Sharing Your Breastpump

Can mothers buy or borrow pre-owned breastpumps?

As breastpump retailers we are often asked whether buying or borrowing 2nd hand breastpumps is safe for mothers and babies. While retailers are usually supplied with plenty of information on sharing breastpumps it's not often passed on to their customers and many mothers don't realise the risks that can be involved.

Breastpumps, particularly electric breastpumps, are single user items much like a toothbrush, they are even registered with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA) as such. The inner workings of electric breastpumps are unable to be removed or replaced and can never be fully sterilized. This means the risk of cross-contamination associated with re-using a previously owned pump can never be completely ruled out.

There is some evidence that breastmilk can contain certain viruses, like CMV (Cytomegalovirus), HIV-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (AIDS), and HTLV-1 (Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1.) and if cross-contamination of baby's milk occurs these viruses may be passed to your baby. So while saving a few dollars on a second hand pump may seem like a great idea Mum & Bubs and Medela strongly discourage re-using and re-selling.

Don't forget at Mum & Bubs we are happy to arrange payment plan and laybuys for all our products including breastpumps, and if you have a limited budget we can suggest the best pump for your needs within your financial limits. After all we're here to support, encourage and provide solutions for mothers, who just like us, want the very best for their precious babies.

Flat or Inverted Nipples

Too often I hear mothers tell me they wish they'd checked for flat or inverted nipples before their baby was born and they caused complications with breastfeeding, so we thought we'd let you know what you can do about it.

Flat or inverted nipples are much more common than you might think, with an estimated 10% of first time mothers having them. Unfortunately for many mothers they lead to an inability to breastfeed successfully and can result in many hours of frustration, many dollars spent on equipment and formula and perhaps worst of all guilt at not succeeding with breastfeeding.

What surprises me most is how often flat or inverted nipples go undiagnosed, and how many mothers only find out later what caused their difficulties with feeding, especially considering how many women are affected. It's very easy to check yourself, and if you believe you may have flat or inverted nipples it is then simple to help draw them out using breast shells or a manual breastpump. We also recommending seeking the help of a lactation consultant.

What causes flat or inverted nipples?
it's simple really, the muscle tissue that makes up the nipple is not as elastic as it should be.

How do flat or inverted nipples affect breastfeeding?
The nipple stimulates baby's sucking by 'stroking' baby's palate. If a nipple is flat or inverted it is less likely to reach baby's palate and won't remind baby to suck. Often mothers with flat or inverted nipples note that their baby will suck strongly on a teet or dummy but is disinterested in the breast, and unfortunately many take this to mean that their child prefers the bottle, when really they just dont' know what to do with the breast.

How do I know if I have flat or inverted nipples?
If you are worried about flat or inverted nipples tell your midwife or LMC before baby arrives, if baby has already arrived talk to your midwife or a lactation consultant. You can also check your nipples yourself.

Simply cup your under under your breast and place your thumb above the areola. Press your thumb down and watch your nipple. A normal nipple will appear erect, a flat nipple will have no or little change and an inverted nipple will go concave (inwards a bit like a belly button)

Images from www.womenshealth.gov

What can I do if I have flat or inverted nipples?
It's very important to seek professional advice from a lactation consultant if you are having trouble feeding or if you have concerns. However they are likely to recommend the same things we do. Breast shells are brilliant at helping to draw out flat or inverted nipples and can be worn both during and after pregnancy. Pumping with a good manual breastpump is another great way to help improve the elasticity of the nipple muscle.

Price DEcreases and Specials

It seems as though prices are climbing higher by the minute sometimes! So we've bucked the trend and permanently lowered our entire Fabric Toy Range.

We also have a week long special on Bubzilla slings, our favourite pouch sling were $120 now $75 until the 16th of September only!

But our favourite price decrease is on the Baby First nappies which are down to just $16 each to celebrate their new TV ads airing on TV2 on Thursday September 10th at 9.20pm, Friday Spetember 11th at 10.00pm and Saturday September 12th at 7.50pm.

Welcome to Spring!

It's finally spring (well for all us Southern Hemispherians) and something that's got me really excited is that I'll be able to leave my dryer alone and get all my nappies out on the line. I've been washing nappies almost non-stop since 2005 and I can sometimes take the amazing properties of the sun and UV light (all in the context of nappy washing) for granted but at this time of year I can't help but be excited by them!

Perhaps the best thing about getting my nappies outside in the sun, or even just into the light, is that i know when they come back in a few hours later they'll be santized and germ-free. Just 2 hrs of UV light, not necessarily direct sunlight, will sanitize your nappies, and anything else that happens to be onthe line aswell.

The way the sunlight - or even moonlight - can get rid of stains is another thing that always amazes me. My nappies can come out of the wash with yellow stains that look like they'll never shift, even after multiple washes, but just 10mins in the sun or 20 under the moon and those stain disappear. It's magic and it happens so fast if you have the time you could watch them fade and shrink and disappear.

Finally I love how clean my nappies feel and even smell when I take them off the line. You just can't get that same feeling in a tumble dryer. As for smells, they can sometimes hang around a bit - usually when baby is teething and their urine is incredibly potent - but spending a sunny day on the line, or even better in the sun with a nice breeze, and there isn't a smell to be found.

And there's no need to remind you that using the washing lines saves power, so is kinder on your wallet and to the earth.

Happy nappy-drying spring!

World Breastfeeding Week is Over

World Breastfeeding Week has finished and once again it looks like it has been successful in raising awareness about the importance of breastfeeding. However what do you do if you can't breastfeed?

When my son was born we had a few small issues with him not putting on enough weight, and as a result I needed to pump and take a herbal supplement to increase my milk supply. My midwife gave me the support I needed and stayed on an additional week or two just to ensure we were feeding well and gaining a good amount of weight every few days.

Despite being able to feed successfully for a short time at 3 months my son's sucking began to change and he lost weight. Distraught I took him to his Dr, who told me "all women worry about breastfeeding" and sent me on my way without checking my son, how he fed or his weight. Fortunately Health Line were more helpful, sorting us out with a Karitane Nurse.

When we first met with the Nurse she advised me to give my son a bottle after each feed for the first day, and arranged a time to fit me with a lact-aide or SNS (supplemental nursing system) the following day. I was distraught, until then my son had been exclusively breastfed and like all new mothers in New Zealand I had read about the benefits of breastfeeding and the dangers of bottlefeeding and felt like I was in some way harming my son.

Breastfeeding your baby is certainly best, and it is worth giving it your very best and working hard at it if you experience difficulties. However, sometimes breastfeeding isn't possible and it is simply better for baby if they are supplemented or formula fed. If you have given it your best shot, and if you have the support of a health professional then you need to feel good and guilt free that you have done the best by your baby.

At Mum & Bubs we have plenty of products to help with breastfeeding and breastfeeding difficulties. We'd love to help answer questions, recommend products or refer you to the appropriate professionals.

World Breastfeeding Week

This year World Breastfeeding Week is focusing on the life-saving capacity of breastfeeding both everyday and in emergency situations. They want to ensure in an emergency situation, like flooding, earthquakes or even a pandemic that mothers have first priorty access to food, water and shelter and that they are provided with a safe place to breastfeed.

In an emergency situation breastfeeding your baby is even more beneficial, breastmilk can be one of the only safe sources of food and liquid for your baby and it will keep them fed and hydrated whenever they require. Breastfeeding also helps prevent post-partum haemorrhaging in new mothers, a leading cause of maternal mortality, and once again in an emergency situation when medical help can be stretched to it's limits or even unavailable breastfeeding shortly after brith becomes even more important.

Of course breastfeeding is not straightfoward. Many mothers find it incredibly difficult and most mothers will experience some problems or difficulties at some stage. So at Mum & Bubs we have a range of products which can help mothers overcome both common and not-so-common breastfeeding difficulties. We understand what it's like to both succeed and fail at breastfeeding, and we're committed to ensuring mothers can breastfeed their babies whenever it is possible.

Baby First nappies now come in PINK! And it's so pretty I'm having trouble trying to convince myself my son really doesn't need a pink nappy.

Pink is a new colour replacing red and ocean. Red has all sold out, and ocean is running low - so if you're a fan of ocean make sure you get here quickly and order before they're all gone.