Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » pumping

September Carnival on Breastfeeding and Working

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:36:42 +0000

In light of Labor Day in the United States, the September Carnival of Breastfeeding centers on breastfeeding and working. Please email me your post on breastfeeding and working by September 21, 2009, for consideration for the blog carnival on September 28, 2009.

Photo of woman working by Ariel da Silva Parreira

As a reminder, here are the guidelines that will increase the chances a post will be selected for inclusion in the carnival:

– A well-written, grammatically correct post
– Thoughtful commentary directly on point for the carnival subject
– Overall quality of the rest of your blog and whether the general subject matter is something of interest to our readers (breastfeeding, parenting)

If your post is selected for inclusion, you will be asked on the day of the carnival to edit your post to link back to each of the other participants in the carnival.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Pumping, Expression, Breastfeeding: A Poll

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:02:30 +0000

The implication of the Medela Breast Milk Commercial that women will need a breast pump if they plan to breastfeed got me wondering — in the last two months, have you used a pump? Was it electric or manual, or do you prefer to hand express?

Medela Swing Breast Pump

Did you not require a pump or hand expression in the last two months? What is your opinion on whether a breast pump is necessary? As a stay-at-home mother, I used a manual pump with my first child but quickly found that my baby would not take a bottle and I only needed to express milk to relieve engorgement or get rid of a plugged duct. I preferred hand-expression for those tasks.

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Winner of the Hands-Free Pumping Bra

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:34:11 +0000

Thanks again to Easy Expression Products for the Easy Expression Hands-Free Pumping Bra giveaway! Many people expressed (pun intended!) positive things about the hands-free pumping bra and it’s fun to be giving away a product that breastfeeding and pumping mothers find so helpful!

Easy Expression Hands-Free Pumping Bustier Bra

It’s especially fun when Random.org happens to pick a winner who can really benefit from the prize — and that winner is commenter #20 Jennifer B, who said:

I am pregnant with my second child, and I would sooo love having one of these. I thought about getting one when I was nursing my 2 year old, but I wasn’t working at the time, and we didn’t have the money for one. I had a lot of issues with insufficient supply, and needed to pump, pump, pump all day long, in addition to nursing and supplementing with formula. I would have given anything to win one of these bras back then- to be able to actually do something else while pumping would have been great! Not to mention when I returned to school and trying to pump in the car- not fun at all, trying to hold onto the pump, adjust dials, etc. I am praying that I don’t have the issues with nursing my second child, but if I need to pump a lot again, this will save so much of my sanity, to be able to pump AND tend to a newborn and toddler at the same time! Thanks for the opportunity!

Congratulations Jennifer on winning and on your pregnancy! Please email me by Tuesday, August 18, 2009, with the bra size and style (halter or bustier) you would like and please include your home mailing address. Also, since you mentioned your struggle with low milk supply the first time around, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of the very helpful book The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Hands-Free Pumping Bra Giveaway

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:30:40 +0000

This contest has ended and the comments are closed.

Now is your chance to win an Easy Expression™ Hands-Free Pumping Bra compliments of Easy Expression Products! In honor of Breastfeeding Awareness Month this August, Easy Expression Products is giving one lucky Breastfeeding 1-2-3 reader an Easy Expression Hands-Free Pumping Bra which has a suggested retail value of $34.00!

Easy Expression Hands-Free Bustier Pumping Bra

The Product

The Easy Expression™ Hands-Free Pumping Bra started as a way for mother Gretchen Penny to more efficiently pump while at work because it enabled her to multi-task while she pumped. Now the bra is available in all Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity stores and through other retailers found on the Easy Expression Products website. You can read a great review from a guest blogger here at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 or check out the rave reviews on Amazon.com.

The contest winner gets to choose the hands-free bra size and style (halter or bustier)!

How to Enter

The contest is open to entrants with mailing addresses in the United States or Canada. You have three chances to win! For your first entry, simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address before the end of the day Friday, August 14, 2009 Pacific Coast Time. For a second chance to win, mention this contest on your blog with a link back to this post, and — this is the key part to get a second entry number — leave a second comment letting me know about your post! For a third chance to win, mention this contest on Twitter @Breastfeed123 and come back to leave another comment. The winning comment number will be picked at random using Random.org. I will notify the winner on Saturday, August 15 both at Breastfeeding123.com and by email. The winner will have until Tuesday, August 18, 2009, to get back to me with a postal mailing address for shipping within the United States or Canada, or another winner will be selected. Good luck!

Leave a comment below!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Breastfeeding Promotion Act Progress

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:41:41 +0000

Since the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 was first introduced in Congress a month ago, three new co-sponsors have committed to the bill (two from New York and one from Guam), bringing the total number of sponsors up to 13 in the House and two in the Senate. Senator Jeff Merkley, the original sponsor in the Senate, offered the Breastfeeding Promotion Act as an amendment to the Senate Health Committee health care reform bill and it was accepted! While it may not make the final cut, this is tremendous progress! The D.C. Breastfeeding Coalition promises to let us know when it is time to start contacting our senators to ask that the Breastfeeding Promotion Act remain a part of the final version of the health care reform bill, which I believe is S. 486.

In the meantime, please continue to spread the word through the Facebook page for the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009, which now has 2,367 members! Write a personal letter to your senators and representatives asking them to co-sponsor the bill!

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Dear Abby: A Bathroom Is Not a Pumping Room

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:55:29 +0000

Today’s Dear Abby column “New Mom Reluctantly Uses Bathroom as Pumping Station” missed a fabulous opportunity to educate breastfeeding women and their employers about pumping at work. Here’s the response I will be submitting to columnist Abigail Van Buren.

Photo by Bradley Gee

DEAR ABBY:

You are absolutely right to tell “PRIVACY PLEASE” not to be ashamed of pumping at work. I hope you take it one step further and let her and your readers know that California law requires an employer to make reasonable efforts to provide a location other than a toilet stall for the employee to express milk in private (California Labor Code Sections 1030-1033). An employer can be fined $100 for every violation of the law!

Please encourage all breastfeeding mothers and all employers to check the 50 State Summary of Breastfeeding Laws compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/breast50.htm. Even if state law does not require employers to provide a place to pump, it’s an excellent business practice to do so! Not only does providing a pumping room boost employee morale and company loyalty, but breastfeeding also reduces healthcare costs for mother and child and results in fewer work absences due to a parent having to care for a sick child.

The United States Breastfeeding Committee reports that employers save $3 for every $1 invested in breastfeeding support! The Committee provides an excellent resource on Workplace Breastfeeding Support which details the components of adequate, expanded, and comprehensive breastfeeding programs for the workplace. I hope mothers print out the resource and take it to their employers as a way to open the discussion about sanitary and private options for a pumping room.

Sincerely,
Angela White, volunteer breastfeeding counselor and breastfeeding blogger at Breastfeeding 1-2-3

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Jerry O’Connell on Rebecca Romijn Breastfeeding Twins and Using a Breast Pump

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:18:57 +0000

I watched Jerry O’Connell co-host Live with Regis and Kelly the other day. It was cute to see how excited he is about his newborn twin girls with wife Rebecca Romijn. He could hardly contain his excitement and it was very sweet to see. Apparently he still had the same enthusiasm when he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today. O’Connell said:

I don’t know why I’m getting nervous saying this — I’m not saying anything dirty, it’s natural but [Rebecca] does what we call the double football – which is just incredible, because it’s like three beings attached. It’s like something out of Cirque du Soleil. It’s crazy.

He talks about Rebecca using the breast pump:

My wife also … I’m sure I can say this on television, it’s a natural thing. My wife pumps, which is the machine you hook up [and] you have to put quarters in it … I’m kidding. My wife is doing it and not complaining. My wife is the best. I love you, baby.

It’s great to see a husband like that who is supportive of breastfeeding! I am also happy to hear that Rebecca is breastfeeding the twins. It’s not easy to master that double football hold — good for her!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Wordless Wednesday: Pumping Room

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:40:02 +0000

Photo credit: NataPics

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Free Online Breastfeeding Video for Increasing Breast Milk Supply

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:04:43 +0000

Remember when I interviewed Dr. Jane Morton about breastfeeding education for medical professionals? Remember when I mentioned her free online video on hand expression of breast milk? Well today I learned from About.com Breastfeeding that Dr. Morton has another fascinating free video online, this time about increasing breast milk supply when it is necessary to pump for a baby in the NICU or any baby not nursing well at the breast. It is called “Maximizing Milk Production” and in 9 minutes 35 seconds, it explains how to increase milk supply without medication. Dr. Morton recommends and demonstrates such techniques as skin-to-skin contact, breast massage, “hands-on pumping,” breast compressions, and hand expression after pumping. What was really amazing to me was to see how much milk mothers were able to hand express after a pumping session!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Woman Harassed for Pumping in a Mall Parents’ Room

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:34:14 +0000

An Australian woman pumping on her lunch break in the Westfield Marion shopping center “parents’ room” was approached by the cleaning lady and later questioned by mall security and police. Sharleen Salmon had recently returned to work and was expressing breast milk for her five-month-old baby Justice. The Guardian Messenger quotes Salmon as saying:

I was in a private area (in the parents room) behind the curtain and this cleaner just walked in on me and watched what I was doing. She told me the parents room was for parents and breastfeeding only – and that I wasn’t allowed to eat lunch in there.

Apparently a little boy running around the room had seen Salmon pumping, and he told his mother that there was a topless woman eating lunch in the parents’ room. The mother then complained to mall security.

Shopping center management issued an apology to Salmon but her husband says no one has apologized to her personally. It is bad enough that women are being harassed for breastfeeding in public. It is discouraging to hear of a woman being harassed for pumping, and for pumping behind a curtain, in a parents’ room no less!

Thanks to Inside Motherhood for the lead on this story!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3