The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months and breastfeeding in addition to complementary foods for up to one year. After one year, mom and baby can decide how much longer to nurse together.
In celebration of the mental, physical, and emotional benefits provided by breastfeeding, August was coined National Breastfeeding Month by the United States Breastfeeding Committee in 2011. This August, we take a look at the most unique and useful breastfeeding innovations on the market.
1. Milkstork
Working moms will be delighted to hear — as Milkstork puts it — “you don’t have to choose between your career and your commitment to breastfeeding.” The company helps women safely ship their breast milk home to their baby while they’re away on business.
As a result, working moms no longer have to jump through the logistical and time-consuming nightmares of pre-pumping, storing, and freezing vast amounts of milk before a work trip. The difficulties of pumping and being away from baby make it challenging to continue breastfeeding. Milkstork has garnered noteworthy accolades for tackling this problem.
2. Laally (pronounced La-Lee)
Laally is the brainchild of International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and physician assistant Kate Spivak. The company’s products are designed to help moms continue breastfeeding when their milk doesn’t come in fast enough or when their supply decreases. Spivak describes her inventions as “simple products [created] to empower parents.”
One of the company’s products, the Bridge, is an at-breast supplementation device that helps infants latch. Breast milk or formula is injected into the nipple shield so that the baby can continue to take food from the breast.
Consequently, the Bridge helps moms increase milk production while protecting the nipple and encouraging baby to breastfeed. Watch how the Bridge works in real-time.
3. Mamava
Mamava’s drive to help all mothers breastfeed is evident in their motto “nursing should be a right, not a privilege.” Christine Dodson and Sascha Mayer, founded Mamava at Solidarity of Unbridled Labour (formerly JDK), the Vermont-based graphic design studio where they both worked.
The company created a freestanding lactation suite which can pop up just about anywhere to provide moms with a safe, clean, and private space to breastfeed or pump. Their product reminds us of the complicated logistics moms juggle to breastfeed and inspires us to help make breastfeeding possible for all who wish to nurse.
4. Spoobie
Spoobie has created a breastfeeding spoon designed to help baby learn to breastfeed. The spoon has a grooved lip, which offers a direct path to the tongue and is curved to conform to the shape of the infant’s lip and gum line.
This design encourages babies to extend their tongues out as far as possible — an action that makes breastfeeding easier for baby. The spoon is ideal for sleepy, fussy, and uncoordinated infants.
It’s also perfect for giving babies rapid nutrition in the form of breast milk when their blood sugar drops. Watch this device at work.
Stay Up to Date with The Latest Breastfeeding Innovations
For more information about National Breastfeeding Month, check out the United States Breastfeeding Committee website. For the latest news on breastfeeding innovations, be sure to join the LinkedIn Group “Breastfeeding Innovations Team.”
