Our next meeting...

...St. Patrick's Day!

We are trying to reach out to other units in the hospital besides the NICU.  Next week is the Hospital Wide Breastfeeding Committee Meeting, where representatives from all inpatient units and some outpatient units come to discuss breastfeeding/human milk issues and ways we can best support our pumping/breastfeeding moms and staff.  The flyer for next month's meeting will be handed out so these representatives can distribute to moms on their respective units!

I am excited to feature Tator Tops Boutique for our next giveaway!  We will be raffling off these beautiful nursing covers and matching burp cloths to THREE deserving mommies :)

These Nursing Covers/Hooter-Hiders/Ta-Ta Tents are great for pumping moms in the hospital, as there are limited pump rooms and many moms prefer to pump at their baby's bedside which is anything but private!  For those moms who don't care about letting 'em hang out, good for you! But for those who are a little more self conscious, these nursing covers can help make pumping in public a little less stressful (trust me, as an exclusive pumper, I used a Boobie Blanket to pump in the car, airport, in front of guests...)!

I anticipate more yummy baked goods and refreshments (half-caf coffee and tea were NOT winners at the last meeting) donated/baked by NICU Breastfeeding Committee members! Thank you!!!

I hope we see some familiar and some new faces on March 17th!!!

Our first G.E.M.s Meeting!

It was SO exciting to see seven lovely, dedicated women arrive to our FIRST group yesterday afternoon! All are moms with children in the NICU with differing diagnoses, but all share the common thread of providing breast milk for their vulnerable infant!  We got to know each mom and her baby, and discussed pumping, milk supply, transitioning to breast, as well as myths/truths about breast milk and breastfeeding!
Here is what some of the moms had to say about the most helpful part of today's group:
"Relating to other moms"
"There was just a lot of good, useful information"
"[Learning] to keep a [pump] log to document time interval and amount"

Each mom received a hand-sewn satchel (modeled above by our beautiful participants; thank you Kim!) for storing pumping equipment, and Medela accessories (breast pads, lanolin, quick clean wipes). We provided some decadent muffins, truffles, scones, and fresh fruit...as well as Keurig drinks!

We also raffled off TWO sugar scrubs made by Sweet Sunny Girl. Thank you, Amy (fellow NICU nurse), for your sweet donation!!

Thank you, Moms, for a successful group. I hope you each walked away with some useful information, and ENCOURAGEMENT, as well as the power to advocate for your child and your plans to provide human milk/breastfeed!!!!

I am inspired by your stories and dedication to your babies, and I look forward to the next GEMs meeting in March!

The Inspiration...

...came to light during a conversation between two NICU nurses. 

One day, Kim told me a story of a critically-ill patient who was once on heart-lung bypass and recently had been doing great, was on full breast milk feeds, and almost ready to go home! Wonderful! Except, the baby was bottle feeding every feed and NO ONE told mom that her baby could finally attempt at-breast feeds! 

Most of our NICU moms give up on their plans to breastfeed, deeming it impossible since their baby is hospitalized (it is possible!).  And although some of our moms are committed to exclusively pumping and bottle feeding their child, for most, pumping-feeding-washing all day long is tedious work!  Other moms are never supported in transitioning their baby to breast in the hospital and then unsuccessfully try on their own to breastfeed at home.  Sadly, many moms give up on providing breast milk for their child once they are discharged home (sometimes even before they go home) even though the AAP recommends six months to one year of breast milk for all infants (and especially important for sick infants)! 

So, how can we support our moms???  There are breastfeeding support groups for healthy babies all over the country, but not one that I could find to support pumping moms with hospitalized babies. This is the population that needs the most support and education!   These moms are under a lot of stress, feeling helpless in caring for their child, are often separated from their personal support systems, and feel like they will miss out on the bonding experience of breastfeeding their baby!

Ta-Da!  The G.E.M.s Project was born!  Group of Empowered Moms is designed to support and encourage all moms with providing human milk for their hospitalized infant.  We will educate our moms on the Transition to Breast Pathway and give them the confidence to advocate for their plans to breastfeed to the nursing and medical teams!

I reached out to the Etsy community to help me with this cause, and I am overwhlemed with the encouraging responses and donated handmade goods to gift to our moms!  We have received sweet sugar scrubs, cozy boppy covers, adorable burp cloths, and whimsical nursing covers!!  Thank you to everyone who is helping us make this support group a success!

I hope you continue to follow us along this G.E.M.s adventure, as I will post regular updates and  pictures!!!!