Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Great group on Saturday!  It was intimate, and all familiar faces from our previous meeting! I felt we were able to discuss more at length about some of the concerns the Moms have!  Our moms were also offering advice and support to each other, it was awesome!

One important topic we discussed was how to continue pumping when returning to work! This can be so stressful for any mom, trying to fit in an appropriate number of pumps in a work day.  It is especially stressful for a mom with low milk supply who is eager to give her sick child the best nutrition and immune protection!  It is essential to communicate with colleagues/manager about your plan to pump, and about appropriate locations for pumping, NOT in a bathroom or closet!!  Although difficult to pump every 3-4 hours while at work, it is important not to stress, and to fit pumps in when you can: before going to work, at lunch, and before heading home, before bed.  On the weekends or days off continue with a 6-8 pumps/day schedule.  Too much concern about the perfect pumping schedule is more likely going to lead to quitting, but even four pumps in a day is better than zero!  Also try cutting vertical slits in a sports bra to hold the pump flanges in place, to make the session hands-free!

 "What is Speech Therapy"?  ST assesses our NICU babies for readiness to safely feed by mouth.  They listen and look for suck, swallow, and breathing coordination to make sure the infant isn't aspirating milk into the lungs.  For moms who intend to breastfeed, ST should assess the baby at the breast!  Babies often perform milk transfer better at the breast than by bottle, as they can control flow better!

Cloth versus disposable breast pads?  We recommend using disposable breast pads, as there is a risk for yeast growth in the cloth pads, which can lead to mastitis.  NICU moms often use the hospital washing machines and it may be difficult to optimally wash cloth pads, which should be washed frequently and dried completely to prevent yeast/bacterial growth.  Disposable pads should be changed as they get saturated.

Below is our spread of free goodies for the moms who attended!  Each mom received a hand-sewn satchel for her pumping equipment, Medela lanolin, clean wipes (for cleaning pump parts on-the-go!), breast pads, and our GIVEAWAY of the Month: Tator Tops Nursing Boutique nursing covers and burp cloths!

Winners of our Tator Tops giveaway!

Thank you to my NICU colleagues Sherry, Liz, Ali, and Kim R. for the delicious treats and refreshments!  Kim K. also found Godiva chocolate "GEMS", perfect!

I congratulate all of our NICU moms who continue to pump through the emotional and physical ups and downs!  Remember, breast milk and skin-to-skin are incredibly important to a NICU baby's recovery, and unmatched by anything a doctor or nurse can provide!  Our pumping moms are doing their part in their infants' healing, and we should praise these wonderful ladies for the hard work they put in!  Great Job!