A resource to inspire, inform and empower parents.

Milkies by Fairhaven Health Review and Giveaway!

I’ve seen a lot of products in this blogger job over the years. You badasses have grown this community to a pretty nice size and companies are eager to show you their stuff. I put the kibosh on much of it because it’s useless, expensive or doesn’t fill a real need.

I have noticed something pretty remarkable; the best products are created by the people who have experienced a gap firsthand. A lot of us can identify a gap, but a special few can envision a way to fill it. A couple of those people are Helen and Tobi. [Read more…]

Exclusive Pumping Part 3 – Perspectives

Like everyone, when I had a baby, my life completely changed. And because I had spent two hours a day tied to a breast pump since my baby’s birth, being a mother and an exclusive pumper became very intertwined for me. Exclusive pumping was a big part of my identity. Because of this, it was really important to me that I was successful. This meant (after my supply snafu early on, when I would skip pumping sessions more than I should have) being a bit obsessive about getting my pumping sessions in.

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Exclusive Pumping Part 2 – The First Year

The Routine Early On

When I started exclusively pumping, I pumped whenever my baby ate. My routine was that I would bottle feed him, and then I’d put him on my lap and hook myself up to pump. He would fall asleep there with the pump motor apparently functioning as a lullaby. (Maybe the Medela Freestyle sounds like the inside of a uterus. Who knows?) When I was finished pumping, he’d be conked out enough that I could move him to his bassinet for the rest of his nap. [Read more…]

Exclusive Pumping Part 1 – Making the Decision

By Amanda Glenn

Before I had my first baby, I had three missed miscarriages (which means I didn’t know I’d miscarried until we had an ultrasound and there was no heartbeat). As a result, I was kind of used to being told by healthcare providers that my body had failed at what it was supposed to do. Of course, most of them were very kind, and they would never have intended that I take the sad news this way. But that’s how I felt while I when devastated by the losses and unsure about whether or not I would ever have a baby. [Read more…]

Pumpables Fitting Room: The Correct Sized Breast Shield

Did you know that the breast shield flange of a breast pump comes in different sizes? It’s actually a very important detail to your pumping success! We all know that every woman’s breast is a unique size and shape, but this is also true of her nipple. In order to pump the most milk possible and not experience pain while you do it you need to have a correctly fitted breast shield.

I was recently talking with a group of moms and heard many of them say that they didn’t know that breast shields come in different sizes. They thought it was “one size fits all.” It’s so easy to miss this type of information when we have never done this before and we are busy taking care of a newborn baby! If you are experiencing pain or discoloration of your nipple while you pump, little to no milk output, a pulling or rubbing sensation while pumping or cracked/blistered nipples you may have a flange that is not the correct size.

But how do you know what size you are? How do you know if you are currently using an incorrect size? The gang at Pumpables has done something truly unique. You don’t have to wonder anymore and you are no longer on your own to figure it out. When I first heard that breast shields come in various sizes I held a few up to my breast, shrugged and took my best guess. But this is not the best way to get the correct size!

Check out Pumpables’ new Fitting Room. You can take a short video of your breast in the breast shield while pumping and upload it to their website. Then fill out a questionnaire and a representative will get back to you with feedback about how your breast shield is fitting. Your video is kept absolutely confidential and is immediately deleted. Your video is not shared with anyone so you can rest assured no one besides the consultant will see it. 

Pumpables fitting room

You can upload your video right to their website as you fill out the questionnaire.

Many women claim that they do not pump much milk. It’s true that women respond differently to pumping, but sometimes it’s simply a matter of a breast shield that doesn’t fit right. You know your breasts will change size and shape over your breastfeeding and pumping journey, but your nipples will as well. It’s possible that your correct fit will change over time, multiple times! So be sure to monitor how your nipples feel and how much milk you are pumping as changes could indicate that you need to make a breast shield size adjustment.

If you are a working mom or spend long periods of time away from your baby you have probably experienced concerns about being able to “keep up” with your baby. Meaning that you fear your baby will drink more milk than you can pump. Sometimes a few minor tweaks to your pumping routine such as using Hands On Pumping or breast massages while pumping can help increase milk output. It’s also very common for child care providers to overfeed babies. You can work with your child care provider to avoid overfeeding. And make sure to upload a video to Pumpables’ Fitting Room to assure that you are using the correct sized breast shield.

U Boost is the First Breast Pump Booster to Help Moms Pump More Milk

Our names are Susan and Elizabeth and we have children whose ages are similar to the Badass Breastfeeder. We’ve watched her spread her messages for breastfeeding advocacy, which we’ve loved to support because we’ve had a parallel path – to revolutionize breastfeeding for new mothers through new technologies.

Over the past 6 years, we have worked hard with a dedicated team to develop new breastfeeding technologies that will help mothers achieve their personal feeding goals more effectively. Our new compression and vibration technology is rooted in scientific understanding of breast physiology, clinical data supporting the importance of hands on pumping and vibration as well as hundreds of hours of testing for a diverse group of volunteer testers. Our first product, U Boost, helps to increase your milk output. [Read more…]

10 Things I Hate About Breastfeeding

It’s Breastfeeding Awareness Month 2017 baby! And I am here to rant about things I cannot stand about breastfeeding! Why? Because this is hard. Breastfeeding is really hard! It’s magical and empowering and all that stuff but I need all you new parents and parents struggling right now to know that you will not like everything about breastfeeding. And that’s OK! We do a disservice to each other when we wash over the negative feelings that breastfeeding can bring us. We can find comfort and community in the tough things that we deal with just like with any other journey in life. It’s the secret to our success. So let’s get to it. 10 things I hate about breastfeeding!

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Review of the ARDO Amaryll Manual Breast Pump

My first son was a few months old when I decided, in my new mom delirium, to have dinner with some friends. I knew I might get engorged, but figured I would be back soon enough. I didn’t feel like bringing my electric pump. It seemed like a huge hassle for only being gone a few hours. I didn’t even bring breast pads. (I know, I know, you’re all rolling your eyes right now). I deserved what I got, which was 2 golf ball-sized leak marks on my shirt that were illuminated dark blue on my light blue shirt. I ran to the bathroom to shove toilet paper into my bra, but the damage was done. [Read more…]

A Review of the Sarah Wells Breast Pump Bag

If you ever travel with your breast pump you need a bag. But not all bags are created equal. If you travel outside with your pump often (to work or simply get outside!) then your transport bag is just as important as the pump itself. Too bold of a statement? I don’t think so. If you use a standard bag that your pump comes with then you know that they make those just so that the pump and its parts fit inside. What about all of your work stuff? Your laptop, purse, lunch, diapers? Not mention trying to carry your baby… [Read more…]

A Review of the Ardo Calypso-To-Go Breast Pump

It’s kind of amazing that it was only two decades ago that the first electric breast pump for personal use was manufactured. Nowadays, if you have chosen to breastfeed, it’s likely that you have bought or at least thought about purchasing one for yourself. Lots of women pump for lots of different reasons; some women work outside the home, some women are not able to breastfeed but still want to feed their babies breastmilk, some women want to donate their milk to milk banks or other moms and still others, like me, simply want to keep an “emergency stash” of breastmilk in the freezer so we can pop out of the house once in a while for some alone time. [Read more…]