Videos on Breastfeeding and Pumping Breastmilk

Did you know the Pump Station's website includes Breastfeeding Videos with our very own Corky Harvey and Wendy Haldeman? We have videos you can watch online, anytime on How to Breastfeed in Public, How to Pump Breastmilk at Work, How to Pump Breastmilk in Public and more. Our "How to Videos on Breastfeeding and Pumping Breastmilk" page also has Real Audio clips on topics such as: Successful Breastfeeding, Feeding Cues, Latching on Properly and more. All videos are only a few minutes long, sorry no need to grab the popcorn. Not that we are against popcorn.

Lastly, not everything is about breastfeeding. We have the popular Mommie Matters Videos™, with videos on everything from Car Seats to Teething. There is even a section for anyone trying to put together a crib for the first time.

Oh, one more thing. Don't forget our Breastfeeding Resource Library . We have gathered many articles and made them available online. Each one can be downloaded as PDFs or shared with your friends via Facebook & Twitter.

If there are other topics you'd like to see added to our video collection or resource library please add a comment here. We are here to help you, so please let us know what more we can do for our Pump Station Family.

How to Videos on Breastfeeding and Pumping Breastmilk

Mommie Matters Videos™

Breastfeeding Resource Library

Products As Seen On Mommie Matters™

Babyproofing Your Marriage: The Mom’s Perspective

by Julia Kantor, LMFT

“Ever since we had our baby, we’ve been fighting so much more. Is there something wrong with us?”
Having a baby is joyous, yet research shows that 70% of couples experience increased conflict and marital dissatisfaction in the first 3 years post-baby, regardless of how well they were doing before children. This points to the fact that many of the sources of stress are often due to profound role changes rather than an indication that there’s something wrong with the relationship. When you combine hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, struggles over division of labor, strained finances, and almost no time to be alone together, you can see why having a baby puts such a strain on relationships.

However, here’s the good news! There are research-proven techniques that can help you maintain intimacy and connection and work through conflicts constructively. As a Marriage and Family Therapist and a Mommy and Me Leader at The Pump Station, I teach moms and couples these tools.

In my upcoming hot topic lecture, you’ll learn about “soft start-up,” a way to bring up an issue to maximize your chance of actually being heard. Research shows that the way a conflict goes is determined by how it starts 96% of the time!

Also, we’ll explore the male/female differences at the heart of many post-baby conflicts and I’ll teach you how to set your partner up for success, which leads to more mutual understanding. You’ll learn how to fight constructively, when to take a break and how to make repair.

In addition to communication skills, babyproofing your marriage also requires making proactive, structural changes in your new post-baby life. These tools will include:
•    how to help your partner understand what it is you do all day
•    how to create a new division of labor that keeps you out of the role of boss or nag
•    how to make room for intimacy when you’re feeling touched out from constant caretaking 

I look forward to teaching this workshop, "Babyproof Your Marriage: The Moms's Perspective", again on Friday, November 9th, 2:00PM at The Pump Station in Santa Monica. Call 310-998-1981 to enroll. Hollywood and Westlake dates coming in January 2013!

Julia Kantor, LMFT, is a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Beverly Hills.  She teaches  “Babyproofing Your Marriage-The Mom’s Perspective” hot topics at The Pump Station and leads Mommy and Me groups in Hollywood and Westlake.  Check out www.juliakantormft.com for more details.

Shop SmallSM on Saturday Nov 26th

Join the Movement and Support Local Business, like The Pump Station

First there was Black Friday, then Cyber Monday. Now, there's the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday , the day people support small businesses. Pledge to Shop Small on Saturday Nov 26th. If millions of Americans shop small, it will be huge.

Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities, and supporting them is a great way to help fuel the local economy. Pledge your support by liking Small Business Saturday on Facebook. If we all take the pledge and make one purchase, Small Business Saturday can be huge.

Get a one-time $25 statement credit when you register an eligible American Express® Card and use that Card for a purchase of $25 or more at a small business on November 26*.

1. REGISTER
   Register any eligible American Express Card


2. SHOP SMALL
   Shop and spend $25 or more using your registered Card at a small business on November 26th


3. GET BACK $25
   Receive a one-time $25 statement credit on your Card account

Can't access Facebook? Register Here


Copyright 2011 American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. All rights reserved. SmallBusinessSaturday.com.

Turn Clocks Back Sunday, November 6 : Prepare Baby

Jill Spivack, LCSW and Jennifer Waldburger, LCSW of Sleepy Planet offer their expert advice on how to ensure the time shift fo Daylight Savings goes as smoothly as possible for babies, toddlers and older kids:

For Babies
1. Put your child to sleep as his normal bedtime on Saturday night.

2. Your child will likely wake up 1 hour earlier by the new clock than he normally does, say at 5:00 AM (which still feels to him like 6:00 AM). Psychologically, it can be painful to see 5:00 AM on your clock and deal with a child who's bright and perky. There's not a lot you can do about his energy level on this first morning, so just get up with him.

3. If your child still naps, stretch him as much as you can toward his normal first nap time (according to the current clock). So, if your child wakes at 5:00 AM (according to the current clock), his body will want to nap 1 hour earlier than normal. Don't let him! Instead, do whatever it takes to keep him awake. Give him a bath or do the Hokey Pokey around the house to keep him up as close to his normal first nap time as possible, then follow his usual schedule thereafter. Don't let him nap too long, as doing so may continue to cause early morning wakings.

If your child has outgrown napping, you still need to allow him to wake up at the early new time once the clocks have changed (bummer). However, spend your day eating and doing activities according to the usual time (even thought the clock has changed). Do your best to keep him up all the way to his regular bedtime at night, by the new clock (or as chttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflose as you can get without breaking him). Yes, he'll be a bit cranky in the evening temporarily, but after a few days, he'll adjust!

See More Advice from Sleepy Planet's Blog for
Toddlers & Older kids

Excerpt from:
The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5.

The Sleepeasy Solution Book	The Sleepeasy Solution DVD	Good Night, Pajanimals! DVD  by The Jim Henson Company	Good Nite Lite

See Jill & Jennifer's Fav Products!

Learn More about Sleepy Planet

Like Sleepy Planet on Facebook

Instructions for Resetting Good Nite Lite for Daylight Savings

We love the Good Nite Lite which has been featured on The Doctors, CBS Health Watch and The View. We know daylight savings time can be a hassle, changing the clocks in the kitchen on all the walls and even in your car. We hope the video and information below will help make one change a little easier. The video is directly from Good Nite Lite.



To Set the Current Time:

1. Press and hold (for 2 seconds) then release the right/set button. The screen will illuminate brightly and display the default time of 10AM* (default times may vary on some models).

2. Press and hold the left/select button until the time flashes. Use the toggle/mode switch to adjust the time up and down for the minutes and then for the hours. Use the left/select button to move between hours and minutes.

3. Once the current time appears on the screen, press and hold the left/select button until the numbers stop flashing to "set" your time.


To Set the Sleep Time (time you would like the moon to illuminate):

1. Push and hold down the toggle/mode lever until you see the moon icon and the default sleep time of 7PM* blinking on the screen.

2. Use the toggle/mode switch to adjust the time up and down for the minutes and then for the hours. Use the left/select button to move between hours and minutes.

3. Once your Sleep Time appears on the screen, press and hold the left/select button until the current time appears. Your Sleep Time is set.

To Set the Wake-Up Time (time you would like the sun to illuminate):

1. Push and hold up the toggle/mode level until you see the sun icon and the default wake time of 7AM* blinking on the screen.

2. Use the toggle/mode switch to adjust the time up and down for the minutes and then for the hours. Use the left/select button to move between hours and minutes.

3. Once your Wake-Up Time appears on the screen, press and hold the left/select button until the current time appears. Your Wake-Up Time is set.


Once you have the three times programmed (Current, Sleep & Wake Up), plug your light into the outlet.

If at any time you unplug the light and turn the switch to the "off" position your light will revert to the factory settings and you will need to reset your personalized times.



*The Default time may vary on some models

*Your backlight only illuminates for a few seconds before you need to start to set your clock. If the screen darkens, press/hold/release the right button once again to "wake" the timer.

Dimming Feature:

An optional dimming mode is available to further dim your Good Nite Lite. To activate this option press and hold the SET button for 2/3 seconds to illuminate the indicator in the top right corner. To de-activate this option press the SET button again until the indicator no longer appears.



Thanks and Have a Good Nite!

Don't have one?

Buy Good Nite Lite Today

Good Nite Lite is on Facebook

Great Green Halloween Play Date Dough

It was Great Green Fun at this Pump Station the past weekend. We want to thank everyone who came out and helped reaise money for Healthy Child Healthy World. Also we thank all the wonderful people who helped put this awesome event together including our many sponsors!http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The Play Date Dough with Tinker Tree Play/Care was a big hit and many have asked about the recipe. To keep the Green Fun going we are happy to provide this to our Pump Station Family. Have Fun and Stay Green!

Recipe for Great Green Halloween Play Date Dough

1. Mix Dry Ingredients
   • 2 cups of flour
   • 1 cup of salt
   • 1 tsp of cream of tartar
2. Add: 2 tbsp of vegetable or canola oil, stir
3. Add: 2 cups of boiling Water and mix away
   (we recommend using and electric mixer)
4. Add: Coloring and mix further

Once complete knead in spices to add your special flavors. We used cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, lemongrass and other fun stuff from the kitchen.
Play Away!!!!

Thank you to Tinker Tree Play/Care

These are My Little Monsters

By Natalie Cronin-Reyes, Founder of Tinker Tree Play/Care

These are my little monsters. Don’t be scared!!! We made them from milk cartons, filled them with shredded paper, and hid some things inside like plastic bottles with shells so they have a cool sound…and then Duck Tape. My mom and dad taught me how to do things like this when I was little, reuse it, repair it, or refashion it. My childhood in rural Pennsylvania looks very different than my son’s childhood in New York City, his big back yard is one of several glorious parks shared with millions of people. We share our home with our community, too! As a family daycare provider, my goal is to “support the art of parenting in the greenest ways possible.”  Our playroom is filled with toys that are eco-responsible, and these “Milk Blocks” are a big favorite among my kids.

The Great Green Play Date for a Cause is our way of sharing our ideas and what we have learned as green explorers and creators. Healthy Child, Healthy World, our cause, has been a trusted guide. Their website and book are a reference and news source for me as I “vote with my dollars” to support green efforts in the marketplace. Every mom, no matter how much or how little she has to spend has a vote.  What’s really scary, as we prepare for Halloween, is how many monsters attack our kids in the form of artificial colors and flavors, GMOs , pesticides, herbicides, cheap, plastic toys, mounds of trash post-holiday. Making good choices is too often feels like a choice between two “evils.”

Our partnership with Green Halloween® has revealed dozens of safe, green, healthy ideas and inspires more daily as other parents, teachers, entrepreneurs and advocates creatively change the way we celebrate this tradition to be in harmony with our planet. We look forward to sharing our ideas as a revolution through play with your child. Sunday, October 30th at The Pump Station, The Great Green Halloween benefit is a collaboration of like-minded business determined to make a healthy world for every child. The best part of Halloween is all ages get to pretend, dress up, and confront goblins, ghosts and goons with a laugh and of course, eat candy!!! Vote with your dollars and join our cause!

Natalie Cronin-Reyes is the Founder of Tinker Tree Play/Care on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Deeply passionate about children and the environment, she has developed a number of charitable initiatives that support children’s health and ecologically sound parenting, such as “The Great Green Playdate for a Cause” and the “Be Brave Adventure Benefit” for the MaxCure Foundation. She is a featured artist and consultant for the Rug Bug Music Program, and served as the founding National Director of Child Development for Kidville until 2011. She resides inNew York City with her husband and son, and is thankful every day for the opportunity to “play” for a living.

Picture Day in the Park with Docuvitae! Nov 3rd

We are happy to bring to our Pump Station family another great Picture Day in the Park with Docuvitae! Get ready for the Holidays and book an affordable photo session with the award winning photographers of Docuvitae.

When
Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 from 10am to 2pm

Where:
Douglas Park in Santa Monica, CA.

How to Register:
Call the Pump Station in Santa Monica, CA, to schedule your session today! 310.998.1981

Sessions are only $129 (+tax) and include a web gallery and an 8x10 print or printable file emailed directly to youhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Learn more about Docuvitae: docuvitae.com

See Docuvitae's great shots from our Facebook gallery
Latch On Los Angeles



View Larger Map

How to Donate to Mother's Milk Bank

If you have an abundance of milk and would be willing to donate this life saving gift to the California Milk bank, there is currently a desperate shortage. If you can help, please contact the Mother's Milk Bank. Information is listed below.

The Mothers' Milk Bank of California, located at Valley Medical Center in San Jose, CA, is a licensed tissue bank that has been providing milk banking services for over 30 years. Since 1974, over 4000 donors have provided over 1.5 million ounces of milk to help babies survive and thrive. Last year alone, the MMB provided over 250,000 ounces of donor milk to babies throughout California and the West.

All milk banks are not created equal. Mothers' Milk Bank of California is non-profit 501(3)(c) organization, and a charter member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) Many milk banks sell donated milk to for-profit companies that process and distribute the milk. To guarantee that you are donating to a non-profit milk bank, make sure that they are a member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA).  HMBANA Milk Banks are committed to:

• Maintaining non-profit status
• Providing community service
• Offering reasonable prices
• Ensuring the highest quality

Location	Contact
Mothers' Milk Bank Valley Medical Center 751 S. Bascom Ave. San Jose, CA 95128 Directions	phone:(408) 998-4550 fax: (408) 297-9208 email: MothersMilkBank@hhs.co.santa-clara.ca.us website: sanjosemilkbank.com/

More Resources
La Leche League International
Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin, TX
Mother's Milk Bank of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Triangle Mothers' Milk Bank, Wake Medical Center, Raleigh, NC
Mothers' Milk Bank of Ohio, Columbus, OH
Mothers' Milk Bank of Denver CO
Mothers' Milk Bank of Indiana IN
Human Milk Banking Assn of North America

Lamaze Toys Available Online

Lamaze® Play and Grow Toys are pure awesomeness with brightly colored soft bodies and tons of sounds and textures. We know our Pump Station family wants toys that keep your little ones healthy, happy, and safe. Lamaze Toys are designed in conjunction with child development experts, to help with visual, auditory and motor skills development.

Not only do we love the toys because they are safe and great learning toys, but they're just plain cool and fun. The animals include the Lamaze link for strollers, car seats or high chairs. No more searching under the table, on the side walk, under the car seat because their best friend decided to be a flight test pilot Below are just some of the Lamaze Toys we carry. There are even more available in our Pump Station and Nurtury™ Stores (Santa Monica, Hollywood and Westlake)

Lulu in a Tutu	Stretch the Giraffe	Rusty the Robot	Mortimer the Moose
Freddie the Firefly	Captain Calamari	Peak-a-Boo Forest	Captain's Treasure Hunt