Spring is a time for renewal — not just for mother nature, but for all moms.

This sense of restoration is felt whether you’re spring cleaning, springing ahead for daylight savings or waiting for that first green leaf to spring up from the tree branch outside your window. In that same vein of newness, Medela just launched two new products and, this month, reminds you of the green benefits of breastfeeding. If you’re looking for more contest updates, the latest from Medela, news that affects you as a mom, and how breastfeeding works to serve baby and our earth, you’ve come to the right place.

Recently, we have heard some questions and concerns about Medela and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (the WHO Code).  Medela stands by its pledge to promote breastfeeding with breastmilk as the best nutrition for babies and families. Breastfeeding is always best, however, when mother is separated from her baby, expressed breastmilk is the next best option.  While the WHO Code prohibits the marketing of feeding bottles and teats to mothers, Medela is acting on our responsibility to increase, rather than limit, information supplied directly to mothers.  This helps mothers make informed decisions on products that can increase their breastfeeding duration.

By Dr. Lydia Furman, pediatrician at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, as told to Medela

The recent article in The Atlantic, “The Case Against Breastfeeding,” has many people asking about breastfeeding research. By its nature, medical research is a constantly evolving field, and the body of work on breastfeeding is growing every day. But the research to date points to one consistent conclusion — breastfeeding is associated with remarkable benefits for both mom and baby.

You may have tried a Medela breastmilk feeding and storage product or two to feed baby expressed breastmilk. What many may not know, however, is that Medela offers the complete solution for collecting, storing and feeding breastmilk to baby once breastfeeding has been well established. This includes:

Topics concerning parents make headlines every day, whether it’s a newstudy about the benefits of breastfeeding or a health concern such asBPA. We’re constantly monitoring for news that affects moms like you.Here’s a recap of this month’s news:

• The Washington Post: No BPA For Baby Bottles In U.S. (3/6/2009)

  • The six largest baby bottle manufacturers will voluntarily stop selling bottles made with the chemical BPA in the U.S. In your conversations about BPA this month, remember that Medela bottles have always been BPA-free and all Medela products that come into contact with breastmilk are BPA-free.

We all know that breastfeeding is best for mom and baby’s health and easy on the wallet, but there’s another party that benefits, too: our planet. Here are just a few ways you help the environment every time your baby latches on:

• Reduce pollution. Breastfeeding moms not only provide nature’s perfect food to their babies, but they do so without polluting the environment, as the “direct-to-consumer” delivery of breastmilk requires no packaging or waste. By contrast, formula creates more pollution (and waste) through the resources required in its production, delivery and preparation.

March’s experts Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase draw from their experiences as the co-founders and editors of Cool Mom Picks to answer your questions on blogging, product picks and life/work balance.

I would love to know how you keep your focus about what content to feature on Cool Mom Picks. I started as a travel blog but I have so many interests I now feel that niche is too narrow.

Who is your parenting role model? That's a toughie!  I have so many parenting role models!  First and foremost would be my mother.  She managed to raise 4 kids without ever loosing her cool.  She is such a laid-back, easy going mom that we can always go to for advice or questions or plain and simple venting.  She always taught us to look at things from the perspective of the other person.  She was an amazing cook and seamstress to boot!  After my mom, it would be any of my many girlfriends who manage to balance work and kids and make it look so easy.  I always ask them for advice and tips on how to make work and life balance.

There are contests and giveaways happening across the Web that give moms a chance to win Medela goodies.

Visit Cool Mom Picks, the popular product review site co-founded byour March experts Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase, for a chance to wina Medela Freestyle. Simply visit www.coolmompicks.com on April 1st for details on how to enter.