positioning situations unique to our NICU. Having access to experienced clinicians who are willing to collaborate with us long after implementation has been invaluable.

What makes this level of support even more remarkable is that all of this education, consultation, and continued support has been provided at no cost to our organization. That level of investment in their customers is rare and speaks volumes about Dandle•LION Medical’s commitment to improving neonatal care—not simply selling products.

Today, we use Dandle•LION Medical products almost exclusively for developmental positioning because we trust both the quality of their products and the exceptional clinical expertise that supports them. We don’t view Dandle•LION Medical as simply a vendor—we view them as a clinical partner. Their willingness to educate, collaborate, problem-solve, and support our interdisciplinary team has strengthened our developmental care practices and helped us provide safer, more individualized, evidence-based care for the smallest and most medically complex infants we serve.