When I took a picture of this crystal-studded breast pump, I didn’t realize one could actually order the product. I thought the company had produced it just for fun, to attract attention at a baby products trade show. It worked — I posted it on Instagram and Twitter — so if it was social media the brand was seeking, they got it. And guess what? If bling’s your style, you can order one just like it.
Other products I have encountered on my numerous trips to the ABC Kids Expo have offered a more quiet style of genius, and I wanted to share them with you guys.
1- Milkies milk trays for freezing pumped milk. Since the traditional square shape of ice trays results in a cube too wide to drop into many bottles, these templates were designed to generate 1 oz “milk sticks” that can do the trick. The storage system provides 16 cavities and an air-tight lid that keeps out freezer burn or freezer smells. Once frozen, pop the milk sticks into a freezer bag for storage, giving you flexibility to create bottles of any volume. When baby is weaned, use the trays to freeze baby food. {Find them at Amazon.com}
2- Simple Wishes hands-free pumping bra + {coming soon} all-day bra. The sturdy hands-free pumping bra from Simple Wishes has been around for a while now. (Three cheers for San Francisco sisters Joy, Keren, Lydia, and Debra for founding this company!) And now, they sell an all-in-one nursing and pumping bra, meant to give women enough comfort and support to wear it throughout the day.
Unlatch it to feed baby, but also use the slots in the front to hold up pump flanges and bottles that are getting heavy (we hope) with milk.
3- Milk It Kit for pumping moms who return to work. Adorable vintage-styled signs to hang on the door and to label expressed milk in a shared fridge. “Not for lattes”! Ha! This is a cute gift item, and moms who have ever lost any breast milk will appreciate the company’s “Will cry over spilt milk” onesie. {Find the labels on Amazon.com}
Sarah Wells “Annie” Breast Pump Bag (Black)
4 – Breast Pump-friendly handbags. That’s right, handbags, not breast pump bags. Stylish purses — or my preference, backpacks — Â that are made special by the engineering of compartments designed to tote breast pumps and milk in addition to the stuff you’re already carrying. If the black nylon backpacks that come with most pumps are not your style, maybe one of these bags is. Obviously file this under nice-to-haves, not must-haves. {Browse choices.}
Photo:Â Sarah Wells backpack
5- MilkMaker-brand cookies support lactation with organic ingredients. One thing you may not know about Heather is that she is always hungry and she is very particular about food. Since she loves these lactation cookies, I feel pretty good about putting this link here. Individually wrapped for your on-the-go snacking convenience, these cookies are made with nourishing ingredients that help moms make more milk. We’re not going to lie: these are expensive cookies at $1.50-$2.00 per serving, but compare to something you may buy as a snack at Starbucks, this is a far healthier choice for your money. One of our contributors tried a competitive brand of lactation cookies and did not recommend them, so stick some MilkMakers in your diaper bag. Then stick them in your mouth.
6- Undercover Mama tanks turn any shirt into a nursing shirt. While I’m sure your postpartum jelly belly is truly beautiful, you might not want to reveal it everywhere you might be feeding your baby. Once I was wearing a terrible shirt for nursing and had to feed my baby in a coffee shop on a road trip in a not-super-progressive part of the state. I was hot with embarrassment, but had no choice but to let it all hang out. I wish I had known about these garments which hook on to your nursing bra, creating a second layer of shirt that stays around your torso when you lift your top or open your cardigan.
Comes in many colors and sizes up to XXL. They even have one with a slimming panel built in, but we love ourselves just as we are, so we don’t need that, right? Right? {Find Undercover Mama “tanks” on Amazon.com}. This thing is more expensive, but rookie moms seem to like it. And this one is pretty cheap, and comes in tons of colors. I’m loving the clever way you access your boobs between the top two layers, but what do I wear for support? Just let mah straps hang out?
Can you believe this is a nursing top? So clever! {Source}
7- Soothing gel pads for sore nipples. I cry for those of you who are going through this right now. It hurts so much!
