Your email address:


Powered by FeedBlitz

Add to favorites

  • Add to Technorati Favorites
My Photo

Email

Support our local breastfeeding coalition!

Search

©2006-8 Motherwear International, Inc.

Using this blog

« August 2008 | Main | October 2008 »

September 2008

September 30, 2008

What does the Chinese formula crisis say about breastfeeding?

I've been thinking and thinking about what to write about the Chinese formula crisis. 

My first instinct, I'll admit, was to say nothing, since I sometimes worry about offending those of you who, by necessity or by choice, use formula in addition to breastfeeding.  But as the scope of the crisis has become more clear, I felt that I should say something, and more importantly open up the topic to your comments. 

It goes without saying that it is a tragic situation.  53,000 children are thought to have become ill as a result of the melamine-tainted formula, and four have died.  To make matters worse, it also appears that the same formula is contaminated with enterobacter sakazakii.

While the size of the crisis in China is remarkable, problems with formula are not uncommon.  In fact, according to the International Baby Food Action Network, there were more than 15 formula recalls around the world in 2007-08 (pdf).  Even under better (though some would argue inadequate) quality control in this country, there are formula calls in the U.S. about once a year (pdf).

The crisis clearly illustrates the safest (let alone healthiest) way to feed your baby is with your own milk.  Apart from its obvious nutritional and immunological superiority, you know what's in it because you control the contents. 

But the thing that troubles me more are the similarities between the Chinese story and with our own history: 

In the U.S., the Industrial Revolution shifted women's work from farms, where they were near their babies and could sustain breastfeeding, to factory labor which meant long separations and an end to breastfeeding.  The alternative to breastmilk then was cow's milk - unpasteurized, often spoiled, adulterated, and obviously extremely dangerous - and infant mortality rose as a result.  In 1897, the Chicago Department of Health estimated that 15 cow's milk fed babies died for every one breastfed baby.  The increase in infant mortality resulted in some powerful public health campaigns promoting breastfeeding.  Sadly, these campaigns ended with the shift to pasteurization of cow's milk.  It has taken generations for the effects of this shift to begin to reverse.

China's economic boom has produced a similar change in womens' work, and this threatens to undermine China's historically high breastfeeding rates.  A recent Washington Post column suggested as much (though was poorly subtitled "Chinese women don't like breastfeeding.")  Obviously, current formulas are not 19th century cow's milk, and for that we can be grateful.  But I worry about a more modern problem - pervasive and persuasive formula company advertising, such as we've seen in the Philippines, Bangladesh, and around the world.  China has long had regulations which limit formula company marketing, but lax enforcement has resulted in many violations (pdf).

By the way, it doesn't have to be this way.

So we can only hope that this crisis results in a renewed focus on breastfeeding, and perhaps even donor milk banking, as the Wall Street Journal has reported.  The news coverage so far has focused almost exclusively on this story as a Chinese quality control problem, but with some time I think the spotlight will shift to the true issue:  the promotion and protection of breastfeeding.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

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

September 29, 2008

Nursing at the fair.

Tanya_nursing_mothers_room_116_2 These pictures are  of the Nursing Mother's Station at the The Big E, a big regional fair in New England.  So far this year over a million people have attended.

Last week I volunteered at the nursing mothers' station, as I did last year.  It was good fun, though it's hazardous to the volunteers to locate the station across from the cream puff stand. 

One mother who used the station approached me and said emphatically, "La Leche League saved my life!" She told me her story of being sent home from a hospital with a non-latching baby, a bag of formula, and little hope.  She called a Leader as soon as she got home and soon had the baby on the breast and gaining.

Tanya_nursing_mothers_room_111_3Tanya_nursing_mothers_room_112_4One man passing by looked at the station and said, "That's awesome!  It really is."

I've written before that I feel a bit ambivalent about nursing mothers' stations.  You can check out my post last year called:  Nursing Mother's Rooms - Convenience or Quarantine? to read my thoughts and readers' comments.

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

September 26, 2008

Help save the Jack Newman Breastfeeding Clinic.

2007_0828janmarch060012_5Have any of you used Dr. Jack Newman's books?

A few weeks ago I was talking to a mother about Raynaud's vasospasm, and I pulled out Dr. Jack Newman's  Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers to show her a great picture of it. 

I suggested that she read the section on Raynaud's and after doing so she said, "Wow.  This is really different."  "I know," I said, nodding.  "He's Canadian."

That doesn't really make much sense, but there is something different about Dr. Jack Newman.  He's incredibly knowledgeable, of course, and also very funny, but he also just seems to think and express things differently.  He's willing to write things in his books like, "I don't understand why this works, but it does." 

So it was disheartening to hear that Dr. Newman's Breastfeeding Clinic in Toronto is desperate need of financial support.  Its public funding sources disappeared a few years ago, and now its private funding is in jeopardy, too.  Since 1984, the clinic has helped thousands of families breastfeed.

Last year one of the big highlights of a breastfeeding conference I attended was when Dr. Newman happened to sit down at a table where I was having breakfast with my friend Joanna (pictured above).  I asked him about his clinic, and he said that there are days when it seems like every baby he sees is "aggressively non-latching." 

There aren't many doctors in the world who would spend their days gently coaxing baby after baby back to the breast.  But that's among the many things Dr. Newman and his staff have been doing for years. 

I hope you'll consider supporting his work.  Follow this link, and select "Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute." 

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

 

September 24, 2008

Maria breastfeeding on Sesame Street, and links to more.

Not sure how I found this, but here's another Sesame Street breastfeeding clip, this time with Maria nursing her (very covered) baby.  From the hairstyles I'm guessing that this is from the 80's, which would explain all the talk about solids. 

In case you've missed them, here are past posts with Sesame Street clips:

September 21, 2008

Motherwear Podcast: So, you want to work in breastfeeding support.

Istock_000006352099xsmall_2 Welcome to the September Carnival of Breastfeeding and another Motherwear Podcast! This month features posts on breastfeeding and education.  Be sure to check out the posts from other carnival participants at the bottom of this post.

My contribution is a podcast on training programs and certifications for working in breastfeeding support.   

You can listen to it using the player below, or download it from our iTunes store.

Here are some links mentioned in the podcast.

And here are more great Carnival posts on this topic from other blogs (updated through the day):

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

September 19, 2008

Celebrate our second birthday with a sticker!

Istock_000003134638xsmall_2 *All the stickers have now been spoken for!  But you can still buy them through the links below.

It's been two years since I put up the first post on this blog, and I've been having a blast writing it ever since!   

To celebrate, I'm giving away 'breastfeeding welcome here' stickers to the first 25 people who email me with their addresses.  These stickers are perfect for store windows and other breastfeeding-friendly establishments.  Motherwear has generously purchased these stickers to give away, and the proceeds go right to our local breastfeeding coalition!  I'll update this post when they're all spoken for.  If you don't get one of the free stickers, you can always buy one through our website.

2veryfinalstickerforcafepress_3And while you're here, delurk and leave a me a comment on this blog's birthday!

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

September 17, 2008

Motherwear's fall line is here.

Image005 02286_2 Motherwear's Fall line is now up on the website, and there are a number of new items to help you feed your baby in style.  The new designs are modeled by Camila and Genelle.

One of my favorites is the new Motherwear long-sleeved nursing tee with the Motherwear logo (shown left).  It reads: 'breastfeeding: better for mom, baby, and the planet.'  Another version of this shirt, showing bamboo and the phrase: 'breastfeeding...what could be more natural?' is available on the peridot color shirt.  Both have the Motherwear website on the upper back.

27016_126086_1_2It's one of the items made with eco-friendly bamboo fabric.  More about bamboo fabric here.  Motherwear's bamboo fabric is Oeko-Tex certified.

Motherwear has also updated its nursing openings page.  It now clearly shows the different kinds of nursing openings on Motherwear models. 

Not sure which opening you prefer?  Check out this past poll (needs to be viewed with Explorer) to see which was the most popular among readers.

26082_1_702699_1_2My other favorites include the drawstring ruffled top and sweetheart cardigan above, to the right, koi long sleeved tee and the celebration tee to the left.  There are some great new dresses to check out, too.

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

September 16, 2008

Some updates and announcements.

Dsc_0251_3 I have a random set of announcements and updates for you today.  First some updates:

Some of you probably remember Karma, who guest posted on this blog about inducing lactation to breastfeed her baby, who was being carried by her sister.  Karma's baby was born in June, and she was successful in inducing a milk supply, which has been supplemented as needed by her sister, who has been pumping since the baby was born.  To the right is the deep freezer bought to store the pumped milk.  And yes, it's full to the top with breastmilk.  She says:  "Breastfeeding has been significantly challenging, but I'm happy to say that practice makes (almost) perfect. It's been three months now and we're doing great - my sister is also still pumping for us so we have supplemental breast milk. It continues to be a team effort!"

A while back I put up an announcement about a TV program seeking mothers who had cross nursed.  That show has aired, and you can see it here.

And some announcements:

I mentioned last month that I'm working on a book to help breastfeeding support people work with mothers in Spanish.  I'll write more about that at some point, but for now I want to see if there are any lactation consultants (IBCLC) out there who are interested in field testing it.  Free continuing education points would be available.  There are many more details to explain about how the field testing will work, so email me if you're interested.

For those of you living in my area (Western Massachusetts), I want to let you know about a wonderful conference on "Baby Led Breastfeeding," coming up in November.  Mercy Medical Center in Springfield (where I do a little work) is sponsoring a one day conference with Dr. Christina Smillie on November 5th.  If you are intriuged by babies' ability to self attach, or moved by the power of skin-to-skin contact, you'll love this conference.  Dr. Smillie recently co-produced a DVD on this topic, and it actually moved me to tears.  Her talk will be both fascinating and practical, and I think it's a special opportunity.  Email me if you're interested and I'll make sure you get a registration form.

Finally, two of my favorite bloggers have had babies recently.  Angela from Breastfeeding 1-2-3 welcomed baby Nicole in July, and Stephanie from Adventures in Babywearing welcomed baby Ivy just yesterday.  Congratulations!

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

September 15, 2008

A weaning tip.

J0227807 Here's a weaning tip:  If you're in the process of weaning your toddler, try to avoid taking her to the county fair. 

This was emailed to me by a friend:  "The first three nights of no nursing were fine, but last night she screamed because she wanted to "nurse like the piggies" at the county fair!"

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

September 12, 2008

Sign up to help prevent breast cancer.

Logo_2 I'm involved with a wonderful project based at the University of Massachusetts which will provide a tool health care providers can use to non-invasively detect breast cancer in nursing mothers.  It may even help nursing mothers assess future risk.  More on that soon, I promise.

The lead researcher in this effort, Dr. Kathleen Arcaro, has visited a support group I run several times to collect breastmilk samples for her research on breastfeeding and breast cancer.  A few days ago she emailed me a link to a new effort to help generate a huge pool of women whom researchers can draw from in their research.

It's called the Love/Avon Army of Women.  It's a joint project between renowned breast cancer specialist Dr. Susan Love, and the Avon Foundation.  The goal is to recruit 1 million women to be part of research studies that will help scientists understand what causes breast cancer and how to prevent it. 

While great strides have been made in improving survival rates and treatment, the organizers say that little is known about the causes and prevention of breast cancer.  This project aims to shift researchers focus from finding breast cancer early to preventing it from occurring in the first place. 

The project hasn't officially launched, but you can sign up now.  I did.  More information on the campaign is here (pdf).

And here are a few past posts on the topic of breastfeeding and breast cancer:

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