Giveaway Alert! Win a Hands-Free Pumping Bra from Easy Expression. Details at end of post! ECO-ngratulations! Ruth is the winner of the Hands-Free Pumping Bra! Check your email for details!
As a working mother of two I have become very intimate with expressing milk (pumping). With my son I worked out of the home in a traditional office setting and had to pump almost every day once I returned to work. Each day my Medela and I would make our way to the office. I was the first pumping momma in my office but I wasn’t the last. I had a very great group of co-workers who quickly understood that if the door was shut that they shouldn’t open it (unless they wanted to get squirt with milk!). I kept up with pumping for the entire first year.
Now it’s 6 years later and I find myself in a different environment. My full time job takes place right in the comfort of my home. I have to travel a few times out of the year but for the most part I am a jammie worker (I work in my home office in my jammies!!). Until about two weeks ago our second child, Lil’ B, was at home with me (and the nanny). It was a great arrangement because when she was hungry the nanny would bring her to me and I would feed her. It was very rare that I would pump during the day unless I was swamped with projects and/or meetings. Now I’m back in the world of pumping during the day. Lil’ B is now going to an in-home care with a really sweet lady a few miles away. Her very first day there I came into the harsh realization that I needed to pump…A LOT! My stock in the freezer had been diminished down to only one or two bags. I’m finally caught up and have a whopping 4 bags in the freezer right now! WOO HOO!
Luckily Lil’ B is also eating solid food so her need for mommy milk is less but I still need to pump for her because I don’t want to quit breastfeeding. My body is able to provide her the perfect food so I want to continue giving it to her…even if it’s not always convenient. Pumping is not fun but it’s something you get accustomed to. You have this wonderful device that you attach to your breasts and presto you become a human milk factory! Some days I do feel like a cow on a dairy farm.
Statistics: Did you know that of the 74% of babies that have ever had breast milk (in the US) that only 21% of them will breastfeed through the age of 1 year? Did you know that the percentage is even less for working mothers? Only 10% of working mothers still breastfeed through the first year. (Source: Breastfeeding Facts & Figures)
I received a Hands-Free Pumping Bra (halter style) from Easy Expression recently and have a love-hate relationship with it. I never had a pumping bra with my first child, only nursing bras. I’ve seen these online but just never invested in one for myself. The halter style bra is designed to slip on only during the pumping process. My primary compliant with this style is that it slides on and doesn’t have a zipper, snaps, or hooks. This is very inconvenient if you are at work or traveling since you have to first take off your shirt to put it on. It’s not something you would want to keep on all day either since your breasts would not be covered. It doesn’t seem like the halter style would be very practical to the average working mother so I emailed my contact and asked some questions.
Easy Expression offers two different styles. The halter style like I received and the bustier style that has a zipper. If I were to order one I would definitely go with the bustier style since it would be easier to take on and off without having to undress.
Regardless of which style you choose the Hands-Free Pumping Bra will make your pumping time more productive. Your breast shield fits securely into the holes on the front of the bra and allows you to multi-task. You will no longer have to hold the shields to your breast and watch the clock! In fact, I was so caught up in an email one day that I actually allowed my bottle to overflow! It also makes it easier to start and stop your pumping session since you aren’t trying to hold them into place or worry about dripping milk all over the front of you. After using my Hands-Free Pumping Bra I can’t imagine life without it. Now…I just need to take some time and order me the bustier style so that I can use it while I’m traveling next month.
Update! After writing this post Easy Expressions sent me the busiter style Hands-Free Pumping Bra to compare. I have to say that I am much more impressed with the bustier than the halter style. The zipper is in the front and it fits quite snug. I took the bustier style bra with me on my last work trip and it was easy to take on/off over my clothes and fit nicely back into my pump bag. Well worth the extra few $$ if you ask me!
Buy It Now! The halter style Hands-Free Pumping Bra sells for $20 and the bustier style sells for $35. Trust me when I tell you it’s worth the extra money to invest in the bustier style! You won’t regret it. You can buy them from many online retailers; for a complete list visit Easy Expression. They may also be available at your local lactation center or hospital.
Win It Now! To win your very own Hands-Free Pumping Bra visit Easy Expression and leave a comment below telling me one of the 5 Tips to Get the Most From Breast Pumping. This entry is mandatory to be entered to win.
Extra Entries: (Leave me an individual comment for each extra item that you completed!)
1. Are you on Twitter? Follow both @TheEcoChic and @EasyExpression on Twitter.
2. Tweet about this contest. Include @TheEcoChic, @EasyExpression and a link to this contest in your tweet. (Max 5 extra entries during this giveaway for Tweeting)
3. Become a Fan of The Eco Chic on Facebook.
4. Subscribe to The Eco Chic in Google Reader and Share this post with your friends!
5. Add my blog button to your blog or website. Leave a link to your site in your comment.
LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS HERE TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY!
Contest will end on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 at midnight (EST).
Good Luck and Happy (multi-tasking) Pumping!
ECO-ngratulations Ruth! You won! Check your emails!!
One of the tips is “Don’t make it a chore.” I’ve found that this works pretty well for me – I enjoy the pumping time when I’m able to read or surf the internet, but I still feel like a heifer hooked up to a milk machine a lot of the time. It doesn’t really help that the noise my pump makes sounds a lot like moooo mooooo mooooooo!
I subscribe via Google Reader!
I follow you and Easy Expressions (I’m @mothergreenest)
pump early, and often! Great tip 🙂
Adventuresofanalicat at gmail dot com
Tweet!
http://twitter.com/mothergreenest/status/4474482659
I subscribe via reader!
adventuresofanalicat at gmail dot com
One of the tips is PATIENCE. I am a mother of a 10 month old and have had my ups and downs with breast feeding. I really only pumped when I first brought her home and my milk supply was so plentiful and then tapered off with pumping. I have had the breast infection,mastitis, several times and have been very discouraged with breast feeding in general and then decided to dive head first in pumping again. I thought no problem this will be easy and I will make plenty of bottles…. NOT. I was pumping for so long and not getting but an ounce, how discouraging. And being a nanny for twins while watching my own I found it extremely hard to pump “at work”. But with patience and determination to breast feed my daughter things have gotten a little better but not nearly enough milk to solely feed her breast milk I have to supplement so having this pump I think would do the trick and help in so many ways.
One of the 5 tips is don’t skip! Keep with your schedule!!
Following you and Easy Expression on Twitter! 🙂
Tweeted
Facebook fan! (BTW my Twitter name is @graciekate)
Get inspired.
Breast pumping at work or away from your baby? Viewing A photo or two of your precious child helps many mothers feel a little less detached.
thanks!
I follow you both on twitter as graygirly.
tweet! http://twitter.com/graygirly/status/4480897218
This giveaway comes at a great time for me. I’m having supply issues and need to pump to increase it. So the tip that resonates with me is #5 – Don’t Skip It. I know the importance but it is a commitment to you and your baby!
I’m a subscriber with google reader!
Pumpstation/Nursing Bras & Nursing Clothes
Absolutely amazing. It’s wonderful that you have put together such an inspiring blog., please check this informative site. Our mission is to nurture, support and empower all mothers with compassionate service, quality information and outstanding products. We serve as a breastfeeding resource center that educates, guides and encourages each mother as she learns to care for herself.
Abigail
too good, i loved that!
If I only knew that there are contest like this I would love to join and haven't buy my own pumping bra. By the way, congratulations to the winner. I assure you it really helps a lot.
If I only knew that there are contest like this I would love to join and haven’t buy my own pumping bra. By the way, congratulations to the winner. I assure you it really helps a lot.