Lake Forest Mom Creates Breastfeeding Water Bottle

By Jenny Liang

Around Lake Forest, business owner and mom Gina Dardi gets asked a common question: “What does your license plate mean?”

Dardi’s license plate, which spells “MOMJUG,” is the name of her company, whose mission is to help breastfeeding moms.

"The whole point with momjug is that you’re holding it with one hand and you’re holding your baby in the other, so if you want to put it on the nightstand or couch, it can balance because it's wide," says Dina Gardi. with her baby and her momjug.

The momjug breastfeeding water bottle was born out of this simple desire to keep new moms hydrated while juggling the blissful chaos of motherhood.

Moms-to-be spend so much time getting everything ready for their baby's big arrival. But sometimes, it’s the little things that catch them off guard. That’s what happened to Dardi, who realized her hospital bag was missing one key item—a useful water bottle.

Between holding her newborn, nursing him, and laying horizontal in the hospital bed, Dardi quickly realized that the traditional water bottle she packed in her hospital bag was not up to the task.

“I had to keep asking the nurse to fill it up every five minutes,” Dardi recalled. “It didn’t have a straw, it clanged on the table, and it fell multiple times while I was figuring out how to breastfeed. It just wasn’t working.”

Dardi was determined to help other moms like her. A year later, momjug was born. With National Breastfeeding Week starting Aug. 1, businesses designed to support breastfeeding, such as momjug, underscore the importance of celebrating the contributions and hard work of mothers. With the momjug water bottle, Dardi wanted to create a unique product designed to help new moms on their breastfeeding journey that other water bottles on the market couldn’t do.

The momjug is a 50-ounce double-wall vacuum-insulated stainless steel bottle designed to keep water cold for 12 hours and features a wide, tip-resistant (and silent) base. 

In addition to its large size, momjug’s water bottle features a breast indicator at the top of the bottle so that mothers can remember which side they left off breastfeeding last. On the wall of the bottle is also a pacifier clip, ensuring that moms can always have a pacifier within reach.  Dardi also found that a simple task, such as putting down a water bottle, could prove to be difficult for new mothers. With complications such as instability and loud banging noises, she knew she had to combat those issues with her product.

“The whole point with momjug is that you’re holding it with one hand and you’re holding your baby in the other, so if you want to put it on the nightstand or couch, it can balance because it's wide,” Dardi said. “The base also has a silent silicone around it, so when you put it down, there’s no loud clanging either.” That helps moms avoid waking their sleeping baby.

Through all the challenges and busy nights, Dardi believes her journey is a reminder of the strength of millions of other moms.

“I was thinking about all these different ideas and how I struggled postpartum,” Dardi said. “I was like ‘Okay, I have to make this product because as a new mom myself, this would have been a life changer for me.’”

“I’m a full-time mom, but I’m also a full-time business owner,” Dardi added. “It is hard to juggle both, and I’m not going to lie, there are some days I struggle. But I remember that there's so many other moms in the same boat as me.”

And as Dardi continues to grow her small business, she feels glad to have found a strong community of mothers.

“It’s been so amazing that the community of mothers, and especially moms who are passionate about breastfeeding, are rallying behind my brand and what momjug stands for,” Dardi said. 

With each water bottle she sells, Dardi hopes momjug’s message of “tough as a mother” reaches more women, as she believes that sometimes the reminder for moms to take care of themselves can occasionally become forgotten. 

“Taking the time to take care of yourself is the message I want to relay because no one is tougher than a mom—especially postpartum,” Dardi said. “Just know that you’re not alone and that there's always going to be a companion there to help you. That's what momjug stands for.”

To learn more, visit momjug.com.