The Sisterhood of the Traveling Silverettes
You may have heard of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but have you heard of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Silverettes?! Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to chat about some questions you may have like: what are Silverettes used for, how do Silverettes work (if they really do), and how long to wear them.
These reusable nursing cups are handcrafted by Italian silversmiths (#bougie) and are the closest thing to magic for breastfeeding moms. Not sure if you’re a silver or gold kind of gal, but silver actually has some amazing healing properties.
So what are Silverettes used for? Simple — they help soothe and relieve sore nipples while also combatting cracks without creams. How long should you wear Silverettes? You see, the best part about this invention is they’re just as magical no matter how much you use them! The silver never loses its effectiveness, regardless of how many times used (or how many mamas use them).
Which brings us to why we’re here—to tell the stories of real women, who had real breastfeeding struggles, and how they coped (hint hint: Silverettes). This is also a true testament of women supporting women. A female support system while pregnant (& in every stage of life!) is so important; and in cases like these, can be life-changing.
The Silverette Journey
I. Julia (with Marlowe)
II. Gea (with Ava)
III. Yas (with Olivia)
IV. Andrea (with Olive)
V. Alanna (with Oliver)
VI. Back to Gea (with Remi)
“I discovered the Silverettes at a maternity shop in SF called Mom’s the Word. I was picking up some final gear before my daughter Marlowe was due and as I was checking out, I asked the woman about these funny little silver cups on the counter promising all sorts of breastfeeding miracles. I was skeptical, but the woman said everyone who uses them swore by them. I was open to anything that was going to make my second journey in breastfeeding better than my first.
I had a really rough start breastfeeding my son Wyatt. He had a tongue tie and a shallow latch, and things went downhill fast before I got the help I needed to turn it around. Luckily, we got there and he breastfed past his first birthday, but it wasn’t without some really challenging weeks that brought on a lot of anxiety and depression. So I popped those little silver cups into my bag that day and took them to the hospital when my daughter Marlowe arrived (a month early!). They were a freakin’ miracle. I wore them non-stop for the first two weeks and had zero pain breastfeeding.
So when one of my very best friends Gea got pregnant with Ava, I passed along my Silverettes—and so the journey began…”
“The best part about having children after some of my best friends did was that I was able to get tips from the people I trusted most in life. When my friend Julia gifted me her Silverettes and told me they made all the difference in her breastfeeding journey, I didn’t hesitate to give them a try. She swore that if I just used them from day one, I would skip over all the pain and unnecessary trial and error of trying different creams and devices to help make breastfeeding “easier.”
And guess what, she was right. I literally packed the Silverettes in my hospital bag the day she gave them to me, and when my first daughter Ava was born, I started using them.
The beauty was that in the midst of all the craziness of having my first child, between the lack of sleep, surge of emotions, and trying to figure out the “right” way to do everything—it meant I had one less thing to worry about. It also meant that I was able to share good advice with the next round of soon-to-be mothers in my life.
I can’t tell you how many friends I’ve convinced to give these a try too, and when another one of my best friends Yas got pregnant, it made me overjoyed to pass along the same Silverettes I used to her. And now it comes full circle, where the same Silverettes were passed back to me with the birth of my second daughter Remi one month ago.”
“When I found out I was pregnant with my second child, Olivia, one of the very first thoughts that went through my mind was, ‘I need to get those silver covers that Julia and Gea were raving about!’
With my first born Annabelle, I struggled tremendously with breastfeeding for months. While I never experienced a full on infection or mastitis, my nipples were constantly sore and raw. And finding the right latch was excruciating! Creams and pads only made things worse. As much as I loved the bonding aspect of breastfeeding, the pain made it hard to truly enjoy.
My second time around, I wore the Silverettes around the clock, as if my life depended on it. If I wasn’t nursing (or showering), I had them on. This experience was the polar opposite of my first. I had virtually no pain or discomfort, and breastfeeding was something I looked forward to. These magical Silverettes allowed me to focus on falling in love with my baby, as opposed to focusing on my discomfort.”
“I think it is so important for every mom in her life to have what I like to call a “mama tribe.” A group of like-minded mamas that are there to always offer words of encouragement, have no judgements, and give helpful solutions or ideas for any problems that arise with any one of us. That is where I learned about the Silvererttes. Yas is a member of my beloved mama tribe.
For my 2nd child, when I was complaining to my MT about the pain I was enduring with breastfeeding Olive, Yas suggested I give these a try. I was already a couple weeks into nursing and would have done just about anything to make this pain lessen. She lovingly dropped them off to me and I immediately put these “miracle workers” on. The next day, I was a new woman. I wore these all the time. It was so nice to be able to enjoy the breastfeeding journey vs being so focused on the pain of it.
When my journey was over, I was so happy to be able to pass along the Silverettes to the next mama in need, my friend Alanna.”
“I’m not sure how I would have accomplished breastfeeding for as long as I did (366 days to be exact!) without the continued support of friends, especially in those first few weeks.
In the beginning, we struggled with a bad latch for longer than what most lactation consultants and doctors I spoke with considered “normal.” I am so grateful to Andrea, who passed these magical Silverettes on to me, and possibly saved my breastfeeding journey.
Before breastfeeding, I had no clue that it would even hurt to wear a loosely fitted shirt. The Silverettes not only helped me heal but made it possible to leave my house in the first few weeks.
After those intense weeks, and in between multiple clogged ducts, never ending leakage and nursing strikes, I had the most beautiful experience breastfeeding my son Oliver, and I am so thankful I had a community of women supporting me through it all."
moral of the story
The bond of women is pretty freakin’ powerful. These lovely ladies passing down Silverettes in hopes of making another mother’s journey smoother is truly inspiring. If you’re having similar struggles, or are a soon-to-be mama, Silverettes may just be your saving grace (see ya later, cabbage leaves).
