The Marmet technique for hand expression has long since been the gold standard for teaching moms how to hand express breast milk.  Having the ability to hand express breast milk comes in handy if you want to harvest colostrum, alleviate a clogged milk duct or just need to get the breast milk flowing for the baby who needs extra encouragement to latch.   Before you begin, prepare both your body and your mind, by using massage or warm compresses as well making the environment comfortable and conducive to relaxation which will help with let-down.   If you ..read more

When a plugged duct turns into mastitis, it is not something that is not to be taken lightly.  How do you know if you have mastitis?  Usual symptoms are an area of your breast that is red and painful along with flu like symptoms such as chills or fever.   If you experience these symptoms, use this tactic:  Heat, Rest, Empty the Breast Heat:  Apply hot compresses.  If you don't have a hot compress on hand, use a disposable baby diaper with hot water in it.  This can be re-warmed in the microwave, but test on wrist before applying to breast. Rest:  ..read more

    Harvesting colostrum both antenatally (before birth) and postnatally (after delivery) is a great way to prepare for the unexpected.  Sometimes birth plans do not go to plan and having this liquid gold at your disposal in case of emergency is always a plus especially since colostrum is essential as baby's first immunization, highly concentrated in antibodies and nutrition to boost your baby's immune system.  In addition, if feedings are slow to start, colostrum can maintain your baby's blood sugar levels.   A colostrum collection kit makes it easy to have the ..read more

Just like a birth plan, sometimes, breastfeeding does not go to plan and some moms may need to supplement.  This does not have to mean the beginning of the end of breastfeeding if caution is used in how you supplement. Supplementing Baby at the Breast Often supplementation is only necessary for a short term while mom is regaining her milk supply or baby is having a frenotomy to release a tethered tongue to facilitate milk transfer. And the best method for supplementing formula is doing so while keeping the baby at the breast.  However, Supplemental Nutrition Systems are often expen ..read more

  Every mom wants to get the most out of the time she spending pumping!  One of the best ways to make sure your pump is effective is to ensure your breast shield flange size is optimal.  An optimal fit engages the milk sinuses by compressing the areola the right way without causing nipple pain. The infographic above shows you what to look for when you are pumping.  Most pumps including the best-selling Spectra breast pumps, include a standard flange size which is often 24mm.  Many moms find that is too large and opt for the 20mm breast flange.  And there are a f ..read more

 Our biggest sale of the year starts now with web-buster breastfeeding deals on feeding and pumping supplies starting at just .99 cents!  Black Friday Sale includes Spectra, Ameda, Pumpin' Pal, Motif, Breastmilk Bandit, Bravado, Leading Lady, Amamante Nursingwear, JuJuBe and more! Shop now for best selection as quantities are limited! Happy Hunting! Tanya ..read more

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 ..read more

Pregnant and nursing mothers need to be aware that mercury 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 Inf ..read more

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, rem ..read more

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 ..read more