Nursing Clothing Review: Old Navy Maternity Twisted Jersey Nursing Top

Old Navy Maternity Twisted Jersey Nursing Top

Price: $19.50 (I bought mine with a 20% discount, so $15.60.)

Fit: A bit on the large side. I ordered a medium but, if I had it to do over, I'd order a small.

Fabric: Great lightweight, non-clingy, slightly stretchy cotton jersey.

Aesthetics: Cute! Would likely be cuter in the right size.

Ease of access: My main complaint about nursing shirts that don't have a built in bra is that I have to deal with my bra clasps in addition to a shirt panel situation. That can be a lot to ask of a nursing mom, who is invariably working one handed while holding a squirming (and hungry!) baby or toddler with her other hand. This panel style worked great for me though . . . I reached in through the top of my neckline and unclasped my bra then simply tugged upwards on one side of the shirt's scoop-necked under layer to reveal a nursing opening. Uncovering the snacks took more time than it would in a full-sling nursing tank, but less time than it would in a "lift from the waist" clothing setup.

Ease of nursing with discretion: The design of this shirt allows you to control the size of the nursing opening, which afforded me a lot of coverage (moreso even than most full-sling style nursing tanks).

Recommended?: Yes, with the caveat that one should order a size down!

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I was not paid to review or endorse this product.

Meyers-y Monday

One Monkey, One Monkey, Drumming on a Drum
Dum ditty, dum ditty, dum dum dum

Supply Tip: Double Pumping

Disclaimer regarding supply: True low milk supply is rare. Perceived low milk supply, however, is one of the leading reasons women cite for giving up breastfeeding.

Genuine low milk supply is often the result of a medical condition: hypoplastic tubular breasts, sometimes in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, sometimes in women who have had breast surgery, and sometimes in women with tyroid disorders. If you don't fall into one of these categories, it is worth considering whether your milk supply issues might be either perceived, or real but fixable!

In this series on milk supply, I'm going to offer tips for moms whose supply issues are in the "real but fixable" category.

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"Double Pumping" is a term used to describe pumping both breasts at the same time. Since the let-down reflex occurs simultaneously in both breasts, pumping both at once can result in higher milk yields. It can also save time.

"Double Pumping" is ALSO a term used to describe pumping until let down, waiting 10-15 minutes, then pumping again. Lets call this "Double Pumping, the latter".

It is typical for a mom's milk to let down only once per pumping session. It is also typical for a mom's milk to let down several times during one nursing session. This divide can account for some of the difference between a mom's pump volumes and the amount her baby is likely to have taken at breast.

In order to effectively "Double Pump, the latter", pump until the flow of milk stops. Remove the pump shields and massage the breasts briefly (the MSS Technique, described here as item #3, is a great output maximizer). Pump again until the flow of milk stops. Then prop your pump parts up safely and step away for 10-15 minutes. Come back, and pump just until let down.

This technique can maximize pump yields in two ways: a) it creates the illusion of increased demand for milk, causing your supply to increase and b) you will net extra pumped milk in the second, brief pumping sessions.

It can be a lot of up and down throughout the day, especially for moms unable to pump at their own desks or workspaces, but the results tend to be well worth the effort for moms who are having trouble reaching their pumping goals!

The Chubathon

Quantifiers: A Study and Some Statistics

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of 12 months and exclusive breastfeeding, without any supplemental foods or drinks, for six months. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of two years, to continue thereafter for as long as is desireable to mother and baby.

Per the CDC's 2010 Breastfeeding Report Card, only 13.3% of babies are exclusively breastfed at 6 months, and only 22.4% of babies are breastfeeding at all on their first birthdays. There is no data on babies still breastfeeding on their second birthdays. The numbers for babies breastfeeding, although not exclusively, at six months is somewhat better: 43%

Why are American moms having trouble meeting the AAP and WHO's recommendations? Per a study published in Pediatrics in 2008, the number one reason cited for early cessation of breastfeeding was concern over the quantity and quality of milk.

We have a tendency, as breastfeeding mothers, to blame everything on our milk. Fussy baby? Must not be getting enough milk. Gassy baby? Must be something mom ate. Night waking baby? Must not have gotten enough milk in that last evening feeding.

The truth is: there are a myriad of reasons a baby might be fussy, gassy or wakeful, most of them having nothing to do with a mom's milk. (And I've yet to hear someone feeling ill after a bowl of ice cream wonder "what that cow ate?")

The mother of a formula fed baby wouldn't wonder if her baby was fussing or waking out of hunger because she'd have seen the milk disappear out of her baby's bottle. As breastfeeding mothers, what is our equivalent of "watching the bottle drain"?

* Weight gain. Baby should gain 1/2 an ounce to 1 ounce per day (4-7oz per week) for the first three months of life.

* Wet and poopy diapers. You should expect to see: 1 wet and 1 poopy diaper on the first day of life, 2 wet and 2 poopy on the second, 3 wet and 3 poopy on the third, 4 wet and 4 poopy on the fourth, 5 wet and 5 poopy on the fifth, and 6-8 wet and 3-5 poopy on day six and beyond. Good thing that trend didn't keep up, you'd have had a very busy day 15! (Keep in mind: After about 6 weeks, some babies start pooping less often. As long as baby is producing plenty of heavy wet diapers and gaining weight, this is likely fine. Of course, check with your pediatrician if you are concerned.)

* Hearing baby swallowing during a feeding. Here is a great youtube video to help you identify the sound.

* The breast feels firm and full before a feeding, soft and empty after.

* Mom can feel her let down reflex. However, do not be unduly concerned if you can't feel your let down! Many moms can't feel let down (myself included!). So long as your baby is gaining weight appropriately, you are assuredly producing and releasing milk.

* Seeing milk drip or leak from the opposite breast as you nurse. (Although, again, lack of leaking does not indicate poor supply.)

* Seeing milk in baby's mouth after a feeding, or in the corners of baby's mouth during a feeding.

And, a final note to pumping mamas, pumped milk volume is actually a POOR indicator of milk supply. Letting your milk down for the pump is largely psychological. It is very much possible for a mother with a bountiful milk supply to yield only drips when she pumps. Pumping strategy is another blog post, but for this post, let it suffice to say that one shouldn't invest too much worry over scantily filled collection bottles.

Chunky, milk-fed monkey.

Creative Breastfeeding

We took Rhys to Disneyland this weekend, which gave me opportunity to expand the list of unusual places I've breastfed. Specifically: on Pirates of the Caribbean, in line for Peter Pan, on the train and on the Mark Twain riverboat.

I've also breastfed on the kiddie train at Knotts Berry Farm, while outlet shopping, while hiking Fryman Canyon and Griffith Park, while both of us were buckled into the backseat of a moving vehicle and at a myriad of museums, aquariums, restaurants, beaches and malls.

I've pumped in cars, in supply closets and once in a half finished house on a Habitat for Humanity building site.

Where is the most interesting place you've breastfed or pumped?

Meyers-y Monday

Disneyland Edition

Teething and Biting

It is a fact much bemoaned by tired parents and cranky babies, but infants tend to eke out a set of teeth over the course of their first year of life. I've assumed by watching my sweet boy grow his first set of chompers that the process is Not. Fun. Buckets of drool. Nomming anything he can get his hands on. Sleepless nights. Refusing the breast. Passing up his beloved sweet potatoes. It has been a rough process so far.


Anyone who has watched a teething baby chomp a teether could surmise: biting down seems to ease teething pain. When a mother spends a good chunk of her day with her nipple in her teething baby's mouth, the concern is obvious.


Here are a few strategies to avoid getting nipped:


* A happy fact: baby would be unable to suck, drink and bite at the same time. While nursing, baby's tongue covers his lower teeth and the top teeth are angled upwards and out of the way. Your nipple is safe while baby is actively drinking and swallowing.


* Mom should be on guard against biting towards the end of a feeding, when baby's sucking and swallowing pace slows.


* Keep an eye on baby: It is often possible to catch the mischievous glint in baby's eye right before he bites.


* If you suspect a nip is coming, slip your index finger in the corner of baby's mouth, hook the finger around your nipple and pull back.


* Tell baby "No" firmly, but not by yelling. A holler from mom can startle baby, sometimes leading to a nursing strike.



* Remove baby from the breast. If baby hasn't finished feeding yet, offer the breast again after a minute or two, keeping your finger ready and poised to break baby's suction if you sense another bite coming.


* Babies sometimes clamp down inadvertently as they're drifting off to sleep. If this is a problem for you, try to remove your nipple from baby's mouth before he falls completely to sleep, using your finger as a guard if necessary.


* It can be helpful to offer a teether, frozen washcloth, firm rub of the gums, teething tablet, etc. prior to nursing.


* Take heart! I've never heard of a mother's nipple being completely bitten off.

Dabbles in biting.