Four
calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves…and a full peaceful night of
good sleep.
Beyond
that, what could you possibly wish for this holiday season, Mama? Well, in case
your under-slept, overly-taxed mommy brain is drawing a blank, let us make a
few recommendations of items to help you as you pump, feed, and mother your way
into the new year.
Breast Pump
Accessories – You could never have imagined how exciting these accessories
are. They will make your daily pumping life easier and happier—and make you a
very, merry mama.
- Freemie Hands-Free Collection Cups fit amazingly under your shirt for total convenience. And they are compatible with all breast pumps!
- The Medela Breast Pump Shoulder Bag is chic and handy and compatible with the Medela Pump In Style.
- The Medela Accessory Starter Kit is compatible with all breast pumps and includes the following:
o 30 ct.
Disposable Nursing Pads
o 20 ct.
Pump and Save Bags
o 5 ct. Quick
Clean Micro-Steam Bags to disinfect your breast shields, accessories,
breast milk bottles, nipples, pacifiers and more in about 3 minutes.
o 2 oz.
Tender Care Lanolin tube
o
24 ct. Quick Clean Wipes proven safe for cleaning of
breast pumps and accessories as well as high chairs, tables, cribs and counter
tops.
Baby Scale – Admittedly, the
Baby Weigh II
Scale
is one of those things that you had no idea you would ever need until you knew
it existed. Ahem…you’re welcome. The technology of this sensitive scale
actually allows you to confirm your baby’s milk ingestion and digestion, which
makes one less thing for a worrisome mama to worry about.
Pumping and
Nursing Undergarments—Not super sexy, but oh so super convenient, these garments
are pumping game-changers.
- The Ameda Intimates Nursing Camisole offers full support and doubles as a super soft and comfy layer underneath your winter sweaters.
Resources for
the Nursing/Pumpers—For those of you balancing bottle-feeding with breastfeeding,
we found these two items helpful.
- The Calma Bottles from Medela were designed specifically with you in mind. Created from “evidence-based research on babies’ natural feeding behavior,” we like both the shape and suction of these innovative bottles.
- Balancing Breast & Bottle: Reaching Your Breastfeeding Goals by Amy Peterson, (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)) and Mindy Harmer (Speech Language Pathologist) was written in the absence of plentiful authority as the “definitive guide” for those of us trying to achieve this delicate balance.
Additional
Books – For
valuable information, insight, and the occasional commiserating burst of
laughter, we simply like these two books.
- The Milk Memos: How Real Moms Learned to Mix Business with Babies—and How you Can, Too by Cate Colburn-Smith is based on actual journals kept by a group of female IBM employers through their visits to the designated lactation room.
- Mother Food: Food and Herbs That Promote Milk Production and a Mother’s Health by Hilary Jacobson includes invaluable tips from dealing with food sensitivities and building milk supply and is cited on the reading lists of many lactation consultants, midwives, and birth preparation teachers.
Just Because
Extravagances – You’ve been working so hard—nursing and pumping—to give
your little one everything he or she needs to grow strong and healthy. It’s
okay to ask for everything you want too. Beyond the many conveniences cited
above, here are some of the extravagances completing our wish lists.
- A manicure/pedicure because we need a little pampering.
- A new matching set of underwear that is non-nursing, preferably lacy, and totally impractical because we need to remember and honor our beautifully empowered and PM (pre-mama) selves.
- Babysitting coupons from our in-laws because everyone wants to feel useful!
- A trip to Bora Bora (in ten years). But let’s get it in the calendar anyhow.
Happy
Holidays all you mamas. You deserve it tenfold this year! So go ahead and wish,
wish, wish (and then ask, ask, ask) away.
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