The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

Yes, you can breastfeed and train for the Olympics.

With apologies to the American judo team, I know who I'm rooting for in the 2008 Olympic judo competition.

Ryoko Tani of Japan is going for her fifth olympic medal in judo next year, with an attempt at a third gold medal.  The 4 foot 10 inch athlete is nursing her 15 month old son.  She's shown below on a Japanese stamp. 

Yahoo News reports:

Japan's petite judo queen Ryoko Tani believes her struggles in raising her first baby will only boost her comeback bid for a third straight Olympic gold medal next year.

"I wake up three times a night and breastfeed my son," the 31-year-old said here Monday as she started full-scale training for national trials next month ahead of the world championships in September...

"But my biggest worry is how to find time for breastfeeding and caring for my son at a contest," she said. "I am at a stage of building up my rhythm for that cycle now."

The master of the seoinage shoulder-throw also said that parenting could have athletic virtues.

"While holding my son, who weighs 12 kilograms [26 pounds], I have to bend and stretch about 300 times," she said with a smile. "At times, I also have to stay still with my son in my arms for 20 minutes or so and it has boosted my grip."

"Indeed, breastfeeding saps quite a lot of energy but that does not affect my condition," she said. "It's like I am growing with my child. When I look at him sleeping and playing, I feel like hanging in there."

There is a neat video of Ryoko Tani on this Japanese commercial (for beef?).  No idea what they're saying, but she looks quite fierce, even as a kid!

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Nursing in public around the world - Part I

A few weeks ago I posted a request for pictures of you nursing around the world, and in response I got an email from Virginia, an American mom of two who will soon be relocating to England.  She was gathering information on what it's like to nurse in public there, and suggested that I do a post about nursing in public in different countries.

In the six months I've been writing this blog I've "met" breastfeeding mothers living a number of countries, so I put the question to them.  Here is the first of two posts with their responses.

Do you have some experience nursing in public abroad or in your home country that you'd like to share?  Leave a comment below, or send me a picture and a paragraph for the next installment.

DENMARK:  "We were in Copenhagen for six weeks and I nursed my son throughout the city during our stay.  I saw many other nursing mothers as well at cafes and other public places.  One day I was in a public park and I started glancing around me to see if anyone minded that I was nursing.  Over my shoulder was an attractive woman in her 30s sunbathing topless and no one gave her a second glance. I didn't feel self-conscious after that!" - Rebekah, American mother shown at right in Denmark.

SOUTH AFRICA:  "Feeding in public is not the "done thing" among white South African women, but our black sisters have been doing it for centuries.  Sadly, this country has a fast-growing number of formula feeders - across all cultural groups - and this makes the idea of breastfeeding in public even more of an issue for the prudes among us.  I fed in public quite happily until Samara was about ten months old. I've never had a negative experience, but admittedly, I've always been able to delay feeds until we got home - not that I wouldn't have fed her if necessary." - Beth, South African mother.

MEXICO:  I've been nursing in public in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico for ten months now and have never had a problem nor felt uncomfortable.  I see Mexican women doing it all the time.  They are more careful about covering themselves up than the foreigners I see here, but no matter how it's done, it doesn't seem to ruffle anyone's feathers." - Zoe, American mother living in Mexico, shown at left.

GERMANY:  "As for my experience nursing in public here, I can't recall any negative experiences. I've nursed in public both on post and off and most people just look and smile, especially women -  I wonder if they're remembering back to nursing their own children? I don't see many German women nursing in public but have seen a few in restaurants - even saw one in Munich at a biergarten.  The Germans don't seem to mind at all."  - Jennifer, American mother living in Germany.

MALAYSIA:  "Breastfeeding here in Malaysia is not a strange phenomenon, but public breastfeeding still taboo.  Even when we nurse discreetly people will still look strangely at you.  However, most Muslim mothers have less problems since we use the "tudung" cloth to cover our heads.  So, we can always cover our bare areas with the tudung, like you can see in this picture.  I travel a lot, and when I travel I normally bring my baby everywhere - restaurants, shopping malls.  Of course it helps to have the right clothes and support from family and friends."  - Noor, Malaysian mother, shown at right.

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How did you lose your pregnancy weight while breastfeeding?

As I'm sure you all know, breastfeeding helps you take off weight you gained during pregnancy.  In fact, that's why you put on some of that extra weight - your body is stocking up in the expectation that you'll be burning it off while breastfeeding.  In fact, you can burn up to 500 calories a day, just sitting on the couch! 

I've seen mothers lose pregnancy weight while breastfeeding at really different rates. 

Some women appear at two weeks as if they've never been pregnant, while others seem to have a huge appetite during breastfeeding and hold onto the weight until they wean.  Some mothers lose it gradually at first but when their babies are slow to start solids they start losing more rapidly after the 6 month mark.  And some women struggle with the last few pounds, while others go well under their pre-pregnancy weight.

What was your experience?  Tell us by voting in the poll below, and by leaving a comment.  Note: You may have to use Explorer to view this poll.  If the poll doesn't appear, refresh this page.

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Book review: Mama's Milk

Looking for a kids' book about breastfeeding for your kids, for a gift, or to read to a class?  Here's a great one.

Mama's Milk, by Michael Elsohn Ross, (Tricycle Press, 2006), is a book that makes a simple point:  We are mammals, and mammals nurse their young.  This shouldn't be shocking or controversial, but unfortunately it sometimes is in our culture.

Mama's Milk is a beautifully illustrated rhyming book which shows humans and other mammals nursing their babies.  At the end of the book it provides some neat facts about the nursing patterns of different animals.  The final page includes a link to promom.org's list of 101 reasons to breastfeed.

The idea that nursing is normal is presented in a very matter-of-fact way.  You're left with the thought, "of course we nurse our babies!"  It's such a refreshing change from images of mother animals giving their babies bottles, as seen in most children's books.

The images are sweet, the message is clear, it's multicultural, and the facts at the end about how animals nurse are fun.  Did you know that kangaroo's milk is pink, elephants nurse for up to five years, or that bats nurse upside down? 

Here's what my 3 1/2 year old son had to say about this book:

Me:  What do you like about this book?

Max:  I like the animals nursing.  I like the piggies nursing, and the elephants nursing, and the kangaroos nursing, and the whales nursing underwater!  And I don't nurse anymore.

Me:  (Looking at picture of kittens nursing)  Have you ever seen a cat do that thing with their paws like they were nursing?

Max:  I saw Cyrus (our cat) doing that on Daddy.  They do that to get the milk that's in your tummy to come out of your 'mi-mi's.  (We have a little work to do on anatomy.)

Me:  Do you have a lot of books that have nursing in them?

Max:  Not so much.  Mama, please don't bring this book to your breastfeeding! (class)

My husband, who is an elementary school reading specialist, gives it a thumbs up, too.  My only requests would be that it be printed as a board book (thanks to Jen for that good suggestion), and that it be printed in Spanish.

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Wordless Wednesday

   

Our six-month anniversary, and my picks for the best of the blog.

What a great experience it's been hosting this blog for the last six months!  To celebrate this mini-anniversary, I've listed some of the more popular posts from the last six months, as well as some of my favorites:

Overcoming breastfeeding challenges

• Overcoming breastfeeding challenges - what's your story?
• Brrr...ouch!  It's the season for Raynaud's.
• Chocolate, bad advice, and a really good doctor
• Home for the holidays
• Iron supplements for breastfed babies, and why I love our pediatrician.
• How much water do you need?
• Being told that your baby is too small or too big?  Make sure you're using the new growth charts.

Nursing in public

• My nursing in public story
• Unfriendly skies and Unfriendly skies, an update
• NYC reporter goes "undercover" to measure reaction to nursing in public.
• New short video:  Nurse-ins across America

Breastfeeding in the news

• The top 10 breastfeeding stories of 2006
• Take the Motherwear Pledge, and Share how you've supported breastfeeding in 2007.
• Who breastfeeds?
• Breastfeeding helped stranded family survive.
• Not a great week for breastfeeding
• Celebrities and breastfeeding - does it matter?

New research about the benefits of breastfeeding

• 2006 brought many more reasons to breastfeed
• Sittin' on the couch, saving the planet
• World AIDS Day: Breastfeeding and HIV

Nursing clothing and products

• Which breastfeeding items would you bring to a baby shower?
• Think breastfeeding can't be glamorous?  Meet these models.
• What I learned at the Motherwear photo shoot.
• Which is your favorite nursing opening?
• Best gifts for breastfeeding mothers

Breastfeeding and working

• The business trip, nursing mother style
• Two worlds of work for breastfeeding mothers
• Your tips on pumping

Breastfeeding humor

• A dad's perspective on nursing in public
• Wordless Wednesday

About me and the blog

• A rough week
• Goodbye, breastfeeding clinic
• Tag, you're it.
• Welcome to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog (first post)

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Breastfeeding helps to regulate your cholesterol, insulin, and weight.

On the heels of a study released in Februrary showing that breastfeeding reduces your risk of heart attack, a new study was just released showing that breastfeeding plays a role in controlling metabolic risk factors.

Reuters recently reported on a new article in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology showing that women who breastfeed gain less weight, have better cholesterol levels, and have better regulated insulin levels than women who did not breastfeed or did not have children. 

Dr. Gunderson and her colleagues examined 3-year changes in metabolic risk factors among lactating women from preconception to an average of 13 months after weaning, among nonlactating women from preconception to postdelivery, and among nongravid women.

...Women who didn't lactate and those who lactated for less than 3 months were associated with HDL-C decrements of 5 and 7 mg/dL, respectively. "This equates to an increase in coronary heart disease risk of 14% to 21%," Dr. Gunderson pointed out.

For more new research on the benefits of breastfeeding, including a summary of the amazing research on breastfeeding from 2006, click here.

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Congratulations to our February winner.

The winner of our February contest for a $100 gift certificate is Diana Diehl from Pennsylvania. 

Diana is mother to 6 week old Arianna, and describes nursing as "hard but worth it!" Arianna has two older brothers, ages 12 and 7, who want to hold her all the time and treat her like their little princess.  Arianna's dad, Frank, is very supportive, and Arianna has him wrapped around her little finger.  Diana says that she was just about to order some nursing shirts, so this gift certificate came at the perfect time!

The winning nursing tip from our February contest was:  "Get comfortable before you start to nurse.  Before I sat down I got water, fruit, a magazine, the phone or remote control.  It was a nursing station!"

Check back in a few weeks for our April contest for another chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Motherwear.

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Colorado Milk Bank "Running on Empty." Can you help?

The Mother's Milk Bank of Denver at Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center is desperate need of breastmilk donations.  Milk bank director Laraine Lockhart Borman says the agency's freezers are bare.

Mothers who are in good health, don't smoke or take medication and have babies younger than 6 months old are needed to donate milk to the milk bank.  Information on donation is on milk bank's website, or you can call the milk bank at (303) 869-1888.

Milk banks provide breastmilk to hospitals where it is used to help save the lives of premature and seriously ill infants like the baby described below.  CBS4 in Denver reported (video):

Julia Lam is a beautiful, happy baby, but the six-month-old is also very sick. She's undergoing aggressive chemotherapy to combat an unusual form of lymphoma.

"This is without a question a life threatening disease process for her," said Dr. Lorrie Odom, a Pediatric Oncologist.

Lam has to wait to eat until medical tests are finished, and when she gets hungry for milk, it will be breast milk, for its nutrition and antibodies.

"To give her the best chance to tolerate the chemotherapy and its side effects," said Dr. Odom.

Lam's mother's milk supply dwindled when she got sick, so now her human breast milk is donated.

It comes from the Mother's Milk Bank, but their supply is also running low.

Demand is up at the milk bank. They gave out 14,000 ounces last month, but donations have remained steady at 10,000 ounces, so the freezer is now nearly empty.

"We hold our breath when the phone rings because we know it's probably going to be a recipient asking for milk and we're wondering are we going to be able to supply this baby," said Laraine Lockhart Borman, with the Mother's Milk Bank.

Human milk can be lifesaving for some children, without it they may end up hospitalized and sicker than they already are.

Why the shortage?  Maybe it has something to do with the rapid increase in demand for breastmilk.  The Human Milk Banking Association of North America reports that among their 11 member milk banks there has been a 45% increase in breastmilk dispensed between 2000 and 2005.  For a list of milk banks in the U.S. and Canada, click here.

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The Fifth Carnival of Breastfeeding: Good Advice, Bad Advice.

Welcome to the Fifth Carnival of Breastfeeding!

This month our theme is "Good Advice, Bad Advice," and you'll find links to some great contributions from several bloggers at the bottom of this post.

We want to hear your breastfeeding advice stories, too.  Please tell your story in the comments section below.

If you're a mother who has breastfed, chances are that at some point you've received breastfeeding advice, solicited or not.  Maybe it the bad kind - inconsistent, ill-informed, or just plain weird.  Maybe it was good advice - the kind that solves a problem or gives you peace of mind.

Below you'll find my lists of good and bad breastfeeding advice.  I have to admit that I collect bad breastfeeding advice like some people collect shoes. 

If you're pregnant and learning about breastfeeding, don't despair.  Below you'll find some good advice that could apply to almost any situation, as well as some links to good resources.

First, some good advice:

The best breastfeeding advice I can share is general in nature.  Much of it comes from mothers like you who have participated in our nursing tips contests and in Motherwear catalogs.  On this blog you'll find some of this great advice on overcoming challenges and on pumping, and more will be coming soon.  Here are some of my favorites:

1. "Get help early."
2. "Never apologize for advocating for your baby."
3. "If it hurts, get help."
4. "If your baby isn't gaining enough weight, get help."
5. "Make sure that your doctor is supportive of breastfeeding."
6. "Trust your instincts."
7. "Take it day by day, feeding by feeding."
8. "Remember that neither of you has done this before."
9. "If the person helping you with breastfeeding (lactation consultant, nurse, doctor) isn't really helping, get someone else to help."
10. "Try to have some faith in your body."
11. "Take a breastfeeding class before your baby comes."
12. "To get off to a good start, hold your baby skin-to-skin as much as possible."
13. "The most important thing to master before you leave the hospital is a good latch."
14. "Know where to get breastfeeding help before your baby comes."
15. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
16. "Make sure that the person helping you with breastfeeding is really listening to you."

And now to the bad advice:

Now, I should say that some bad breastfeeding advice is just misplaced good advice.  It's like that saying, "weeds are just plants in the wrong place."  But lots of advice I've heard is just plain wrong.

Below are my entries into the "Bad Breastfeeding Advice Hall of Shame."  I'm sorry to report that most of these statements came from health care professionals.  Nearly all of these were told to me by mothers.

1. "It's supposed to hurt."
2. "After the first year your milk isn't any good."
3. "Breastfeeding hurts because you're light skinned."
4. "Since you're having trouble getting the baby to latch on comfortably, why don't you pump for two weeks and then try again?" 
5. "There's no such thing as nipple confusion."
6. "To get your (3 month old) baby to sleep longer, add cereal to his breastmilk."
7. "Your milk must not be fatty enough to keep your baby growing."
8. "You should rub a washcloth over your nipples to toughen them up before the baby comes."
9. "Since your baby is jaundiced you'll need to stop breastfeeding."
10. Told to a mother who had mastitis:  "You need to rest your breasts (not nurse) for a few days."
11. "Your milk ducts are high up on your breasts, so it will take a while for your milk to come in."
12. "X medication isn't okay to take during breastfeeding.  You'll need to wean in order to take it."  See Angela's post about her experience with such advice.
13. "Glucose water will keep your baby from getting jaundiced."
14. "You're having general anesthesia for your operation, so you'll need to pump and dump for four hours after the procedure."
15. "Tongue ties don't interfere with breastfeeding."
16. "After the first year, breastfeeding is really just about what the mother wants, not what the baby wants." 
17. "Don't let your baby fall asleep at the breast."
18. "Breastmilk is an A+, but formula is an A."
19. "When your baby is born, give her a pacifier so that you can get some sleep."
20. "Green poops?  Your baby must be allergic to your milk."
21. "Your baby has tooth decay because you're still breastfeeding him."
22. "Your colostrum has 'run out.'"
23. "Let's pump to see how much milk you're making."
24. "If you're breastfeeding you shouldn't exercise because the milk will taste bad."
25. "A good feeding is when the baby has nursed for 10 minutes on each side."
26. "Breastfeeding?  You can't eat chocolate."
27. "You have to drink a lot in order to make milk."
28. And my all time favorite:  "Sore nipples?  Put cherry Chapstick on them."

So, how can you increase your chances that you'll get good breastfeeding advice?  Here are a few helpful links:

• A list of ways to know if your doctor is supportive of breastfeeding.
• An online database on medications and breastfeeding (LactMed), and the book all doctors should have, Medications and Mother's Milk.
• How to know when to call a lactation consultant.
• My favorite breastfeeding reference books, "The Nursing Mother's Companion," and "The Ultimate Book of Breastfeeding Answers."
• A directory of lactation consultants by zip code, and La Leche League leaders by town.

Finally, here are links to the other great bloggers who contributed to the carnival this month:

• Breastfeeding 1-2-3:  "How to get good medical advice on breastfeeding."
• Black Breastfeeding Blog:  "The best breastfeeding advice I ever got."
• The Baby Gravy Train:  "Best breastfeeding advice."
• Mocha Milk:  "Welcome to the March Carnival of Breastfeeding!"
• Breastfeeding Mums:  "Good Advice/Bad Advice."
• Cairo Mama:  "Good Advice:  This is Not a Test."
• The Twinkies:  "If only I had known."
• Mama Knows Breast:  "Breastfeeding Advice"
• The Lactivist:  "Exclusively pumping:  Good advice is hard to find."

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