Bras2Moms provides nursing bras to moms who need them

For some moms, one key breastfeeding supply can be hard to come by: a properly fitting nursing bra. Emily Gorchels founded Bras2Moms to solve that problem, which she worries can hinder nursing for women who can't afford nursing bras or can't find them in the right size.

Gorchels has met women trying to make do -- "some of the bras that moms come in with would make you cry" -- and women who haven't left the house in months because they must remove their shirts to breastfeed.

Not having a good nursing bra is "a little thing, but it's huge," she says. Nursing requires a mom to open her bra multiple times a day, especially in the first few months. And a poorly fitting bra can affect milk supply and cause problems such as

or

which further discourage women from nursing.

Women who need nursing bras can show up between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of the month at the Bras2Moms fitting station at

,

, across from Southwest Washington Medical Center. They can choose two bras or tanks. Gorchels said she doesn't ship bras because she can't cover the costs and she wants each recipient to be measured for the right size. She's hoping to eventually add a fitting station in Portland.

To collect gently used nursing bra and tank donations, Bras2Moms has drop locations from Portland to Kelso, mostly at consignment stores. Locations are listed on the

and

. Donations can be mailed to those locations.

Volunteers are welcome, too, Gorchels said.

Debbie Myers, a registered nurse and lactation consultant with

's Mother-Baby Program at Kaiser's East Interstate clinic, sees breastfeeding problems of all kinds.

"The toughest period is when women have to return to the workforce, and that's when we see weaning enter the picture," she says. And that means those women's babies aren't

.

Myers shared these tips for working moms who want to nurse as long as possible.

Pump, pump, pump.

Start pumping well before you return to work, in between nursing sessions, and stockpile pumped milk in the freezer, Myers said. Having extra milk on hand reduces the stress surrounding the return to work, and less stress means more milk.

Use the right pump.

"Most women are not going to be as successful with a hand pump as perhaps with an electric one," Myers said. She also noted that different pumps have differently sized flanges, or breast shields. "If you have a flange size that is inappropriate," Myers said, "it may impede milk exiting the breast."

Myers acknowledged that breast pumps can be costly. Some women are able to borrow pumps or have health insurance that covers breast pump rentals. Myers noted that the Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama in 2010, which is scheduled to take effect Aug. 1, requires

Use formula as a last resort.

Working moms who want to maintain their milk production need to breastfeed during their off hours. Myers said many moms are quick to turn to formula when their milk supply lessens, and that can begin a downward cycle. "Before moms really know it, they're doing very little breastfeeding and mostly formula feeding," Myers said.

Talk to employers.

Myers recommends that every nursing working mom sit down with a supervisor or human resources representative to create a clear plan for pumping. Oregon law requires companies with at least 25 employees to provide

.

Myers said women who meet resistance from supervisors or employers can stress that "a breastfed baby is going to save the business money because breastfed babies tend to be ill less often -- that means moms are less likely to have to take time off to stay with a sick child, and there's less healthcare benefit going out the door because they're seeing the pediatrician less frequently for illnesses."

Be well supplied.

Myers said a mom pumping at work should have an insulated bag with cold packs for storing milk; a labeling system to record the date and time each batch of milk was pumped; and breast pads. Moms may also want to dress strategically to hide breastmilk leaks. Myers recommends prints, stripes and patterns. Avoid solid white blouses: "The first thing you see is this big round wet circle." Nursing moms may also want to pack a sweater to cover leaks or to keep a change of shirts at work.

Bring pumping aids.

Being at work can hinder letdown and pumping. Myers offered these suggestions: Look at a picture of the baby, play a recording of the baby crying, bring clothing with the baby's scent, do massage and compression of the breast, hand-express while pumping.

Seek peer support.

Myers recommended finding out whether any co-workers also have nursed in the workplace and getting their advice and support. "Do you have to reinvent the wheel, or has someone else already gone through this before you with your employer?"

Stay fed and watered.

Myers isn't as concerned about what nursing moms eat as she is about the fact that it's easy for a working woman to go hours without eating or drinking, or to work through lunch because that's when she pumps. Myers said a nursing mom needs to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day and eat enough to make up for expending 500 to 700 calories every 24 hours in breast milk. To keep up milk production, Myers recommends mother's milk tea or fenugreek. (

)

Keep perspective.

Pumping and working is tough, Myers acknowledged. "You have to keep reminding yourself that it's a labor or love that no one else can perform for your baby," she said. "Look at your entire life as a pie -- childrearing is a tiny slice, breastfeeding is an even tinier slice of that slice."

-

; on