AU2008100052B4

AU2008100052B4 - Breast Feeding Sling

Info

Publication number: AU2008100052B4
Application number: AU2008100052A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Emma Louise Hollingsworth
Original assignee: Hollingsworth Emma Louise Mrs
Current assignee: Hollingsworth Emma Louise Mrs
Priority date: 2007-04-18
Filing date: 2008-01-17
Publication date: 2008-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 2016-01-17
Also published as: AU2008100052A4

Description

21.Aug. 2008 15:50 Actuate IP No. 6323 P. 4 00 0 o Breast Feeding Sling b1J This invention relates to a means for assisting large breasted women in the act of breast feeding.

Nursing mothers encounter many problems in breast feeding. The support of the breasts for nursing mothers is provided by a range of maternity brassieres (bras). These have the support feature for the breasts by generally providing a breast underwire support and front material n extending from the underwire support over the breast to a shoulder strap. A soft material O provides the comfortable support of the breast. However a maternity bra has the added feature of a front releasable flap to allow access to the breast for the baby to be breast fed without the o 10 mother needing to fully remove the bra. The flap must be sufficiently large to allow the breast to o relax and therefore not inhibit milk supply. The maternity bra in this position is not really providing a support to the breast until the flap is reclosed.

Many women need to hold their breast with fingers underneath and thumb on top throughout the nursing session. This manoeuvre keeps the nipple in the baby's mouth and keeps their breast off the baby's chin and nose. Otherwise the weight of the heavy breast applies pressure on the baby's mouth, making it difficult for the baby to keep suckling the nipple. Furthermore the mother's nipple can be hurt when it falls out of the baby's mouth. These problems are particularly amplified for large breasted women but the problems also apply to swollen breasted women or sensitive breasted women. Therefore, there is a large percentage of women who encounter these problems.

However it is difficult to hold the breast throughout the whole breast feeding session and many women place a face washer underneath the breast to lift it higher. When breast feeding in public neither of these methods is discreet.

It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome or to at least ameliorate the problems of the prior art. In particular the invention aims to assist lifting of the breast and provide support throughout the feed in a discreet manner.

1 COMS ID No: ARCS-203065 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:54 Date 2008-08-21 2 1. A u g. 22008 15:50 Actuate IP AcdeVNo. 6323 P. 00 In accordance with the invention there is provided a breast feeding sling including a sling cup for ;Z engaging under the breast of the mother and at least one attachment means for attaching both ends of the sling to the mother's clothing wherein the sling cup supports the breast in a Nl 5 comfortable breast feeding position.

Ni The attachment means attaches the sling to the strap of the mother's maternity bra. The o attachment means including three elastic straps that are connected to a joining means such as a o ring, two of the three elastic straps are attached to opposite ends of the sling and the other having 00 10 a connector attachable to the maternity bra. At least one of the elastic straps is doubled over and o fitted with a clip that allows adjustment for different sized breasts and wherein the sling supports the breast in a comfortable breast feeding position when the maternity bra is opened.

The sling cup is made from soft material to allow for comfort, and one side of the sling cup is narrower than the other, whereby in use the narrower side is used on the inside of the breast out of the baby's way, the wider side is used on the outside of the breast for comfort and to avoid digging into the breast, and wherein to swap use to the other breast the breast feeding sling cup is turned inside out.

It can be seen that invention provides a substantial support to the mother in nursing.

In order that the invention is more readily understood an embodiment will be described by way of illustration only with reference to the drawings wherein: Figure 1 is an illustrative diagrammatic view in use of the breast feeding sling in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a detailed view of a portion of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a breast feeding sling that attaches to the clip that is already on a maternity bra. The breast feeding sling includes a sling cup for engaging under the breast of the mother and at least one attachment means for attaching both ends of the sling to the 2 COMS ID No: ARCS-203065 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:54 Date 2008-08-21 2 1. Au g. 2 0 0 8 15: 5 0 A t u a t e I P 21.ug 208 5:0 ctuteIPNo. 6323 P. 6 00 o mother's clothing wherein the sling cup supports the breast in a comfortable breast feeding N position.

The part as identified in the drawings are as follows: Nl 5 1. Clip -that fastens the top strap and the whole device to the maternity bra clip; 2. Elastic strap made from soft bra elastic that allows some give and provides tension; 3. Ring that holds the three straps together the two straps that are attached to the sling on the strap that attaches to the maternity bra; 4.Elastic strap that is doubled over and is threaded through 5 to allow for adjustments 00 10 for different sized breasts; o Bra strap clip to allow for adjustments of the strap 4; 6. Elastic strap that connects the central rig to the sling; 7. Sling made from soft quilted fabric to allow for comfort one side of the sling is narrower than the other, the narrower side is to be used on the inside of the breast to avoid getting in the baby's way, the wider side is used in the outside of the breast for comfort and to avoid digging into the breast, and wherein to swap use to other breast the breast feeding sling is turned inside out There are three elastic parts to allow the device to give. One of the elastic straps is doubled over and fitted with a clip that allows adjustment for different sized breasts. The sling cup that goes under the breast is made from a soft quilted fabric that provides comfort. This soft sling cup along with the elastic straps prevents tightening around the breast which could cause milk blockages.

In use the mother has a breast feeding sling including a sling cup. After releasing the front flap of the maternity bra the mother engages the sling cup under her breast and attaches the attachment means attached to both ends of the sling to the shoulder strap of the maternity bra on the same side so that the sling supports the breast in a comfortable breast feeding position. The sling has one side of the sling cup narrower than the other, and therefore in fitting the sling cup the mother locates the narrower side of the sling cup on the inside of the breast out of the baby's 3 COMS ID No: ARCS-203065 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:54 Date 2008-08-21 Ifl ~tAAn 4rrA z In. uvo OI A ctuate Ir No. 6323 P.7 00 o way and the wider side on the outside of the breast for comfort and to avoid digging into the breast, When swapping use to the other breast, the mother simply detaches the sling from the ;Z shoulder strap on that side and turns the breast feeding sling cup inside out and redoes fitting with attachment to the shoulder strap of the side of the other breast.

N In order to make the breast feeding sling in accordance with the invention requires three major steps.

o Firstly elastic 2 is threaded through one side of a bra clip 1 and folded over 1 cm and sewn to 00 10 hold it. The other end is then folded over the ring 3 and sewn to hold. A longer length (length o depending on the size there is a small, medium and large) piece of elastic is then cut. This piece of elastic is then threaded over the middle part of a bra clip 5 and then folded over I cmn and sewn to hold. This piece of elastic 4 is then folded through the ring and the end of 4 is threaded through 5. This allows a loop around the ring to hold this strap to the ring. Elastic 4 is then an adjustable strap through clip 5. A shorter piece of elastic is then folded over the remaining space of the ring 1cm and sewn. This provides three pieces of elastic that form the strap as see in Figures 1 and 2.

Secondly, to form the sling 3 pieces of material are cut using a pattern for shape and size. Two pieces of fabric are cotton and one polyester quilting. The polyester quilting is placed between the two pieces of cotton and sewn together.

Finally, the strap is then sewn to the sling. Elastic 4 is sewn to the thinner side of the sling and elastic 6 is sewn to the wider side.

4 COMS ID No: ARCS-203065 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:54 Date 2008-08-21

Claims

2. A breast feeding sling according to claim 1 wherein the attachment means attaches the o sling to the strap of the mother's maternity bra; 00 JO1 the attachment means including three elastic straps that are connected to a joining o means such as a ring, two of the three elastic straps are attached to opposite ends of the sling and the other having a connector attachable to the maternity bra; at least one of the elastic straps is -doubled over and fitted with a clip that allows adjustment for different sized breasts; and wherein the sling supports the breast in a comfortable breast feeding position when the maternity bra is opened.
3. A breast feeding sling according to claim I or 2 wherein the sling cup is made from soft material to allow for comfort, and one side of the sling cup is narrower than the other, whereby in use the narrower side is used on the inside of the breast out of the baby's way, the wider side is used on the outside of the breast for comfort and, to avoid digging into the breast, and wherein to swap use to -the other breast the breast feeding sting cup is turned inside out.
4. A method of breast feeding including the steps of: a. providing a breast feeding sling including a sling cup; b. engaging the sling cup under the breast of the mother; COMS ID No: ARCS-203065 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:54 Date 2008-08-21
21. Aug. 2008 15:51 Actuate IP No. 6323 P. 9 00 O0 o c. attaching at least one attachment means attached to both ends of the sling to the mother's clothing wherein the sling supports the breast in a comfortable breast ;feeding position. d. providing one side of the sling cup narrower than the other, e, locating the narrower side of the sling cup on the inside of the breast out of the baby's way and the wider side on the outside of the breast for comfort and to avoid digging into the breast, and t f. when swapping use to the other breast, turning the breast feeding sling cup inside out. 00 A breast feeding sling substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Cdrawings, 6 COMS ID No: ARCS-203065 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:54 Date 2008-08-21