by Wendy Bell, CLE
Editor’s note: A big thanks to Snugabell for their support of TLB and all breastfeeding women; please be sure to take a moment to thank Snugabell on their Facebook page for their show of support! You can also follow Snugabell on Twitter and Instagram: username @snugabell. Be sure to check out their special at the end of this article.
Have you ever heard a newborn cry as you walked through the grocery store alone…and suddenly felt your milk let-down? Your body doesn’t care if the cries come from your own baby or someone else’s, it’s got milk and it hears a baby in need. Lac-tivate the milk ducts! Nevermind that the baby you heard is three aisles over and now your shirt has two distinct wet spots front-and-center. (It gets better with time, but even moms who’ve been nursing for years report the occasional “HAVE MILK, WILL FEED BABY” response to baby cries overheard in public.)
Those baby cries are pretty powerful. Baby coos, too! That’s why bringing a photo (or better yet, video) with you when you pump is a great plan. Sweet little videos of your baby smiling, cooing, or nursing will help set your mood and mindset for pumping (and pull the same biological strings that the baby in aisle three). Sit down, take a deep breath, and think of your sweet little bundle. Get out that pic or video and think of the delicious baby scent as you relax and watch. Your body will be primed to let-down and give up the liquid gold goods! Close your eyes and mentally walk through breastfeeding: think of holding your baby and the wave of peace when cries are replaced with suckling that transitions to milk-drunk, sleepy satisfaction.That video may seem like a handy tool as you pump today, but it’s so much more. Having a few pics of your baby at the breast or a video of a nursing session will be priceless once this phase ends and the next begins. For now, though, hit those horns (pump horns, that is) with all you’ve got: relax, do some guided imagery, and use a photo or a video to reconnect with your baby as you pump. It might just help get the milk flowing, and it certainly never hurts to take a minute to bask in your little bundle.
To celebrate their SUPER exciting collaboration with Destination Maternity and A Pea in the Pod, Snugabell is sending PumpEase customers one of their fabulous Wet Bag absolutely FREE. Details here! The PumpEase design will securely hold your pump in place and is guaranteed to accommodate any breast pump on the market. The PumpEase bra like the one shown above makes multi-tasking a breeze for busy moms. Visit www.snugabell.com for more information about PumpEase
_________________
Speak Your Mind