The Milk-Saver

When breastfeeding a baby, especially during the early days, many moms experience leaking from the opposite breast baby is on. Many times they use a towel to soak up the breastmilk as it pours out. But those of us who nursed know hat breastmilk is like liquid gold, every drop, every ounce is to be treasured!

Apparently so did the folks over at Mymilkies.com. They have a product called The Milk-Saver, which actually provides a way to save that milk for future use! The milk-saver collects the breast milk that is leaked out when your milk lets down. You can store this milk and save it for any time you need it.

You can find Milk-Savers by the Store Locator tab on their website, or at Amazon.com.

Milk Bands

Nursing moms all have their own ways of remembering which side is next to start nursing on, but I’ve come across a great new gadget to help you! Milk Bands look similar to those “Livestrong” bracelets popularized by Lance Armstrong. One side says “Left” and the other side says “Right”. Just flip the bracelet inside out when you start to nurse so you always know which side is next. They also have time measuring sliders that can track how long your baby nursed!

You can purchase Milk Bands on their website, or at Amazon.com.

ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer

The Itzbeen Baby Care Timer has four timers that count up with the touch of a button. The four timers count how long it’s been since the last changing, feeding, sleep or awake, and other (medication, exercise, etc.) There is even a switch to flip back and forth to help moms rmeember which side to start nursing on. The timers are available in three colors: blue, green, and pink.

You can find the Itzbeen timer by the Store Locator tab on their website, or at Amazon.com.

Has anyone used any of these products? If so, leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Wendy - Parenting Tips 365

Crunchy Bunch sells organic, natural, and eco-friendly parenting supplies. Some of their populare items include:

• Organic cotton baby and children’s clothes
• Babywearing items (They even have a couple of the solarveil slings left, which are getting harder and harder to find.)
• Bamboo utensils and bowls
• Organic cotton cloth diapers
• Breastfeeding supplies

Take a look at their website and let me know what you end up using your discount code to purchase! Happy Earth Day!

Now that you have that information, let me take this time to remind you that I am not a doctor nor in the medical field at all. Please consult your health care practitioner before trying any of the recommendations I list below. If you suspect a low milk supply you should contact a board certified lactation consultant or a La Leche League leader. I am simply a mom who has breastfed her child for 23 months now (and counting) without supplementing with a single drop of formula, and I want to help other breastfeeding moms, too.

Top Recommendations For Increasing Milk Supply

It comes down to a simple fact: the more milk that is removed from the breasts, the more will be produced.

• Nurse frequently: Since milk production is a supply and demand process, nursing, nursing, and more nursing is the biggest thing that will increase your supply. Aim to nurse every 1.5-2 hours during the day and every three hours at night. You could even try up to every 30 minutes during the day. If you tell your body you need more milk, your body will respond by making more milk. (And just a reminder, when you are nursing every two hours, it means two hours from start of feeding to start of feeding.)
• Skin to skin contact: If you can, take your baby to bed with you for a whole day or two and lay shirtless and just nurse frequently and rest. The physical proximity provided by skin to skin contact encourages baby to nurse frequently and therefore helps increase milk production.
• Offer both sides at each feeding: I would suggest nursing for at least 20 minutes on each side. Let the baby finish the first side and then offer the second side. I know when nursing you are supposed to watch the baby and not the clock, but sometimes sleepy babies stop nursing before they are finished and they just need to be encouraged to continue!
  

Nursing Strategies to Help Increase Supply

In addition to the nursing strategies mentioned above (frequent nursing, skin to skin contact, and offering both sides at a feeding) here are a few more nursing strategies you can try to hopefully increase your milk supply:

• Nurse longer: Let your baby finish one side before offering the other; don’t watch the clock or limit the feeding to a certain amount of time. This allows the baby to get more of the high-fat hindmilk.
• Switch nursing: The goal of switch nursing is for the baby to get more of the creamier hindmilk. Let the baby nurse on the first breast until sucking slows down and then move him to the other breast and encourage him to nurse actively again. When his sucking slows, move him back to the first breast and then finish the feeding on the other breast. You may need to change his diaper or burp him between switching sides to help keep him awake. For more information, visit Ask Dr. Sears.
• Double-nursing: After you’ve finished nursing your baby on both sides, hold him upright for 10-20 minutes to allow trapped gas bubbles to escape and thus make room for more milk. Then nurse him on both sides again. For more information, visit Ask Dr. Sears.
• Nurse at night: Prolactin is the hormone which stimulates milk production. Prolactin levels are higher at night and increase during sleep. This might be why some babies want to nurse at night; moms may make more milk at that time. If you nurse between 1am and 4am when the prolactin levels are higher it might help you surge faster.
• Pump while nursing: Pump one breast while he’s nursing on the other and then switch. When the feeding is over, double pump (pump both sides at once). Double pumping has been shown to increase prolactin levels.
• Power nurse: Put your baby to the breast for 5-7 minutes per side once an hour. Do it as many hours in a row as you can stand. After 24 hours you should notice a big difference in your supply. It might be a challenge if you’re busy, but it’s very effective and worth it.
• Massage: Massaging and stroking the breasts before nursing can help the milk flow. I have also heard of massaging castor oil on the breast.
• Relaxation and visualization: Relaxation and visualization techniques can help. While nursing, relax and softly stroke your baby. Imagine and visualize abundant milk, as much as an ocean, flowing from your breasts to your baby. When away from your baby and pumping, looking at a picture of your baby can help make the milk flow. I kept a few of my favorite pictures in my pump bag.

Other activities that increase prolactin levels are exercise and sexual intercourse. Of course if you are newly postpartum, your health care provider has probably advised you to avoid or reduce physical activity for a few weeks.

Kellymom.com also has an article on increasing breastmilk intake by the baby.

Try a Galactagogue

A galactagogue is a substance that increases milk production.

• Eat oatmeal: Although there is no scientific evidence regarding oatmeal and milk supply, many moms have seen an increase in their milk supply when having a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast every morning. One possible explanation is that low iron levels in moms can lead to decreased milk supply. Since oatmeal is high in iron it makes sense that it could possibly help increase milk production in some women. I have eaten a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast for years, so it was just part of my regular diet. I didn’t have too many supply issues and I think that eating oatmeal so frequently could have helped.
• Fenugreek: Fenugreek is one of the most common herbs taken to increase milk supply. You will probably notice an increase in milk production in 24-72 hours. You will also probably smell like maple syrup! Kellymom.com has great information about using fenugreek to increase milk supply.
• Alfalfa: Alfalfa is also commonly used to increase milk supply. Just a caution, alfalfa should not be used by people with lupus or other auto-immune disorders. See Kellymom.com for more information on alfalfa as a galactagogue.
• Blessed thistle: Blessed thistle is another commonly used galactagogue. See Kellymom.com for more information on blessed thistle.
• More Milk tincture: This liquid extract is made with certified organic galactagogue herbs (blessed thistle, nettle and fennel seed) and is available from motherlove.com.
• Organic Mother’s Milk Tea: You can find Mother’s Milk tea in many health food stores. Most brands contain fenugreek, fennel, nettle, and/or blessed thistle. It is considered a mild galactagogue.
• Homeopathic remedies: There are several homeopathic remedies that can help increase milk supply: Lactuca Virosa, Galega Off, Calc Phos, Urtica, Ricinus Comm. I suggest getting advice from a homeopathic doctor as they are trained to find the right remedy for your situation.
• Bach’s Rescue Remedy: This is a homeopathic remedy that helps trigger the letdown reflex. It can have a slight sedative effect, so use with caution.
  
• Lactation cookies: Don’t you love a reason to eat cookies? Here is a recipe for lactation cookies. Some of the ingredients might sound familiar to you by now: oats, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal.

Kellymom.com has a great list of many herbal galactagogues. As a reminder, you should research the risks and benefits of these herbs in order to make the best decision for your situation. If you need help you can contact a board certified lactation consultant.

There are also several prescription medications that can increase milk supply, although I would prefer to save that as an absolute last resort.

Take Care of Yourself

Your body is working very hard to produce milk for your baby and you need to give it all the resources it needs.

• Drink water: Be sure you are drinking enough water, at least half your weight in ounces.
• Eat a well balanced diet: Be sure you are eating when you are hungry. I know life as a mom is busy but you need to take care of your needs as well. I would also suggest making sure you are getting enough protein and eating healthy fats in your diet, which you should be doing anyway. Some examples are olive oil, mixed nuts, seeds, avocado, etc. Here are some more diet suggestions for pregnant and nursing mothers from the Weston A. Price website. I also found an article mentioning the great importance diet has on adequate milk production.
• Acupuncture: Acupuncture has been shown to increase prolactin levels and therefore may increase milk production. Acupuncture could also be used to treat possible reasons for low milk supply, such as thyroid issues. I have used acupuncture myself (for different reasons) and can’t recommend it enough. It really is amazing how well it works for so many issues.
• Get adequate rest: As I mentioned before in my article Breastfeeding Tips: How to Prepare for Success, I know it’s hard to get enough rest as a new mom, especially if you have older children. But I can’t stress enough how important it is for you for many reasons – including nursing. Your milk-making hormones work more efficiently when you have reduced levels of stress hormones.
• Get help around house: Find someone to help you with household chores or older children. Now is the time to take people up on their offers to help you out. Have teenagers come over to play with your older children while you nurse your baby or rest. Have family or friends help with cooking, cleaning, or laundry.
• Slow down: There isn’t much that really needs to be done around the house. Cleaning can wait a bit. Birth announcements can wait a bit. If you are trying to do too much, you have permission to let go of everything but the basics. Let your spouse help as much as he can. If you make nursing your baby a priority, you will be able to establish, and maintain, a good milk supply.

Things to Avoid

There are several things that can hinder your efforts to increase milk supply:

• Formula supplements: Whenever your baby has a formula supplement, it’s telling your body you don’t need to make more milk. If it’s medically necessary to supplement with formula, try an alternative method that doesn’t involve artificial nipples (spoon, cup, or with a nursing supplementer).
• Pacifiers: All of baby’s sucking should be at the breast. Limit or stop pacifier use while encouraging baby to nurse more effectively.
• Early introduction to solid foods: If you are introducing solids to your baby, keep in mind that an increase in solids may mean a reduction in nursing frequency.
• Antihistamines and decongestants: If you can, avoid antihistamines and some decongestants.
• Low thyroid: You might want to get tested for low thyroid if the usual methods for increasing milk supply don’t work.
• Certain herbs: Kellymom.com has a list of herbs to avoid while breastfeeding. The list includes herbs that decrease supply as well as those can be harmful to mom or baby.

Breastfeed-essentials.com has a great list of other hinderances to milk supply.

True low milk supply is very rare, possibly affecting 2-5% of women. Indeed, there could be an underlying health issue. Mobi Motherhood International has a website with great information about living with low milk supply and offers a few possible reasons for low supply.

I wish you all the best in your attempts to increase your milk supply. And congratulations on deciding to breastfeed your baby!

Wendy – Parenting Tips 365

Me nursing my doll (1977)

I guess you could say that my breastfeeding journey began in 1975 when I was born and was lucky enough to be nursed by my mom. This was pretty amazing considering back then the trend was to formula feed. When my sister was born in 1977 I observed my mom nursing her so I wanted to nurse my dolls, as seen in this photo. My mom nursed my other two sisters as well, so at an early age I was exposed to the normalcy of nursing a baby.

Fast forward many years to when I was pregnant and about to have my first child. I read several breastfeeding books to prepare myself and teach myself. I found information online. I did everything I could to educate myself so I would be successful; simply trying breastfeeding wasn’t an option – it was what I was going to do no matter what! I was confident I would have a great start to breastfeeding right when he was born since I had everything going in my favor; I was delivering at a free-standing birth center with a midwife attending, therefore I would have no epidural and lots of breastfeeding support. I had learned that babies born to moms who had epidurals are sleepier and nursing can have a tougher start. I also learned that one way to have a great nursing start is to bring the baby to the breast within an hour after birth.

My (Sort of Rough) Start

So much for plans! Despite all my preparations, after my son was born I brought him to the breast right away and he had absolutely no interest in nursing. He wouldn’t latch on and seemed like he didn’t care at all, which was not what I had learned. Our midwife listened to his belly and she said it sounded full, so he probably swallowed some mucus on his way out and just wasn’t hungry. Over the next few hours before we went home, we tried to nurse several more times and tried several more ways to get him interested in nursing but we were unsuccessful. I was disappointed that it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be and I was nervous about what would happen next when we got home.

The next day wasn’t much better; I couldn’t get him to latch on. I knew he was latching incorrectly but even though I knew the correct way from all I read, I couldn’t get him to do it. In the process of all our trying, he was wreaking havoc on my nipples; they were bruised and red and sore. I was really starting to worry. Later on in the day I started calling lactation consultants. I knew I needed help from a professional to get this nursing relationship started. One of the top lactation consultants in the area came over to help us on day two.

She was also a bit surprised that he was having trouble latching on, especially for a birth center baby. She showed us the correct technique and latch and he just had trouble staying on; he would pop on and off. It literally took him 20 minutes to latch on and start nursing. By the time she left I felt a world better about our nursing situation. It still wasn’t ideal, but I felt we were getting somewhere. Over the next few days, it did take my son about 20 minutes to get that latch, but once he did he nursed well. After a few days it no longer took him that long. Our LC stopped by a few days later to check his weight and he had gained the right amount in those few days – what a relief!

Physical Challenges

Things were moving along fairly smoothly for the next few weeks, or as smoothly as it can go with those middle of the night feedings and a dreadful lack of sleep. But nursing was great and my baby boy was chunking up quite nicely – which was a great reassurance. I think it was around the five week mark when I got my first plugged duct. I foolishly took a nap with full breasts right around baby’s feeding time (while letting my husband feed him expressed milk from a bottle). I woke up from the nap with a swollen, painful breast. I knew what it was, but I still panicked. I called my friend and asked her what to do. She told me to take a warm shower and massage the area, trying to dislodge the plug. She made it clear I needed to get rid of the plug before it turned into mastitis, an even more serious problem. I did everything she said and everything I read in my book to do, but it wasn’t going away. I had my son nurse on that side first, I pumped while trying to massage it out, nursed on all fours (lovely picture, huh?) – nothing. Finally about 5am (about 12 hours after I first noticed it) while I was nursing my son, I felt better. I felt my breast and couldn’t feel the lump. You don’t know how relieved I was! My breast was pretty sore and red for a day or so, probably from all the pressure massaging I did, but I was just so glad it was gone.

However, I got another plugged duct the next week and one every week for about five weeks. I also developed a bleb, or milk blister. I also developed what I called partial plugs, where I noticed a lump, but could actually spray milk out of the duct to reduce it. Those went away in a day or so, but were still a nuisance to deal with. My stress level always increased until I got rid of them and it was the only thing on my mind. I didn’t figure it out until much later that my recurring plugged ducts might have been due (at least partially) to the high fat content of my diet. In my intense desire to eat enough calories to produce milk I was probably eating too much, and probably too much fat (although it was good fats). I realized this much later on when I had reduced my caloric intake to just slightly above normal, instead of greatly above normal. I never had any more problems with plugged ducts.

Pumping

I went back to work when my son was 12 weeks old. I requested, and was granted, a reduced work schedule and working from home. So I worked 20 hours a week, 16 hours from home and 4 hours in the office one day a week. Of course that meant I would have to leave some expressed breast milk for my son and I would have to pump at work. I am grateful that my company had several small rooms reserved just for nursing/pumping. Overall the pumping at work thing wasn’t too bad at all. Of course there were days when I was worried because I didn’t pump as much as normal, or as much as I knew my son ate. I was so hung up on pumping exactly the amount he used. I needed to just relax about it more; everything worked out fine!

Nursing in Public

I received a nursing cover up wrap for a shower gift and I was happy to have something to cover us up as we nursed. I soon found it awkward to use and just stuck to draping a blanket over my shoulder. Early on I was able to nurse my son like this while sitting at my chair in a restaurant. When he was little and nursing was new, I wanted that cloth shield for my own modesty. As he grew and I became more comfortable with nursing in general, I skipped the blanket and just discretely nursed him. This was so much easier. I now have no problem nursing in public and I no longer feel the need to “find someplace out of the way”, depending on the situation of course. Nursing on a plane – no problem! I still do it and he’s 22 months old! It’s a bit of a tight squeeze but we manage. In fact, I think of myself as a mini lactivist whenever I do nurse in public as the more people see women nursing anywhere the more it becomes normal in our society. I do admit to becoming a bit more nervous about nursing in public as my son got older, as I know people start to judge even more when someone is nursing a toddler (*gasp*). I remember one time sitting in the bathroom at Whole Foods and nursing my son, who was about 17 months old, when a mom came in with her kids. She asked how old he was. I told her his age and then held my breath. She replied that it was so nice to see moms nursing older babies and that she had nursed hers until age four. I then smiled and exhaled. How great was that!

Nighttime Nursing

Another difficult area for me was nighttime nursing. It’s understood that newborn babies wake up in the middle of the night and need to eat. But my son continued to wake (many times) in the middle of the night long past when I thought he “should” be sleeping through the night. I was extremely sleep deprived and I started resenting nursing him. I saw other moms who formula fed their babies getting a full night’s sleep and I thought the two were related. And when babies are formula fed the dads can help with middle of the night feeds, which is not really true for nursing. I also saw other moms who nursed their babies have their husbands do one feeding in the middle of the night (with formula) so the mom could get some sleep. Some might argue that that’s healthy as mommy needs sleep to function and be healthy, too. But I am adamantly opposed to giving my baby formula so it wasn’t an option to me, and I continued to suffer – all for the good of my baby.

I admit that this is probably the hardest part of being a mom, as my son still does not consistently sleep through the night (at 22 months). He still wakes up and wants to nurse and will scream if I send my husband in to comfort him instead. I feel so drained. I give and give and give to him and I am not making sure I am filled. This is one of the biggest reasons I am looking forward to weaning.

I recently wrote a post about how powerful I felt when choosing to nurse my sick baby at night; what a change from how I used to feel about that!

Weaning

As we neared the end of my son’s first year I found myself really ready to be done nursing. I was ready for a break and the constant closeness and being the only one who can provide his nourishment was taking its toll. I had planned to nurse him completely until he was a year old and then have a long taper or weaning period and be done nursing him around 18 months old. Remember what I said earlier about plans? I can pretty much forget them!

I mentioned my plan to his doctor at his one year check up and he recommended I nurse him until he was at least two years old, especially since he’s not vaccinated. He reminded me of all the wonderful health benefits he continues to get from my milk. I chose to see this doctor because I knew he was supportive of a more “green” or natural way of life and medicine so I really valued his advice. And I took it. I then decided I would nurse him for one more year.

That sent me into a brief period of being down because I was already mentally checking out and looking forward to the break. So I had to get support from other extended, or long-term, breastfeeders on my local mommy message board. They assured me that the second year would go so fast and that as he started eating more solids he wouldn’t nurse as much as he did the first year. It took me a few days to get on board but I did and was proud of my decision. I always want to do what’s best for my son’s health and I knew this was important.

The Second Year

And while I initially might have felt some pangs of resentment and bitterness as I embarked upon an unexpected length of our nursing relationship, you don’t know how glad I am that I decided to nurse him longer than I planned. My son is 22 months old now and I can see his second birthday in the near future. And I can tell you those other moms were right; the second year was so much easier than the first year and it went by so much faster! There have been so many sweet nursing moments and most of them have happened since he’s been about 18 months old, which was when his vocabulary really took off. If I had quit nursing him sooner, like I planned, I would have missed out on all these super special moments. He now ASKS for nursing! He first started signing it and now he signs and says “nur”. (All of a sudden, “nur” turned into “newey”. So I hear “newey newey” often; it cracks us up!) And when he’s nursing and pulls off, he says “yum” and “newey yum”. That feels awesome – he loves his mama’s milk! He says “switch sides” when he wants to switch sides. And he says “boobie”, which I really don’t know where he got but it still crack me up!

Current Status

We are two months from his second birthday and I really wanted to be DONE by then, but he still nurses two or three times a day and sometimes four if he wakes up in the middle of the night. I don’t think we can get from here to nothing in two months. I know I shouldn’t watch the calendar for weaning but again, I am ready to be done. And I am finding it hard to reach out for support. Most people I know were done nursing way before age two and so are thinking I am weird or crazy for going this long and have no advice to offer me. When I turn to crunchier folks, they don’t understand why I’m not doing child-led weaning and would just say I should nurse longer. It’s hard being a middle-of-the-road mama!

I guess I will try to reduce one session at a time and see how that goes. I nurse him before his afternoon nap and before bedtime. I just think those nursing sessions are going to be hard to give up.

Wendy – Parenting Tips 365

]]> http://parentingtips365.com/2009/01/16/my-breastfeeding-journey/feed/ 0 http://parentingtips365.com/2008/12/20/the-most-powerful-woman-in-my-world-is-me/ http://parentingtips365.com/2008/12/20/the-most-powerful-woman-in-my-world-is-me/#comments Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:00:40 +0000 MamaWendy http://parentingtips365.com/?p=968 I had that realization the other night about 11:45pm. Just after I had finally dozed off, I was summoned to my 21 month old son’s room by his intense cries; he’s sick with a bad cold and cough and probably wanted some comfort. Sure enough, when he saw me he held out his hand and simultaneously showed me the sign for “nurse” while saying “nur”. So I scooped him up and sat in the chair and nursed him. After only a minute he let go as his nose was so stuffy he couldn’t breathe while nursing. Normally he knows that when he’s done nursing he goes back into his crib, and he’s fine with that. But this time when he let go, he squeezed me around my waist and looked up at me with a brief look that said, “please don’t go yet”.

Right then, the feeling just overcame me. I felt like the most powerful woman in the world, in my world, in my son’s world. Even though I knew he’d be fine and eventually fall asleep on his own, I chose to stay and rock him and cuddle him and snuggle him, just to provide him comfort. I actually enjoyed it; and that empowered me. To really understand what this meant to me you have to know a little more. I have spent the past 21 months in a very sleep deprived state due to a child that does not sleep through the night. I have never enjoyed nursing him to sleep or rocking him to sleep because I was always SO DARN TIRED. And so wanting a full night’s sleep. And so frustrated by it all. And now by choosing to stay awake a few more minutes in order to bring him comfort, I felt so powerful. I was able to provide comfort to a child, to my child, to my sick child. No one else could do that at that moment but me. I had never really thought about it like that before.

So while you may be thinking that politicians, celebrities, and other rich and famous women are the most powerful women in the world, I would have to remind you – all of you – that indeed YOU are the most powerful woman in YOUR world. Every day you make decisions that affect you and those around you. You can choose to bring comfort to others or you can choose another path. You can choose to eat food that gives life or you can choose to eat food that brings sickness. You choose how you react to life and its challenges. You choose your life’s path by your thoughts, actions, and deeds. Think about yourself – and your life – in this way. When we realize how powerful we are, what a difference that can make!

Me reading to my son

What are the current recommendations on breastfeeding?

• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, and then receive nutritious complementary foods while breastfeeding continues up to two years of age or beyond.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and supports breastfeeding for the first year and beyond as long as mutually desired by mother and child.

From the Promom.org website, “Studies by anthropologists and comparative biologists have revealed that the probable natural weaning age (that is, the age at which no more nursing occurs) of the human species is over 2 1/2 years.”

I am happy to say that I have successfully nursed my son for 20.5 months (and counting); he’s never had a drop of formula. It definitely wasn’t without challenges, though, but I was able to find the help and support I needed to keep going. I have put together some tips to help you prepare for a successful breastfeeding relationship with your child, or tips that you can share with your friends and family who plan to breastfeed their babies. Knowledge and support really are important for a successful breastfeeding relationship.

Get Support

I can’t say this enough; a nursing mom needs support! This tip is number one for a reason. There are many people that can give a nursing mom support and you should start finding them while you are still pregnant:

• Lactation Consultant: These professional breastfeeding specialists provide assistance and support to breastfeeding women, helping with a variety of breastfeeding issues including latching difficulties, painful nursing, low milk production, or inadequate weight gain. I would recommend finding a lactation consultant who is board certified; that is, one who has the initials IBCLC (International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants) after their name. We had a lactation consultant come to our house on day two as we were having issues. That was the best money we ever spent; I consider it an investment in a successful breastfeeding relationship! To find a Lactation Consultant visit International Lactation Consultant Association or ask your friends and neighbors. Many midwives and childbirth educators know experienced lactation consultants.
• La Leche League: La Leche League is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, information, support, and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed. There are local chapters that have regular meetings; my local group met once a month at the library. I encourage everyone who wants to breastfeed to attend a local meeting when you are pregnant. It is wonderful to be around other moms who have breastfed their children; you can get information and just meet other like-minded women. And keep going to meetings once your baby is born; the leaders are wonderful and if you have issues, will even help you over the phone. I can’t stress enough how wonderful and important this organization is for supporting breastfeeding women.
• Spouse or partner: Having a husband who supported me was absolutely critical to our breastfeeding success. He was knowledgeable about the benefits, worked with me when I had issues and concerns, reminded me that what I was doing was important and that he was proud of me, burped the baby for me, made me meals and brought them to me in bed (while I was nursing), made sure I drank enough water and ate enough calories, was a shoulder to cry on when I was frustrated, and not once said anything negative. (Really, no nursing mom can be encouraged if her husband makes mooing sounds when she’s pumping!) So take your husband to the breastfeeding class and either have him read the breastfeeding books, or else share the information you find with him. Tell him how important this is to you and your baby. And be specific with what support you need from him.
• Friends: If you have friends that have nursed their babies, please call them for support! I’m sure they would love to help you and have probably encountered many of the same challenges you have. I know I am so fortunate to have many friends who have breastfed their babies. I especially appreciate my friend who gave me advice on dealing with a plugged duct; thank you Jenifer!

I also feel like I should caution you about the breastfeeding advice you may receive from your baby’s pediatrician. I am sure there are some doctors who are knowledgeable about breastfeeding and truly support it, but I have heard many stories about mainstream doctors offering advice that is counterproductive to a healthy breastfeeding relationship. Many mainstream doctors are influenced by formula companies, and if they aren’t knowledgeable about breastfeeding may promote formula as an answer to various issues that may arise – which might be the beginning of the end of your breastfeeding relationship. (Did you know that there are different growth charts for breastfed and formula fed babies? Please make sure your baby’s doctor is using the appropriate one when looking at their growth curve.)

I encourage you to become knowledgeable about breastfeeding so that if you receive breastfeeding advice (from anyone) that doesn’t resonate with you, please seek another opinion.

Take a Breastfeeding Class

Most hospitals offer prenatal breastfeeding classes for a small fee. This is a great opportunity to learn more about breastfeeding, to be in a supportive environment, and to ask questions personally. I suggest bringing your husband or partner to classes as well.

I also found this free online breastfeeding class. I haven’t taken it so I don’t know how good it is, but it can be a start!

Read Books

There are many great breastfeeding books out there, and I highly recommend you get a few of them. In the early days, I read and re-read my books. And when I had challenges, I went to my book for help. Here are some popular ones:

• The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning, by Martha Sears and William Sears: This was my favorite breastfeeding book and I used it often.
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, by La Leche League International.
• Bestfeeding: How to Breastfeed Your Baby, by Mary Renfrew.
• So That’s What They’re For!: The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide, by Janet Tamaro. Friends have said this is a great introduction to breastfeeding; it’s easy to read, filled with information, and is not preachy.
• The Nursing Mother’s Companion, by Kathleen Huggins.

Read Breastfeeding Websites

There are several fabulous websites dedicated to providing information to the breastfeeding mom. Here are some of my favorites:

• Kellymom.com: This is my favorite website for breastfeeding information. I have used it to look at the growth charts for breastfed babies, searched for help with issues I was having with breastfeeding, checked the safety of certain medications, looked up nutrition information, and found information and guidance on starting solids.
• La Leche League: Great site with great information.
• Breastfeeding.com: Another great site with great information, including a live Q&A with lactation consultants.
• Promom.org: Yet another great website with great information and articles. I particularly love the “101 Reasons to Breastfeed” and “10 Things Expectant Parents Need to Know About Breastfeeding” articles.

Gather a Few Breastfeeding Supplies

I really think that support and knowledge are the best tools for a successful breastfeeding relationship, but there are a few supplies that might help you as well.

• Nipple cream, like this Bella B Nipple Nurture Butter, is great for soothing tender, sore, or cracked nipples. It’s a lanolin-free alternative to other nipple creams and is made of plant-based ingredients. Of course, putting some breastmilk on those sore nipples will help them heal, too.
• Nursing pillows (My Brest Friend, Boppy, etc.) can provide support for comfortable nursing sessions.
• Breast Pads can be placed inside your bra to help with leaking.
• Slings, like the Moby Wrap, Maya Wrap, or Hotsling can help with hands-free nursing.
• Nursing bras, nursing tanks, and sleep bras provide support.
• Nursing covers, like the Hooter Hider or similar products help you nurse discretely (until you gain confidence and practice and no longer need one – HA!).
• A breast pump, like the Medela Pump in Style, is great for pumping milk if you need to be away from baby.
• Nursing necklaces are fun; I have one (the sage) from Preggers ‘n Proud. It’s not meant for baby to chew on, but as something to let their wandering hands play with and be entertained by.

Practice Excellent Nutrition

If you do any research by reading books or looking at websites, you will come across a few basic tips for your nutrition while nursing. You need to drink plenty of water to keep your supply up and you need to eat enough calories (and I will add that you need to eat enough healthy calories). Yes, breastfeeding does burn 500 calories a day and I’m sure you are anxious to lose the baby weight, but now is not the time to starve yourself or skimp on good nutrition. Your body needs high quality, nutritious food to make healthy breast milk for your baby. We found this diet for pregnant and nursing mothers from the Weston A. Price website and followed many of the aspects. You will notice the emphasis on healthy fats and the restriction (avoidance) of junk food.

Reduce Stress

A stress free life is ideal, but probably not too realistic these days. There is no doubt that stress is not good for your health. If you are pregnant, try to find ways to reduce stress in your daily life. Get some exercise, practice yoga, or meditate. A healthy you creates a healthy baby. And remember, it’s OK to say no sometimes to many of life’s requests. Are you stressing out about breastfeeding? Arm yourself with knowledge and support. And know that your body knows how to nurse a baby and your baby knows how to nurse; you were both meant to do this!

Once your baby arrives, your stress level will probably increase tenfold (speaking from personal experience). It really is important to find ways to relax and cope with the stress because it can affect breastfeeding. Try to relax your neck and shoulder muscles as you nurse. As you nurse, focus on your sweet baby and think positive thoughts. Take deep breaths and remember, this too shall pass. A few minutes to yourself might do a world of good as well, especially if you feel like you are chained to that newborn nursling who nurses around the clock (which is totally normal). Even if it’s just going for a walk around the block by yourself or going to the store on a small errand by yourself, that time alone can works wonders for rejuvenating yourself and reducing stress.

Get Adequate Rest

It is hard to get lots of sleep as a new mom but you really need to sleep as much as you can, especially in the early days. Like many people say, ’sleep when the baby sleeps’. I heard that. I *knew* that. But yet, I didn’t follow that advice; and I paid for it. I started out my motherhood journey incredibly sleep deprived and I wasn’t smart about getting caught up. So please hear me now: SLEEP WHEN THE BABY SLEEPS! Inadequate sleep is another thing that wreaks havoc on your body. If you are as rested as you can be, you will be better able to handle any breastfeeding challenges that come your way. You will be better able to make smart decisions. You will be better able to interact with your baby. You will be a happier person. And you will be able to save the world. OK that last one might be stretching it a bit, but that’s how important sleep is!

Here’s a tip: learn to nurse in a laying down position. I didn’t learn that right away and I wish I would have. I guess it might be easier to learn once you feel confident nursing in sitting positions, but nursing while laying down was so welcome at those 5:00am feedings – when I just couldn’t get up one.more.time.

I hope I’ve provided you with some information that will help you as you start on your breastfeeding journey. It is tough – but easy. Does that make sense? If not, it just might make more sense when you are at month 20 (and counting)! For all the challenges that came with nursing my son, I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. The wonderful bonding with my son and knowing all the benefits of breastfeeding are just a few of the reasons I am such a breastfeeding advocate. You can do it, too; I know you can!

Wendy – Parenting Tips 365

I really thought that article by Mike Adams of naturalnews.com had some wonderful points. Specifically, he notes that the FDA has no new science to back up their changing stance on safe levels of melamine. Rather, it seems like the FDA is making their decisions with big business’ interests in mind.

He also raises the question about how melamine made it into the infant formula by discussing several theories. One of those theories questions the animal feed that U.S. dairy cows are fed; perhaps the feed is contaminated with melamine and we have a dairy industry that’s producing contaminated milk.

And another point he makes that I agree with is that this is a great reason to breastfeed your babies! It seems that us as parents have to protect our babies, since the FDA wants to protect big business, so we need to be returning to natural foods – if we haven’t already. Breastmilk is natural; babies were born to be breastfed!

My husband and I often get comments because we choose not to give our son cow’s milk (hey, we don’t drink it either). People don’t have much to say when I simply remind them that cow’s milk was meant for baby cows; human milk was meant for baby humans! It’s really that simple (or it should be).

Wendy – Parenting Tips 365

And now with the news that melamine was found in U.S. infant formula, I was thinking that this would be another good time to remind people about breastfeeding. I still didn’t hear about it in mainstream media, but I did find some people talking about it online.

In this article on sciencebase.com, they do talk about breastfeeding rates rebounding in Asia. And I found an interview with Yanhong Wheeler that talks about breastfeeding in China. And I also found a blog post from dougsplace that’s a bit more blunt and ‘in your face’ (but I loved it).

Do you want more information about how bad melamine is? Check out what Dr. Mercola has to say about it. His website is one of my favorite resources for health information.

I may just be one small blogger, but I felt the need to spread what I feel is an important message: remember that babies were born to be breastfed! Breastfeeding is best for your baby! If any good can come out of these scandals, I hope that more people consider breastfeeding their baby. That’s how nature intended it.

Here are some breastfeeding resources:

• La Leche League International
• Breastfeeding.com, where they even have a live breastfeeding Q&A with International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC)
• Kellymom.com, awesome breastfeeding and parenting information

Wendy – Parenting Tips 365