New mothers face a lot of challenges. It can be especially overwhelming for those who breastfeed via pumping — whom I affectionally call Pumping Mamas. It is hard to find helpful information and resources that match our unique needs and situation. Whether you are a full-time pumper, a working mama, or just want to get a little extra milk stored up for trips or emergencies, this series is for you.
Reading Time: 14 minutes When our first baby was born, I intended to breastfeed exclusively by nursing and pump when I returned to work.
But a severe tongue-tie and small birth size threw an unexpected wrench in our plans.
Our breastfeeding journey was filled with many ups and downs, but may it be encouraging to other moms who face challenges.
Reading Time: 7 minutes For those familiar with our breastfeeding journey, you already know that we experienced some challenges breastfeeding with our first son Peanut. Our second son, Pickle, is now two months old. I wish I could tell you that this time our breastfeeding journey was easier, but in some ways it was even harder. I am sharing the details of our personal struggles to let other women know that you are not alone, it is ok, and no matter what, you are an amazing mother.
Reading Time: 6 minutes I am an under-producing breastfeeding Mama. In eight weeks, I was able to increase my milk supply from barely 8 oz a day to 32-35 oz a day! How? With hardwork, determination, and following these simple seven steps.
Reading Time: 5 minutes The first four steps to increase your milk supply all have to do with caring for your health. Yes, Mama, I know it can be very hard to tend to your own needs when you have a new baby, possibly older children, and everything else in your hectic life. I understand! I made the mistake of not taking care of me, and it nearly cost me my milk supply. Don’t let it happen to you.
Reading Time: 7 minutes First I shared our struggle with breastfeeding and low supply. In the previous post, we talked about how to properly care for your own health. Before we continue, I just want to restate the importance of making sure you are hydrated, getting enough calories, sleeping well, and managing stress. Taking care of your health is
Reading Time: 4 minutes As I mentioned in my previous post, one of my secret weapons — aka most effective methods — I used to increase my milk supply was to mimic a nursing baby’s cluster feeding. Milk production, after all, is a supply and demand process. When more is demanded, supply is usually increased to meet those demands.
Reading Time: 7 minutes Whether you are an exclusive pumper like me (what I like to call “full-time”), you are a working mama pumping during business hours (“part-time”), you just need to pump a little extra for a trip or to have some emergency storage, or if you are a lucky mama that has to pump to relieve over-production (Hey, it does happen!), here are some must-have items to make your time pumping easier.
Seriously. These items are life-savers!