The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

Had gestational diabetes during your pregnancy? New study says breastfeeding cuts your baby's risk of childhood obesity

A new study has found that breastfeeding for at least six months has a protective effect against childhood obesity in children of mothers who had gestational diabetes. 

Babies exposed to diabetes in utero are more likely to become obese as children.

U.S. News and World Report reports:

Infants whose mothers had diabetes during pregnancy are at increased risk for childhood obesity, but breast-feeding lowers that risk, a new study suggests.

Among babies exposed to diabetes in utero, those who were breast-fed for six months or more were no more likely to put on extra weight when they were 6 to 13 years old than children whose mothers did not have diabetes during pregnancy, the investigators found.

The findings were the same across all ethnicities. However, this protective effect was not seen in babies who were breast-fed for less than six months.

"Since childhood obesity and in utero exposure to maternal diabetes have both been associated with later development of type 2 diabetes, it follows that breast-feeding these children may also help reduce their future risk for developing type 2 [diabetes]. However, further research would be needed to confirm that added protection," [lead researcher Dr. Dana] Dabelea added.

Recent research has also shown that, for mothers who have had gestational diabetes (and for all women), breastfeeding lowers mothers' risk of developing metabolic syndrome.  Metabolic syndrome is a combination of factors including abdominal obesity, high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance, high inflammatory state, all of which significantly increase the risk of heart attack and Type II diabetes.

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Goodbye to Mothering Magazine (as a magazine)

I'm not sure where I've been these last few weeks, but I just realized that Mothering Magazine has announced that it will cease to function as a magazine in a few weeks.  Motherwear was a long time advertiser in Mothering.

Mothering will publish one more edition - as a digital, not print one - and then cease to publish as a magazine entirely.  Their very popular website, forums, and other online content will remain.

Some of you are regular subscribers.  Some of you feel that Mothering wasn't for you.  But I think that we'll all feel a loss when Mothering ceases to print. 

Mothering gave us many gifts, among them a little corner of the media universe that was wholely and consistently celebratory of breastfeeding.  It was the one magazine in which I knew I'd find photos of breastfeeding, practical and informative articles about breastfeeding, stories and poems about breastfeeding.   Mothering gave us the international symbol of breastfeeding.  I used Mothering for help in babywearing, cloth diapering, preparation for birth, even recipes.  For 35 years Mothering made the way some of us raise our children seem normal and good and okay, even when the larger culture said that it was strange and bad and wrong.

Of course Mothering's forums provide support to many, many mothers, and the website has lots of wonderful content.  But there is something very powerful about holding a magazine in your hand and seeing images that reflect your life and loves.  I will miss it a lot.

I tried to explain all this to my son at bedtime last night, and ended up telling him that by the time he's an adult there may not be any more newspapers or magazines, at least ones that you can hold.  I guess I should be grateful that he sees me reading our morning paper each day.  I don't have a moral or even a tidy ending to this post.  I just makes me sad.

Here's a video of Mothering's 30th anniversary.

Book review and giveaway: What Your Pediatrician Doesn't Know Can Hurt Your Child

Every community should have a Dr. Susan Markel.

Not because everyone would necssarily want to bring their children to a pediatrician like Dr. Markel, but because in most communities there are parents who want medical help based on natural (or attachment) styles of parenting, who want a provider who focuses more on physical and emotional health than disease, and who want providers who understand that communication is the foundation of any helping relationship.  And every community should have that magical combination of initials:  MD, IBCLC.

Dr. Markel's book, What Your Pediatrician Doesn't Know Can Hurt Your Child (BenBella Books, 2010)*, is based on the premise that most doctors are trained to diagnose disease and prescribe medications, not to guide parents in health and nutrition.  It argues that most doctors are not familiar with attachment styles of parenting, and some don't always follow evidence-based practices, "If you've educated yourself in these matters it's likely that you'll know as much or more about them than your child's doctor."

Dr. Markel's book encourages parents to question commonly accepted practices, and in the process learn about natural approaches to parenting.  Her book covers the early days of parenting, behavior and relationships, and how to apply the principles of natural parenting to children's health going forward.  I got the sense that this is the information she would like to impart if she could have three-day long office visits.

The book's provocative title doesn't disappoint.  Dr. Markel questions some newborn procedures, lauds babywearing and co-sleeping, and questions some staples of the American diet.  Even more unusual, the book covers the emotional side of parenting (The Good Enough Mother), communication, discipline, and attention.  She discusses common childhood health problems like allergies and asthma, eczema, ear infections, and fever.

There are two topics I do wish had been covered a little more comprehensively:  skin to skin contact and circumcision.  While the book does promote 'rooming in,' the many significant benefits of skin to skin contact in the early days aren't really addressed.  A discussion of babies' innate feeding behaviors would have been powerful, too.  And the circumcision section is surprisingly short given how big of a decision it represents (eye prophylaxis gets more column inches), and also states that the practice is on the rise when in fact it's experiencing a steep decline.

I should make it clear that the breastfeeding section of the book, which I enjoyed, is not a 'how to' guide.  It's a discussion of the importance of breastfeeding. 

If you're a hard core Sears devotee and never miss an issue of Mothering Magazine you might not find too much new here, but for most parents this book will be an eye-opening and helpful read.  I'm happy to recommend it.

To win one of three copies of this book, leave a comment below by March 2nd, 2011.  Three winners will be chosen using random.org and notified by email.  Winners will also be listed in the comments section.  Winners have three days from notification to reply with mailing addresses; alternate winners will be chosen if no reply is received in three days. U.S. addresses only, one entry per person. * I received a review copy of this book.

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Participate in the March Carnival of Breastfeeding: Race and breastfeeding

For March's Carnival of Breastfeeding we're looking for posts on the topic of race and breastfeeding. 

We're particularly interested in posts from women of color on how race impacted their breastfeeding experience.  Here are some topic ideas:

• If your community is particulary supportive - or not supportive - of breastfeeding, how did that impact your decision to breastfeed?
• Do you think that your race had any influence on the kind of breastfeeding care you got from your providers, or on the support you got from your family or in the community?
• Are there traditions in your community that are different from the mainstream experience?
• Do you think that current images of breastfeeding represent you?
• Are there any well known women of color who have been role models for you in your breastfeeding experience?
• Do you have observations about why mothers in your community are more likely or less likely to breastfeed?

Submissions are due by March 7 and the Carnival will be on March 14th. We're using Google Docs to collect submissions, so please fill out this spreadsheet in order to submit your post.

As always, we're looking for posts that are:

- Well-written and grammatically correct
- Thoughtful and directly on point for the carnival subject
- Submitted by blogs that pertain to subjects of interest to our readers (breastfeeding, parenting, etc.)

If your post is selected for inclusion, you will be asked on the day of the carnival to edit your post to link back to each of the other participants in the carnival. Examples of past carnivals can be found here.

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Can you help with this weaning question?

I recently received this email from Lisa (name changed).  I responded to her with my own thoughts, but I asked if she'd like to have you all chime in.  She'd welcome your thoughts!

I've been enjoying and following your blog for the past few months. As a first time mother, and one that faced almost every breastfeeding issue you've covered, I wish I found you sooner! Your blogs have been a silent support system for me and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that! My son just turned 10 months and our nursing sessions are stronger than ever. I love this time together and the bond we are creating. The reminder of this time even makes pumping at work not seem so bad anymore because I can see the benefits.

 

The one topic I haven't found much information on is weaning (I hate to even say it right now). When my son was born, my goal was to breastfeed for 6 months. He just turned 10 months and I love it even more, but as we approach the year marker (though I know we can continue), the questions of weaning stick in my mind. I can't ignore the fact that pumping can be difficult some days working full time. I have secretly hoped that when the time comes, my son will just stop or wean on his terms and I would never have to think about it, but I know that's not always the case. And unfortunately for me, my husband (though he says he supports me) is always asking me when I will be done nursing our son and how he feels a year in more than enough. I feel we (my son and I) will just know when the time is right to stop...or so I hope. Does that really happen? If not, how do I even start the process of weaning him off the breast? I am saddened at the thought, maybe more for myself than for him. Is it normal to become emotional with the "end of breastfeeding"?

 

Maybe you have already written about these issues/feelings, but if not, I would love your insight!!

Have any comments or suggestions for Lisa? 

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Breastfeeding as a non-partisan issue?

Today's New York Times has an article about the reaction of liberals and conservatives to Michelle Obama's initiative in support for breastfeeding (part of her campaign to reduce childhood obesity), announced earlier this week.

Conservative Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota criticized the initiative and called the recent IRS decision on breastpumps embelmatic of "the nanny state." Fox news contributor Michelle Malkin made similar arguments, and went a bit further to question the science behind the connection between not breastfeeding and childhood obesity. 

(That's an awful lot of Michelles for one story.)

The Times reports that reaction to the story has not divided down traditional party lines.  Some liberals are finding themselves agreeing with Bachmann/Malkin, and some conservatives are allied with Obama. 

This is what I've always thought is funny about breastfeeding.  I'll admit that when I started this blog I assumed that my readers would lean to the left.  But I quickly learned that mothers of all political stripes support breastfeeding, and read this blog.

A few years ago I wrote a post asking readers to identify yourselves as left or right leaning.  Unfortunately the poll has disappeared from the post, but my recollection is that about 2/3 of you identified as left leaning and 1/3 as right leaning.  I think that we may get to supporting breastfeeding a little differently, but the fact that we all end up in the same place is pretty remarkable, especially these days.

Care to share your politics and how they relate to your support for breastfeeding?

 

Boston Globe reports on 'the milk of human kindness'

Earlier this week the Boston Globe reported on the donor breastmilk program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.  Here's a video showing donor milk being used in the NICU there.

Donor milk is now the standard of care at Brigham and Women's for babies born before 30 weeks gestation and weighing under 1500 grams (about 3.5 pounds).  Connecticut Children's Medical Center and Concord Hospital in New Hampshire are two more in my region at which donor milk is the standard of care under these circumstances.

Review: PumpEase hands free pumping support

I feel like I say this all the time:  a lot of things have changed in between the time my first and second children were born.  Probably the most noticeable to me are the many new breastfeeding products on the market.

Back when my son was a baby, seven years ago, I pumped at work for over a year.  I had the ideal set up - a private office and near complete control over my schedule - so it wasn't that big of a burden.  But if I'd had something like the PumpEase hands free support, it would have been even easier.

I did buy Medela's old hands free system (no longer being sold).  I remember buying it at a mother/baby store and the mild discouragement I got from the salesperson when I did.  And when I tried it out I understood why.  Do you remember string art from the 1970's?  Setting it up was a bit like that.  It involved creating a web of rubber bands to an intimidatingly pokey apparatus and to a nursing bra. 

I don't need to pump at work this time since I'm working from home, but I am pumping for a milk bank.  The PumpEase has really come in handy as I try to pump and also entertain my baby. 

PumpEase supports are like tube tops or bustiers which you can wear over your bra.  They're made of a soft, flexible material, and close in the front with hood closures.  The pump openings are 'no-stitch' and are guaranteed to fit any brand of pump flange.  The come in four sizes, and the website provides a lot of information on sizing (they'll also help by email).  They're available in some cute prints (I chose the tuxedo pattern). 

PumpEase now offers the only organic hands free support on market, with a 90% unbleached, undyed, certified organic cotton and 10% spandex blend.

I found the PumpEase to be really comfortable, easy to use, and I liked that it didn't look like a corset!  The fabric is soft and just stretchy enough.  And it really is easier to pump when I can use my hands to take care of the baby or change the pump settings.

PumpEase is made my a Canadian mom, and they donate $2 from each sale to the Best for Babes Foundation.

*I was provided with a review sample.  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  Subscribe to email updates and RSS feeds.  Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes.

Michelle Obama to promote breastfeeding, work to reduce barriers

First Lady Michelle Obama will be working to reduce barriers to breastfeeding by, among other things, encouraging more hospitals to become Baby Friendly.  This is part of her initiative to reduce childhood obesity, Let's Move.

Politics Daily reports:

Looking ahead to what she will do in the second year of "Let's Move," Mrs. Obama said: "We also want to focus on the important touch points in a child's life. And what we're learning now is that early intervention is key. Breastfeeding. Kids who are breastfed longer have a lower tendency to be obese.

...Robin Schepper, executive director of "Let's Move," told Politics Daily, Mrs. Obama wants to increase breastfeeding rates but "is not telling women to breastfeed ... but wants to make it easier for moms by encouraging hospitals to change practices so after a baby is born, the baby is in the room with them."

Toward that goal, Mrs. Obama is going to push more hospitals to be certified as "Baby Friendly" by Baby Friendly USA, a non-governmental organization that works with the United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, to increase breastfeeding opportunities. Only 3 percent of births occur at U.S. hospitals with the "Baby Friendly" designation."

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Ikea model?

I'm feeling like a positive breastfeeding comment magnet these days.  I wrote about this story a while back, and I recently has another positive experience:

The other day I was in Ikea with my husband and baby.  My baby needed to nurse, so I sat down in an FLJKPTP or something chair, which happened to be in a model nursing room.  A woman walked by and said, "You are the perfect advertisement for that furniture!"

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