Medela and Expectful Partner to Strengthen Support for New Mothers

Medela has announced a partnership with Expectful, a holistic maternal health platform for fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood, to offer breastfeeding and pumping education and discounted access to wellness support to new moms. The two brands share a commitment to improving the motherhood experience through research-backed products that can be trusted to truly make a difference.

According to research recently published in the Journal of Perinatology, regular use of the Expectful app is shown to be associated with an increase in milk supply. The research analyzed results from 60 women and, after adjusting for confounders, found an increase in breast milk production of 223.2 mL and in pumping episodes by 0.93 when paired with frequent meditation. Skin-to-skin contact increased 100% among women who meditated seven or more times. Adjusted odds of a clinically significant Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of > 9 was 0.057 with frequent meditation. Though more research is needed, these initial findings indicate that, for women engaging in frequent meditation, there may be an effect in establishing breast milk supply and reduction of depression symptoms.¹

“One of the most common reasons moms share for giving up breastfeeding is perceived low milk supply,”² says Jeff Castillo, executive vice president for the Americas at Medela. “We are thrilled to connect breastfeeding families with our trusted breastfeeding education from Medela Family with the proven impact of Expectful’s mindfulness exercises. Through this partnership, we are building a toolbox of resources that can have a positive impact on breastfeeding duration and health outcomes.”

“As a NICU mom who relied on the Symphony breast pump to feed my newborn son, I’m honored to announce this partnership with Medela,” says Nathalie Walton, CEO and Co-Founder of Expectful. “Our partnership with Medela will allow us to increase access to Expectful and share the science-backed benefits of meditation to increase milk production and lower the risk of postpartum depression with new moms in the Medela Family community.”

Medela is focused on strengthening the support offered to new parents following the introduction of their award-winning Medela Family program, a free mobile app for breastfeeding parents on iOS and Android devices released last year. The app offers a one-stop digital solution to support their personal breastfeeding goals with tracking tools, smart connection to Medela breast pumps, a breast milk management system, personalized articles and advice from certified lactation consultants, and more.

¹ Massa, K., Ramireddy, S., Ficenec, S., Mank, C., Josephsen, J. B., & Babbar, S. (n.d.). A Randomized Control Trial of Meditation for Mothers Pumping Breastmilk for Preterm Infants. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-00000009

² Kent JC1, Prime DK, Garbin CP. (2012). Principles for maintaining or increasing breast milk production J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2012 Jan-Feb;41(1):114-21. doi: 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2011.01313.x. Epub 2011 Dec 12.