Wasting breast milk should be a crime punishable by the Iron Maiden.  Breast Milk is the most amazing liquid on the planet.  It hydrates, it nourishes, it heals, it comforts, it is pure awesomesauce.

So when I decided to leave my son with his father while I attended BlogHer ’11 in San Diego I was immediately hit with the prospect of pumping milk for 4 days.  My first thought would be to bring it home with me because simply dumping it was out of the question!  Then I realized what an ordeal that would be.  Even if I somehow procured Dry Ice to pack it into a cooler for the 8+ hour trip home I would face the TSA.  Would I get an educated agent who understood how to handle breastmilk?  Or an agent who demanded I taste my milk or scan it in an X Ray machine?

Then it hit me: Donate it!  Yes! I would find a mother local to San Diego who had a baby in need of breast milk.  Even if I only had 50 ounces isn’t that something?  Of course it is!  And lightning struck again when I decided to blog about my donation plans to enlist other lactating mothers!  It was brilliant (in my humble opinion.)

For any of you unaware, there are various ways a person can donate breast milk.

One would be donating to a Milk Bank. A Milk Bank would screen the donor through blood tests and the milk is then pasterurized or otherwise turned into other forms of milk for babies.  Even though donors are not getting paid for the milk the banks do charge a (hefty) price for human milk.  A great read regarding Milk Banks and the human milk business is on JWOC {Swindled: The Ugly Side of Milk Donation} I would recommend reading this if you are considering donating to a Milk Bank in order to be informed about what happens to your milk in many cases.

Peer Milk Sharing involves direct person to person donations.  Utilizing online or in person connections women can donate milk to one another for various reasons.  It is really up to the donor and recipient to be honest and up front regarding health concerns or medications being taken. Reasons for peer milk donations range from intolerance to formula, adoptive parents, and help for cancer patients.

BlogHer Milk Recipient. CUTE!

I knew a Peer to Peer Milk Share would be the best in my situation. I was staying at a hotel so I would need to the recipient to pick up the milk.  I chose Eats on Feets and after a quick search, found their Facebook Page for Southern California.  After posting my plans on the page I quickly got an email from a mother who needed the milk.  Her son had been tongue tied and he was clipped but she pumped and was having supply issues.  The baby wasn’t doing well on formula and tolerated breast milk much better.

I responded that I would at least have my own milk but potentially the milk from a few other moms.

Word spread through the internet about my plan. I had comments on my blog post, tweets from other attendees, and emails asking to be involved.  Another mom created a Facebook Group for moms pumping at BlogHer (regardless of donating) and we kept in touch in this way.

At BlogHer I found even more moms!  Purely by coincidence I chatted with a mother at a party who was pumping and boy am I glad I did!  Molly of Milwaukee Mamas.com turned out to be our biggest “producer” and needs an award for her amazing supply!  Her milk was a large percentage of the total we donated!  Other attendees also spread the word in person.

I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU to all of the moms who donated. We had 1 time pumpers who were away from older nurslings and others like myself who had babies under a year old and lots of milk was still flowing!  1 oz or 100 ounces, these women took time to save their milk instead of the easy path of dumping it down the drain.  They have my gratitude!

In no particular order here are the moms I know who donated:

That is a grand total of 14 (including myself)

All I can say is Wow. I have tears in my eyes just typing out the list of Moms involved.  I am so amazed at the hugeness of this donation, the willingness of so many women to donate, and the overall positive outcome.  Most people don’t even know that breast milk donation is an option, so to have so many involved is truly amazing and such a testament to the caliber of women who attend BlogHer!

Just 1 of 2 Bags

In order to collect every possible drop of breastmilk I was able to wrangle Jill (Baby Rabies) to meet up with our milk recipient on Sunday morning.  I had to leave our hotel at 4:15 am so having anyone meet that early would have been crazy.  Instead, I collected as much milk as possible the night before (and ran back and forth from the North and South Towers of the hotel about 5 times!) then dropped it off to Jill at 12:30 am (after I pumped for the last time) where her fridge was already stocked with milk.  I have a feeling our baby recipient is going to gain a few pounds- let’s just say that Jill and Suzanne both make milk with extra cream!  It resembled yogurt- no lie!  And in case you are curious, we all wrote our names on our own bags of milk.  If Sam shows any sort of negative reaction to the milk hopefully it will be possible to trace to one mother and they can discontinue using those bags.

Jill met with Jen (Life with Levi) in the morning for her milk and the milk we pumped at the party.  They delivered the milk to our mom (I hate that I couldn’t be there myself but getting more milk was more important!) on Sunday morning and it all went smoothly.  I am so relieved!

In total we had 70 bags of milk.  Most had 4 ounces (or more) in each bag.  My guess is we had 350 ounces at least but to be safe let’s say 300 ounces were donated.

300 Ounces.

Suddenly, the inconvenience of pumping was replaced with a warm fuzzy feeling.  Sam, our little donor baby, has been drinking the breastmilk and Mom says his tummy is already acting better compared to the formula.  Luckily they had lots of room in the freezer!

Blissed out and in a Breastmilk Coma.

So next year, New York City, if you are going to be pumping at BlogHer ’12, just let me know!  We’ll be doing the same through Eats on Feets in August 2012.  I may not be breastfeeding by then (who knows) but I will be happy to coordinate another BlogHer Breast Milk Donation.

Anyone can donate breastmilk at any time!  If you have a freezer overflowing with milk, or have an oversupply, or just want to donate, locate an Eats on Feets or Human Milk for Human Babies Chapter in your area!

I returned home Sunday evening from attending BlogHer ’11, the largest female blogging conference around.  My goal was to learn new things at the numerous sessions that were held by leading bloggers and to network with/ get fan-girly over the many bloggers I follow or converse with.

I was able to do all of those things (and more) but this post has nothing to do with that and everything to do with the thing that hung over my trip like a {leaking} black cloud: My Lactating Boobs.

I chose to leave both of my children, including the nursing one, at home with their dad.  I pumped every day for a month and saved 140 ounces of breastmilk for him (my original goal was 100).  Then I had to leave him.  Unfortunately there is no such thing as a temporary “Shut Off”  valve for boobs.  They are on until the baby is finished.

I have said it before: I despise pumping. There is never a convenient time to pump.  At home it required the attendance of my husband to watch the kids so they didn’t get into trouble or the voo-doo magic of television.  Without kids, pumping is quite a bit easier in many ways but at a hectic and overbooked conference who wants to run to a hotel room and sit stationary while being milked?

I didn’t want to but that is what I did.

The journey began on Thursday.  I left for the airport at 3:30 am for a 5:40 am flight.  I made sure to nurse my son on both sides when he woke up at about 2:40 am.  I packed my Hygeia Enjoye in a purse along with clear plastic bags for parts, bags for milk, and the bottles and flanges in another bag.

Luckily the Hygeia Enjoye, when charged, can be used without being plugged in!

My first flight was only 45 minutes and by the time it was over I was so ready to pump!  The problem was that I only had half an hour between flights.  My next flight was in another terminal and required being shuttled over.  I rushed to the gate and it had just started boarding.  I had an important decision to make: Skip pumping and risk exploding all over the plane and/or trying to either hand express or pump in an airplane bathroom, or, pump in a small window of 20 minutes and risk missing my flight!

I made a rash decision and bumped my way to the gate attendants.

A quick glance of the airport let me know that it was too busy to attempt pumping in a secluded corner so I went to the bathroom.  I have only nursed in a bathroom once in my life but pumping is not as discreet.

I packed myself, a rolling suitcase, and a giant purse into the stall and set about trying to screw in bottles, insert tubing, put on my Hands Free Nursing Bra from Pumpease, and keep the pump balanced on my suitcase.  I turned the dial to ON and relied on the quiet pump coupled with the busting bathroom to disguise what was going on.

That experience turned me into a permanent believer in, and cheerleader of, the Pumpease.  I actually stood there and was pumped while Tweeting and taking photos of myself since I wanted to share the hilarity.

Right as I began squeezing Lefty to get the rest out since he is a bad pumper I heard the intercom announce that everyone on flight blah blah needed to be on board bound for San Diego.  Shit.

I put my parts back in the bags, threw myself back together, washed my hands and ran!  The male attendant and I smiled at one another and the next leg of travel began.

I strongly considered trying to pump on the plane since my seatmate was snoozing and I had a pleasant position in the bulkhead but I held off until landing.

Once on the ground I booked it to the nearest bathroom to relieve myself.  This time I saved my milk since freshly expressed breastmilk can stay out before being refrigerated/frozen for 4 hours.

The rest of the weekend and conference I had the luxury of pumping in my hotel room.  I even took my pump to another attendee’s room (Jenn of Life With Levi) who held a Pumping Party in her room.  many of the participants also donated their breast milk along with me (more on this tomorrow, but read more about my initial plans here).  I will admit to missing out on quite a few things due to the pumping.  I don’t regret it but it is part of the package.

Admittedly, I was a bad pumper.  On my busiest days I only pumped 4 times when I should have gotten to it at least 5 times.  The first full day and night in San Diego I woke at 5 am totally engorged since my son nurses at night.  I hand expressed in the bathroom enough to let me go back to sleep until a more reasonable hour to pump!

The biggest lessons I learned from being an EP (Exclusively Pumping) Mom for 4 days:

• Breastfeeding is Way Easier.
• Pumping takes more Prep Time and Clean-up time.
• Working Moms who Pump have a ton of logistical challenges, especially when faced with nowhere to pump.
• Traveling and Flying Moms who pump have it even harder.  There is no telling where your layover will be and what facilities you will have to pump in.
• To avoid washing parts all of the time store them in a freezer bag in your fridge between sessions (reader tip)
• Hand compressing your breast while pumping is helpful if you have a stubborn boob that doesn’t want to drain.
• A great Double Electric Pump is needed and a battery powered one is worth every penny.
• A hands free nursing bra will save your life.
• Keep a dribble cloth handy.

Pumping is HARD work when you consider the alternative of either breastfeeding a baby directly, or bottle feeding a baby formula.  In the earliest days of my first son’s life a pediatrician told me that it was OK to give up, some babies just don’t ever latch properly.  I could do as his wife did and just pump and bottle feed.  (Yes, a Pediatrician actually told me this!)

I thought hard about his statement.  My baby would still be geting breastmilk afterall, and I could skip the torturous nursing sessions that were leaving me shaking and crying from the pain.  Instead, I decided I would work with the Lactation Consultant and use a Nipple Shield until we had this thing figured out.

Even though I was about to breastfeed successfully there are certainly warranted cases of mothers who need to pump full time, and those who pump while working or away.  I already knew how admirable that was (seriously, pumpin’ mamas get my respect) but after experiencing EP first hand for 4 days I admire them even more!  Pumping gives the baby the benefit of breastmilk but requires so much more work.  It also made me understand a little more why some mothers end up switching to formula after they return to work.  I am so lucky to get to stay home with my boys and that makes breastfeeding so easy.  I honestly don’t know what would happen if I had to work for it.

Tomorrow’s Post will be about the 300+ Ounces of Breastmilk collected from over 10 moms at BlogHer to be donated.  Rock on.

Even though I’m being sponsored by these companies in some way I am telling the truth when I say that I love them!  Thanks again to Swaddlebees and Boba for their generous sponsorship that got me to BlogHer and to the other companies that made my boobies weigh less, look perkier, and be more productive!

When this post publishes I will probably be a few thousand feet in the *hopefully* blue sky on the way to San Diego for BlogHer ’11.  The irony for me during this year’s World Breastfeeding Week is that for half of it I’ll be on the other side of the country and away from my nursling.

140.25 Ounces of Blood, Sweat, and Tears

As a psuedo Attached Parent this is a logistical and emotional nightmare. I pumped virtually every single day for 30 days to make sure my baby would have enough of my milkshake for 4 days.  I was aiming for the low number of 100 but I made it to 140.25 ounces of liquid gold.  It would have been 144.25 ounces but one of my bags mysteriously leaked out.  I may have cried.  I seperated my milk into freezer bags with about 29 ounces in each bag, one per day.  And then there is another bag with 25 ounces extra in case he needs it.  I got that tip from a Twitter user and it is a fabulous one!

Everett has always taken a bottle so thankfully that is not an issue.  My first son never took a bottle, ever.  This meant I was never away from him more than 2 hours at a time for the entire first year and beyond).  Still I have never left Fletcher for more than 8 hours and I’ve really never left him overnight either.  I even gave birth at home to avoid that for crying outloud!

I trust that my chunky monkey will take his bottles and even eat solids to stay alive.  Thank Goodness for small miracles.

My heart

But here is the kicker: he sleeps in bed with me every night and has since he was born.  Sure he spent a few hours here and there in his hammock, Mamaroo, or crib- but the majority of his nights are in the crook of my arm.  He has slept wonderfully since day one.  He sleeps all night starting at 7:30- 8:30 pm until 6:30- 8:00 am.  He wakes to eat then turns his head and falls back asleep.  I can count the number of times I’ve had to get out of bed to get him back to sleep on my fingers and toes (he is a baby afterall).  If it weren’t for co-sleeping I know I would have lost a lot more sleep.  That is all well and good until you take me out of the equation.

I need your help! What have you done when you leave your co-sleeping, Exclusively Breastfed baby home with Daddy? Did Daddy sleep with the baby in your bed?  Did he rock the baby back to sleep each time they woke and put them back in the crib?  Did the baby demand a middle of the night bottle?  I am so clueless…

My husband is a deep sleeper and refuses to sleep with Everett since he is so young.  He will sleep with Fletcher when the rarity occurs that he ends up in our bed.

I’m hoping you, my wonderful and knowledgable readers, will offer your nuggets of wisdom to my husband.  I have instructed him to read this post and comment/ ask questions if he needs to. A part of me thinks he has no idea what he is getting into but the other part is confident he can handle it.  He has really grown into a wonderful father.  I don’t think I would have considered this when my first son was 9 months old even if he did take a bottle.  That is probably more to do with my first time mom jitters than anything but I definitely see how much hubby has grown in the 2.5 years he has been a dad.

I’m leaving him with a long list of cloth diaper washing instructions, breastmilk storage, heating, and handling instructions, the boy’s (general) nap and bedtime schedule, and a house full of clean clothes/diapers.  I’ll also be leaving him with my Boba for Everett.  It is my manliest and best fitting carrier for him.

If there is any silver lining to being away from a nursing baby for 4 days during World Breastfeeding Week it is that I will be able to donate my pumped milk to another mother through Eats on Feets.  I’ve never donated milk before but I am thrilled that my liquid gold won’t be going down a drain.

Wish me luck on my first trip away from my family (and hopefully last for a long time.)

A HUGE THANK YOU to Swaddlebees and Boba for their generous sponsorship that is getting me to BlogHer and to the other companies making my boobies weigh less, look perkier, and be more productive!  Much love coming at ya!

One of the hardest things about planning to go to my first blogging conference- BlogHer ’11 in San Diego this August- was deciding to leave my nursling at home with his father. My son will be 10 months old when I go.  Many people think 10 months is almost time to wean but not me.  I’ll be nursing my son until he is ready to wean, whenever that is.

Other than physically leaving my two boys and husband, the next cause for concern came when I realized I needed to pump enough milk to last for the 4 days I would be gone. Yikes!  That is a tall order, especially since I only have a single pump.  And pumping while gone with a single?  That would be a nightmare!  It would take twice the time to relieve my breasts.  Instead, I’ll be pumping with a Hygeia Double Electric. {Full Disclosure- they are sending the pump free of charge as my Pump Sponsor for BlogHer}

And what about while I’m away? Traveling with breast milk is something I am very afraid of.

I’ve read the stories of women who have had to fight with the TSA about their breast milk and in many cases they either missed their flight or had their milk X-Rayed.

Like this one.

Or this one.

Or this one.

All because of breast milk.  You know, that amazing fluid designed for babies that meets all of their nutritional needs and is formulated to suit them at every age and stage? Yeah.  It just so happens to be dispensed through a nipple on those jiggly things men like to look at called Boobs.

Even though theoretically the law and TSA regulations are on my side I just don’t want to chance it.

That is why I have decided to donate the milk that I pump while in San Diego to a local family through a peer milk sharing program (Most likely Eats on Feets Southern CA).  I will have 3 full days worth of breast milk which will translate to about 80-110 ounces.  I’ve never exclusively pumped but I am just guessing based off of what I get from each breast when I do a single pump, and have multiplied that by how many times I will likely pump while away each day.    I realize this isn’t a ton but I know it can be of help to someone. I would much rather donate it than risk losing it or contaminating it at the airport. Plus the logistics of a full day of flying with a cooler of breastmilk makes my head hurt.

If you are pumping at BlogHer and want to skip the hassle of traveling home with milk, don’t let it go to waste! We can all donate our milk together to one family or you can find a family to donate to individually. I will create a group either on BlogHer or on Facebook if there is enough interest, just let me know in the comments.

I do not have a recipient lined up yet for my milk in San Diego.  In case others wish to donate with me we could potentially donate all of our milk to one family.  As a reminder, peer to peer milksharing (more on this) is something both parties will willing go into fully aware of the risks involved. There will be no money exchanged and the milk will not be screened.  It is up to me to be forthcoming about what could be in my milk (dairy or other ingested foods that could cause an allergic reaction in some babies, or even alcohol) and the recipient to understand those things.  If I do drink while away chances are I will dump the milk I pump after since I am donating it.  I do feel comfortable breastfeeding my own baby after one or two drinks but others may not.

I am absolutely terrified of coming home to a baby who no longer want to breastfeed but multiple people have reassured me that he will go right back to the breast when I get home.  At least I know that my milk won’t go to waste while I’m away.

Are you a Lactacting Lady going to BlogHer ’11?  Would you consider breast milk donation?  If so leave a comment!  If enough people are interested I’ll create a group to help plan this potential multi-donor transaction with a local San Diego family.

Wendy, inventor of  PumpEase, contacted me about doing a review.  I really wanted to work with her because I know they are a fabulous company but frankly, I don’t pump very often.  If you follow me on Twitter you know that I only have a single pump and when I do get around to it I tweet the entire time about how much I despise pumping.  But I have a friend who pumps, and pumps, and pumps.  I knew she could give this a real work out, and she did!  Read about her experience with the Pumpease and how it saved her back and her sanity!  Plus keep scrolling for a coupon code and giveaway!

Organic PumpEase

I was recently asked to review the Pumpease Organic Pumping Bra for Dirty Diaper Laundry. I’ll start with my favorite thing about it….I’m using it right now. Right this second I am double pumping as I type this review. THAT, is my favorite thing. Let me backtrack and give you and idea of who I am and why I like that so much. My name is Ginni, I am a SAHM/doula/nursing mom/milk donating mom with 4 kiddos. I pump 2-8 times in each 24 hour period, typically 5-6 times a day/night. I have a 7 month old nursling and I also pump for a 6 month old that was born via surrogacy and cannot be nursed by mom, but through donation is exclusively breastfed.

I stay home with my kiddos every day, and 3 nights a week I am an overnight in-home baby nurse/postpartum doula for newborn twins. I pump a couple of times during my shift when the babies allow, usually twice between midnight and 8am. I have to have milk on hand for if my son wakes during the night and I’m not there. I also attend births and have to always have a minimum of 24 hours worth of milk for him for if I get called to a birth. I have various workshops, training courses, client interviews/prenatal appointments, commitments and occasionally even…. *gasp*…..SOCIAL EVENTS! Some of those require (or are just better!) not bringing my 7 month old with me. Oh look! My bottles are full! I can turn off my pump and continue! Didn’t even notice.

So as you’ve probably noticed, my schedule is a little full, and multi-tasking is crucial to my family and career balancing and thriving like it is. Kim specifically spoke to me about this product and said “If anybody needs this, it’s you!” and she was absolutely right. This bra….I love this bra. It has taken the frustration out of pumping really. I hate pumping. It’s not fun, it’s not comfortable, it’s time consuming and well….unattractive. I feel very awkward sitting on my couch with both boobs hanging out hunched over trying to be at least SOMEWHAT discreet while answering my 8 year old son’s question about where his baseball glove is. I don’t mind nursing in front of them, I don’t mind nursing in front of anyone really. But pumping is different…it looks weird and I feel very exposed when I do it around anyone. I mean…I have to take both boobs out and basically sit there with them hanging out, and this machine that’s making them look strange and making a bunch of noise for 10-15 minutes, several times a day. Who wouldn’t love that?

One of the things that I love about the Pumpease is that it eliminates some of that lack of discretion for me. I am basically wearing what from the front looks like a sports bra/tube top. I am quite covered up. I have used it with and without a nursing bra underneath, and it functions efficiently either way.

The next thing I love about the Pumpease is that my back has stopped hurting. I realized that instead of just sitting and holding the pumps with my hands and waiting to be done, I was multi-tasking and using my hands anyway….just not very well. I would answer the phone, wipe my 2 year old’s nose, type an email one handed, try to eat, etc, while pumping. Do you know how to do that? You know, you get everything out of your lap, lean over and hold the bottle part of the pump on one side between your thighs and have that hand free! While bent in half slightly turned to the side….for 15 minutes. Yeah…..functional, but quite painful after doing it several times a day. This bra has taken that away. I actually forgot to put it in my pump bag the other night going to work and was NOT very happy when I sat down to pump without it. Amazing how quickly we get spoiled!

In short, the Pumpease is very simple, very comfortable, very modest and has given me back a couple hours a day of functional time…and I didn’t have those couple of hours to spare. I would highly reccommend it to any mom that is regularly pumping and doesn’t have the time to waste. Thank you to Pumpease and to Dirty Diaper Laundry for providing me with this opportunity to review something that I wouldn’t have thought I would want to buy, but now can’t live without!
Ginni is a mom to 4 kiddos, a doula, and an all around busy lady!  If you are in the San Antonio area she is also helping coordinate The Great Cloth Diaper Change there.  Her website:
www.lovingbeginning.com

Your PumpEase hands-free pumping support will hold your breast pump in place as securely and comfortably for your 1000th pumping session as it did for your 1st. Our patent pending, ‘no-stitch’ horn openings accommodate ALL makes and models of pumps guaranteed.

If you decided after that amazing testimonial that you need a PumpEase too, use the coupon code: DIRTYDIAPER15 for 15% off on Pumpease.com.  And did you know that 2.00 from every PumpEase sold on their website goes to Best For Babes?! Love it!

Oh, and I get to give one away!

One lucky DDL Reader will win their own PumpEase Hands Free Nursing Bra in their choice of size/color/style!

Mandatory Entry:

(1 entry) Tell me your favorite color or style of Pumpease available.   Leave it as a comment along with your contact email.

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

(1 entry) Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “Free up your hands to tweet this while pumping!  Enter to win a @Pumpease from @KimRosas!  http://d28gc.th8.us Ends March 21.”Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet. 1 entry per day.

(3 Entries!)  Sign up for my Monthly Newsletter. Leave a comment saying you did.

(1 Entry) Follow @PumpEase and/or @Snugabell on Twitter. Leave a comment.

(1 entry) Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

(1 entry) Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

(1 entry) Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

(2 entries) Blog about this giveaway and link to it. Post a link in the comment.

(2 entries) Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

(1 Entry) Click “Share this” and share this giveaway on your Facebook page. Leave a comment.

(1 Entry) “Like” PumpEase on Facebook. Leave a comment.

(1 Entry) “Like” Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook.  Leave a comment.

(1 Entry) Go to Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook and start a discussion or reply to a discussion.  Tell me what you did. Just leave your comment

(1 Entry) Subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Leave a comment.

(1 Entry) Subscribe to the PumpEase YouTube Channel. Leave a comment.

Giveaway ends on March 21. Winner will be chosen using And the winner is…. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn. *Open to US and Canada*

Ginni was sent a PumpEase for the purposes of the review.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% genuine and her own.

This review was written and performed by Kristen, DDL Contributor.

I was given the opportunity to review the Hygeia EnJoye personal breast pump.  I had never heard of the brand before, and had previously used Medela products or manual pumps.  I was excited to try it and was certainly not disappointed.

Anyone who breastfeeds or pumps knows that looking at, listening or thinking of your baby helps with let down.  Hygeia took this knowledge and applied it to their breast pumps by creating a CARE (Custom Audio Record Button) button, allowing you to record your baby crying an play it back, which among other neat features, is pretty brilliant in my opinion.

I was pretty intrigued with the opportunity to review this breast pump for many reasons.  One big reason is that this company designed their breast pumps to be “green”.  All parts that come in contact with breastmilk are BPA and DEHP-free and are one of the few pumps that are FDA approved to be safe for multi-users.  This means that you can re-sell or recycle the pump (send it back to Hygeia…address located on back of pump).  Many people do buy used pumps and I was one of those people…and I even used the pumps, until I learned that they aren’t really meant to be multi-user pumps.  So the Hygeia already was on my good side, because if you aren’t supposed to re-sell or re-use other pumps, where do they go??  Landfills??  That’s a lot of wasted pumps, so the idea that you can share this pump hygienically is pretty awesome (as long as you have your own Personal Accessory Set).

Why Hygeia Breast Pumps? It’s Simple…

• Risk – Free, 21 day return/exchange policy - Our Total compatibility Guarantee
• Clearance as Multi-user breast pump. Safe to share using a new Personal Accessory Kit
• Green Company, with recyclable breastpumps to protect the environment
• 3 year limited warranty, the best in the industry
• Unique C.A.R.E. button lets mom record/play baby’s cry or other sound, proven to help with letdown
• BPA/DEHP Free – all pump/kit parts that come in contact with breastmilk are safe for baby
• WHO Code Compliant supporting mothers and babies throughout the world.

So…all that wonderful stuff aside, how did the pump perform?  Well, I was able to try out the Hygeia EnJoye Dual Electric Professional Grade Breast Pump.  It was very small and came with a discreet drawstring bag to keep the pump and all supplies in.  It’s pretty simple and modern looking and was very easy to use.  There are two knobs, one to adjust the speed and another to adjust the strength of pumping.  This allows you to be able to mimic the different sucking patterns of your baby, which allows for optimum milk collection.  There is also the record and play buttons, where you can record your baby crying in order to help stimulate let down.  They do have a pre-programmed baby crying in there, which my 1.5 year old discovered by pressing the button and it scared the crap out of her!  Haha.  She was okay with it though once I recorded her sister crying instead.

When I was using the pump, I was pretty pleased with the overall feel of the pump.  I was able to easily adjust the speed and strength, and even at the highest settings, didn’t feel like my nipples were about to be ripped off, which has happened with previous pumps I have used.  The pump itself with really quiet and had a pretty consistent sound to it, which helped to make it more discreet.  One of the best features for moms who pump at work is that this pump has an internal battery.  This pump would have been my savior when I had my first daughter because I had nowhere to pump at work that was near an outlet.  If I had this pump then, I would have been able to pump in a bathroom stall (not ideal but hey, it would have been private and would have yielded the end result of pumped milk for my baby).  This is also great if you want or need to pump in your car (maybe even while driving if you are using a hands free pumping bra??), or if you go camping or even if your electricity goes out and for some reason you need to pump.  There are probably a million situations that I could think of where an internal battery would come in handy.

So anyway, with the aid of my recorded crying baby and the easily adjustable settings, I was able to get a lot of milk, and fast.  I have mentioned in other pump reviews that I have been able to use many different pumps and I can easily say that this pump is the best electric pump I have ever used.  I honestly don’t even know if I can think of any suggestions to make the pump better.  I guess maybe the bag it comes in could be cuter?  But seriously, I would recommend this pump to anyone who plans to pump, whether it be sporadically or regularly, over any other brand of pump out there.  Overall, I can’t think of any better pump to use, both because of it’s “green” rating and also because it just works so darn well.

Kristen was sent a Hygeia Pump to review, free of charge.  All opinions expressed are the writer’s and were not influenced by the company.

A few months ago DDL published a review of the Easy Expression Hands Free Pumping Bra.  Now the bra come in black as well!

The bra was invented by Gretchen Penny, a working mom who had to return to work and pump. She wanted a hands free way to pump and created Easy Expression.

EasyExpressions™ offers a Bustier ($34USD) and a Halter ($19USD) version that

• Work with all breast pump brands
• Accommodate bra sizes 30AA – 48H
• Made in the USA

An excerpt from the review by Katrina.  You can read the entire review here: Easy Expressions.

I was very impressed with the quality of the material and construction on the bra, and the cotton and Lycra blend was comfortable on my skin. The elastic around the bottom of the bra is very similar to that of a sports bra without leaving indentations in my skin.

Easy Expression wants to give a lucky DDL reader their hands free pumping bra in Black!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Easy Expression and tell me why you think this would be a good product for you based on the photos/ videos.  Leave a comment.

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “@EasyExpression Hands Free Pumping Bra Giveaway from @KimRosas. Ends 4/12 http://ikm46.th8.us #bfing #giveaway” Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet.

Follow Easy Expression on Twitter. Leave a comment.

Become a fan of Easy Expression on Facebook. Leave a comment.

Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

If you have my New Baby Event button on your blog you get 3 extra entries.Leave a comment for each one!

Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.

Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

New Entry: Become a fan of Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook and get 5 extra entries! To qualify, post on my wall with either your favorite review I have done (would prefer this to be diaper related but it can be another product if you don’t dig my diaper reviews) or let me know a diaper you want to see reviewed.  Then copy and paste what you wrote as a comment here.  Then, leave 4 more comments saying “facebook entry 2, 3, etc)

Giveaway ends on April 12. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

***Open to US and Canada***

This review was written and performed by Kristen, DDL Contributor, for the New Baby Event.

Milkies Milk Saver is a silicone cup that collects your breast milk on your non-nursing side.  When I first heard about it, I honestly thought it was a little strange but interesting.  I know that I leak a lot but didn’t ever think about collecting the milk from the non-nursing side while I breastfed.  Even once I read about it, I questioned how much I would actually collect while breastfeeding.

When I got the Milk Saver, I made sure to try it out while I was at home.  It does say on the website that you can slip it easily in your bra and it will be unnoticeable, but I wasn’t so sure.  After positioning it, I did find that it was mostly unnoticeable, but you could see the edge just a bit.  I am not sure if it is something that I would try to do out in public anyway, but it was easy to use for when I am nursing at home.

After using it the first time, I was totally surprised at how much milk was collected in there!  It seemed to be about an ounce.  I couldn’t believe that I was essentially wasting that much milk on my non-nursing side when I breastfed!  I was pretty excited that I collected that much and after my daughter was done nursing, I went to go put her down in her swing so I could empty out my Milk Saver into a storage bag.  Well, when I bent over to put my baby down, all the milk spilled out of the top of the Milk Saver and onto my baby and the swing!  Haha.  So, I learned the hard way to take the Milk Saver out of my bra, and rest it in the case it came with, which also doubles as a stand.  Fantastic idea!

Since then I have continued to collect milk with the Milkies Milk Saver, yielding different amounts each time.  However, I can easily get a few ounces a day.  It’s amazing to me that all this milk was getting wasted each day.  This product would be great for mom’s who need or want to store milk for future use.  I have no particular reason for “needing” to save my milk since I am currently a SAHM, but now that I know how much I can collect in one day, which would otherwise go wasted into a breastpad, I make sure to grab my Milkies Milk Saver so I can collect whatever I can for future use.

If you aren’t lucky enough to win one, you can find Milkies on their website or on Amazon.com.  They run 25-30.00 for a set.

One DDL Reader will reader a Milkies Milksaver! closed

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Mymilkies.com to learn more about this innovative product.  Come back to tell me something you learned about the product or the company.

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “Tired of wasting breastmilk?  Win a Milkies Milksaver from @KimRosas.  http://786iw.th8.us #breastfeeding”  Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet.

Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

If you have the New Baby Event button on your blog you get (3) extra entries. Leave 3 separate comments.

Blog about this giveaway. Post a link in the comment.

Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

New Entry: Become a fan of Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook and get 5 extra entries! To qualify, post on my wall with either your favorite review I have done (would prefer this to be diaper related but it can be another product if you don’t dig my diaper reviews) or let me know a diaper you want to see reviewed.  Then copy and paste what you wrote as a comment here.  Then, leave 4 more comments saying “facebook entry 2, 3, etc)

Giveaway ends on April 1. Winner will be chosen using random.org. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.  The reviewer was not compensated for this review however she was sent a Milkies Milksaver free of charge.  Please note that companies are in charge of sending the item to the winner once they are notified.

***Open to US and Canada***

Thanks to our new contributer, Kristen, and her adorable new baby, Suriah, DDL is going to have a big New Baby Event.  Why is it called, “New Baby” Event?  Well, because Kristen called little Suriah “New Baby” during her pregnancy, and it stuck!  We are going to roll with it.

There are going to be some great reviews and giveaways.  A sneak peak for you…

Shower Hug

Easy Expressions Hands Free Pumping Bra

Hygeia Breast Pump

Glamourmom Nursing Tank

Baby Bond Nursing Cover

My Brest Friend nursing pillow

Zutano Itzy Bitzy Newborn Clothes

And more!!!

I hope you will join me in spreading the word.  For anyone who posts the button on their blog before February 28, you get (3) extra entries into each giveaway!  All of this talk of new babies is giving me baby fever!

 Grab the code here:

<a href=”http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com” target=”_blank”><img
alt=”Dirty Diaper Laundry”
src=”http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/newbaby_20101.jpg”
/></a>

 edited to just show code.  I hope this helps, sorry, my HTML is not so good!   

Easy Expressions™ is a mom founded product by Gretchen Penny who created this hands free pumping bra to help her efficiently pump at work and allow her to multi task. Pumping can be a complicated process, especially for working mothers who absolutely need to pump both sides at once. You are either stuck holding to flanges for 20 minutes, or you can use the hair tie method. Neither of these are stable or allow your hands true freedom. I am always amazed by the mothers who work full time and pump to nourish their babies. I am lucky to able to stay home with my son so I cannot relate to having to pump at work. I will say that I admire pumping and working mommies the most because they work so hard to balance work and babies and keeping up their supply. This product is for them. I asked Katrina, a friend of mine who happens to work full time and pump, to review this bra. Here is her review:

I am a full time working and breastfeeding mom, to my nine month old son; I breastfeed when I am at home and he gets 2-3 bottles of expressed breast milk while I am away each day.

When I was offered the opportunity to try out the EasyExpressions™ Hands Free Pumping Bra I was very excited, I need to pump three times each day when I am at work and I try to add a fourth session in the evenings to add extra milk to my freezer. As you can imagine sometimes I get a little sick of looking at my pump, and holding the bottles and the whole ordeal.

I selected the Bustier version because it seemed it would be easier to put on and take off, and I chose a size Medium as I currently fluctuate between a 34 B and C bra size.

When I received the Bra I couldn’t help but to giggle, because it does look quite comical and a little scary.

My hopes for the bra would be that it was comfortable and convenient to use, ultimately it needed to work well enough for a new mom to make the purchase.

I was very impressed with the quality of the material and construction on the bra, and the cotton and Lycra blend was comfortable on my skin. The elastic around the bottom of the bra is very similar to that of a sports bra without leaving indentations in my skin.

When I zipped up the bra I was a little worried that my nipples did not line up perfectly with the holes in the bra, but it was not an issue at all. I was able to easily slide the breast flanges from my Lansinoh double electric pump into the holes and pump, HANDS FREE!

Hands Free and able to enjoy time with her son.

The first few times I used the bra I felt like I should still support the bottles because I would never want to risk spilling any “liquid gold” aka breast milk, but I soon realized that the bra supported the flanges perfectly and I did not need to worry.

The holes in the bra makes it a little difficult to wear as your full time bra, especially in a work environment, but you could always slide a nursing pad inside to cover the hole and wear loose fitting clothing if you did not want to carry it as an extra bra. I found that I did not need to take my regular nursing bra entirely off to use the Easy Expression Bustier, I could simply take the straps off my shoulders and attach the bustier over the top.

My favorite experience with the EasyExpressions™ was being able to nurse my son on one side and pump the other without struggling to hold onto him and a pump flange and that I could now pump while playing with him too. In my opinion the Hands Free Pumping Bra is an absolute must for any exclusively pumping mom.

After using the bra for a few weeks I am pleased that it has held up well being washed and look forward to continue using the product.

The only improvement I could see eventually being needed is a heavier duty zipper, the current one is still working for me but it is a thinner zipper that may be problematic with frequent use.

Overall my experience with the EasyExpressions™ Bustier was a very positive one, and I will recommend their products to other pumping mothers.

EasyExpressions™ offers a Bustier ($34USD) and a Halter ($19USD) version that

• Work with all breast pump brands
• Accommodate bra sizes 30AA – 48H
• Made in the USA

Easy Expressions™ has some handy tips for pumping mothers as well.

1.

Practice Pumping. Begin pumping a few weeks prior to returning to work so you can build up your milk supply and get the hang of pumping.

2. Talk to the Boss. Moms returning to work should consult with their bosses prior to their first day back and discuss what quiet and private space (with a door lock) will be a dedicated “lactating” room.

3. Get the Right Tools. A working mom will need to have the right tools in place if she is going to find success in pumping while at work.

Suggested tools include:

• A Good Pump: Working moms need a good, electronic double breast pump so they can quickly pump and return to work.
  

• Hands-Free Pumping Bra. The hands-free pumping bra was invented by a working mom in Houston. It holds the breast pump shields in place, freeing a mom’s hands so she can continue to work and be productive while she simultaneously pumps. It is a lifesaver to many working and busy moms!
  

• Storage Container: Moms should get a roomy cooler to discreetly store breast milk. The cooler should be stored in a fridge at work and it should include plenty of ice packs for on-the-go transporting.
  

• Extra Shirt: Working moms should keep an extra change of clothes at work in case breast milk gets on their work clothes.
  

• Pictures from Home: Moms should also bring along pictures of their babies. Experts say looking at pictures of their baby can aid in milk production and let-down

Giveaway is closed.
Read the full story