To breastfeed or to not breastfeed? That's a daunting question many new mothers face. I
knew from the start that I wanted to breastfeed my baby and I'm very
lucky it has worked out well. Not only is it cheaper, but it also
encourages mother-child bonding. I'm not going to lie, that first month
was a you-know-what. There were a few times that I questioned why my
boobs hurt. That only created stress since breast cancer is genetically
linked to me. Stress aside, I adjusted to my girls' new purpose and found that this bond even creates an endorphin high for me.
I've found a handful of breastfeeding mothers who choose not to pump. I am definitely not one of them. While I
love that time with Sol, I also like that I can get out every now and
again and not worry about feeding him--just leave a bottle of breast
milk!
I
like to keep at least four 4oz bottles in the fridge. We feed him one
each night for his last feeding. I keep the extras handy in case there
is ever a day that I get sick and need not feed him until I'm well
again.
Then
there's my freezer stock! I use these whenever I take Sol to the JCC
babysitting. In the back right, you can see there are a few of the
Medela freezer bottles--but I learned very quickly that I prefer the
Lansinoh bags. They offer more space AND they're cheaper, too! I know
that when Sol starts full time daycare, I'll be rotating these into his
schedule and then restocking with new, fresh breastmilk.
A tip for all my mommy friends who are pumping:
Just do it!
I
heard of gals' making their own pump bras , but it took me a little
while to join the bandwagon. I went back and forth between do I
purchase a special bra or just use one of my old ones? I don't need to
shed a lot of light on it--just tell you, it's easy if you have an old
sports bra you don't have to use anymore. Cut the slits and have at it!
On Saturday, I received my first testing product to review! So excited!!
Thank you, Medela, for providing me with the Quick Clean Breastmilk Removal Soap! The following remains my opinion:
Our pediatrician
told me that he and his wife cleaned their bottles very similarly to
how they clean their regular dishes. While I've kept my pumping and
bottle products separate from our other dishes, I've done the same.
When I received this item from Medela, I got excited at the opportunity
to not need to scrub bottles and pump products anymore!
The
instructions say to rinse off the items and then put them in the sink
with lukewarm water and three squirts (to every gallon) of water that it
takes to cover the items. Soak for 5 minutes and then put on rack to
dry. Easy enough!
Well.....once
the items were dry, I noticed there was still residual breastmilk spots
and lines on the inside of the bottles :( SOOOOOO...no big deal, BUT I
will continue to use my scrub brush. I would love to just throw the
items in the sink and not do much more, especially once we start full
time daycare, but I can't swear by this product. So, I'll enjoy this
product until we run out; but Sol hasn't had any reactions to my using our regular dish soap, so I'll keep with that.
One Medela product I do so appreciate is my breastpump! Thanks to my both of my sister in laws, I am well taken care of...
Today, all of the lactation specialists claim
that just about all women will get a free breastpump because of
OBAMACARE. Not! I won't go into those details, but I know I (along
with a few other women) did not have that success. So, I ordered all
new parts to go with my Pump-N-Go and have found that the used pump
works just fine! I do prefer knowing who has used them, though.
Probably would not have bought a used one online, even though the milk
should never technically go through the pump.
What breastpump items do you find are a must for new mommy's?
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