Nursing Blankets Breastfeeding Fashion Accessories of the 20th Century

Breastfeeding public used to be considered a social taboo. Once upon a time, nursing mothers and their infants remained at home, or confined to bed as it was termed, until the babies were weaned from the breast and drinking from a bottle or cup. As time progressed and breastfeeding advocates convinced women to venture out of doors but at the same time continue breastfeeding their infants at least until 12 months of age, the entire experience of nursing became a mix of embarrassment and frustration. It was not a surprising sight to find a nursing mother and her infant sitting in a restroom.

Not only was this borderline insulting, but it was also not exactly the hygienic means of getting breastfeeding accomplished. Eventually breastfeeding moms left the bathrooms behind and breastfed right where they sat, covering up with nursing blankets to shield child and breast from the curious stares of the surprised public.

Continue reading " Nursing Blankets Breastfeeding Fashion Accessories of the 20th Century "

A breast pump rental may not seem like an important expense to a breastfeeding mom, until she is about a week or so into the activity. It is then that she realizes that the tether between her and her child is short indeed, and whenever the little one is hungry, breast milk must be made available to him. It matters little if mom is finally sinking into that well deserved bubble bath or simply taking a few minutes to talk on the phone. While a breast pump is expensive, the advent of breast pump rental agencies makes these devices available even to those moms who only consider using them occasionally or who simply lack the funds to purchase their own model.

Continue reading " Renting a Breast Pump for a Breastfeeding Mom "

Have you heard of breastfeeding pads? Such breast pads are tangentially discussed in pamphlets and maybe even breastfeeding classes, but new moms usually do not spend a lot of time and attention on learning about them. After all, when reading up on the fine art of breastfeeding, the most imperative topic at hand are nuts and bolts of proper latching on techniques.

Second to this vital bit of fact are breast pumping instructions and tips, as well as how to properly store any expressed breast milk at home and on the go. This leaves precious little time to also worry about breast pads. Making matters worse is the fact that by the time the idea of breast pads actually starts to make sense, new moms are sleep deprived, bleary eyed, and rushing through the harshly lit aisles of a supermarket with a fussy baby strapped in its car seat in the shopping cart.

Continue reading " All You Ever Wanted To Know About Breastfeeding Pads "

At the hospital, you were most likely encouraged to nurse your baby on a tight and nurse controlled schedule. As you come home, you are likely to continue in this manner, not because it is the best schedule to go by, but simply because this is what you learned from the nurses. Little did you know that the sole reason for some of the quirky scheduling had to do with the nurses floor schedule, their break schedules, or simply because they were trained to uphold this kind of breastfeeding schedule, not because your child is hungry. In those moments when you wonder if your child should be nursing following a rigid schedule, you are likely to pick up a parenting book and before long read a chapter on how to put your baby on a schedule.

Continue reading " Can You Breastfeed On Schedule? "

Three Things They Dont Tell You about Using a Breast Pump for Breastfeeding

There is no doubt that breast pumps are miraculous contraptions for any mom who wants to breastfeed. They help stimulate the initial buildup of the milk supply, they work wonders if you must nurse twins, they are great if your baby does not fully empty one breast, and they are a godsend for any mom who is going back to work. Nor surprisingly, in the hospital, nurses encourage new moms to invest in breast pumps for at home use. At the same time, they also refer them to rental agencies, if it turns out that the expense of a breast pump is simply too much for the mom to handle. Unfortunately, there are three things they dont tell you about using a breast pump for breastfeeding.

Continue reading " Three Things They Dont Tell You About Using a Breast "