Moma Loves

I am joining in my fellow momma blogging friend Julia in her Saturday "Moma Loves".  I agree with Julia and have learned a great deal from reading other Mommy blogs.  I am excited to read the responses she gets from other bloggers about their most loved gadgets.

My "Moma Loves" product is Milkies Milk Saver .  I wish I knew about this product when I had Austin and we struggled with our breastfeeding issues.  I discovered the milk saver several months ago.  I read reviews and was intrigued.  I ordered two milk savers just a week before Aubrey's scheduled arrival.  When I received my package in the mail, I eagerly opened them.

1st impression - WOW, these are HUGE.  Definitely not discreet as the packaging describes.  I was a bit skeptical at this point.  But I was willing to give them a try since it was too much effort to return ship them.

I packed one milk saver in my hospital bag, just in case the opportunity presented itself to try out this new gadget.  Since Aubrey is a wonderful nurser, I never even took it out of my bag until we came home and I unpacked.

On Sunday (4 days post delivery) I first used the milk saver.  When I nursed Aubrey, I slipped the milk saver in my nursing tank on the opposite side that I would be nursing.  After my first usage of the milk saver - I was sold.  I collected 1ounce of "leaked" milk from each side - no pumping required. 

As of now (10 days post delivery) I collect on average 10 ounces per day from the milk saver alone.  I have a freezer stash of 70 ounces and counting.  *Not all of my stash is from using the milk saver alone, I have pumped several times in the past 10 days to relieve the pressure of engorgement.  I only use the milk saver during feedings.  For me, it does not seem practical to slip the contraption in my nursing bra/tank to collect any leaked milk throughout the day, as the packaging suggests.

As a mom who experienced a "low supply" with Austin, I feel this amount of a breastmilk stash at only 10 days is AMAZING.  I do not feel the pressure to save every last drop of breastmilk.  Nor panic when Aubrey spits up my "liquid gold".

I have three goals for breastfeeding right now.
1.  Produce enough milk for Aubrey to exclusively breastfeed until 1 year.
2.  Produce enough milk for Austin to be able have a cup of breastmilk each day.  This will give him the antibodies present in breastmilk to help him fight his food allergies.
3.  Donate milk to a bank to nourish babies born prematurely who greatly benefit from receiving breastmilk.

The milk saver has made these goals actual possibilities.  I realize that as my milk supply regulates to meet the demands that Aubrey has placed upon my body, I might not leak near the amount of milk that I currently leak.  But for now I am collecting the milk that otherwise would be thrown out in a nursing pad.

Random Fact

I just discovered a random fact about myself and thought I would share. 

I have been pregnant or nursing since March 2009.  Currently that adds up to 28 months. 

I plan to nurse our daughter for at least 12 months.  Which would add up to 40 months of pregnancy/nursing/pregnancy/nursing.

I realize this is by no means the longest straight stretch of pregnancy/nursing that exists.  But I did find it interesting.

I quickly "googled" to see what the longest stretch a woman breastfed one child - according to ChaCha.com, there is a document case of 7 years, 4 months.  I did not further research, but my best guess is this would be a mother and child in a tribe.  I have read many great breastfeeding stories about mothers in tribes - I feel those women are amazing milk producers.