Milkies Milk-Saver - for Breastfeeding Mums

I love breastfeeding - it's practical, time-saving, money-saving, healthy and you can't beat the close-up snuggles with your new baby. But it does mean that you're the only person who can do the feeds, which is a pain when you want or need to go out for a couple of hours somewhere alone. The solution is expressing your milk with a breastpump. But I hate using breastpumps almost as much as I love breastfeeding ! They never seem to work very well if you try to use them between feeds so you end up feeling frustrated and disappointed - not to mention slightly worried. If the pump isn't getting any milk, does that mean baby isn't ? (When I asked my doctor what the best breast-pump was, he said there's only one that works really well - a baby !! Give the man a doughnut !!) They do work well if you try to pump one side while feeding on the other but if you aren't a qualified juggler, this isn't easy !

So I was thinking of maybe going on to mixed feeds ("boob-juice" morning and night but formula during the day) when I go back to work in a couple of months.

Then I got my hands on a Milkies milk-saver. It looks just like a souped-up, bigger version of the usual breast shells so I wasn't really expecting much. But I thought it would be a good alternative to using bibs, muslin cloths and breast pads to mop up milk leaking from the non-feeding boob. It just slips into your bra or nursing top as you feed.

It felt quite bulky and, as Pierre fed, he squashed it up against me, which was slightly uncomfortable. But when I went to remove it and wash it after the feed, I was amazed to see how much milk had collected in the bottom. I think the fact that it compresses your boob slightly during the feed helps to express the milk - it's the lazy-girl's way of expressing milk without ever using a breastpump !! Bonus ! I now use it at every feed and collect, on average, just under 50ml (2oz) each time, which gets poured into a milk-storage bag throughout the day (be careful to chill it before adding it to milk already in the fridge, to avoid contamination), then frozen each night. Little-by-little, I'm building up enough for a few feeds without ever using a breast-pump, which to me is quite unbelievable !

The blurb on the box praises the eco-friendly nature of the milk-saver : no more disposable nursing pads, less water/detergent for washing reuseable pads, towels, shirts, etc. This is true but the one thing that I didn't like about the product was the excess packaging. It comes in a huge plastic carrying case which is totally unnecessary - a small bag or pouch would have done the job perfectly. (The small compartment for standing it up is very handy however, while you wait to pour the milk into a bag or bottle and need your hands for something else, like putting baby back to bed or changing a nappy.) The gatefold cardboard box, with added information and photos on the extra fold-out part, also seemed unnecessary and a waste of cardboard/extra amount of landfill that seems to go against the company's environmentally-friendly ethics.

One word of advice - do not attempt to put baby back into his cot before removing the milk-saver. I did this the first time and the whole contents poured out all over the sheets and Pierre ! It seems obvious but at 4am, you're not always thinking straight !! It can also be used with breast milk storage bags attached, which would possibly avoid this happening.

It's a brilliant product. I would have to disagree with the claim that it is "discreet" but it far exceeded my expectations for all the rest and I'm over the moon that it's helped me - with zero-effort - extend the amount of time I'll be able to exclusively breastfeed Pierre.

As they say on the box, "Don't let your precious breast milk be absorbed into a nursing pad and thrown away ! The average nursing mom leaks 1-4 ounces of milk each time she feeds her baby. Save every drop !"

star rating : 4.5/5 (it just loses half a point for the excess packaging ! )

for more information, see http://www.mymilkies.com/

RRP £24.96 (but £5 off at the moment if you're quick !!)