Breastfeeding Tips & Breast Pump Guide | Lactation Connection

If you are looking to supplement your baby at the breast due to low milk supply or other feeding difficulty, you know that traditional SNS or Supplemental Nursing Systems are expensive and hard to clean. Moms opt for at-breast supplementation because it makes getting back to breastfeeding much more likely and suckling at the breast is optimal for the infant's tooth and jaw development.  Skin to skin feeding is also a bonding experience that should not be overlooked.    Because of the expense of SNS systems and the efforts of leading lactation experts such as Dr Jack Newman and many lactation consultants, many moms have opted to use a DIY method using 6FR or more commonly 5FR feeding tubes . The upside to using these feeding tubes is that it is much more cost effective as an SNS or LactAid system cost is usually $50-$75.  The down side to the DIY supplemental method is that it can be messy and you have to know what you are looking for before you buy the parts to get t...

Pregnant and nursing mothers need to be aware that m ercury can pass to fetus and through breastmilk. Canned tuna in particular is under scrutiny. James E. Rogers, PhD, director of Food Safety Research and Testing at Consumer Reports made this statement regarding tuna, “From can to can, mercury levels can spike in unpredictable ways that might jeopardize the health of a fetus.” . The FDA states that fetuses, infants and young children are more vulnerable to the potential effects of mercury due to their small bodies, metabolism and speedy growth. According to Thomas Hale, PHD founder of the Infant Risk Center renown for his work with how foods and medications, supplements and foods pass through breastmilk, states that "Developing fetuses, young infants and children are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of methylmercury on the brain and nervous system. It is thus especially important that women of childbearing age, and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, be equipped...

A common fear for moms who rely on heavily on their breast pump is what do your do when you can't plug in your pump?  For example it seems that power outages have become increasing more common. Of course there are some great rechargeable breast pumps out there like the new Spectra Synergy Gold Rechargeable, but if you don't have a high quality rechargeable pump, you need some other way to express. Manual expression can have a learning curve so knowing how is a great tool and the tried and true method is the Marmet Technique of manual expression .  Although I have linking it here, remember that in a power outage, you may not have access to view technique so it is good to practice before you need it.   Did you that major breast pump brands offer conversion kits to turn your regular breast milk collection kit into a manual pump?  Spectra Manual Adapter Kit  uses your current Spectra brand flange, valve and bottle to convert to an effective one-handed manual pu...

Lactation Connection will be celebrating 30 years serving nursing mothers in 2023. It is hard to believe how time flies!  When I started this business in 1993, the only quality breast pumps were the ones you had to rent and hands-free pumping bras were non-existent! The good news is that moms today have great choices in breastfeeding products so if you are a new mom or mom-to-be, here is a list of essentials for nursing and pumping today! 1.  High Performance Breast Pump There are quite a few good breast pumps on the market, but the most innovative are not the wearable breast pumps.  We have seen those come and go for example a company called WhisperWear.  The reason wearable pumps don't stand the test of time is that they have to operate on regular batteries which until we get a better portable power source reduce the suction as the batteries weaken so until technology catches up, you are better off with an electric breast pump that plugs in or uses a lithium ion r...

Many moms like the hands-free options of pumping and as the best-selling brand, Spectra offers a hands-free collection kit for their pumps called the CaraCups.   The down side is that currently only 24mm and 28mm sizes are being produced.  The good news is that there is an aftermarket insert in 19mm that allows moms with smaller nipples to take advantage of the hands-free pumping that the CaraCups provide. As you can see from the image below, the 19mm insert fits easily into the CaraCup to offer a reduced size. You can purchase the inserts as a CaraCup 19mm bundle if you don't already have your CaraCups or you can purchase them separately if you have the 24mm CaraCup and need to go down a size.  If you are purchasing the 19mm inserts , make sure to get extra Caracup valves as moms who pump daily should replace valves every 6-8 weeks and CaraCup backflow protectors every 8-12 weeks to keep your pump kit at optimal suction level. Best wishes for pumping freedom! ...

When you have an infection after a plugged milk duct called mastitis, you often have, chills, fever, body aches i.e. flu-like symptoms. It feels like a truck ran over you.  Your doctor will most likely prescribe  Cephalexin  a.k.a.  Keflex and dicloxacillin  a.k.a.  Dycill.  The antibiotics, while often necessary for the infection can also make you feel tired. To help you get over mastitis quickly, make sure you are using heat, resting and emptying the breast. Heat, Rest, Empty the Breast!  Use a hot compress before nursing and/or pumping. An easy one to use is a disposable baby diaper. Put hot water in it and it can also be re-warmed in the microwave for several uses until it become too saturated which will feel like jelly. Disposable diapers keep their heat in much better than cloth because of the micro-beads which retain the heat.  These are similar to what is found in hot/cold compresses. Rest as much as you can. You are sick and whil...

It is hard to believe it has been 80 years since Swedish engineer, Einer Egnell invented the first auto-cycling mechanical breast pump.  Today, we have so many choices, but it is a little like having more television channels - so many choices make for hard decisions. Let's break down the categories. Personal Breast Pumps - This category includes the small breast pumps including the silicone pumps such as the Motif Silicone Breast Pump and the Haakaa breast pump .  There used to be more single pumping battery operated pumps in this category, but none were very effective so that has mostly faded away.  I would also put the dual battery operated pumps that are hands-free in this category because since they rely on a small battery, they are only as effective as the batteries are fresh. Professional Breast Pumps - These are pumps like the Spectra Synergy Gold , S1 and S2, Ameda Mya, and Motif Luna.  These pumps work very well, but they are not considered hygienic as mu...