*Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Medela Canada and I received compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. However, the opinions on this blog and my love for Medela are my own!*
If there is one thing that all new moms have in common, it is the need for simplicity. A need for things in their life to be easy. With the lack of sleep, a new baby to care for, and a new lifestyle to adjust to, anything that helps make a new mom’s life easier is a must. There is a reason why Medela’s trio of products is award-winning. The Freestyle Pump, Calma Feeding System, and MyMedela app just simply make life easier for new moms. All three products have won the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal (www.ptpa.com) – this means that they have been tested and approved by REAL moms!
I had all these dreams when I was pregnant of having a baby, putting him to my breast, and breastfeeding him would be all magical and easy. BAHAHAHAHAHA. Not. At. All. Some lucky moms have that experience, but for me and many other breastfeeding moms, those first few weeks look completely different.
For me, breastfeeding was painful, my supply was low, I was bleeding…it was not a pretty sight. As I mentioned in a previous post, my Medela Freestyle Pump was critical in helping me build my supply so I was able to successfully breastfeed. But, then I had a new problem on my hands – I had worked so hard at building my supply to be able to breastfeed that I was terrified to give him a bottle in case it made breastfeeding harder. I’m pretty sure every new mom has heard of nipple confusion – I know there are arguments about whether it exists or not, but for me, the possibility of it terrified me. After I had worked so hard to breastfeed, I didn’t want to do anything to make it harder again. I struggled for a few weeks, refusing to give a bottle for fear he wouldn’t go back to breastfeeding. My husband and family gently coaxed me to give it a try.
On the advice of many people, I tried the Medela Calma nipple, as it is touted to be the closest to breastfeeding. From a technical standpoint, it makes total sense. There are many similarities between how they breastfeed and how they drink from the Calma – they have control of feeding (breastmilk stops when they need to pause and breathe), and they use the same facial muscles as they do when breastfeeding to create a vacuum (which actually reduces the risk of ear infections, who knew?!)
I’ll be honest here – it looks weird and it’s kind of a pain to put all the pieces together every time but it is TOTALLY worth it. I was able to switch back and forth between breast and bottle seamlessly (even within the same feed when I was supplementing with pumped milk). You know what else? It made my heart melt to see Ryan having the opportunity to feed Andrew and cuddle up with him when he’s all milk-drunk and sleepy…something I got to do every couple hours. It was so nice to let Daddy experience it as well. It made my life loads easier too, because….you guessed it! Someone else can feed the baby now! I could leave for longer than an hour at a time, knowing that if baby was hungry, someone else could feed him too. Is there any bigger relief for a new mom?
I waited a bit longer than I should have to introduce the bottle (solely out of my own unfounded fear!); it is best to introduce the Calma system around 3-5 weeks. This is so the baby has an established feeding pattern but isn’t resistant to change and the introduction of a bottle. In the beginning, we found that bottle feeding was easier when I left the room and Daddy took over by himself, so baby can’t smell Mama.
This leads me to the entire point of this post – why Medela is an absolute must for new moms. You can read HERE all about why the Medela Freestyle rocks. The Calma Feeding System allows you to introduce babies to bottles without any worries about it impacting breastfeeding. And finally – they have introduced an app that makes life even easier for new moms. They seriously think about everything. No wonder it’s an award-winning trio!
The MyMedela app is pretty cool, and is available in English and French in Canada. You should definitely check it out if you are nursing or pregnant, especially because it’s FREE! The app seriously has more stuff than I would ever even think to have – but it is all so useful! You can start by tracking your pregnancy, and it brings up articles that are relevant to where you are in your pregnancy or your baby’s development. You can track EVERYTHING in it. For realsies. You can track: breastfeeding, pumping, sleeping, diapers, height, and weight. You can manage goals and accomplishments, get advice and find answers to everything baby and pregnancy related and you can even find a lactation consultant! One surprising thing that I found on the app was the Breastfeeding Confidence Assessment – it helps you pinpoint where you are totally rocking at breastfeeding to give you a boost of confidence, and highlights some areas that you are still unsure of, giving you articles and tips to help out. The app isn’t just for nursing mommas either – there is tracking for formula on there too! The app is very user-friendly – really easy to navigate no matter how tired you are!
Another thing that I love about the MyMedela App is that it is like a one-stop shop for information. Most moms usually have their phones with them during their nighttime nursing sessions, which is usually the time when moms have a million questions running through their head. It’s easy to just pop on to the app to find answers to your questions – it’s a quick and convenient source for trusted information.
The Medela Trio truly does make life easier for new moms – between the Double Electric Freestyle Pump, the Calma Feeding System, and the MyMedela app, it makes a new mom’s life just a little bit easier!
Now on to the part that I am most excited to share with all of you! Someone is going to win their own Medela Double Electric Freestyle Pump (valued at $495 CDN)!!! All you need to do is enter below! Good luck mommas! (Open to Canada only, excl. Quebec).
I think that this is so important! I want to know about real life experiences! Thanks for the post and keep them coming 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment! I love sharing my own experiences with products and services I love!
I would have given anything for a double pump with my second! Love the Medela brand
My double has been a lifesaver! I don’t know what I would have done without it!
I love that real people get to test these products, I trust my fellow moms opinions and know that they will genuine reviews 🙂
Definitely! Moms trust other moms!
It makes total sense that they be tested & awarded by real parents!
Totally! It gives PTPA more credence, knowing that the reviews are coming from real parents!
Such an awesome giveaway! Steph, I love how your posts are linked to being a Mama!
Thanks Brittany! The majority of my life is being a mom right now so it kind of consumes my blog! Good luck!
I think it’s great that they’re tested by real parents. I’ve always wanted to try a Medala with my first, but had an Ameda and wasn’t a fan. It will definitely be my next pump when babe #2 arrives.
I can honestly say that my Medela pump was a lifesaver for me! I don’t think I would have been able to breastfeed my first without it!
I love that it’s real people reviewing these products! I enjoy a first hand review!
Thank you! I love reading reviews from real moms so you know they are authentic reviews!
I LOVED my Medela and felt very fortunate to have the hands free bra and the kind I could charge and take with me without being connected to a kit or the wall.
Me too! I have taken my pump to some bizarre places-so thankful it’s portable!
I’ve always loved medela! They didn’t have the app when I had my baby!
They didn’t have it with my first and I SO wish they did! It’s so helpful!
I only had a single Medela pump but I loved it! A double pump would have been a luxury for sure! The app is a super cool idea! Loved the post!
Thank you for being so real!! Breastfeeding was so hard for me and I seriously struggled! I LOVED my medela pump though. I wish I knew there was an app when I was still pumping!
Awesome product!
Love this giveaway!!! My sister has been looking for a breastpump for her new little one. This was very helpful.
I used Medela when I was pumping too and it was the absolute best ever. I never breastfed and exclusively pumped!
That’s awesome- I wish I Would’ve had that back in my breastfeeding days- it definitely Would’ve made things much easier!
My models pump was my best friend especially once I returned to work!
Loved my medela! If I have another baby I’ll use this company again
That makes sense that it is tested by real parents cause I would be looking for honest opinions. This is something me and my husband would love to win since we are expecting our first baby late January/early February.
Comments are closed.
You must be logged in to post a comment.