Medela
, a Swiss producer of breastfeeding and pumping products, recently launched “Through It All,” a new campaign that showcases real mothers sharing their unique breastfeeding experiences and giving advice to fellow parents. The campaign shows that every family’s breastfeeding story might be different, but the ones who have pumped and breastfed have valuable and unique lessons to bestow.
The campaign’s website features different tools and articles helping women through their exciting journeys, and a number of videos where real moms (who have used Medela products in their own lives) talk about issues such as: Breastfeeding and the workplace, experiencing fertility difficulties, socio-economic issues, being a stay-at-home mom, and more. Each video is also accompanied by a list of tips from the mom in the video as well as Medela product recommendations for the situation at hand. New moms can connect via online platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and learn from other real moms who have been in similar situations.
One such breastfeeding journey is told by Danae Danta Manimbo, a busy working mom to a 17-month-old son, who lives in New York City with her husband, and travels a lot for her job (see one of her Medela videos below). An advocate of pumping, nursing, and helping other moms breastfeed and pump successfully, Manimbo is passionate about supporting other moms and sharing her experience that was filled with challenges. Danae surprised herself by realizing how much she loved to breastfeed her newborn baby, but the biggest surprise came when she transitioned back to work when her son was 4 months old. Dealing with work stress affected her milk supply.
“I would get off a very stressful high intensity meeting, running to a little side room trying to pump, but the adrenaline is going, and you have a laundry list that you have to get done at work and you also in back of your head you think about things that need to get done at home too. So I would go into the room and start to pump and nothing would come out because I was so stressed. Then I would make matters even worst by crying and getting even more stressed out,” she says. “I had a really hard time, but I was adamant about making it work. I found myself going to other moms who were breastfeeding and looking for advice and I’d go to Medela to get advice.” One week was especially tough workwise as she pumped on the plane, a train ride and in an Uber car: “I felt like if I can do it sitting next to a man on the plane, anyone can do it. And I became very passionate about helping other women because I know I needed that help and that support,” she adds.
The fact that Medela was bringing real women into the “Through It All” campaign is what appealed to Manimbo, who says she “learned the most by speaking to other women who have been through it.” One of Manimbo’s videos specifically addressed the important topic of having a conversation with your employer about pumping at work. Manimbo advises mothers to be confident when talking about their breastfeeding needs: “Be tough and be bold. Read up on your rights because you’re protected. Going into this conversation knowing you have rights will make you more confident. Be very transparent and state your goals,” she says. “Your employer would respect that you have a plan and goals; if you’re a person who has a plan you’re likely a good employee. By telling them about your pumping schedule and goals, you’re bringing them in on the journey.”
Stories like Manimbo’s show that there is no one perfect journey when it comes to breastfeeding. It’s a special, individual experience that can be challenging for everyone. The campaign’s mission is to bring these different women with various obstacles together. “Every single case is unique, but there are women out there who have already paved the way so take that into account and don’t be too hard on yourself,” Danta notes.
For more information about Medela’s and their “Through It All” campaign, visit medelathroughitall.com.
