The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

This was not his costume.

But can you blame me for trying? 

I found this chicken suit at a kids second hand store and bought it for my son even though he said that he wanted to be "the scariest dinosaur I can be." 

One mother at my breastfeeding group pointed out to me today that birds are descended from dinosaurs, so in a way chickens are dinosaurs. 

I tried that argument out on my son this afternoon, and he bought it.  But then I tried to imagine him wearing the chicken suit tonight and telling people, "I'm not a chicken, I'm the scariest dinosaur I can be!"  That seemed a little cruel, so this one goes back in the closet.  I guess there's always next year.

Thanks to Alison at Motherwear for the picture of the nursing pumpkin at right.  Happy Halloween, everyone!

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed?  Click here.

New study says breastfeeding doesn't cause sagging.

Can't wait to hear what you think about this one:

A study released this week at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons conference concluded that breastfeeding doesn't increase breast sagging, though pregnancy and other factors do.

"Many women who come in for breast surgery tell us their breasts are sagging, drooping or are less full because they breastfed," said Brian Rinker, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study author. "Although the amount of sagging in the breasts appears to increase with each pregnancy, we've found that breastfeeding does not worsen the effect."

The study examined 93 women who were pregnant one or more times prior to having cosmetic breast surgery. Fifty-eight percent of patients reported breastfeeding one or more of their children. The duration of breastfeeding ranged from 2 to 25 months, with an average of nine months. Fifty-five percent of respondents reported an adverse change in the shape of their breasts following pregnancy.

As the first study to examine what impacts breast shape in connection to pregnancy, plastic surgeons found that a history of breastfeeding, the number of children breastfed, the duration of each child's breastfeeding, or the amount of weight gained during pregnancy were not significant predictors for losing breast shape. However, body mass index (BMI), the number of pregnancies, a larger pre-pregnancy bra size, smoking history, and age were significant risk factors for an increased degree of breast sagging.

I can't say that I completely understand this study (and the sample size is pretty darn small), but the conclusion is consistent with what I've seen in prior research:  pregnancy and gravity over time are the main culprits, breastfeeding isn't.  I didn't know that smoking was implicated, but is anyone surprised? 

While we're on the topic of sagging:  I heard a funny (or maybe not so funny) story about this at the lactation consultants' conference this year.  A group of medical residents was listening to a lecture by a physician on breast changes as women age, including 'involution,' or the shutting down of the milk making structures which is associated with changes in appearance.  One of the male residents piped up in a concerned tone, "But what can be done about this involution problem?"  The attending physician explained patiently that this was a natural process that occurred over time, and that 90 year old women are not supposed to have 20 year old breasts.

So, while we may not like it, it's not typically pathologic, either.  In fact, it's probably good for us.  Not knocking breast surgeries, by the way.  Okay, let's hear it in the comments section.

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed?  Click here.

What kind of podcast would you listen to?

I'm very excited to announce a new breastfeeding resource from Motherwear is in development - podcasts!

Coming soon to a computer or iPod near you will be breastfeeding related podcasts on all kinds of breastfeeding topics.

I have a bunch of ideas for topics and guests, but I wanted to hear from you what you'd like to hear.  So please tell me in the poll below (Having some trouble loading this morning - feel free to leave a comment, or check back later.  May need to be viewed with Explorer).

A new food pyramid for nursing mothers.

One of my strongest memories about the final days of my pregnancy is eating anything I wanted.  I'd been doing my best to eat a balanced diet for the prior nine months, and I felt a huge sense of freedom knowing that I couldn't really mess my son up too much at that point by cutting lose.  I ate tons of Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby, which we'd bought in bulk after getting some bad information that they were discontinuing the flavor. 

And then came breastfeeding, and for some reason I just threw everything out the window when it came to my diet, especially in the first few months.  Actually, I do know why it happened:  a combination of postpartum depression, the unending pans of brownies from friends, and the fact that I seemed to be able to eat anything and still lose weight.  It got so bad at one point that I told my husband to ask our pediatrician, casually, if I could hurt the baby by eating a lot of brownies. 

So, I thought it was pretty interesting that the USDA released its first food pyramids for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers this week.  They also have a pyramid for mothers who are trying to lose weight while breastfeeding.

In general I think that this is a wonderful idea.  There is so much conflicting information on nutrition and diet out there, so it's nice to have a balanced, presumably evidence-based, standard for good diet while pregnant and nursing. 

One glitch with this pyramid is that it won't accept a baby's age if it's older than one year.  In fact, it only really works if the baby hasn't started solids, since the only options you can enter are exclusive breastfeeding, mostly breastfeeding, and mostly formula feeding.  I'm also uncomfortable with the statement, "the Dietary Guidelines recommend that breastfeeding women not drink alcoholic beverages," since alcohol intake in moderation is generally considered safe. 

Another nagging thought I have is that publicizing standards for healthy eating while nursing might deter some mothers from choosing breastfeeding.  Research has shown that some women choose not to breastfeed because they believe that there are too many 'rules' about what you can and can't eat.  So, talking about this does make me cringe just a little. 

In case you're wondering, the truth is that the quality of a mother's diet doesn't have much influence on the quality of her milk (one exception would be that vegans need a source of B-12).  Milk samples taken from well nourished and nearly malnourished mothers have been shown to be nearly identical.  Your body takes what it needs from your nutritional stores to make great milk for your baby.  If your diet isn't balanced you're the one who suffers, from things like low energy and increased susceptibility to things like colds (because your immune systems is weakened). 

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed?  Click here.

A World Series wager.

My home team, the Red Sox, are playing the Rockies, home team of Amy from Crunchy Domestic Goddess in the World Series this week.  So I thought a friendly bet was in order. 

So, we've agreed that if the Red Sox win the series she'll give away one of her "I Make Milk. What's your Superpower?" shirts (see her store), and if the Rockies win I'll give away one our breastfeeding coalition's "Breastfeeding Welcome Here" t-shirts (see our store).  We'll announce how to win one once the series is over.

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed?  Click here.

Nerissa Nields on breastfeeding, touring, and appreciating the power of music.

How cool is it that, in the course of helping moms breastfeed, I sometimes get to meet awesome musicians?  

I've had the true pleasure of getting to know Nerissa Nields of The Nields (on the right in these pictures), and she graciously agreed to answer a few questions about her breastfeeding experience.  They have a new album out, Sister Holler and their kids' album All Together Singing in the Kitchen is a favorite in our house.  And here's an old NPR interview with Nerissa which I really liked.

What has your breastfeeding experience been like?

I loved breastfeeding.  It was hard for me at first because my daughter was born a bit early and had a tiny little mouth, and my nipples are flat.  I remember thinking, "She'll never get THAT in her mouth!"  In the first week or so, I pumped a lot and we fed her through an eye dropper.  For the first couple of months, I wore a nipple shield, and she slowly learned to fill her little belly with my milk.  She was a voracious nurser, and fell asleep in our bed at my breast.  We slept like this for the first three months; when she'd wake up hungry, I just gave her my breast and she fell back asleep. We all slept well.

The nipple shields were annoying, though; I had to make sure they were clean; I had to keep track of them.  I remember one day despairing that I'd have to use them forever, and then the next day she was able to nurse without it!  That felt like liberation.  From then on, nursing was a breeze.  I fed her while I ate dinner; I fed her while I typed on the computer.  I even fed her walking down the street (she was hidden beneath a wrap.)  I fed her in church.  I fed her in restaurants.  I never thought I'd be so public with breastfeeding, but as life presented itself, it kept feeling natural.

You tour a lot with The Nields.  How has breastfeeding worked with your traveling and performing schedule?

I either brought her and nursed her before and after the sets, or I left her at home and brought my pump.  I didn't travel far without her while she was nursing.  It was handy when she was nursing for airplane trips!  That kept her still for take offs and landings.

Do you think becoming a mother has changed your music?

Being a mother hasn't necessarily changed my music, but it does make me better appreciate the power of music.  I love the way she responds to music--with her whole body.  Her face lights up, she begins to move, she claps and sings.  I have felt incredibly lucky to be a musicican since having my daughter.  Also, I feel a much greater connection to the earth, and to other people, since becoming a mother, and for that reason, I feel more inspired to connect through music to people's joy.  I love to see families at our shows, cuddling and swaying and singing along.  I also know the power of That One CD that works in quieting a screaming child!  I am grateful when people tell me that one of our CDs is the magic bullet.

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed? Click here.

The October Carnival of Breastfeeding: This I Believe.

Welcome to the eleventh Carnival of Breastfeeding.  This month we've all searched our souls and written "This I Believe" essays.  Be sure to check out the other carnival entries at the bottom of this post (updated throughout the day)!

I believe in instinct.

When I was pregnant my husband and I took a childbirth class.  One of the expectant fathers in the class worked in a primate lab at the local university.  He said that whenever a monkey was pregnant the staff would try to observe the monkey giving birth.  But they never did.  The monkey would wait until late at night, when no human was present, to birth to her baby.

I remember thinking that this was an interesting piece of trivia, but that it certainly had nothing to do with me.  When I contemplated motherhood, instinct didn't factor into the equation at all.  After all, I had a brain that could figure complicated things out.  I had a college degree.  I had the Internet!  And my body generally did what my mind told it to do.

But from the moment my son entered the world I came to understand that we are mammals.  Sophisticated mammals, but mammals nonetheless. 

A few months ago I attended a talk given by Dr. Nils Bergman, who pioneered the concept of "kangaroo care."  He showed a series of pictures, side by side, of a human newborn and a newborn puppy.  Both human and dog rooted, smelled, and kicked their way over to find the breast. 

Such examples are endless.  Simply holding a babies skin-to-skin regulates their oxygen levels, heart rate, temperature, and blood sugars.  Most mothers, across cultures, touch their newborn babies for the first time in the same order (fingers, palms, arms and legs, trunk).  Our chests actually heat up when our babies are placed on us, presumably to keep them warm. 

Meredith Small, in one of my favorite books, Our Babies, Ourselves, writes "...Scientific and medical advisors, counselors, and researchers seem to miss the fact that culture, in the form of the medical establishment, has intervened in human biology.  For millions of years the human female animal gave birth and held that baby to her chest.  She carried the baby close and helped it find the nipple....In all cultures except Western culture, the process is the same today."

A few years ago I gave a talk about breastfeeding to a class of undergraduate nutrition students.  One of them asked me "What technological advances have been made in breastfeeding recently?"  The question caught me off guard, but it's a wonderful illustration our culture's hierarchy:  nature is nice, but technology is the real deal.  Of course, there is no question technology has saved countless mothers and babies.  But when nature designs a system, and equips us with instincts to use it, I believe that we should pay attention. 

What the monkeys in the primate lab know, which I think too many of us have forgotten, is that instinct - such as the instinct to feel safe when birthing - matters.  These bits of hard-wiring may seem quaint, outdated, or even dangerous to some, but they are nature's technology, and they too have protected our babies and ourselves for thousands of years. 

I believe that we have instincts, and we ignore them at our peril.   

Be sure to check out the posts from these great bloggers (updated throughout the day):

• Half Pint Pixie:  "I believe that breastfeeding is natural but not always easy."
• Breastfeeding Mums:  "I have a dream...a dream that involves breastfeeding."
• Breastfeeding 1-2-3:  "I believe in gentle discipline."
• The Lactivist:  "I believe that the things most worth doing in life are hard."
• Such Great Heights:  "I believe that you don't have to be a breastfeeding mother to support breastfeeding."
• Musings of a Crunchy Domestic Goddess:  "I believe in attachment parenting - or parenting by instinct."

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed?  Click here.

Motherwear's fall clearance, and two ways to win a $100 gift certificate.

Motherwear's fall clearance is underway, and you can see the sale items here.  My pick, a long-sleeved eyelet top, is shown to the right.

To enter to win a $100 Motherwear gift certificate you can 1) sign up for Motherwear's breastfeeding basics e-newsletter, and 2) once you've made a purchase, fill out a quick survey about the experience.  You'll find information on both of these offers on the promotions page.

And in a completely unrelated bit of news, check out this clip of Julia Roberts accepting an award as only a nursing mom can.  Thanks to Andi at Mama Knows Breast for this one!

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed?  Click here.

More classic Sesame Street.

Sesame Street was so ahead of its time. 

Remember this simple but powerful clip?  Thanks to Amy at Musings of a Crunchy Domestic Goddess, who passed along the link, here's another breastfeeding clip from Sesame Street, circa 1977.  In that year the rate of "any breastfeeding" in the hopsital was just under 45%, compared to around 70% now.  I just have to wonder if you'd see this on the air today.

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed?  Click here.

Feedback, please.

My local chapter of Moms Rising - Moms Rising of the Pioneer Valley - has been working on the issue of nursing in public.

We thought we'd draft a letter from our group which we could send to the head of a business or organization where an incident of harrassment occurred.  The idea is that 1) mothers often feel intimidated taking on a business on their own, and 2) they often get nowhere when they try.  So, if a mother has had no success trying to resolve the issue on her own, and wants a little back up from other mothers, this is a letter we could send.  Again, this is only if the mother wants this kind of support. 

It was my job to come up with the letter.  Here's my first draft.  I'd love some feedback from all of you.  Too harsh?  Too preachy?  Think that this is a bad idea overall?  If any of you would like to modify this for use in your own area, be my guest!

Dear _____________ :

On behalf of Moms Rising of the Pioneer Valley we are writing to express concern over an incident which occurred at your establishment in which a mother (description of incident).

Moms Rising of the Pioneer Valley is a local affiliate of a national organization which promotes family friendly policies.  Our group is the advocacy arm of Motherwoman, Inc.   

Description of incident (who, what, where, when, what the mother did to remedy so far, how the business/organization has responded, what the mother would like).

Breastfeeding is a normal and healthy way of feeding a child, and breastfeeding mothers who nurse in public are simply responding to the needs of their children.  Restricting the ability of a mother to nurse her baby marginalizes this beneficial behavior, and often humiliates a mother and upsets her child.  We would remind you that breastfeeding in public is not illegal in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

We imagine that this incident was an oversight, and that appropriate steps will be taken to respond to the mother and to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.  However, if your establishment has a policy in any way restricting the ability of breastfeeding mothers to feed their babies we would appreciate the opportunity to inform our (insert number) members.

Please reply to us at the contact information below.  We look forward to your response in this matter. 

Sincerely,

President, Moms Rising of the Pioneer Valley

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed?  Click here.