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What goes into making a good...
Breastpump • Car Seat • Soft Front Carrier

Breastpump Manufacturers If you want to learn more about other types of pumps that you may not currently carry in your operation, the following list of breastpump manufacturers will be helpful. Feel free to contact them for detailed information on their products, programs such as ad co-op funds, and any other marketing assistance they offer to retail customers. This list will get you started; it is not a comprehensive list. Ameda/Hollister 800-323-4060 2000 Hollister Dr. Libertyville IL 60048 Avent America 847-228-6150 501 Lively Blvd. Elk Grove Village IL 60007 Bailey Medical Engineering 800-413-3216 2216 Sunset Dr. Los Osos CA 93402 Chicco USA/Artsana Spa 732-805-9200 4E Easy St. Bound Brook NJ 08805 Dex Baby Products 707-748-4186 601 Stone Rd. Benicia CA 94510 Evenflo 937-415-3300 707 Crosswords Court Northwoods Business Center Vandalia OH 45377 Gerber Baby Care 231-928-2000 445 State St. Fremont MI 49412 Lumiscope/Gentle Expression 732-225-5533 400 Raritan Center Pkwy. Edison NJ 08837 Medela 815-363-1166 1101 Corporate Dr. McHenry IL 60050 Omron Health Care 847-680-6200 300 Lakeview Pkwy. Vernon Hills IL 60061 Primo 973-926-5900 149 Shaw Ave. Irvington NJ 07111 The First Years 508-588-1220 One Kiddie Dr. Avon MA 02322-1171 Zenoff Products/ My Brest Friend 415-883-5300 35 Leveroni Court Novato CA 94949

No single breast pump can possibly address every mother's need. Depending on those needs, there are many good breast pumps on the market — some do a reasonably good job; others are outstanding in their design and construction, and some are less than adequate in effectively collecting and stimulating a mother's milk supply.

Determining which pump or pumps are best for any particular circumstance requires listening to your customers or, asking them appropriate questions that will point to a particular type of pump that best addresses their needs. Once the type of pump is determined, then the next part of the discussion can address the range of benefits and features available in the pumps that you carry. An informed decision can then be made, based on which features appeal to the mother, including cost considerations and lifestyle.

So, how can you help your customers become informed buyers? Simply put—by knowing your breast pumps. It's not unlike other categories of merchandise in your store. You need to know the differences in car seats, strollers, cribs and furniture; likewise, you need the same type of information about breast pumps and their accessories.

First you need a good understanding of the uses for the types of breast pumps available today. The chart below shows the most common/frequent needs of breastfeeding mothers — and the pump(s) which best addresses those needs. This chart can be helpful as a reference for you and your employees, so you might want to clip the article and post it in a prominent location.

You will note that the types of breast pumps recommended in the following chart fall into four main categories: Hospital-grade electric breast pumps (usually rented on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, but can be purchased at around $700 SRP); Double-pumping electric breast pumps (personal pumps priced anywhere from $120-280 SRP); Small battery and electric breast pumps (personal pumps, priced from $40 to $170 SRP); and manual breast pumps (priced from around $15 to over $50 SRP). A detailed overview of each type of pump follows; however, there are certain features which all good pumps should offer:

• Operation at safe vacuum levels (usually a maximum of 250-300 mm Hg) to avoid excessive vacuum that could damage breast tissue.
• Automatic cycling, which imitates a baby's nursing action without a mother needing to worry about when to push a release button.
• Adjustable vacuum levels that allow mothers to choose their individual level of comfort.
• Easy assembly and cleaning to assure hygienic use.

Once you've reviewed the various situations that can benefit from breast pump use, look more closely at the features available in each. Quality, construction, function, comfort, safety, hygiene and price ranges are important in each type of pump referenced and are indicators of why some pumps function better than others.

Manual breast pumps
Manual pumps are ideal for short-term or occasional pumping. Typically smaller, lighter, more portable, discreetly quiet and less expensive than other types of pumps, manual pumps are desirable for short-term use. On the other hand, these features can also limit the performance levels of these pumps making them impractical for situations where a mother needs to pump long-term while maintaining her milk supply.

Usually powered by the mother's arm or hand muscles, there are two types of manual pumps: the cylinder and the pistol-grip type. (There are a few "bicycle horn" pumps around, but they are not recommended by lactation professionals.) Both types should operate smoothly and easily over a pumping period of 15 to 20 minutes without being tiring or ergonomically stressful. The cylinder/piston pump uses the stronger muscles of the arm, which can be less tiring than using the pistol-grip pump, which is usually hand squeezed. The downside to a cylinder/piston pump is that it requires two hands to operate. Therefore, the mother can only pump one breast at a time. Mothers generally develop a preference once they have the opportunity to try the different pumping motions.

A manual pump should automatically cycle (i.e. increase/decrease and release vacuum pressure automatically, thus imitating a baby's nursing action). Some pumps require the mother to manually release vacuum pressures, which can be less effective and potentially uncomfortable. The vacuum levels on most manual pumps are adjustable depending on the force the mother applies; however, one manufacturer's pump features variable vacuum settings, such as MIN/MED/MAX, combined with continuous adjustments in-between. A good pump should also have the ability to automatically keep vacuums within safe limits.

Manual pumps should be designed so that as the collection container fills with breast milk, the amount of vacuum pressure does not change on the breast. This is accomplished in a few cylinder pumps by keeping the parts which create suction separate and isolated from the milk in the collection chamber. Air is expressed from the collection container through vents in the breast shield as the piston is extended. Once fully extended, suction is released on the breast, milk flows into the collection container, and air flows back into the cylinder. Air is drawn into the cylinder as the piston is pushed in, a valve/membrane in the breast shield closes off the container, and the breast is at rest until the mother repeats the process by extending the piston. The amount of milk in the collection container does not increase the vacuum levels, which means different size containers can be used without impacting vacuum levels. With other pumps, the mother needs to stop and empty the milk from the collection container in order to maintain the vacuum pressure level.

Manual pumping actions should be tested by the mom if at all possible. I would recommend keeping one sample of each of your products available for just this type of demonstration. One mother might prefer the type of pump powered by the arm muscles; another might select a spring-assisted pump which makes pumping easier; while still another might prefer the pistol-grip type. There is even a pump which uses the leg muscles to power a manual pump.

A manual pump should come complete with everything a mother needs: the breast shield with possibly a small insert (the insert assures proper fit for moms with smaller nipples), pump assembly with valves/membrane, bottle, one or two-piece lid and tubing. It is also nice if a feeding nipple and bottle stand, if needed, are included.

A high quality manual pump should be hygienic in design (no part of the pump assembly should come in contact with the breast milk) and should disassemble easily for complete sanitization. Most manual pumps are constructed of plastic; usually polyproylene or polycarbonate.

Battery/small electric portable breast pumps
Battery-operated pumps are certainly easier and more convenient for a mother to operate. They are also lightweight and portable, some available with a carrying case. They generally work well over the first 1 to 4 hours of battery life. As the batteries discharge, however, cycling and vacuum levels are reduced, gradually becoming significantly less effective for pumping. The important thing is to advise customers to purchase and always keep extra fresh batteries on hand!

Some battery pumps have an optional AC adapter that allows them to be plugged into a standard electrical outlet, which certainly adds another level of convenience. Most battery pumps are single pumping; however, there are a few brands which offer double pumping capabilities. Double pumping cuts the time required to pump almost in half and is a great time-saver.

A good battery or small electric pump should operate at a minimum of 30 cycles per minute (CPM), which is an effective level for occasional use. Using battery operation will reduce the CPM slightly as compared to use with an AC transformer. However, there are small electric pumps that have a much lower range of 8-20 CPM because the mother is required to pulse with her fingertip and count to control the cycling. So that mom doesn't have to guess how often to pulse her finger, some pumps have vacuum regulation and automatic cycling.

Again, most pumps in this category come complete with a battery motor unit and/or AC adapter, a manual pump, breast shield and insert, collection container, bottle stand and lid. Some include a carrying case and cooling elements or they come as an option. A good pump should be easy to completely clean and sterilize (except the motor units) and have overflow protection.

The small battery and electric pumps can do a good job for short-term use or occasional separation from baby — a night out, relief of temporary engorgement, even a part-time job — as long as the mother's milk supply is well established and baby is still able to directly feed at the breast for most feedings per day. This ensures that a mother receives sufficient natural stimulation from the baby to sustain her milk supply.

Double pumping electric breast pumps
With more and more moms working full-time these days, the larger personal double-pumping electric breast pumps are a necessity rather than a luxury. Designed specifically for long-term pumping, these breast pumps are ideal for mothers with an established milk supply. This category of pump is capable of sustaining a mother's lactation over a long period of time. They are also an economical choice since the cost of rental pumps (their other option) allows them to break even around 6 months. For use longer than six months, it is cheaper to purchase a personal pump. While this type of pump may be a more significant investment initially, current estimates put the annual cost of formula at about $2000 or more. In addition, benefits the baby would derive from breast milk are priceless!

This category of pump also offers the widest flexibility for working and active moms. Included among the features are items such as an optional battery adapter, shoulder bag or carrying case, cooling elements, insulated compartments for storing breast milk, collection containers, lids and stands, single or double pumping capability, manual pump and/or options such as a vehicle lighter adapter. All of these features mean a mother can discreetly pump at home, in the office, on a plane, or in a car—whenever necessary. It also means that the active, working mother can continue to breastfeed for a much longer period of time than was formerly the case.

What makes a good double-pumping personal electric pump is the effective combination of adjustable vacuum pressures and higher automatic cycles per minute along with both individual speed and vacuum controls to ensure mothers' comfort. The ability to double pump to save time and quiet performance for maximum discretion, are also factors. Most double pumping electric pumps have vacuum levels ranging to about 220 mm Hg with cycles per minute ranging from around 30 to 60 cycles per minute. The higher the number of cycles per minute, the more adequate the pump will be for long-term or frequent pumping. Again, when electric pumps are operated with a battery adapter, CPM are reduced slightly.

Shoulder bags or carrying cases that enclose and hold pumps should offer extra pockets for storage of mom and baby supplies, wide shoulder straps, and strap pads to ensure shoulder comfort and discreet looks for work and travel.

It should also be stressed to your customers that these pumps may have high quality performance that rivals the hospital-grade pumps, but unlike hospital pumps, they are personal single-user pumps that are not to be shared between mothers.

Hospital-grade breast pumps
The "cadillac" of all breast pumps, hospital-grade pumps are vital for mothers who require a pump to help initiate, maintain and/or sustain milk supplies. They are also useful in situations where a breast pump is necessary full time such as with a premature baby or for temporary use when breastfeeding difficulties occur. In these instances the rental of a hospital-grade pump offers greater flexibility while it can also be the most effective in resolving the problem. Rental pumps may also be the most cost-effective compared to purchasing a double-pumping electric pump when the need is temporary. Rental pumps also provide mothers with a method to "test the waters" in terms of whether they will need a pump long-term. In these instances, renting the pump for a few weeks or months may well lead to the mother purchasing her own pump down the road.

Although you may not offer this type of breast pump in your business, you might want to consider its use in a rental program. If you do offer rentals/purchased hospital-grade pumps, here are the features and benefits that make these pumps surpass any others on the market:

Hospital pumps are designed for quiet, smooth operation at the cycles per minute and vacuum pressures that are most effective for mothers initiating breastfeeding or wanting to sustain lactation over a long-term period. Some hospital pumps are reported as having a smoother pumping cycle than others; some have better overflow protection or are designed not to need overflow protection; all are designed for both single and double pumping. Double pumping normally does not affect the vacuum levels on these pumps, which gives them a more consistent feel and operation.

Hospital grade pumps can be used by multiple mothers, because each mother purchases their own single or double breast pump kit. The personal breast pump kits include everything that is needed to use these large pumps while they eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination between mothers. Kits are designed for easy cleaning and sanitizing. They also represent add-on merchandise sales to mothers using this type of breast pump.

Take advantage of breast pump manufacturers' programs
Most breast pump manufacturers make available to their retail customers a significant collection of informational material on all the different types of breast pumps they produce. Some also produce general breastfeeding and breast pump information that will guide you in helping your customers. Contact your vendor for copies of this information and have it available for your employees' reference.

The future is bright for breast pumps and accessories
The breast pump category will only continue to grow. More and more mothers are learning about the benefits of breastfeeding, which is reflected in the rising breastfeeding rates in the U.S. At the same time, there is no reduction in the numbers of mothers who either work part- or full-time. If they've made the decision to breastfeed, a breast pump is absolutely necessary to achieve their nutritional goals for their babies. Stay-at-home-moms also are involved in many activities such as expanding their schooling or family and community involvement and can benefit from the freedom a breast pump offers. With absolute certainty, I can say that no mother requires a breast pump to breastfeed. However, with today's lifestyle choices, breast pumps play an undeniably vital role in making it possible for a mother to provide the best possible nutrition to her child for as long as she chooses.

Car Seat
by Carol Dingledy, Manager of Corporate Communications at Cosco, Inc.

With new car seat regulations in effect and more on the way, it is important that your business stays informed. You provide a valuable service when you help parents select car seats that are right for their children and vehicles. Here's what you need to know:

1. Air bags
While air bags have proven to be real lifesavers, they can cause serious injury or death if they hit a rear-facing car seat or a misplaced or misused forward-facing car seat.

Infants must not ride rear-facing in the front seat with an air bag; the air bag can hit the back of the car seat with a force far too great for babies to tolerate. They cannot ride forward facing because their necks are not strong enough to support the head in a crash. Infants must ride rear-facing in the back seat, or lying down in a car bed in the front or back seat. Toddlers who must sit in a forward-facing car seat with an air bag should be properly restrained with the vehicle seat pushed back as far as possible.

The federal government allows parents to have the vehicle dealer disconnect the air bag. However, parents must remember that the extra restraint afforded by an air bag will then no longer be available for anyone else in that seat.

Instead, suggest parents put the kids in the back whenever possible, and let them know their options if they cannot. For more information and brochures, call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 1-800-424-9393 or JPMA at 609-231-8500.

2. Vehicle incompatibility with car seats
Some vehicle seat belts and seat cushions are not compatible with child car seats. Vehicle belts are designed for adults, and some of those belts cannot properly secure any car seat or require extra hardware. In general, child restraints should not be used on vehicle seats which face the side or rear of the vehicle. Parents may be able to move the car seat to another seating location or use a locking clip (an extra metal piece that secures the lap portion of the seat belt). However, installation may not be possible in some vehicles, especially if an air bag makes the right front seat unavailable. Compatibility may be a problem in situations where the belts are set forward of the bight (that's the crack where the seat back and bottom meet), if there is an ELR belt, if the belts have long stiff stalks, for certain bucket seats, and other situations that don't permit a tight belt fit.

3. Tethers
One possible solution is a tether. A tether stabilizes the top part of a car seat. In the past, tethers have been difficult to anchor in some vehicles, and not all car seats easily accommodated them. As of September 1, 1999, however, most forward-facing car seats (except auto boosters) include a tether, and new vehicles have started featuring new, visible, accessible anchors for attaching the tethers. The goal is to increase tether use by making it easy rather than having the parent purchase the tether separately and take the vehicle to the dealer to have the anchor installed.

Please note that car seats are not required to use a tether, but the regulations have changed in such a way that most car seats have to include a tether to meet the new head excursion standard of 28.4". If a tether is used, the car seat must also still meet the older 32" head excursion requirement without the tether.

Parents can order tethers from the manufacturer of their car seat, or you may wish to stock them as an add-on sale. There are two basic types: double slide (least expensive) or slide lock (may be better if seat is moved often).

The tether is part of a new universal system that will be phased in over the next few years. The new system will allow car seats to be installed in vehicles without using the vehicle seat belts at all. By January 1, 2002, all new automobiles will have small metal bars down in the bight of the seat, and all car seats will have a way to attach to these lower anchorage bars without utilizing the vehicle seat belt.

Car seat manufacturers will use different systems on different car seats from economical to luxury. Clamp-on attachments are pretty automatic to use, but they make the car seat heavier and are more expensive. Most car seats will probably use straps with hooks that attach to the lower anchorage bars because they are the least expensive. Even so, the increased retail price of the car seat will range from perhaps $20-60 per seat, depending on the system used.

Universal attachment systems are not too far away, so parents must carefully choose the type of car seat that works best in their vehicle. You can help by allowing parents to try the car seat in their vehicle before purchase and by locating a source in your area that can provide assistance, if required, such as the local hospital or police department. Parents can also contact the car seat manufacturer or the vehicle dealer.

4. Turn-around time
Current recommendations now suggest that babies should ride rear-facing until they are 20 lbs and one year of age. However, car seat manufacturers cannot test for age; they can only test for weight. Many car seat manufacturers have now tested their convertible car seats up to 30 or even 35 pounds rear-facing to help accommodate the heavier, shorter, younger babies. (Height recommendations do not ordinarily change.) The key is: always follow the instructions and labels that come with a particular seat.

5. Auto booster seats
There are two types of auto booster seats: shield and belt positioning (BPB). Some BPB models have high backs to help control whiplash; they may also have an internal harness which allows use as a toddler seat up to 40 pounds. Shield boosters use the shield with a lap belt or lap/shoulder belt; the shield removes for use as a BPB, which like other BPB seats can be used only with a lap/shoulder belt. Some parents may "graduate" a child into an auto booster at perhaps 25 pounds, which is too soon; maybe a younger child needs the convertible seat or the parent may want the child to get in and out himself. But there are some children who get too tall for their convertible seats before they reach 40 pounds, so an auto booster for use from 30 to 60-70-80 pounds is a good option. Both shield and belt-positioning boosters meet the same federal government standard.

It might be a good idea to ask where the booster seat will be used. If it will be used in any lap belt-only seating locations, it must have a shield; if it will be used in any lap-shoulder belt seating locations for children over 40 pounds, it must be a belt-positioning booster (with or without a removable shield). Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for minimum and maximum weights. Also, the midpoint of the child's head cannot be above the vehicle seat back, or whiplash could result.

Trends
The trend is certainly to keep children in car seats longer. Current recommendations are that children up to 80 pounds should be in a child restraint. There are several reasons for this: their legs are too short to hit the curve in the seat, so the kids tend to slouch down, bringing the lap belts right over the vulnerable stomach area; young kids tend to squirm anyway, and they get out of position very quickly when using just the adult seat lap/shoulder belt, again putting the lap belt over the stomach; and they aren't tall enough to see out, which means they do things like sit on their knees and put themselves in dangerous positions.

Some manufacturers are trying to make child restraints look "older" or significantly different from the "baby seats" to attract children to the product to ride in them longer. Pads that match vehicle fabrics and race car themes are just two approaches. Deluxe is also "in."

Soft Front Carrier
by Bengt Lager, President of Regal Lager, Inc./Baby Bjorn

A soft front carrier is a more useful product than most parents initially think. Not only good for occasional walks in the neighborhood or in the mall, it is also useful while doing different chores at home since it gives the user two free hands. Having free hands is especially helpful if the parents have one or more small children to tend to besides the baby. For a small fussy baby demanding to be held all the time, a carrier is indispensable. Children suffering from colic may also find a carrier very comfortable and soothing. Being carried around in a carrier in a comfortable position often helps an infant fall asleep.

Most childbirth instructors and pediatricians recommend large doses of close body contact between parent and the baby. This close contact comes naturally when using a carrier. Many parents unfortunately still see a carrier as a female product. It's very important to point out that a carrier should be used just as much by the father as the mother.

What goes into making a carrier that the consumer will use, enjoy and recommend? A number of factors such as safety, comfort/support for the child, comfort for the user, ease of use, length of use, and style all come into play.

As with any juvenile product, safety is the primary concern. At the present time there is no government or organized safety standard for carriers. However, a committee has just recently been established within the framework of JPMA/ASTM to develop a standard. As usual with a new standard, this work will take at least 1-2 years to develop. The European Union is in the process of developing a standard, but this standard is also at least 1-2 years away.

Newborn infants lack the muscular strength to hold their bodies and heads upright and steady. Therefore, it is important that the carrier provide full support for the small infant. The back support in the carrier needs to keep the infant's spine as straight as possible, so the child is not forced into an unnatural sitting position, placing unnecessary stress on the hips or spine of the infant. Head support is imperative as the head of a small child is heavy in proportion to the body, and the muscles are weak. Children need full head support (until they can hold up their head), especially when they are sleeping. It is therefore important to check for both back-neck support and support side ways. The snugger the neck support, the better. Any adjustment to allow room for movement once the neck muscles has developed is a big plus.

It is important that the carrier is as comfortable for the user as it is for the infant. The shoulder straps should be wide and padded to distribute the baby's weight evenly across the shoulders and back. The carrier should preferably be designed to encourage the parents to carry it high up on their chest. This gives the best support for the child and is generally the most comfortable position for the parents. A good rule of thumb is that the parent should be able to kiss the baby's forehead while looking down. A wide size range of adults use carriers so it is helpful when straps are adjustable in size for all users.

Putting on a carrier can be quite complicated with many straps and buckles to connect and adjust, especially the first time. Obviously the easier and faster this can be done the better. The ease of operation is a very important consideration to get more fathers to use carriers. Again, babies will tend to fall asleep while in the carrier. At that point many parents want to put the baby down in a crib or stroller. If the carrier has a feature where it's easy to take a sleeping a baby out without waking up, it's a great advantage.

Another appreciated function some carriers offer is growth adjustment. Added versatility allows the child to be worn in different ways. When the child gets to be 3-4 months old, he or she can be turned around and face forward in the carrier, so he or she may see the new world around them. Also adjusting the seat height takes into account that a child grows in height and needs to be lowered in the carrier.

A carrier should be sewn together with strong good quality fabric that holds up to reasonable wear and tear. All buckles and metal parts must have enough strength and not contain small parts or sharp edges. Special attention should be given to risks for pinching. It should be easy to clean and machine-washable. Also carriers come in different patterns/styles to accommodate the tastes of many different customers.

The best way to display carriers and catch the customers' interest is to have them mounted on busts or torsos. To deter customers from taking the carriers off the torsos, it helps to have a doll in them to simulate the use situation. A cute alternative is to use a stuffed animal such as a bear, dog, monkey, etc.

The carrier category is very rewarding for a knowledgeable sales staff. Many parents have a hard time understanding the difference between different carriers from just the packaging. The knowledgeable sales person can explain why some functions are so important and worth the price. A big advantage is to have samples of the various carriers available for the customers to try on and experience the difference. This also prevents too many boxes from being opened and destroyed by the consumers.

All of you have probably heard the statement "I couldn't live without my carrier" from your customers. So with approximately only ¹/₃ of the parents currently buying a carrier, and a total market last year 1.2 million units, there is great potential to add sales by explaining the functions and usefulness of carriers to all parents in your store. Work with your manufacturers, and especially their reps, to keep your staff knowledgeable, and your carrier business should be very rewarding.