"Jennifer" by Pumpin' Pal

Jennifer, Jen, Jenna, Jena, Jeni . . . all versions of Jennifer.

Turns out, 17% of all Pumpin' Pal website orders are from moms named Jennifer (or a derivative)! Our IT Department actually started a "Jen Meter" because we get so many orders from Jennifers. So, when we decided to create a cartoon character showing how our products can help moms, we simply had to call her "Jennifer". (As it turns out, Jennifer was the name of the woman in the movie "Love Story," starring Ryan O'Neal.)

We now have multiple renditions . . . any way you look at it, Jennifer is more comfortable and happy pumping while using our Pumpin' Pal products. We have now come to realize that our products are breast pumping essentials!

It IS a Small World After All!

Last week we attended the International Lactation Consultants Association (ILCA) annual conference held in Orlando, FL.

After working together via email for the past three and a half years, our Southeast Asia distributors, Valerie Ng and Juliet Chan of Mumsfairy (Singapore), became our friends. We had the opportunity to discuss ways to bring our products to even more breastfeeding/pumping moms throughout Southeast Asia. We also got to see another friend/distributor we met last October at VELB in Vienna -- Kamariah, of Mom's Little Ones.

Jon, Valerie, Juliet, and I spent a fun evening at Downtown Disney. We're all simply an email away, even though we're on opposite sides of the earth. Pretty amazing. I simply couldn't (ok, can't) resist singing, "It's a small world after all." Because it is!

Pumpin' Pal Super Shields at ILCA - We've come a long way, baby!

Five years ago, we introduced our revolutionary new angled flange, our Super Shield, to the lactation community when we attended the 2004 International Lactation Consultants Association (ILCA) Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. No one had every heard of such a thing! We didn't even have product -- just a prototype, a great idea, and a lot of passion and enthusiasm!

The next year we had product and showed our wares at ILCA in Chicago. Because we weren't one of the "big" pump companies, LCs were skeptical -- they knew moms were uncomfortable leaning forward, but they were reluctant to try our Super Shields.

The following year, ILCA in Philadelphia. Then San Diego. Then Las Vegas. And this year Orlando.

The difference? Each year, more and more LCs learned about our products, tried them and worked with moms who had tremendous success with our innovative design. Lactation consultants now thank us at every ICLA Conference for making great products that help their moms.

We are proud (with appreciation and humility) to say that our Super Shields are now recommended by lactation consultants, including for the relief of plugged ducts.

Super Shields are included in two new breastfeeding-related books:

Selecting and Using Breastfeeding Tools
by Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC

The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk
by Diana West, BA, IBCLC and Lisa Marasco, BA, IBCLC

Thank you, lactation consultants. Thank you moms. Thank you to our retailers and distributors here in the US as well as in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. A particular thanks to Valerie Ng and Juliet Chan of Mumsfairy in Singapore -- your efforts are paying off!

It's been a long haul -- an adventure to say the least. And we've only just begun. So many moms still have yet to learn about our innovative products to help them pump more comfortably.

We truly have come a long way, baby! Yippee!!!!

About.com Review of Pumpin' Pal Super Shields by Melissa Kotlen Nagin

Last night I received a link to the (very complimentary) review of our Pumpin' Pal Super Shields written by Melissa Nagin IBCLC (About.com Guide to Breastfeeding) - http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/pumpingandsupplementing/gr/pumpinpal.htm.

Melissa is an IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) and works as a private-practice lactation consultant in NYC. Melissa knows first-hand the difficulties moms experience when breast pumping. As a former pumper, I acknowledge, respect, and appreciate Melissa's commitment "to provide support, solutions and confidence to women as they endeavor to provide this great, natural gift to their children."

We're here to help moms in this endeavor as well.

Is balance possible? Choose harmony instead

Today I was reading Brooke Burke's (winner of Dancing with the Stars) blog post (http://www.modernmom.com/blogs/brookeburke/4114). I definitely agree that trying to maintain balance is often unrealistic. Like Brooke, I had an older wise woman once tell me (long before I had kids and knew what true chaos is!), "Serenity isn't the absence of the storm. It's finding peace amidst the storm."

And for those times when I'm having a hard time striking a balance or finding harmony, it helps if I can at least keep a sense of humor and know that "this too shall pass." Calling a good friend and venting, followed by a good night's sleep can often make all the difference in the world!

Getting back on the horse (in this case, my blog)

Ok, I fell off the horse and haven't blogged in a very long time! No excuses (well, yes, I can think of a lot), but the truth is that once I got away from blogging, I simply stayed away. And, like a few projects around my house (including helping my kids clean their dressers), once I fell off, it's been hard to get back on.

Two days ago my husband rounded up the kids and tackled their dressers -- so I've rounded up my courage and have come back to my blog. Maybe that's how it is as a mom . . . even it takes awhile, it's ok to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on.