LOS ANGELES - Missouriar -- kindestCup is a patented and versatile breastfeeding-friendly cup designed to collect and feed breast milk with ease. Melanie Scholz, a PhD in Biomechanics and mother who struggled with conventional breast pumps and baby bottles, decided to create a simple and effective alternative. Her ingenuity led to launching kindestCup in 2018 after a successful IFundWomen crowdfunding campaign.

While kindestCup marks a new generation of breastfeeding must-haves, its success is rooted in ancient skills breastfeeding dyads have relied on for millennia, including hand-expressing milk and cup feeding.

"I created kindestCup out of necessity," said Scholz, who used her computational modeling expertise for the organic design. "Even though I had a breast pump, I realized I could express milk with my own hands. I often found hand expression easier and more pleasant than pumping. I just wished I had a better receptacle to catch my milk…I had a clear vision of the 'ideal hand expression cup' but surprisingly, I couldn't find anything like it in stores or online."

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kindestCup is the only breastfeeding product specifically designed for hand expression. The patented, ergonomic kindestCup design allows users to literally manage their milk supply with their own hands and comfortably (hand) express milk without straining their body or making a mess.

kindestCup serves as a vessel for cup feeding, with its flexible rim that perfectly molds to baby's mouth for easy feeding time: it's an alternative to baby bottles. Cup feeding is completely natural for babies, even newborns. Babies who may not be receptive to bottle-feeding, or get gassy or colicky from the bottle, often take to kindestCup. The portable kindestCup is dishwasher-safe and easily stored in a reusable bag for on-the-go use.

Lastly, kindestCup helps users save milk that might leak naturally during breastfeeding. The flangeless cup can be used as a hands-free milk catcher that fits any breast/nipple size. Unlike milk catchers that easily spill or cause irritation, kindestCup has an exceptionally gentle and secure latch that works in any nursing position, even side lying.

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"The big difference is that with kindestCup, you can respond to your body (and effectively manage your milk supply) in almost any situation," said Scholz. "It makes a huge difference, both physiologically and psychologically."

Hospitals and lactation experts are taking notice of kindestCup and its naturally intuitive design, with collaborations spanning the globe from California to Malaysia. At partnering baby-friendly hospitals, parents are provided with kindestCup as they start their breastfeeding journey. Scholz plans to expand to additional hospitals to further promote accessibility and knowledge of breastfeeding techniques.

"kindestCup is going to change breastfeeding culture and empower customers to experience a more fulfilling breastfeeding journey," said Scholz. "Ultimately, this will improve breastfeeding outcomes worldwide."

Learn more about the game-changing kindestCup at www.kindestcup.com.