Milkbands

Since someone, somewhere, determined that August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month, I thought I would post a few breastfeeding related reviews for you to enjoy.  This one is of a neat little product called Milkbands.  New moms have a lot on the brain.  There are the big things like doctors appointments and vaccination options and schedules, and small things like remembering to eat and shower, changing diapers in a timely manner, and oh my goodness, when is the last time baby had a bath?  (Tip: if baby's neck smells like sour milk, it's time for baby to have a bath...). Oh, and then there is the feeding.  The sleep deprivation, and the endless feeding.  And the sleep deprivation that makes you forget when the last time is that the baby ate, and on what side.  You may end up doing the squeeze test to see if you can determine which side you are supposed to offer next...which is fine, til your husband sees you doing it, and gets that look in his eye...no dear, I don't need any help with this specifically.  If you want to be useful, go empty the dishwasher or fold some laundry ;-)

So, how do Milkbands make your life better?  What exactly are they?  They are bracelets that you wear on one wrist, similar to the yellow Livestrong bracelets, and they can keep track of the side you last fed on, the time since the last feeding, how long the feeding was, and more.  You flip the bracelet inside out to record the side you last fed on, and the text for LEFT is lowered, and RIGHT is raised, so you can even do it in the dark.  There are plastic sliders that fit onto grooves in the bracelet which you can move up and down to track the feeding start time, or the duration (whichever you are interested in).  The bracelet is comfortable, unobtrusive, and waterproof, so you never have to take it off.

I did find the original sliders that came with the Milkband were prone to breaking, after being used for a while I would go to adjust them and notice that one was very loose or missing.  I definitely broke one while changing the sheets on my bed, my wrist got caught between the mattress and the bed frame.  Thankfully the Milkband came with four sliders (only two are used at once on the bracelet), and after two of them broke, I contacted the company and was able to order replacement sliders (they were free, but I did have to pay a couple of bucks for shipping).  The replacement ones are much sturdier, and after I finished using the Milkband, I packed them away with it (in case I ever need to use it again).

The Milkband is not something you will need for a long time, but for those first few hazy weeks (or months), it is a very convenient way to keep track of feeding times and sides no matter what time it is or where you are.  It sells for under $10 and is definitely worth it!  Check out more about Milkbands at http://www.milkbands.com.