Medela breastpumps
The tiny country of Switzerland is famous all over the world for its cheese. It is also well known for its precision watches. Very few people, however, are aware that the big name in mother-and-baby-care industry, Medela, has its origins in Switzerland too. Founded by Olle Larsson in 1961, Medela came to the U.S. shores around 1984, after making a name for itself in European markets for twenty-five years. Medela today is synonymous with the best of what America stands for - highest quality products and services, and deep commitment to its chosen field of activity.
Medela was the first corporate to bring to the attention of the United States' businesses the need for providing amenities to working mothers who breastfeed away from their home. Thanks to Medela's efforts, quite a few states have taken proactive action towards making the workplace more amenable for mothers who require an accessible and private location for carrying out their milk expression.
Medela also took the initiative of highlighting the advantages of feeding the infant expressed milk, in comparision to formula milk. Today, a majority of mothers prefer to feed their children from their own breasts, and go in for formula milk only as a last resort.
The company has a mind-boggling array of breastfeeding products in its repertoire. Each product has been designed keeping in mind the various situations that post-partal mothers go through, from the time the baby is brought to them for feeding for the first time, to the time the child has moved towards eating solid foods, and does not need breastmilk any longer. The entire spectrum in breastpumps is available for the mother to choose from. Hospital-grade electric pumps, handheld battery-driven breastpumps, mini- electric models, and manual devices - with in-depth instructions about their usage, is available to the discerning mother.
Breastpumps have become an essential component of post-partal life for breastfeeding mothers. They are not meant for working moms only, but they serve a purpose in medical situations too. For children with some medical problems, doctors often advice against them being nursed at the mother's breast. Parents who do not want to take the formula feeding route, prefer breast pumping as a logical option. Medela breast pumps play a role in such situations, with a variety to choose from.
Then there are mothers who, when planning for an evening out, prefer to store milk expressed using breast pumps in freezers, and leave instructions with the baby sitter about their usage. An economical, but very effective, manual pump is available from Medela for such mothers . In some situations, mothers face a condition known as engorged breasts. Here, the breasts become too full with milk, leading to tightness in the tissues. This is quite painful for the mother. The child who has been nursing at the breast, also instinctively feels the abnormality, and finds it difficult to latch on to the nipple. Medela's breast pumps gently massage the tissues, and lead them to disengorge gradually. The company has come out with variants of the basic breastpump that addresses this, and many other situations that mothers have to face.
Each device comes its own instruction manual. Besides the written word, the company has developed a network of lactation consultants across the country who are trained in counselling mothers on the best pumps that can take care of their present needs. Feedback is obtained from these counsellors on a continuing basis, which is then incorporated into the company's self-help literature.
Mothers of yore were less fortunate in terms of the depth of expertise available to them. Today's mother is more informed and more educated, thanks to the efforts of socially responsible corporates such as Medela.