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It is the age of the “Super Mom.” Women are called on to play every role and are convinced we have to. In the pre WWII era women played the role of homemaker. We were expected to keep the home polished, cook for the family, serve our husbands and stay quiet. So much has changed. Women have transformed and society has transformed because of it. Women’s rights have improved but we are still left with a western culture that caters to male dominance. While we may think women are breaking through the glass ceiling we are still being sexualized and pulled to extreme limits to keep up with our male counterparts.

There is an expectation that women have to be able to have children, raise well rounded children, have a successful career, maintain a healthy lifestyle, spend time with friends, have a social life, nurture friendships for young children, care for aging parents, clean the house, cook dinner, maintain a strong relationship with a partner, maintain sanity and keep learning and growing and more! It all seems so out of wack and unrealistic. How are women supposed to be the wholesome being society wants us to be and be sane through it all? Through these unrealistic expectations women have found a way to make it work. Although doing one thing consistently at 100% seems like a dream one thing has made the age of the Super Mom possible…technology.

The Age of the Super Mom

The Super Mom can be defined as the woman that makes life happen for her and her family. A step up from Superwoman, she not only magically maintains a life and sanity but her children are growing just fine. Technology has improved the lives of women by allowing them to keep in touch with friends, order food online or get 20 minute recipes online, order clothes, shoes, keep up with news and fashion, vacuum a house using small robots, book nights out with their partner and get a babysitter in the process. It has even allowed her to improve her education with online degrees, digital books, educational videos and apps that improve thinking skills and help to navigate life’s needs.

The Super Mom also lives on the edge of the expectations of society by holding her own, knowing what she is capable of and not capable of. They tend to define their reality on their own terms and not by what society deems appropriate. Through the use of technology they have also found their voice. When another mom is shamed for breastfeeding in public or women are objectified in distasteful ways they speak up and hit social media outlets to tell the world they exist and what they have to say matters. According to the Moms and Media (Edison Research 2013) research study moms are mobile and digitally savvy multitaskers which spend over a third of their time engaging online resources and apps to balance life. “95% of moms own a cellphone, with 64% owning a smartphone. And she keeps it close — 89% reported that the smartphone is always or most of the time within arm’s length vs 74% for regular cell phone moms.”

As society shifts so do the women that make the world go around, the care takers, money makers, and policy shakers. Women do not wake up and decide they are going to tackle the world head on they just do it. With technology on her side the Super Mom is a force to be reckoned with!

Author:
Priya Nembhard is Co-founder of Moms Pump Here. Moms Pump Here is an app that helps nursing mothers locate a safe and private place to breastfeed or breastpump. You can get the Moms Pump Here app on iTunes today.

Tips to Survive a Power Outage with Frozen Breastmilk

Last week severe storms hit parts of the northeast and many moms on the North Shore of Long Island were scrambling to find safe storage for their stash of frozen breastmilk. This was one of my biggest worries during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 because I had a deep freezer full of frozen milk. Most of the milk was dairy and gluten-free – hard work! I wanted to share what I’ve learned about keeping your stash safe and maintaining your supply when you lose power.

Keep Back Up Power Handy

Not every household can have a standby generator, but this is ideal. If this is not possible, keep your pump’s battery pack available and the car adapter around if you think you might lose power. Many electronics and hardware stores carry converters which can allow you to use your ordinary electrical plug with your car’s auxiliary power. Keeping one of these in your car during a power outage can be very helpful because you can pump in your car if you need to.

Keep Making Milk

Maintaining your milk supply is very important, whether you are nursing or exclusively pumping. Pump or nurse as often as you can. Use a manual pump (or even hand express if necessary) to maintain your supply and to produce a fresh milk for your little one. (The release of oxytocin during milk expression will also help boost your mood if you begin to have worries about losing power.)

Keep Alternate Storage Spots Available

Does your neighbor have a deep freezer in their basement? Do you live near a restaurant or hotel with a large walk-in freezer? Does your partner’s family have extra room in their kitchen freezer to store your milk? These options may not be ideal but securing another location to take your milk will help you tremendously. Reach out to other nursing moms in your area to see if they can store your milk while your family is without power. (Be sure the packages are adequately labeled with your contact information.)

Keep the Milk Cold

This is very important. A deep freezer can typically maintain frozen food for 48 hours, but some power outages last longer than this.

Prepare before the power goes out (if this is possible). Fill all empty air spaces in your freezer because a completely full freezer works more efficiently than a half-full freezer. Pour water into empty juice containers or empty milk jugs and freeze them into blocks of ice, which can help keep your milk colder for longer periods of time.
Open the freezer as infrequently as possible. Yes, this is difficult but checking to see if your milk is thawing will actually cause your milk to thaw!
If you feel your freezer is no longer cold, try transferring the frozen milk to a smaller cooler and pack it as tightly as you can with other frozen materials (frozen vegetables, ice, dry ice, even snow if it’s available). A small cooler packed correctly with ice and other frozen materials will keep your milk frozen more efficiently than a half-full freezer.
Do not place a perfectly ice-packed cooler in direct sunlight or in a hot car during August because the heat will transfer and your frozen liquid gold may thaw much more quickly. Keep the cooler in a dark, cool place such as a shaded part of your yard, in a garage or in a chilly basement.

Keep Calm and When in Doubt, Don’t Just Throw it Out

Many breastfeeding moms have been taught to discard breastmilk if storage conditions are not ideal. However, researchers Rechtman, Lee, and Berg published a study in Breastfeeding Medicine in 2006 which suggests that we might be throwing out milk unnecessarily. Their findings concluded if milk is left unchilled for less than eight hours after being expressed, it is safe to use and its nutritional content is intact. Their data suggested frozen milk which has partially thawed can have fresh milk added to it and then safely be refrozen.

Guest Author
Kim Harrison is co-founder of Moms Pump Here. Moms Pump Here is an app that helps nursing mothers locate a safe and private place to breastfeed or breastpump. Download her Moms Pump here app today!