As a Lactation Consultant, I’ve visited hundreds of homes, and I can tell you that having a well-stocked feeding and baby care cart can help you feel prepared and organized. When the baby is hungry, or you finally sit down to pump, there is nothing worse than realizing that the supplies you need are across the house, upstairs, or down the hall.
I had the honor and pleasure of sitting down for an hour-long webinar with Ceres Chill Founder & CEO, Lisa Myers. I brought the IBCLC expert perspective, and Lisa brought the real-life traveling mom perspective to our conversation all about the unique challenges moms face when navigating pumping through the holiday season. I have to admit I was fan-girling just a bit! In case you missed the live webinar, we’ve got a thorough recap for you.
Planning to pump while traveling can feel overwhelming, but breaking it down into a few key considerations can make the process much more manageable. Before you hit the road, it’s important to think through the details of your trip so you can stay consistent, keep your milk supply protected, and feel confident along the way. From choosing the right pump and figuring out where you’ll pump, to understanding how you’ll wash parts, store milk, and bring it safely back home, a little preparation goes a long way.
Do you remember how fast those months of pregnancy went and how much your baby (or babies!) grew in that amount of time? It began as a bundle of cells and evolved into a package of joy. This trend continues outside the womb, with significant changes occurring over a relatively short period. The first two weeks of a newborn's life are considered the most challenging, as the mother and child are on a learning curve, trying to keep up with hunger cues and satiety signals.
Want the inside scoop on flange sizing from an IBCLC(International Board Certified Lactation Consultants) perspective? Recently, I teamed up with USLCA’s Jessi Gomez, IBCLC to dive into some of the most frequently asked questions we receive as IBCLCs. Keep reading for the full recap.
If you’re planning to breastfeed or have already begun your breastfeeding journey, you’ve likely given some thought to incorporating pumping and bottle feeding. Pumping provides a way to maintain milk production when you are separated from your baby, if your baby has latch difficulties, or if you desire to provide breastmilk via bottle. While it’s possible to exclusively nurse your baby, never using a breast pump or bottle, most mothers incorporate pumping as part of their breastfeeding routine. In fact, approximately 91% of breastfeeding mothers between 2016 and 2021 used a breast pump at some point in their breastfeeding experience.
While breastfeeding is often described as “feeding your baby from your body,” we know it is never just that. If you’ve breastfed for days, weeks, months, or years, you know that breastfeeding is an experience that has threads of joy, pain, pride, exhaustion, grief, empowerment, and so many other emotions woven throughout. It can be beautiful one moment and utterly overwhelming the next. I’ve learned that no matter what your breastfeeding journey looks like, the emotions that come with it are as real and valid as the milk itself.
Breast milk is incredible, but storing it properly can feel like navigating a maze of conflicting advice. From combining milk from multiple pump sessions to knowing if it can be served cold, there’s no shortage of myths that create confusion and stress for new parents. In this guide, we debunk the most common breast milk storage myths with science-backed facts. Whether you’re prepping to return to work or just stashing away a few extra ounces you’ll learn practical evidence-based tips for storing, warming, combining, and using breast milk the right way.
If you have done much internet searching regarding flange sizing, you have very likely stumbled across the term, elastic nipples. If you’ve ever wondered what elastic nipples are, if you have them, how is pumping with elastic nipples different, and what strategies make pumping with elastic nipples easier, then this guide is for you!
