The EcoChic

It’s Saturday afternoon and one little one is napping while the other one is playing on his laptop – and I can sneak back into my BlogHer memories long enough to write Part 1 (there will be several parts – but I promise there is a lesson for you in each one).  Today’s lesson is taking the first step.

I arrived in NYC on a plane all by myself with no plan on how to get to the hotel.  I had seen tweets all morning saying people were arriving and looking to share rides so I thought I would try it out.  I tweeted hopeful of finding someone to share a ride with – and to my surprise I found @DebMomof3 who was already at LGA and waiting on @ConnieFoggles to arrive.  Ironically @ConnieFoggles was on my plane from TPA – what a small world!  I had never met either of these women and didn’t even follow them on Twitter yet.  After mechanical problems we finally deplaned from the rear of the plane and found each other at baggage claim.  We chatted and learned a little about each other as we waited for a taxi and headed to the hotel.  I was so busy chatting that I found myself paying very little attention to the city around me. 

Then we arrived – to the Hilton NYC – and the sea of women bloggers!  It was all a little surreal actually – lots of women standing around the hotel lobby tweeting one another – trying to find a connection or a friendly face.  Luckily I’m a Hilton Honors member (I travel a lot for work) and got my room right away (most had to wait for a clean room) and escaped to my safe haven.  I tweeted a few times to see if anyone I knew (virtually) had already arrived.  Unfortunately I couldn’t find anyone - now what?

I was unpacked and starving – I had to escape my room and come out from behind my laptop.  I wasn’t here in NYC to sit in my room all weekend and tweet.  So I stepped out of my room, went down the elevator, and back into the lobby.  I tweeted a few more times looking for someone else who was starving – to no avail.  No one was biting at my pleas for a friend.  I finally tweeted about how insecure this was all making me and went outside to find food by myself.

I stopped to call my best friends back home – only to get their voice mail - now I was even more alone! 

Which way should I walk?  Walk around the building and stop to breath – trying not to cry with insecurity.  Then it happened – I saw her – another young woman staring at her phone and staring at the big city trying to decide where she was going. 

So I did it – I stopped her and asked her if she was with BlogHer – I guess we’re not hard to spot with our phones stuck up our noses.  I asked if she was hungry and if she would like to grab a bite to eat – thankfully she said YES!  So @LoneK8 and I walked to the nearest pub and sat down to regroup.  While I had made friends in the cab I finally felt like I had make my first ‘real’ friend  at BlogHer!  Kate and I chatted about our blogs, our families, and this madness that was BlogHer! 

This is a picture of Trump Tower which Kate and I found on our walk!  We liked the trees growing on the side of the building.

Registration didn’t begin until 4pm so we had plenty of time before we had to step back into the Hilton.  We decided to walk the city for a few blocks – and I think we even ended up on 5th Avenue.  We were actually looking for a drug store which we finally found – across the street from our hotel!  LOL!  We passed each other a few more times during the conference and both said hi as we continued on our way but we didn’t really see each other the rest of the weekend. 

My first experience was well tweeted by another woman blogger at BlogHer …  “It’s like showing up to the prom….alone!”  It was exactly like that – showing up at BlogHer, not knowing anyone, just trying to find a friendly face.  I don’t do well being alone so I’m very thankful to Kate for joining me at lunch that first day. 

Next time you find yourself at the mall, or park, or conference alone (or with your kids) look around and see who else is around – chances are that someone else is alone just waiting for someone to make the first move!  I’m so glad that I did! 

This is Kate after our hot and sweaty walk around the city!  Still beautiful despite what she thought!

To follow my new friends:

@DebMomof3 Blog:   http://www.momof3girls.net/ 
@ConnieFoggles Blog: http://brainfoggles.com/businesscard/
@LoneK8Blog: http://www.lonek8.com/

And a special thank you to my sponsors who helped me get to BlogHer this year.  Franklin Goose, Bamboo Bums, and Teething Bling/Smart Mom Jewelry all sponsored me financially.  Lillunia LLC and Rockin Green Soap both purchased ad space that I used to help with my trip.  Eco Chic Parties accepts payment for some parties – and that money has been used for trip expenses as well.  Mommy Doodles is my one and only graphic designer and technical expert.  Melanie is AWESOME and always willing to help me (sometimes I even pay her) with my blog(s).  She even designed my awesome business cards for me!

I hope that for my readers you don’t get sick of me talking about BlogHer 10 for the next month.  In August I’ll be celebrating my 3rd year Blog-iversary and this will be my very first blogging conference ever!  A little over a year ago my blog took a turn in a new direction when I decided to sign up for Twitter – and my life hasn’t been the same since.  I’ve met so many wonderful readers, bloggers, companies, and more – I feel so blessed to be where I am today. 

Why do I want to go to BlogHer?  I have had so much fun this past year with my blog, Twitter, and especially with the creation of Eco Chic Parties that I want to see what else is out there.  What am I doing ‘wrong’?  What could I do better?  What are other bloggers doing?  In past years I’ve read blogs and tweets about others experience and the wildness that occurs when 2000 mom bloggers unite. 

But doesn’t it cost money to go?  Yes, it’s not a cheap trip.  The conference ticket alone was a few hundred dollars + hotel and expenses.  Thankfully we have connections and don’t have to pay to fly – just have to fly standby with our fingers crossed that seats are available. 

AND – I’ve had a little help with my expenses.  I have a few sponsors that I’d like to introduce to you – and officially THANK for their contribution to my trip. 

1.  Franklin Goose, Bamboo Bums, and Teething Bling/Smart Mom Jewelry all sponsored me financially. 

2.  Lillunia LLC and Rockin Green Soap both purchased ad space that I used to help with my trip.

3.  Eco Chic Parties accepts payment for some parties – and that money has been used for trip expenses as well.

4.  Mommy Doodles is my one and only graphic designer and technical expert.  Melanie is AWESOME and always willing to help me (sometimes I even pay her) with my blog(s).  She even designed my awesome business cards for me!

Why did I get sponsors?  I’ve worked with these great companies over the past year with blog reviews and Eco Chic Parties and have formed a great relationship with these ladies.  Their sponsorship will allow me to take my blog to the next level.  During BlogHer there are 2 FULL days of workshop sessions and I will be B-U-S-Y from 9am – 5pm each day + networking with new companies, companies I’ve already worked with, and other great mom bloggers.  I hope to bring back some valuable information that will improve our relationships – and better the quality of my blog. 

What does this mean to you?  I have some surprises in store for you during BlogHer – including a few giveaways from my sponsors.  Giveaways will be for both BlogHer attendees and those of you who can’t attend this year.  I’m super excited to share my experiences with you - afterall why should I keep all this knowledge to myself?  I want to see each of you grow your blogs and achieve your goals too!   

I’m on the BlogHer Green Team.  That’s right – I decided to join the Green Team and help ensure that the founders and organizers implement environmentally friendly elements to the conference.  In past years green bloggers have been upset because of the excess waste and bottled water – I’m happy to announce that the organizers are addressing these (and other) issues.  There will be water refilling stations throughout the event for bloggers to refill their reusable bottles at.  There will be a swag recycling event to recycle (donate) unwanted swag – I hear there is a TON of swag!  Other Green Team members include Summer from Green and Clean Mom, Beth Terry from Fake Plastic Fish, Jennifer from Naked Jen, Lisa from Condo Blues, Diane MacEachern of Big Green Purse, and Jenny from Conscientious Confusion.  I feel so honored to be part of the team and can’t wait to meet these influential green bloggers at BlogHer!   

Isn’t BlogHer sponsored by some BIG non-green and controversial companies – like Nestle?  Yes – like any conference they need sponsors to keep the prices reasonable – and companies like Nestle are sponsoring the weekend.  While I haven’t personally jumped on the Nestle ban I do understand the controversy – and respect your feelings towards this and other sponsors.  For me the biggest sponsor of interest is Proctor and Gamble – the makers of PAMPERS!  As a cloth diapering advocate I’m using BlogHer as a platform for me to share cloth diapers with other moms who might not know who easy they are.  Not all attendees are green bloggers – and if I can reach just one more person with the cloth diapering message my mission will be accomplished!  I’ll even be wearing an “Ask Me About Cloth Diapers” t-shirt that will be provided by the Real Diaper Association – a non-profit cloth diapering advocacy group.  I’m even bringing my family along with me to show just how easy it is to travel with cloth diapers – I’ve decided to use a local cloth diaper service while we’re there. 

What can I do for YOU?  As my loyal readers I wanted to ask YOU what you want to hear about?  What other green bloggers would you like me to interview or meet?  How can I help you improve your own blogs?  This isn’t just an opportunity for me – it’s an opportunity for me to share with you!  AND – are you going to BlogHer?  If you are – I would love to meet up!  Let me know and I’ll be sure to hunt you down!

My wonderful family will be joining me at BlogHer 10 in August. I have an awesome husband who doesn’t mind traveling the world with me while I work – but this is different. Usually when we travel it’s for my day job and I HAVE to work. This trip – while I consider it work – is really more of a hobby. I’m looking to network and learn how to make my blog work for me – and maybe one day be my day job. Of course I say that with hesitation – because I have a really good job and it would take a LOT for my blog to replace that income.

So – back to cloth diapers and my husband. He’s really patient with me and my desire to travel with our fluff but we’ve always driven when we’ve been gone for more than 2-3 days. We’ve never packed our fluff for a plane ride. I mean how does that work? I’m staying at a hotel and don’t really want to do laundry (more likely HE would have to do it – and that’s NOT happening while on vaca) OR carry dirty diapers back on the plane. I would NOT do that to the airport employees – can you imagine a screener at the airport having to inspect THAT bag? NO – that’s not an option.

Here are my options as I see them today (I may change my mind after I hear your input):

1) Pack all our fluff in our suitcases (which I hear will be full of swag on the way home) and have to ask the Hilton to use their laundry facility to wash fluff at night after everyone is asleep. **Really this doesn’t sound appealing to me.

2) Find a diaper service in NYC and use pre-folds and covers – which we’ve never really used. I’ve played around with them but not hubby.

Did you know you can search for diaper services? The Real Diaper Industry Association (RDIA) has a list on their website.

Here are my fears with using a diaper service:
- Pre-folds scare me – I’m a spoiled pocket girl.
- I only own 2 diaper covers – but I guess I could use my pockets as covers, right? Services don’t include covers.
- Will daddy be open to trying something new while we are away – and he’ll be the primary diaper changer? I have horrible memories of a blow out that occurred in New Orleans while he was out on the town with the kids – let’s just say it wasn’t pretty!

Here is what excited me about using a diaper service:
- I can pack less and still use cloth diapers.
- I don’t have to do laundry for 4 days!
- I don’t have to use disposables (saving money, packing space, and the environment)
- As an advocate for cloth diapers I really SHOULD try this and make it work.

I decided to call/email www.DiaperKind.com and inquire about their services for travelers.  <Thanks Heather for the link>  Shortly after my email I received a great response from Sarah.  Diaper Kind will deliver a stash of pre-folds, some loaner covers, and a loner diaper pail at my hotel for me – for all 4 days that I’m going to be in New York – and for less than $40 total.  I’m super excited that they have some loner covers because I only have 2 covers in my stash – I didn’t really want to invest in covers that I don’t really need.  Now – to get daddy on board with my plan!  I do have an EconoBum on hand for him to practice with before we leave.   

What are your experiences with traveling with your cloth? I’ve mastered it for short trips and when staying with friends/family – but not hotels and airplanes.

Want to read more about traveling with cloth diapers?  How about an article by the Real Diapering Association about traveling with cloth…in a rain forest!  Really – it’s quite inspiring!

In less than one month I’ll be packing up my family and we’ll be headed to NYC for BlogHer 10!  I am going to be completely honest with you – I’m horribly nervous!

I’ve been blogging on The Eco Chic for almost 3 years now and I’ve never been to any type of blogging conference.  I attempted to sign up for Disney Moms last year but missed the deadline before they sold out (by minutes – seriously!).  I’ve been hesitant to enter ‘that world’ where other mom bloggers will be – judging me and my blog.  I know that sounds really insecure but what if someone criticizes me or my blog?  It’s my baby!  But – it’s also my hobby (and my passion).  I work on it every chance I get – which as a full time working mom of 2 is very little time! 

Anyways – I will hopefully leave my insecurities behind and walk into the conference with confidence in who I am!  I am really looking forward to meeting some of the awesome ladies behind my favorite blogs and tweets.  I’m looking forward to learning a few tips and tricks to help me on my blog.  I’m looking forward to networking with companies.  And I’m really excited to visit NYC with my family.

I fear that I will be so busy trying to balance the conference and the family – but it’s part of our vacation and I will make it all work out!  I can’t wait to see what all the excitement is about – parties, swag, networking, networking, networking!  I think I’m a little overwhelmed!

In the coming weeks my blog I will be sharing some exciting things with you – including some awesome giveaways and contests for my non-BlogHer attending readers!  I have a few wonderful sponsors who are helping pay some of my expenses.  I’ll be announcing those very soon! 

I’ve also been working with the BlogHer Green Team to help the conference organizers ensure that the event is an environmentally responsible event.  If you’ve been following BlogHer in previous years there have been lots of controversy over sponsors, recycling (or lack of), and swag overload.  I feel like my time on the Green Team has been more educational to me – and I honestly feel that our voices are being heard.  I will be sharing some of those efforts with you soon as well. 

What about you?  Are you going to BlogHer 10?  Have you ever been to a blogging conference?  What tips can you share with me?  Now – off to find eco-friendly (and inexpensive) business cards!

My parents watched both kids for us last week while the hubs and I escaped to Miami (for my day job).  I naturally sent along the cloth diapers as the only option – here’s my story!

My mom actually used old-fashioned cloth diapers (a cloth diaper service) with both me and my brother.  She tried to convince me to use them with my son but that was before I knew anything about the MODERN world of cloth diapers.  I’ve never once been afraid to let my mom use, change, or wash cloth diapers.  She’s actually been super supportive and offers to change the diapers all the time when she visits.  It was only natural that I didn’t even think much when I packed everything up and dropped the kids off at their house for the week. 

Grandma got almost ALL of our stash so she wouldn’t have to do laundry everyday – she had plenty to make it 2-4 days depending on how often she changed her.  I sent her a mix of Velcro, Aplix, and snaps - just for fun. I really wanted to see which diapers she loved and which ones she hated.  I also sent her special detergent and very specific washing instructions.  I left her all of my wet bags and the flushable liners.  She had everything I could imagine for the trip.  Then – I left!

She never asked me any questions while we were gone – no questions about inserts – no questions about washing – she was on autopilot.  So when we were all reunited it was fun to ask her about her experience.  Here are some things we shared:

1. Grandma LOVES Bum Genius 3.0 with Velcro!  After the first round of laundry I don’t think she used any other diaper.  That doesn’t surprise me though – daddy feels the same way – except he’s a little more brave and will experiment with the other brands too.

2. Grandma HATES anything with snaps!  Again, not a real surprise but let me explain why.  I had an assortment of snaps to choose from – and her first experience was with a side-snapping (Knickernappie) diaper.  If you’ve tried them they are really nice but you always feel like you are snapping them backwards.  After that she left most of those in the suitcase and never touched another snap. 

3. Grandma didn’t realize that there were different inserts.  She couldn’t figure out how to snap-in a GroBaby insert – she kept looking for the pocket – and finally gave up!  I also found Bum Essentials inserts in Bum Genius pockets, Thirsties inserts in Bum Genius pockets, and several she must didn’t know what to do with!

4. Grandma doesn’t like STUFFING pockets – although she stuffed the AIO BG with an extra insert because it had an opening! 

5.  Grandma washed diapers every other day because she refused to use anything but BG’s.

6. Grandma LOVES bright colors – she didn’t use many of the white diapers because she tried to coordinate them with the outfits I packed. 

7. Overall – Grandma didn’t have any problems and all diapers were returned in excellent condition.  There were no stains or cream residues anywhere to be found – only one unusual orange stain on the back of one diaper that I’m guessing was orange Kool-Aid or Popsicle!  It washed out. 

Since I’m talking a LOT about the BG 3.0 – did you hear it’s retiring soon?  http://clothdiapers.blogspot.com/2010/06/bumgenius-30.html  It was just announced that Cotton Babies will be introducing the replacement at the end of the month.  I know I’ll be anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next generation of Bum Genius cloth diapers.

Have you trusted your stash to someone else?  What did they think about the different brands and styles?  Which ones did they prefer? 

Disclosure: I’ve never been compensated by Cotton Babies or Bum Genius or provided any samples of their products – it’s the brand we started with initially and the one that Grandma prefers!  Me? That’s a story for another blog post!

After you read today’s post I REALLY want to hear your stories – leave your comments below so we can all laugh along together!

For my day job I frequently have to travel around the country and I tend to spend A LOT of time in airports on those days.  Yesterday was no different – I left my house at 5:30 AM and didn’t get home until almost 10:30 PM.  With my little ones I hate to stay overnight if I don’t have to.  As I’m sure you can all relate most people I encounter have never seen a MODERN cloth diaper and have the old fashioned pre-folds and pins in their heads when I mention them.  Unless I’m around someone who has a baby or is pregnant I really try NOT to reveal that side of me too much because I know (that while I know it seems like we ALL talk about cloth diapers) the majority of Americans don’t really like to talk about DIAPERS!  We are rare folks who actually enjoy talking about fluff, inserts, fabrics, styles, washing, traveling, and sorting our diapers.  Most people prefer to use them and toss them and NOT talk about them - after all who really wants to talk about disposable diapers anyways?

Back to my story – yesterday I actually entered into the cloth diaper conversation with 2 people at work (who don’t have babies – both have older kids) and one person on an airplane.  The man on the plane and I struck up a conversation about what we do for work which lead to lots of talk about the environment.  That naturally lead to me revealing my secret identity – The Eco Chic.  It’s actually quite amusing to begin a conversation about being a mommy blogger – never mind a cloth diapering, natural parenting mommy blogger – especially with a young (and quite nice looking) man on an airplane.  Funny story though – he and his wife are trying to conceive and may be pregnant right now at this very moment!  We talked all about cloth diapering, blogging, Twitter, BPA, phthalates, Food Inc, organics, EWG, and SOOO much more.  Seems he’s from California and he’s actually already heard about many of the natural parenting topics that I write about ALL THE TIME!  Anyways – as a (hopefully) soon to be daddy – now he knows all about cloth diapers and has a new place to visit (ok – his wife does) on the Internet to find answers.   

Last week I spoke about cloth diapers with a few other people I work with – one of which has a sister who is expecting twins (who is NOW completely excited about learning more!).  A few weeks ago I spent several hours with a friend from church (who is expecting #3) going over ALL the fluffy details about how to pick the right cloth diaper for her family. 

It seems that everywhere I go now I find myself talking FLUFF – and people are listening!

Of course my friends whom I love ohhhhh so dearly (my BFFs in real life) no longer have babies so they think I’m a little wacky!  Last Thursday night we spent several hours laughing at all my fluffy talk, the names of cloth diapering blogs (for some reason the title The Cloth Diaper Whisperer seemed quite amusing to them), the mommy blog drama that exists, which cloth diapering brands/companies I like and don’t like, the drama that exists in the cloth diapering world between the brands (oh I wish I knew all the stories), breastfeeding (extended bfing to them is odd), Twitter parties, and blogging conferences - I’m sure you can all relate!  Then it dawned on me last night after reading a few tweets from some friends – WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WHEN Lil’ B is POTTY TRAINED and WEENED?  What am I going to talk about then?  She’s our last baby so there won’t be another addition to our family.  I guess I will always be an expert on what I know NOW – but things will continue to change and new brands and products will be revealed.  Only time will tell.

So what about you?  Do you talk fluff all the time?  Who is the strangest person you’ve talked fluff with?  Tell me your funny stories – I want to know!  What about your real life friends (and family) – do they enjoy your fluffy addictions?  Or do they (lovingly) laugh at with you? 

Sunrise from South Beach

Last time I told you I was leaving my baby for a whole week and was planning on pumping to sustain the production of milk – in the event that she still asks for it when I see her again.

After a 4 hour drive we finally arrived at our destination when it dawned on me -my breast pump was still in the closet at home!!!

After cussing and crying I decided that I was going to make this work – and I did a LOT of cussing! My tot is almost 17 mo so I refuse to spend any more money on pumps (whether that be rental or settling on another cheap manual pump) and I made myself a commitment to try manually hand expressing milk.

I had never really tried it before because I always had a pump so I didn’t really know where to begin. I still haven’t Googled any tips – I just decided to try it.

I found the best way to get things started is with a nice warm shower – but a hot washcloth works ok too. I know I’m not emptying all of the milk bit it’s certainly releasing the build up – and keeping the production up. It’s now been 3 days and I still have milk!

I have to give a huge shout out to my Twitter pals for listening to me whine this weekend as I freaked out over my dumb ass mistake! You ladies totally rock!

I am with my husband and our best friends and they don’t really understand why (or how) I want to keep this up. It would be so much easier to just let it go – and dry up. I don’t really know my why, there are a few reasons. 1) she’s my last baby ever! 2) I want her to decide when to stop – within reason (no preschool nursling here). 3) I didn’t plan on stopping yet. 4) just because I can – and it’s good for both of us!

Anyways – I will be reunited with my pump before I’m reunited with my tot and I hope that I can make it a few more days. Its gonna really bite if she doesn’t ask for the milk when I see her again. But at least it will be her decision.

More later – I’m going back to my balcony overlooking the ocean to listen to the waves crash.

*note – typed on my iPhone so please excuse any errors.

The one thing I HATE to do is change purses because it’s a pain to move all that junk from one bag to the next.  I’ve seen those fancy purse organizers on TV but they never really appealed to me – they looked too complicated or ugly – and they are far from eco-friendly.  **Note – my purses aren’t really all eco-friendly either.  I mean, have you seen these things?  

The Competition - Complicated!

Not exactly what I want to be fumbling with when my toddler is hanging off my leg waiting on mommy to change purses.  

About Plaid Doctrine:  As a working mom-to-be (any day now actually – if she hasn’t already delivered!) Suzanne Parks launched a new line of laptop (perfect for the iPad) bags that are made in the USA (Seattle, WA).  Her bags are all made with recycled fabrics and vegetable tanned leather.  

The Plaid Doctrine line of bags include the purse organizer, an iPad sleeve, a laptop bag and briefcase.  They are all created to withstand a mom’s daily adventures – whether that’s toting a toddler or a laptop (or both like me)!  Prices start at $79 and are only available at Plaid Doctrine.  

Follow Plaid Doctrine online:
Facebook -  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Plaid-Doctrine/393621770729
Twitter – http://twitter.com/plaiddoctrine
Web – http://www.plaiddoctrine.com/
Blog – http://www.plaiddoctrine.com/blog/ 

From now until Father’s Day you can save 10% on the purchase of an iPad sleeve (6/20/10). Use code PlaidDad10 at checkout.  I’m sure this Father’s Day will be a special one for Suzanne and her family as they welcome their newest addition to the family.  Good luck with your delivery Suzanne and I can’t wait to see pictures!  

Disclosure: Yes, I received the purse organizer for review and yes – it’s still in my purse, or my diaper bag, or whatever bag I feel like carrying today! 

It is now 382 days (and counting) into our 2nd journey with breastfeeding and things are still going strong.  I’m still excited to have this bond with Lil’ B today.  My journey the 2nd time around has been different than with my oldest.  Primarily because 98% of the time I work at home. 

For the first 8-9 months I was blessed to be able to have Lil’ B home with me at all times.  After I returned to work at 3mo Lil’ B had an amazing nanny part-time.  Whenever she was hungry the nanny would bring her to me and she would eat.  As the months went on I actually decided to start pumping because I had to travel. 

I am an experienced pumper….with my oldest I had to pump everyday since I worked out of the home.  I had a Medela hand-me-down (actually it was only used 1-2 times before I got it) from a friend.  That was one of the items that I kept to use again.  Unfortunately after just a few short months it started to have some issues.  I was frustrated beyond belief…I rarely used the breast pump but I needed to have one for when I traveled for work.  I never leave for long; usually just a day or two.  Either way, a good dependable breast pump is a necessity. 

I decided after one trip to buy a hand-pump because I just couldn’t see spending any more money on a pump that would get used once a day.  That was a disaster…it was horrible!  It took me almost an hour one trip to get both sides expressed and my arms were killing me. 

Then heaven arrived…my Hygeia EnJoye  breast pump!  The EnJoye is slightly larger than my old Medela but is very similar.  It actually looks more like the pumps that the hospital rents than the personal pumps.  It has an internal rechargeable battery which is a blessing.  My old one took 2C batteries which were always dead…and pumping was WEAK!  With the EnJoye I often forget to plug it in because the battery is so strong.  I’m on a business trip right now (just for one night) and I didn’t even bring the plug.

The pump and all of the parts that would come in contact with breast-milk are all BPA/DEHP Free and safe for your baby.  There is also a button on the front that allows you to record your baby’s voice or cry to help with letdown.  I’m not a big fan of the carrying case though…as a parent who is a frequent flier the bag is rather large and awkward.  I always try to fit the pump into my carry on luggage so I don’t have to carry their bag.

The greatest eco-features of the EnJoye are 1) it’s approved by the FDA for multi-users, and 2) it’s recyclable!  When you no longer need the pump you can sell or donate it to another mom.  All they need to do is replace the plastic tubing and accessories (Retail $35 for accessories).  I’m actually excited that I’m going to be able to pay-it-forward when I’m done with our breastfeeding journey.  The EnJoye has a 3 year 3-year limited warranty…but never fear…if it can’t be fixed you don’t have to landfill your pump!  Hygeia will recycle your used breast pump for you (only Hygeia brands are accepted for recycling).     

And face it…no one really LIKES pumping!  Hygeia has brought a little Joy back into my life with the EnJoye….Thank You!!!  My journey into breastfeeding wouldn’t have lasted this long without you. 

Are you curious about my views and the products I talk about? Be sure to read my Disclosure and Privacy policies.