UpSpring Baby has gained national acclaim for Milkscreen, our innovative breast milk test.  Milkscreen identifies the presence of alcohol in breast milk so that moms may enjoy an occasional or celebratory drink but make sure she is not passing alcohol onto baby.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says an occasional drink probably will not hurt baby, but a mother who chooses to have a drink should wait at least two hours before breastfeeding.  Because every woman’s metabolism is different the length of time it takes to process the alcohol out of her breast milk also varies from woman to woman.  Now, with Milkscreen, women can test their breast milk and know for certain if alcohol is present. 

We are currently working with more than 130 certified Lactation Consultants (LCs) across the U.S. with our Milkscreen Sampling Program which provides complementary Milkscreen samples for certified LC’s to share with their clients and in their educational outreach.  If you are a certified LC and would like to be considered for enrollment in the Milkscreen Sampling Program please contact Kimberly Schram at kimberly@milkscreen.com and let her know your full name or IBCLC number and how many clients you see monthly. 

Check it out at http://www.cafepress.com/theapshop/797835

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, we are offering a special FREE offer on our milkscreen home test to detect alcohol in breast milk.  Buy any 3, 12 or 20-pack of milkscreen and we will send you a 3-pack for FREE!   Offer is valid through August 31, 2009 at www.upspringbaby.com

Sadly  there have been some incidents lately where women have been accused of breastfeeding their infants while intoxicated.  Last week, one of those mothers plead guilty to charges of child neglect for breastfeeding her child while she was drunk.

While these cases are extreme, it does bring to light the question of alcohol and breastfeeding.  Unfortunately some mothers mistakenly think that they can consume alcohol and breastfeed without any possible negative effects on their baby.  Obviously this is not true, but not terribly surprising given that there are no consistent guidelines regarding alcohol consumption for women that may be breastfeeding.

Ethanol from alcoholic drinks can move quickly from the mother’s bloodstream within an hour of ingestion. Depending on the person’s metabolism and how much alcohol was consumed over time, it can take two or more hours for the alcohol to leave the mother’s system.  It is important to remember that alcohol is not trapped in breast milk, and as long as the mother has measureable blood alcohol levels, the breast milk will also contain alcohol.  Draining the breasts by ‘Pumping and Dumping’ will not remove the alcohol from the breast milk and if a child is breastfeeding during this time, they can receive up to about one fifth of the amount present in the blood.

Because of the inconsistent guidelines surrounding alcohol and breastfeeding and the fact that every woman’s metabolism is different, the only way to tell if there is alcohol in your breast milk is with the Milkscreen home test. 

Julie, co founder of UpSpring Baby and inventor of the Milkscreen home test for alcohol in breast milk, shares her favorite ‘parent invented’ nursing products at Babies “R” Us.  Watch the video »
 

Ever wondered who was the mastermind behind our Milkscreen home test for alcohol in breast milk?  Well watch this video and you can hear from Julie Jumonville herself.  Julie is the mother of two and the inventor of Milkscreen.  In the video Julie talks candidly about why she invented Milkscreen as well as some of the common myths surrounding alcohol and breastfeeding.

Enjoy!

If you pick up the March issue of Pregnancy & Newborn magazine you will see the Milkscreen home test for alcohol in breast milk featured as a “Mommy Must Have” in their Cravings section. 

Happy Shopping!

An awesome application for your iPhone or iPod touch to make life as a nursing mom easier. You already have so much to remember and think about with your new baby, keeping track of breastfeeding shouldn’t be adding stress to your life!
 
Baby Tracker: Nursing keeps track of your nursing sessions with just a few clicks, allowing you to relax and focus on feeding your baby without worrying about lists and sheets of paper, stop-watches and safety pins in your bra, or extraneous ribbons and bracelets!

Baby Tracker: Nursing is a real time tool. With just a few clicks your nursing session is recorded: length of time and the side you nursed on (or both), always noting which side you nursed on last!

A detailed nursing history is always right in front of you and permanently stored in daily logs for future reference. And since it’s on your iPhone or iPod touch you always have it with you! 

Features

– Easy start/stop timer for the Left and Right nursing sides.

– Promotion of proper alternate side nursing with both visual cues (safety pins) and simple Begin (alternate) side functionality.

– Multiple baby support (up to 6), with names and easy switching (slide your finger left or right).

– Nursing history log grouped by day.

– Add new nursing sessions manually without using the timer or edit previous saved sessions.

– Record bottle feedings by type (Formula/Milk), volume (oz/mL), and amount.

– Twin and triplet support to easily nurse from one baby to the next.

– Change the background color to (Pink, Blue, Green, or Gray).

– Full day summary of nursing times and session counts, ready to show your doctor or lactation consultant.

– Last Feeding time is always visible so you know when the next feeding should be.

Baby Tracker: Nursing application is available at the iPhone App Store and cost to download the application is $7.99.  For more information visit http://www.andesigned.net/