LactConnect Breastfeeding Blog

Are your bags packed for the hospital?  Moms tend to read extensively about what they need for labor and delivery, but let's not forget about after the birth.  Breastfeeding can be easier if you have a few essentials to help a mama out.  So what should you take to the hospital for breastfeeding?

1.  Breast Pump  It is not an uncommon occurrence for moms to want or need to pump in the hospital.  Perhaps you have an exceptionally sleepy baby, are separated from your baby for health reasons, or have noticed you have flat or inverted nipples and need a little assistance.  Taking your breast pump to the hospital is a great way to ensure you have one if you need one.  There are limited "floor pumps" and since insurance may not cover the extras, you won't be billed for a personal collection kit if you have your own pump at hand.  Make sure you choose a good quality pump such as the Spectra S2 Breast Pump, Ameda Finesse or the Hygeia EnJoye Breast Pump.
2.  Nursing Bras You ar…

Although we love Pumpin' Pal Super Shields, some brands were just not working well with them.  The reason is that when you have a one piece breast shield that does not come apart, you had to insert the Super Shield into the primary breast shield to get the angled comfort of the Pumpin Pal breast shields.

Not any more!  Pumpin' Pal now makes an adapter for Spectra so that you can use this system with your current Spectra parts avoiding any reduction of the suction on your breast pump when using the Pumpin' Pal Spectra Super Shields.


These Pumpin' Pal Spectra Super Shields are offered a wide variety of sizes from x-small 15-22mm to x-large 35-40mm.  So now you can have the size that fits perfectly to properly compress the milk sinuses in a comfortable angled breast shield that allows you to sit back and pump instead of leaning forward which can cause back pain and fatigue.  The proper compression of the areola in this angle offers better milk transfer which in turn helps…

For moms who are a  C, D or even DD cup, nursing bras are relatively easy to find; but if you are a larger cup size and in need of a DDD, F, G or H cup nursing bra things can get a little more complicated.  It is especially difficult if you never had to find larger bras or if you were wearing an incorrect bra size previously and did not not know that you needed a big nursing bra.

The first step is to make sure you are getting the size you need.  If you have been measured for a nursing bra, did the bra fitter take three measurements or just two?  If she did a measurement under the bust, over the bust and the fullest part of the bust you can presume you got a correct size or at least a good size to start your search as brands can differ.  If you only got two measurements, those measurements are meant to fit you for brands that don't normally come in F, G and H cup sizes so you may want to try again to get fitted for your size. You can do this at home as well if you follow these nurs…

August 1-7 is traditionally World Breastfeeding Week (#wbw2018), while the whole month of August National Breastfeeding Month (#nbm18) bringing awareness to breastfeeding benefits and to encourage breastfeeding in our nation and worldwide.


I love the above Support Breastfeeding banner and it's tag line:  Whenever.  Wherever.  However.  Breastfeeding should be celebrated whether done via supplemental lactation aid feeding tube, in tandem with multiples or siblings, with a single baby, through pumping breast milk at work or exclusinvely pumping and bottle feeding.

Not only should breastfeeding be encouraged however moms choose or are able to accomplish it, but we need to be educated about the benefits of long term breastfeeding.  Check out the Breastmilk Changes infographic below to see how breastmilk benefits infants and toddlers alike as it changes to meet the needs of your growing child.



Lactation Connection has been encouraging and supporting moms for 25 years which means some o…

Need to troubleshoot your Ameda Breast Pump?  When you rely on your breast pump for exclusive pumping or working and breastfeeding, you need to know how to start with the correct flange size, maintain and troubleshoot any issues that may come up while you are using your breast pump. These issues can often be solved with maintaining your breast pump with genuine replacement parts.
Let's start with breast flange size.  First you need to assess your nipple size at rest.  Most women fall between the XS and XL size for their breast flange so although there is no way to know for sure without trying out the flange while you are pumping, the rule of thumb (pun intented) is to compare your nipple size to the size of your fingers.  This works particularly well if you wear the average size 6 ring finger for a woman.  If you nipple is the diameter of your pinky, start with a smaller 21-22 mm flange.  If your nipple is the diameter of your ring finger then the Ameda standard 25 mm breast flan…

The working pumping mama has more to consider than the mother who is able to put her baby to breast for each feeding.  After all, have milk will travel is a great lifestyle.  But for those who must or choose to work outside the home, managing their breast milk expression and storage is something that must be considered.  Here are some helpful tips and accessories to make this journey a little easier.

1.  Obtain an effective breast pump.  The first consideration is an effective breast pump.  Don't settle for a manual, single breast pump or a used breast pump.  These types of pumps can actually sabatoge your results before you start.  Double pumping increases prolactin levels and since working mothers do not get as much non-nutritive suckling to assist milk supply, this feature is a must.  What about a used pump.  Non-hospital grade pumps meaning professional pumps that are under $800 are meant to last a certain number of pumping hours which for one working mother is about a year.  …