Co-founder of The Memo, a feel-good parenting destination helping to make big decisions easy, Phoebe Simmonds is calling on brands and businesses to start listening to new mums to make their breastfeeding journeys happier and healthier.
“Before I had my baby Remy, I had a very open-minded approach to breastfeeding. I had seen friends and family breastfeed, bottle feed, and everything in between. As long as it worked for them, it looked good to me.
While I was pregnant, the thing that really appealed to me about the idea of breastfeeding was how efficient it looked. As a working parent the thought that I could settle, feed, and hydrate my baby all in one go was attractive.
Although I didn’t do any breastfeeding classes or read any books to prepare before I gave birth, because of my work at The Memo, I had a really good grasp of the types of breastfeeding products available. My hospital bag was filled with anything I thought could help me. I had silverettes, sterling silver nursing cups that help reduce the pain of breastfeeding. My Lactamo ball was packed alongside my bamboo breast pads and I had a breast ice and heat pack. I was ready to give breastfeeding a go.
After I gave birth, my milk didn’t come in until around day four. During the first few days I was extracting colostrum using the hospital pump and it was something I started to dread. I had excruciating nipple pain and my boobs felt like they were made of cement. It was painful to lie down in any position and I was exhausted.
When my milk came in I had a lot of support from the lactation consultants and midwives in the hospital. They all had different techniques and positions to try breastfeeding from and, while confusing at times, by the time I left hospital Remy was latching really well and I was breastfeeding.
Once home I breastfed exclusively for three months until I went back to work when we mixed fed with bottled breastmilk and eventually some formula.
Lactamo was amazing when it came to working out blocked ducts. I would warm the Lactamo ball in a cup of hot water and gently use it to massage out the lumps and bumps.
Remy is 10 months old now and he still breastfeeds day morning and night. We’ve had a wonderful experience and he has a great appetite.
I think one of the more surprising things that I discovered about breastfeeding was how you could do it standing up or even on the go. It’s the same with the portable breast pump I’ve used at the footy, at dinner, on a plane or in a car. It seems crazy that these kind of products haven’t been around that long when women have been screaming out for years for more support around breastfeeding.
Products like Lactamo prove that brands are finally listening to women and giving them the support they need to feel happy and free while they’re parenting. The Memo is dedicated to creating a community where everyone gets to do baby their own way, and products like Lactamo make that happen.
Seeing more breastfeeding aids and products come onto the market gives me confidence that brands are starting to shift the focus from solely on the baby to the mum, and what they need. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next.
The Memo retails the best baby and parenting brands on the planet, with the mission of helping parents feel good, prepared, and supported when raising a child.
Follow The Memo on Instagram @fromthememo
Follow Phoebe @phoebeactually
