breastfeeding

Medela Pump & Save Storage Bags I am not a fan of the Medela Pump & Save Breast Milk Storage Bags. I’ve only used about 15 bags, and of those bags, I’d say 4 or 5 of them have leaked. The way I usually defrost the milk is place the bag in a cup of hot water. Before I realized that these bags tend to leak, I’d just leave it the water until the milk was defrosted. The first time I had a leaky bag, I ended up with a cup of hot watery milk as the milk had defrosted and leaked completely into the water. Now I just need to keep checking on it to make sure it’s not a leaky bag, and if it is, then I need to defrost it in another bag in the water. Only once did I catch the leak before putting the bag in the freezer, and never have I had a mess in the freezer, so maybe a tiny hole breaks during the freezing process? Once I left a bag in the fridge overnight to defrost it (fortunately I had put it in a mug), and in the morning the bag was

(Hipster Mom, you asked if I had tips for pumping, and then we got distracted and I never answered. So this is for you.) I have learned quite a bit about the art of breast pumping. After all, I am a recovering pumpaholic. I have read a number of books, articles, and blogs on the subject, and I have tried many different techniques. Here are a few tips I’ve come up with to help other pumping mamas: Medela FreeStyle Breast Pump Medela Pump in Style 1. First and foremost, use a good pump. Hospital-grade ones are best, if you can get your hands on one, but otherwise, a solid double pump will work well too. I use the Medela Pump in Style, which I highly recommend. A friend of mine has the Medela Freestyle, which looks amazing, especially if you need to tote it around with you, pump at work, or anything else that would require a battery-run, hands-free pumping experience. Double pumping makes the most sense — you’ll get double the milk in half the time. 2. Pump early in the morning. Even if you’re breastfeeding through the night and to your tired self there doesn’t seem to be

(For an update on the ups and downs of my breastfeeding adventure, please see my other blog.) If you’ve ever attempted breastfeeding before, then you know that the days of free nursing are long gone. Rarely does a modern mama get by with nursing her baby with nothing more than baby and breast. Instead, there is an entire industry of breastfeeding STUFF that are aimed at making the feeding experience easier, more convenient, and more colorful. Here are a few of our favorite accessories: 1. Nursing covers — If you plan on nursing in public, or even at your own house with guests around, then you will be much more comfortable doing so with a specially designed nursing cover. You may think that a blanket is adequate, but a plain blanket makes it difficult to see your baby while you nurse (which is particularly important for new nursers who still need to help baby latch on) and can be rather hot for baby and for you. The best nursing covers are the ones that include a wire rim at the top so that you can look straight down at your baby. We recommend the Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover (see

When my first child was a few months old, I developed what my lactation consultant and my doctor thought was eczema caused by nursing (if that’s even possible). After suffering the same thing with my second child, I discovered it was actually contact dermatitis caused by an allergy to disposable nursing pads. I tried the cheapo brand, I tried Johnson’s, I tried Lansinoh, and then I finally discovered two products that made all the difference. When I absolutely couldn’t have anything against my skin, I used Medela SoftShells. These silicone shells keep a safe distance between your breast and your clothing. The vents provide for natural air flow, to help raw nipples heal faster. While they claim that their “natural contour” is discreet under clothing, I didn’t find I could wear them out of the house without looking ridiculous. Also, I don’t recall them coming with the reusable inserts to absorb leakage that they now include, so when I was done with them I had to dump some milk out. I don’t know if they didn’t come with those inserts two years ago, or if I was just so eager to start using the shells that I didn’t notice anything