Pump Up the Cans, Pump It Up While Your Feet Are Stompin’. Day 16 of My Favorite Things: Breastfeeding Pump with Evelflo ⋆ The Mint Chip Mama

You Need A Good Breastfeeding Pump!

Breastfeeding is something about which I am passionate. When I was pregnant with my daughter I wanted to learn everything there was to know about it. However, it is a very odd concept when you are speaking about it abstractly. So—these “milk jugs” I’ve been carrying around the last two decades will now produce actual milk – and with that milk I am to feed my young?

Ok… Ok… It is such a crazy concept. Once you get over the absurdity of it, and accept the idea that even though you carry a fancy handbag, wear heels, and drive a car, you are – in fact – just a mammal, you kind of just have to go with it.

Breastfeeding Is Supposed To Be Easy and Natural

I thought nursing would be easy and immediately wonderful. What could be more natural then bringing my newly born mammal to my mammal breast to feed it? But it hurts, it’s hard, it’s confusing, it’s painful, you don’t know what to do, the baby doesn’t know what to do, one of you (or probably both of you) are crying.

It is NOT easy. Nor is it automatic. It is NOT something one can master without a lot of practice. In the beginning it takes a long time and it is around the clock.

As soon as you finish, you start over.

It is physically draining in every possible way and sucks the life out of you. Plus, no one mentions that either your lady parts or your stomach will hurt from the insane trauma that is child birth and movement of any kind will be a challenge.

It Is Ok If You Need Help To Start Breastfeeding

Luckily, I was able to push past all of this with the help of an amazing lactation consultant (I learned the correct position to sit and hold my baby – neither of which I was doing on my own) it started to work for me and I started to love it.

I think it is so important to mention that breastfeeding is HARD to first time pregnant women.

This message was not communicated to me before I had my daughter making me feel like a complete failure. It seems most people can’t master breastfeeding immediately. I didn’t understand why – that with all of my preparation, with everything I read and all the classes I took – that this “natural act” wasn’t something I could do with ease. But like with the baby, as you gain experience, it gets easier. My daughter and I learned together how to do it and we started to succeed.

Be Careful About The Pill

I should mention at this point my doctor put me on the pill even though he knew I was exclusively nursing. Big mistake. My milk production went down (a very well known side effect, but since I had faith in him, I figured he knew what he was doing) and I stopped producing enough milk to sufficiently feed my daughter. Thank goodness I went off the pill and it came back. Here is my PSA: if you are nursing – DO NOT go on the pill. You live. You learn.

Different Babies, Different Experiences

When my son came along, I had a completely different experience. I had an emergency c-section and despite my fear that my milk would not come in as quickly as with my daughter, he latched on immediately and nursed for an hour! The nurse was amazed. Even though the act of nursing was a million times easier the second time around, all the ancillary difficulties were still there and I had to push past them.

I think one of the most important items to get pre-baby is a good breast pump. With my daughter I got one through my insurance company and dreaded using it. It took forever to empty “the girls” but I did it so my husband could give her a bottle in the middle of the night and I could get some much needed sleep.

The Eveflo Breastfeeding Pump Totally Changed My Game

When my son came along I was introduced to the new Evenflo Advanced Double Electric Pump. I had no idea how a good breastfeeding pump could make me so happy. Besides looking like something cool from the Captain-EO video it worked like a maniac. In only five minutes both of my breasts were emptied. The instructions were easy to follow and the console easy to operate. I would say for the first month every day when I used it I was amazed that pumping could be so easy. I was in awe of this product.

When I initially learned about the pump – as a pregnant woman the second time around, this time with my nursing PhD in my pocket – I was impressed to hear what Evenflo did with this product. Not only did they create a pump that included multiple Perfect Position Advanced Fit flanges for slouch-free pumping comfort (this means different size suction inserts are included and you don’t have to lean forward for your liquid gold to collect in to the bottles – two features my first pump did not have) but it also has a Perfectly Pure™ closed-system design that prevents milk backup and keeps milk as pure as nature intended.

Evenflo Also Provided Human Help

Plus, Evenflo partnered with International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Shari Criso to create an online educational Breastfeeding program called “Simply Breastfeeding”. This ten-chapter breastfeeding workshop is available to anyone who purchases the pump with the hopes of helping new moms get past the initial hurdles of nursing. They also created the “Breastpumps & Briefcases” program for working and pumping moms.

Evenflo Is More Than A Great Breastfeeding Pump, They Have A Great Message

I really respect Evenflo’s mission – to give all moms the best pumping experience at an affordable price. The company believes nursing moms should have all the necessary tools to succeed regardless of one’s economic situation. Along these lines they also offer helpful nursing items like Disposable Nursing Pads and Milk Storage Bottles. I love these bottles because they hold a lot of milk, they are slim, and the markings are in a dark, thick font which I find so much easier to read than other brands’ bottles.

Thank you Evenflo Feeding for introducing me to an amazing product. You have become one of my favorite things!

In honor of Breastfeeding Awareness Month, here are Shari Criso’s Top 3 Breastfeeding Tips:

Breastfeeding Tip #1:

Become as knowledgeable and educated as possible about breastfeeding BEFORE you have your baby. Trying to wing it after the baby comes or rely on the staff at the hospital to teach you could be a disaster and the reason why breastfeeding was not successful.

Breastfeeding Tip #2:

Purchase what you will need to make breastfeeding more comfortable and easier especially in the first few weeks when you are first adjusting and it is usually the most difficult time.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money to accomplish this, but assume that you WILL be successful and get what you need. You may be able to get help with breastfeeding at no cost, since your health insurance plan must cover the cost of a breast pump – and may offer to cover either a rental or a new one for you to keep.

Breastfeeding Tip #3:

Make sure you are surrounded with support. One of the biggest challenges and reasons for moms not having the success that they want with breastfeeding is not getting the support from the people around them.  Get your partner on board with education and information. A supportive partner is one of the biggest reasons for breastfeeding success. Find friends and other breastfeeding moms who were successful to speak to and line up a lactation consultant before you deliver so you can reach out for help as soon as you need it.

*GIVEAWAY*

Evenflo Feeding has offered to give away not only a Evenflo Advanced Double Electric Breastfeeding Pump and a box of Evenflo Advanced Disposable Nursing Pads to one lucky reader!

To win – please post in the comment section below:

What is your main reason for wanting to breastfeed?

Winner will be chosen Sunday, August 24^th.

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Evenflo Feeding Brand Heritage

Evenflo Feeding, Inc. is an organization made up of experienced nurturers – mothers & fathers, sisters & brothers, aunts & uncles, and grandparents. They are dedicated to understanding the real challenges parents and children face and work to solve them in everything they do. Their mission and belief is that ALL moms and babies deserve innovative feeding solutions that are safe, practical, effective and affordable!

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