The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

Everything old is new again: cross-nursing and wet nursing in the news.

Last week I was in my dentist's waiting room with a few other patients, and the Today Show was playing on the TV.  Just before I was called in a promo came on for a segment on cross nursing and wet nursing (see video). 

Two women in the room, one younger and one middle-aged, started giggling uncomfortably.  The only man in the room shifted in his seat.  One woman said, "I mean, that's weird, right?" 

I'm pretty uncomfortable engaging strangers on topics like these, and this topic has a pretty big 'ick factor.'  But I went for it.

I said, "You know, historically this was the norm.  Formula has only been around for about 50 years, and before that, if a mother couldn't breastfeed, an aunt or a cousin would breastfeed the baby.  It was the only way a baby could survive."

The woman looked startled and said, "Really?  Wow.  I don't have kids, and I had no idea.  That's really interesting.  I thought it was a 'I'm too busy to do that' kind of thing."

Then I got called in to see the dentist.

The truth is that I know several adults from other countries who were nursed by relatives or wet nurses for exactly this reason.  If it weren't for this system - still used in many parts of the world - I don't know that they would be alive today.

Of course, not all of the history on this is good.  Most notably in this country, slavery forced many African American women to nurse the children of their masters, often at the expense of their own children.  Jennifer at Black Breastfeeding Blog has been exploring that topic this week.  And of course there are health issues associated with this practice, particularly the transmission of viruses such as HIV.

But every once in a while I try to imagine what it would be like if I had another baby and for some reason couldn't breastfeed.  I know that I'd move heaven and earth to get that baby human milk.

Is the media interest in this topic a sign of how far we've come in getting breastfeeding accepted in the culture, or is this simply a way to exploit an "oh, gross" story to boost ratings?  This topic is in Time Magazine this month, too. 

I have been noticing, just in the last couple of years, much more awareness of milk banks, induced lactation, and adoptive nursing.  One family I met in a prenatal class knew all about Milk Share, and several moms I know have been pumping to give milk to an adopted baby.  The milk banks are also seeing a huge increase in demand.  What's going on here?  Your thoughts?

How much does breastfeeding reduce the risk of disease?

A new meta-analysis (study of studies) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services helps answer that question. 

This study looked over 9,000 studies on breastfeeding from developed countries, weeded out the ones with poor methodology, and came up with an overall percentage for each one.  This is harder than it sounds because "breastfeeding" is defined differently in each study.  Nevertheless, here is what they found.

Breastfeeding reduces babies' risk of these diseases by:

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS):  36%
• Type 1 Diabetes:  19-27%
• Type 2 Diabetes:  39%
• Leukemia (acute lymphocytic) :  19%
• Leukemia (acute myelogenous):  15%
• Asthma:  27%
• Gastrointestinal infections:  64%
• Lower respiratory tract diseases:  72%
• Atopic dermatitis:  42%
• Acute otitis media:  50%

And breastfeeding reduces mothers' risk of these diseases by:

• Type 2 Diabetes:  4-12%
• Ovarian cancer:  21%
• Breast cancer:  28%

This study looked at the relationship between breastfeeding and a small list of health conditions.  Breastfeeding protects against many more diseases, and the evidence is growing all the time.  Here's a list of studies just from 2006, and you'll find more from 2007 here.

So, you see why I get so upset about contests that formula companies run to try to get mothers to use formula instead of breastfeeding?  On the one hand, a significant reduction in risk of having lifetime - and even life-threatening - diseases, and on the other hand...a free sandwich.  Shouldn't our doctors and nurses know better?

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Update on the iParty nursing in public story.

I had the chance to talk with the mother involved in this incident today, Dr. Melissa Tracy, and I can tell you that she is smart, articulate, kind, and very brave. 

She told me that she's always been an advocate breastfeeding, and that as a doctor she takes every opportunity to counsel her patients about the importance of breastfeeding. 

There has been lots of coverage of this incident today (Channel 7 News, WBZTV video, among others), and she endured some pretty sophomoric radio interviews.  She was also disappointed with the headline of a story on the incident in the Boston Herald (it implied that she called the store employees "boobs," which she didn't and would never do), and believes that mothers should have the right to nurse anywhere, not only in 'private areas,' as the iParty store management suggested as a solution.   

There are several polls going on Boston area news station websites sparked by this story.  On this poll the question, "Should women be allowed (oh, how I hate that - whose permission do we have to get?) to breastfeed in all public places?" is getting a 50/50 response.  On this poll the question "Do you think breastfeeding in public is appropriate?" was also looking like a dead heat this afternoon but has been getting better since then.  On the FoxBoston site nursing in public is clearly losing.  Please take a minute to vote.  You can also follow plans for a nurse-in this Saturday on this discussion board.  Update on this - iParty and the moms who were planning this nurse-in have agreed to instead have a celebration of breastfeeding - sponsored by iParty.

This incident is similar to one that occurred recently Florida, but at least in that state mothers have the law behind them.  Here in Massachusetts we don't even have the (anemic, in my opinion) exemption from public indecency laws. 

Breastfeeding in public is not illegal in any place in the U.S., but if a mother's right to nurse in public were protected here, a store manager couldn't force a mother to leave or relocate.  Bills to establish that right have died in the State House for several years, but one is pending now.  It takes less than a minute to send an email to your representative through the Children's Hospital of Boston site.  Isn't it about time?

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Were you sold out for a sandwich?

Last week a breastfeeding counselor named Megan posted the following story on a message board for lactation professionals:

I was just visiting a friend who had her baby yesterday (April 19) at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Meadowbrook, PA.

She told me that an OB/GYN at the hospital said to her, "Lipil formula is the best."  My friend replied that she was breastfeeding. 

The doctor responded by saying, "Well I figured, but if I tell you that 'Lipil is the best', then we get free catered lunches from Panera!"

The National Alliance for Breastfeeding Action has received many reports of formula salespeople conducting contests to see which nurse can influence the most mothers to use formula. 

One contest was for the nurse who collected the most formula bottle caps.  Nurses would go into each mother's room with a bottle of formula, whether or not the mother was formula feeding, open the bottle, pocket the cap, put her name on the cap and place it in a box to be counted at the end of the contest period.

I've heard of one hospital where the formula company salesman used to go into the nursery - where there are newborn and sick babies - and clip formula company logos onto the nurses' stethoscopes.

Then there are the goodies for tired and overworked nurses.  One of my friends who worked in a hospital in California says that she got so tired of hearing the nurses call out "Hey, the formula company guy brought frappuccinos again!"  At another hospital the formula company rep brought would bring in a gigantic box of Godiva chocolates at the holidays - which sat in the breakroom next to the lactation consultant's homemade oatmeal cookies.

That's why the Ross training manual says, "Never underestimate the importance of nurses. If they are sold and serviced properly, they can be strong allies.  A nurse who supports Ross is like an extra salesperson.”  (Abbott Labs v. Segura, 1995)

Did you experience anything like this?  Want to fight marketing on maternity wards?  Check out Ban the Bags and No Free Lunch.  I particularly like their pen amnesty program.  If you'd like to complain to the hospital mentioned above, here is their email comment address.

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This is why Massachusetts needs a NIP law.

This story from a Boston area newspaper was just emailed to me.  Got my blood boiling and I had to post it.

Dr. Melissa Tracy, a Brockton cardiologist, never thought breast-feeding her infant son while shopping would become controversial.

But it did Friday, as the 40-year-old Hingham mother was asked to stop feeding her son while shopping for birthday party supplies with her husband at iParty on Pleasant Street in South Weymouth, she said.

Tracy had responded to her 7-week-old son Tristan's cries of hunger by sitting down in the aisle to discreetly feed him, she said.

Within five minutes, the store manager, identified only as Dave, came up to Tracy, a mother of two.

“He said, 'You have to stop doing that. You can't do that here in the store. I don't think it would be good for children to see you,” Tracy said.

“I was shocked,” Tracy said. “I never felt so humiliated in my life. This man felt like I was doing something vulgar, or stealing. I was doing nothing wrong.

“I said, 'This is the most natural thing a woman can do for her child. This is what women do. This is not offensive. I am not doing anything offensive. I'm just sitting here nursing my son,” Tracy said.

Tracy said she then stopped nursing her baby, stood up, left the store and cried in the parking lot.

Note that no one complained - the store employee assumed that it would be bad for children to see breastfeeding.  And the mother said, “You could not see anything. Everything was covered.”

The mother later complained to the regional manager, who apologized and offered her a gift card, which she refused.  The regional manager said that the company “will make our managers aware that women might need to have some private space and to see how that can be accommodated.” 

To me, this is missing the point.  The mother was comfortable nursing in an aisle, and didn't need a private space.  I would be just as offended if someone tried to force me into a private space.  She should be able to feed her child anywhere a mother would feed a baby a bottle.

This is why we need a nursing in public law in Massachusetts.  My home state is one of only a handful that doesn't provide protection for nursing in public.  See the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition for information on how to weigh in on pending legislation, and this post for information on pending legislation in many states.  If you want to complain to iParty, here's their customer care email address.  I'm going to go do some deep breathing and see if Motherwear can offer the mom a gift card to replace the one she refused!

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Blogger's Choice Awards.

Thanks to Angela at Breastfeeding 1-2-3, I've been nominated for Best Health Blog at the Blogger's Choice Awards. 

To be honest, the four bloggers who particpate in our breastfeeding carnivals all nominated each other.  Kind of like 4th grade class president elections.

Anyway, if you're so inclined, vote for the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog at the Blogger's Choice Awards.  You'll see the blogs I voted for there, too.

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Product review: Milk Trays

When I was a working/pumping mom it took me quite a while to figure out the mechanics of milk storage.  I was always a little resentful when it came time to buy more milk storage bags - they're not cheap, and I hated throwing away so much plastic.

So, I'm happy to be able to post a review of an alternative to milk storage bags.  The product is called Milk Trays, and it works a lot like an ice cube tray, with some important differences.  I asked Ruby (pictured below with her baby), a currently working/pumping mom, to test them out.  Here's what she had to say:

"As a mom who is working and pumping a lot, and also as someone who has a bit of an oversupply issue, I was very interested in trying these trays.  I was also intrigued by the fact that the inventor of the product is a pumping mom who works as a firefighter paramedic.

Milk Trays have 8 one-ounce cavities for freezing milk in small portions.  The trays have lids to prevent freezer burn, and they're made from medical grade plastic.  Unlike an ice cube tray, the frozen 'milk sticks' fit through the mouth of any bottle opening.  You use the trays for freezing milk (not storing it) so that it can be transferred to a storage bag. 

Milk Trays a great alternative to breastmilk freezer bags because you can freeze your milk and then pop out the milk sticks and transfer them to any freezer safe bag or container.  The sticks are 1 ounce each, so you have the convenience of only thawing the milk you need.  Since the milk doesn't stick to the trays like it does with storage bags, you waste less milk.  Also, you can cut off a small piece of a stick to thaw just a little milk to add to cereal when your baby starts solid food. 

These trays might also save you some money compared to breastmilk storage bags because the trays allow you to freeze the milk and then transfer it to a larger, less expensive freezer bag - making the tray available for the next round of milk.  This probably would also eliminate some of the plastic waste of breastmilk storage bags, too.  I'm finding them useful for freezing solid foods, too.

If you have a lot of milk to freeze and thaw, defrosting the milk can be a little slow.  When trying to prepare a 4 ounce bottle, I could only fit 1-2 sticks in the bottle at a time, and found it hard to thaw them in a hurry.  [The company suggests either using a bottle warmer and putting more sticks in as they melt, or bringing a bag of milk sticks and extra bottles to the day care so that they can be thawed there.]  It also took me a little practice to fill up the tray to the proper mark and get it into the freezer without spilling any, but I'm sure that gets easier with practice.

From a practical standpoint, if you're storing a lot of milk, I think that the trays are useful when used in conjunction with storage bags.  I like having bags of 3-4 ounces of milk in the freezer for when I know I need a whole bottle's worth, and a container of 1 ounce sticks for when I only need to thaw a little bit.  They cost $15.95 for two trays and two lids through the company's website, which also lists local retailers."

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Nursing at the Grand Canyon.

Last month I asked you to send in pictures of you nursing near landmarks around the world. 

Susan from Pennsylvania saw that post and sent in this awesome picture of her nursing her daughter Katie at the north rim of the Grand Canyon. 

Have a photo of you nursing near a landmark anywhere in the world?  Email it to me and I'll enter you into a drawing for a $25 Motherwear gift certificate.

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The April Carnival of Breastfeeding: What I didn't expect when I was expecting.

Welcome to the sixth Carnival of Breastfeeding!  This month the theme is "What I didn't expect when I was expecting."  Below you'll find links to other bloggers' posts on that theme.

When the first of my friends to have a baby told me that she was having trouble finding time to take a shower I thought to myself, "She's got to be doing that wrong." 

Sigh.

When I teach breastfeeding classes and it comes time to break the news that babies eat every 2-3 hours (whatever you feed them), I can tell from the startled looks on some faces that many of us have no idea what we've signed up for.  I also meet new mothers who are convinced that, once the baby comes, they're going to have time to clean out the basement or study for the bar.

To be fair, I didn't get it either.  Maybe if I'd read more accounts of new motherhood, like those in this book written by a doula in my old hometown, it would have been more clear.  Anyway, here are some of my memories of preparing for breastfeeding during my pregnancy:

Reading a breastfeeding book and shouting to my husband who was in another room, "This is going to be a lot of work!"

Attending a (not very good) breastfeeding class, and later sitting in the parking lot shouting directly at my husband, "This is going to be a lot of work!"

My brilliant idea of 'testing out' my new breastpump (when you buy something you want to know if it works, right?) and accidentally pumping some colostrum out.  At my next midwife appointment I sheepishly asked what that orange colored stuff was.  She said patiently, "That's colostrum, and unless you want to go into labor soon, I'd suggest that you put the pump away."

So, I had a vague notion of the amount of work it would be to feed a baby (7 hours a day), but there were still many things I had no idea were coming.  Here are the biggies:

I didn't expect that the breastfeeding would make me dump a successful career to become a lactation consultant.  And I certainly didn't expect to write a blog about it!  I do remember sitting on the couch, nursing and reading Our Babies, Ourselves and suddenly getting seized by the desire to improve public health by helping women breastfeed.  So, here I am.

I didn't expect to be in awe of the power of breastfeeding.  I didn't expect that my son, even after spending his first week in the hospital with an infection, would be a pound over his birthweight at his two week checkup (can you say oversupply?).  I didn't expect that he'd be four and have never experienced an infection of any kind.  And I never expected that he'd be able to eat food so spicy that it makes his father break out in a sweat.

But most of all, I didn't expect that breastfeeding would force me to confront the fact that I'd become a mother.  The concept of motherhood was pretty scary to me, and the whole thing felt like being pushed on stage against my will.  I had a rough start, but nursing came so naturally that I couldn't deny that I'd become a mother.  And I love it.

So, let us know what you didn't expect in the comments section below.  And be sure to check out the great contributions on this theme from these bloggers:

• Sinead and Breastfeeding Mums writes "What I wish I'd known about breastfeeding."
• Melanie at Spit up on my Shoulder tells us why "Education is key" when it comes to breastfeeding.
• Angela at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 tell us "What I didn't expect when I was expecting."
• Shelly at Adventures of a Breastfeeding Mother tells us what she didn't expect about breastfeeding.
• Ashlee at New Mama's Nest tells us what she didn't expect about breastfeeding her 'early bird.'
• Rixa at The True Face of Birth tells what she didn't expect when she was expecting.
• Down with the Kids reflects back on breastfeeding as she weans her son in her post “Goodbye Booby”
• Heather at The Spice Choir talks about how breastfeeding changed her social interactions.
• Andi at Mama Knows Breast shares her top 10 list of things she didn't expect about breastfeeding.
• Jen at The Lactivist tells us how "Nursing isn't quite what I expected."

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Good, bad, and ugly breastfeeding news this week.

There's been a flurry of breastfeeding news this week.  Here's my summary:

THE GOOD: Oprah featured a set of sextuplets, and the mother who breastfed them.  The mother said, "The doctor told me Mother Nature would take care of this all...I was pumping about 50 to 60 bottles a day."  Thanks to reader Cindy for this one!

Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross was interviewed about her new twins and talked about the "huge accomplishment" of nursing them at once.  Jennifer Garner, in an interview in InStyle magazine, said "That surprised me – how much I loved [nursing] and how effortless it has been to pump anywhere in the world."  And Tori Spelling said in an interview, "[Nursing] is hard, but I love it. That's our time together."

Two new studies showed that 1) breastfed children are less likely to be overweight, and that breastfeeding appears to put kids on a "favorable body mass index track;" and 2) breastfeeding protects women from breast cancer even if they give birth after age 25.  This is good news considering that "older" mothers breastfeed at higher rates anyway.

THE BAD: In my home state of Massachusetts, I got word that formula companies are trying to recruit nurses to form a coalition to counter the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition.  Should we be flattered?

The new show, "Notes from the Underbelly" featured an episode called "I wrecked my boobs," in which a woman insists that nursing "devastated" her breasts.  Thanks to Colleen for this one.  By the way, breast changes during pregnancy, and good old gravity over time contribute to sagging, not breastfeeding.

THE UGLY: The mother of a 17 month old twin who was recovering from brain surgery at the Ronald McDonald House in Houston, Texas, was told to nurse in a private room.  When Texas law was brought to the attention of the management, they threatened to make the family leave.  The two sides have reached an agreement which allows the mother to nurse in common areas if she is "discreet."  Much more on this story, and ways to weigh in, at The Reluctant Lactivist.  Here's hoping that pending Texas legislation becomes law.

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