Giveaway! Evenflo Comfort Select Breast Pump!

I've been breastfeeding for over four years straight now, and the Guppy is still going strong. As much as I love breastfeeding and its benefits, every mom needs an occasional break, either going out for a date or getting a pedicure. That's where Evenflo's new Comfort Select Performance Breast Pump can come in handy.

Evenflo's Comfort Select breast pump was easy and comfortable for me to use, and perfect for pumping enough milk for your baby for that occasional get away. It's dual performance means the two individual pumps allows me to get twice the milk in the same amount of time as a single pump. Plus, all the components are BPA free and the packaging is WHO code compliant!

Evenflo's commitment to babies and moms really shows with this great, occasional use pump for moms that just need that occasional break. And now, you can win your own Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Breast Pump and a box of Evenflo Comfort Select Nursing pads!

Here's how to enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me what you would do on your occasional break. Shopping? Pedicure? Let's share ideas on how moms can get relaxed! You can also share your pumping tips.

For extra entries (please leave in separate comment):

1. Subscribe to this blog.

2. Blog about this giveaway and link back to the post.

3. Follow this blog.

I will announce the winner on Friday, May 22nd. The winner will have three days to contact me with their address before I announce another winner. This contest is open to US residents only.

For other chances to win an Evenflo breast pump, you can also visit Mom Central and share your tips on pumping there.

Giveaway! Evenflo Comfort Select Breast Pump!

The Adventures of Pumping: Don't Spill That Liquid Gold!

Welcome, readers, to the June edition of the Breastfeeding Carnival. Our topic this month is Pumping and Hand expression. Please be sure to visit the other blogs listed at the end of this post for more great stories, advice, and perspectives on pumping.

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When my oldest daughter was born, I stayed home with her for the first six months. Then I decided to go back to school and finish my degree. So, I went to WalMart and bought the cheapest pump I could find....after all, a pump is a pump, right?

Now that I look back, I thank heavens that I am a good pumper and was able to pump well, even with a inferior pump.

When my second daughter was born, I went to work part time at nights when she was six months old. This time, I was wiser and I bought the Medela Pump in Style. This pump was a dream come true: in ten minutes I could pump twice the amount it took me twenty minutes to pump with the cheaper pump.

All in all, my experiences pumping were positive. However, there were a couple of mini-disasters thrown in there:

Like the time I forgot my pumped milk out in the car overnight during the summer weather...

Or the time our freezer died and I had to toss out over 80 oz of pumped milk (that one made me cry)...

Or the time I decided unwisely to be a little lazy about pumping. The next thing I knew, my daughter hit a growth spurt and went through my entire stash in the freezer in one day. I had to miss a day of classes so I can pump enough to leave for her the next day....

The worst, though, happened at my part time job. I was the only supervisor on that night because the other supervisor was ill. I went back to pump, and right after my let-down reflex happened, they paged me to the front. I had to go. Now, I have a very powerful let-down (I can literally hit the ceiling), so I literally had to stuff my bra with toilet paper to catch the leaking as I ran up to help the customer. Not pretty.

Pumping is definitely an adventure. And not the easiest one. But it is worth it. Here are some pumping tips:

~ stay hydrated

~ try to pump at the same time during the day that your baby would normally nurse

~ To encourage the let-down reflex, try looking at a picture of your baby, or keeping close a blanket that smells like your baby, or even recording your baby's hungry cry to play back when you need to pump.

~ Make sure you get a good quality pump. Medela Pump in Style is the one I like to recommend for moms who have to pump often. Some insurance companies will even cover the cost of the pump.

~ Make sure you know how to store breastmilk properly. You can find great information on storing breastmilk at KellyMom and at La Leche League.

~ Remember that with pumping, as with a lot of things, practice makes perfect. If you and your baby have a healthy breastfeeding relationship established, you can start to pump two weeks before you return to work. Don't be alarmed if your first attempt doesn't yield much milk: your body needs time to adjust to the pump. You can practice by pumping before the baby wakes up in the morning, after the baby feeds, and after the baby goes to sleep. Store your milk from these practice sessions in the freezer to use as a backup stash - you are probably going to need it!

Other bloggers who are sharing their pumping experiences are....

The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog
The Attached Mother
The Hobo Mama
The Breastfeeding Mum Blog
Raising Baby Bee
Mama Knows Breast
Mike and Tonis

The Adventures of Pumping: Don't Spill That Liquid Gold!