September: Pumpkin Mania!

I say this because both Kim and I are excited about Fall and made pumpkin delicacies for the moms this month!  And they were delicious!!

As always, we offered Mothers Milk tea and encouraged our low-suppliers to drink it during the meeting!

We had another great group (and great turn out!), some returning moms, but a couple of new faces as well! We discussed the usual troublemaker: low milk supply, and some techniques to optimize the body's own milk production, as well as some supplements and medications.  The moms are so good at sharing their own experiences and have become integral in inspiring and motivating each other to keep at it!  We also discussed transitioning to breast, and transitioning to home having to pump,bottle, and breast feed!

 The cutie-pie in the middle sporting our GEMs t-shirts loved the pumkpin muffins, and told us how her mommy makes milk for her baby brother!  Two of the moms won CUTE baby leg warmers from BabyLegs, which are perfect to keep most of our babies warm, who cannot otherwise be dressed!  For other moms struggling with NICU stays, a GEMs participant told the group about bracelet charms and journey beads to help tell the story of ICU milestones reached, on PeekabooICU's website!  I think this would be a great giveaway for future meetings!!

August is National Breastfeeding Month!

I hope everyone had a fun, educational World Breastfeeding Week!  We ended ours on a great note, with nine moms at the GEMs meeting last week!  We discussed at length about low milk supply, you could see the stress in these moms' eyes.  However, I think the moms were offering great advice and encouragement, as they listened to each others' stories of hospitalization and pumping efforts!  Kim also passed out some information regarding nutritional needs of a breastfeeding/pumping mom, which is especially helpful for the stressed NICU mom who often forgets to eat or does not eat balanced meals!  It is important to eat well (an extra 300-500 calories per day!), stay hydrated (8-10 glasses of water a day!), try to relax (sleep!), and remember to pump frequently.

It was very inspiring to hear everyone's stories, because although the specific situations and diagnoses are different, all the moms shared a common bond in that they are worried about their children and worried about providing sufficient breast milk to help their babies heal and grow!  I hope the group provided good information and comfort!

This month we gifted a Nursing Pillow and one of our World Breastfeeding Week t-shirts!  From t-shirt sales this month we were able to raised over double the amount we raised in 2012 to help support GEMs...thank you to everyone!  And thank you, mommies, for the amazing time and effort you are putting in to make milk for your little ones...even the smallest amount each day will give them immune protection that we are unable to provide as health care providers!

Happy World Breastfeeding Week, Part II

Here are some pictures of CHOP's WBW events!

Our GEMs poster displayed in our hospital lobby, created by Kim and her crafty daughters!

Here we have our beautiful supportive nurses! From Left: Brianna O. (Breastfeeding Committee co-chair), Rosie W. (GEMs co-founder), and Kim K. (GEMs co-founder)

 Here are some posters created by other units in the hospital in support of breastfeeding.  These posters are entered into a  hospital-wide competition for best Family Education poster and best Staff Education poster!

Above we have CHOP's World Breastfeeding Week table, with informative posters, and a raffle of goods all donated by local vendors!!  The raffle is open to all employees and CHOP families!

Kim is modeling our 2013 GEMs t-shirts with the WBW logo on the back! These t-shirts are offered for purchase, proceeds of which will benefit GEMs!

What a great start to an important international event!

Happy World Breastfeeding Week, Part I

What a super relevant theme this year, "Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers"!  G.E.M.s was created to offer support and education for our moms of hospitalized infants, and throughout the months the impact has been amazing! To see moms gain confidence in their desire to provide breast milk for their babies is incredible, but even more inspiring has been the support these moms have given to each other!  One of the most common comments we receive from participants is that is is helpful to meet other moms in their similar situations with a sick infant, low supply, large supply, or just plain fatigue and irritation from exclusively pumping!  Kim and I applaud your efforts to giving your babies the best nutrition and infection protection, and also for supporting and encouraging other moms around you!

Also, a special shout-out (again) to the extra-special, and super important support person in a breastfeeding/pumping mom's life! that would be husbands/boyfriends, parents, friends, siblings...anyone who has cheered these moms on to continue pumping or breastfeeding, helped clean pumping equipment, and reminded moms of the importance of providing breast milk!  You are all the most influential people in a woman's life, and without your encouragement and support most moms would give up...so, Thank You!!

A most Happy World Breastfeeding Week to all moms out there who have provided their babies with one day or one year of breast milk for their infants, whether healthy or sick!  You are all changing our societal views about the normalcy of breastfeeding...please continue to encourage each other and if you find that you need extra support please reach out, to online support groups, as well as community support groups!

Back to Blogging!

It has been months since the last post, but our GEMs group has been going strong!  In March we celebrated our one year GEMs anniversary and treated our pumping/breastfeeding moms in the hospital to chair massages, with the support of our Health and Wellness Center and NICU managers!  The event was such a success that we hope to repeat it!

Our July meeting was so wonderful with new faces and a supportive husband!  A few of the women have problems with limited milk supply, so we discussed frequent pumping, transitioning to breast/non-nutritive sucking, skin-to-skin, and fenugreek.  We also had a mom with a large supply and spoke to her about cutting back on frequency of pumps as she was transitioning her child to breast and ready to go home.  The moms asked each other questions, and the dad also spoke up about pumping and asked a little bit about the science behind breast milk and it's importance beyond "it's the best nutrition"!

Dads and other family members play such a huge role in encouraging our moms to pump, and one mom admitted that she would've quit if it weren't for her supportive husband!  We need to thank our support people and acknowledge their participation in the pumping process, whether it's the record-keeping, equipment cleaning, cheering, or insistence to pump or breastfeed! 

Kim's daughters made delicious s'mores bars and Rosie made a yummy blueberry lemon cake for everyone to munch on....remember pumping/breastfeeding moms should consume an extra 300 calories a day! We also had plenty of water and Fenugreek Tea!

The raffle of the month was a Carseat Canopy

Great job, Mommies, and THANK YOU Daddies!!!

Remember World Breastfeeding Week  is August 1-7, and the theme is Mother's Support!  Let us know what, and WHO, encourages you to provide breast milk for your babies and/or ways that you motivate and support others!!

GEMs is official!

This week our new flyers and posters arrived, professionally designed and printed with the hospital logo! We are officially a hospital-associated-and-supported group!

We had a couple of new faces this month, along with some familiar beauties!  We talked about different scenarios for transitioning the babies to breast, and about finally initiating feeds, making all the pumping worth it!  We also discussed low supply: medications (Reglan, Domperidone, Fenugreek) and pumping tips to increase supply (pump both breasts at the same time)!

We also had our friend and colleague Celeste join us, she just certified to become a Breastfeeding Counselor and will be a huge resource to our moms, especially on night shift!  Another friend/co-worker, Emily, attended and spoke about her ability to better help our NICU moms as she is a breastfeeding/pumping mom herself!  I would love to see more of our colleagues show an interest and attend our meetings...they will learn so much about our moms, and how to troubleshoot any problems!

Our giveaways this month: another framed Alphabet Print by Almost Sunday Designs and a Boppy Cover by Bibs, Blankets, and More!

Mmm...seasonal pumpkin muffins made by Kim, and who doesn't love a doughnut hole?!

Thanks for joining us this month ladies!  What you're doing is amazing, and despite all the stress and downfalls you continue to dedicate yourselves to providing your precious baby with potentially life-saving and definite life-improving nutrition!

Back to school, back to GEMs!

This month we met with five beautiful and committed women!  Each were willing to share her story and her frustrations with pumping, low supply, and breastfeeding.  Most of all, they were there for each other, offering suggestions and personal experience.  Almost every mom commented that the most helpful part of the group was hearing each other's experiences and tribulations.  One mom said, "it was very uplifting, made me feel more calm about the whole thing", and another mentioned it was helpful "just being able to hear other people have the same issues".

We discussed the common problem of low milk supply, as well as the frustration of pumping and pumping and pumping, when a baby is unable to even begin feeding yet.  It is important to acknowledge the hard work and effort (mental and physical) that goes into pumping breast milk eight times a day!  It is so easy to say "Enough! I'm done!".  But for one reason or another these moms push through, and it is important to encourage them, cheer them on, and let them know how important their breast milk is for their child's recovery...something no doctor/nurse can provide!

I applaud all of you moms out there who are pumping for your babies, especially the sick little ones!  It's also good to be there for each other, share your successes and frustrations as you may inspire and help another mom!  No matter your milk supply, keep it up, even the smallest amounts of milk can provide HUGE protection for your infants!

We also had a couple of moms who were transitioning their babies to breast, and we discussed optimal feeding schedules and ways to advocate for their desire to successfully breastfeed to the medical teams!  With the right support from nurses, practitioners, and doctors, breastfeeding a once-sick, NICU baby can be successful!

Our dedicated Mamas!

We offered Fenugreek tea to help with low milk supply!

Delicacies provided by our friends Sherry and Rebekah, NICU Breastfeeding Committee members!

Our giveaway, courtesy of Almost Sunday Designs!  How cute!

Thanks for a wonderful group this month!