The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

Will the state of the economy increase breastfeeding rates?

2008-12-01T06:53:00-05:00

I've been wondering about the effect that the financial crisis might have on breastfeeding rates. You would think that the combination of higher unemployment and increased food prices would push people in the direction of breastfeeding.

But, as I've written before, the rate of breastfeeding is actually lower among women who have lower incomes. The free formula provided through the WIC program might have something to do with that, though the program does not cover the full cost of formula.

The amount usually used to calculate the cost of not breastfeeding (aka the cost of formula feeding) is usually around $1,200. But that's a pretty crude estimate. It doesn't take into account the money breastfeeding mothers spend money on things like pumps, books, nursing clothes, nursing pads, pillows and other accessories. And it also doesn't take into account the costs associated with having children who have more health problems, like ear infections, asthma, diabetes, allergies, and even childhood cancer.

So, I turn to you to tell me, in an extraordinarily unscientific poll, how big of a factor money was in your decision to breastfeed.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Sign a petition to the President-Elect urging support for breastfeeding-friendly policies.

2008-11-30T10:30:00-05:00

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee has issued an online petition to President-Elect Obama urging support for breastfeeding policies in his administration.

1.    Instruct the Surgeon General to issue a statement in support of breastfeeding urging all sectors (governmental and non-governmental) involved in supporting women, children, and families to improve their breastfeeding policies.

2.    Enact a national paid family leave policy.

3.    Endorse the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes as well as the Global Strategy for Infant & Young Child Feeding.

4.    Ask the Federal Trade Commission to monitor infant formula marketing.

5.    Ask the Food and Drug Administration to include labeling on powdered infant formula warning that it is not sterile and providing instructions on how to properly reconstitute it.

6.    Highlight the benefits for employers of workplace breastfeeding support programs as part of your program to promote flexible work arrangements.

7.    Urge all insurers to cover lactation care and support services.

8.    Approve an increase in breastfeeding support funds for the USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), especially to support the peer counseling program.

9.    Instruct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to recommend that all hospitals achieve the Baby-Friendly designation.

10.    Ensure that emergency management agencies are trained in breastfeeding support and have breastfeeding supply kits available for distribution in emergencies.

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Book review: Mommy's Little Breastfeeding Book

2008-11-28T07:52:00-05:00

At 4 by 6 inches and roughly 100 pages, Mommy's Little Breastfeeding Book, by Michelle Leigh Carnesecca, IBCLC (Bennett Communications, 2008) is the smallest breastfeeding book I've reviewed.

But don't underestimate small. This book packs a lot of information into a little package. The author has distilled just about all the basic breastfeeding information into 100 brief points. It's a quick read and is well organized, with a good index and cute illustrations.

There is one small piece of information which is not up-to-date: a diagram showing "milk sinuses" (new research has found that these don't exist). The discussion of latch is a little confusing, suggesting in one place that "nose and chin should touch the breast," while elsewhere it says that the nose should be 'barely touching' the breast. The current thinking is that an "asymmetrical latch," in which the chin is deep in the breast and the nose is off the breast, achieves the deepest and most comfortable latch.

But these are fairly minor issues. Overall, the book presents solid information in a concise format. I think that this little book would be a good shower basket gift, especially for a mother who isn't quite sure that she wants to breastfeed, and may not be willing to read a tome like Breastfeeding Made Simple or The Nursing Mother's Companion.

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Book review: Permission to Mother

2008-11-27T07:50:00-05:00

For those of you who have struggled to find a breastfeeding-friendly doctor, you may want to consider moving to Florida.

That's where Dr. Denise Punger practices as a family practice physician and a lactation consultant. Her book, Permission to Mother, tells the story of her journey from wide-eyed medical student to physician who encourages and supports breastfeeding, babywearing, doulas, and other attachment parenting practices.

This book is not a breastfeeding manual, like others I've reviewed, but is a memoir of Denise's initiation into the worlds of traditional and mother-centered care for pregnant and postpartum women. Denise recalls getting no training in breastfeeding management in medical school (though she did receive a lecture on formula feeding), and this book chronicles the learning and 'un-learning' that led her to embrace breastfeeding medicine.

Through short chapters she tells the stories of her three births (two in hospital, one at home), her connection to a community of doulas and midwives, her experiences with extended nursing, and tandem nursing (her middle child tandem nursed with both her first and third sons).

The first half of this book concerns birth; second half covers breastfeeding (both personal experience and her medical practice), and other topics like homeschooling, slings, and co-sleeping. It ends with notes from some of her patients.

Her passion for these topics, and particularly for advocating for mothers to receive 'permission to mother' in ways that may challenge traditional medical practices, is clear and made particularly salient by her repeated use of her own personal experience.

Denise's story includes pictures of her pregnant and even giving birth to her footling breech baby. By telling her birth and breastfeeding stories, this book blurs the boundaries between doctor and patient, which, in the case of such personal topics as birth and breastfeeding, is very powerful. In our increasingly impersonal medical system, it's a rare opportunity to see a physician as patient, mother, and human being who learns and grows with experience. I was fortunate to have heard the birth story of my nurse midwife, and I found myself thinking how lucky Denise's patients are to know so much about her before joining her practice.

I enjoyed getting to know Denise through this book. I'd imagine that anyone with an interest in birth and breastfeeding would, too.

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Trace amounts of melamine found in U.S. formula.

2008-11-26T17:00:00-05:00

I don't like writing about formula contamination. I really prefer to stick to positive messages about breastfeeding, and I always think of the wonderful mothers I know who have had to use formula in spite of heroic efforts to breastfeed.

But, to me, this story isn't about breastmilk vs. formula. It's about poor regulation of formula in the U.S. That's something that all of us should be concerned about, whether we breastfeed or formula feed.

You recall the terrible story of melamine contamination in Chinese formula earlier this year. Now the FDA has announced that that they found trace amounts of melamine in one sample of U.S. made formula. An FDA spokeswoman said that the formula in question was not made with any Chinese ingredients.

The new results "are most likely a result of the manufacturing process or what comes into contact with formula in cans. It's not adulteration and it's not contamination," she said.

The FDA has been expanding tests for melamine in all food products, including infant formula, Leon said. The formula finding came from relatively new, more sensitive tests the agency has deployed in recent weeks.

FDA scientists conducted two tests of the formula sample, one finding a melamine level of 137 parts per billion (ppb) and another measuring 140 ppb. A level of 250 ppb or less is considered a trace amount, Leon said.

But some consumer advocates said it was premature to say there was no risk for infants.

The FDA's earlier determination that 250 ppb of melamine was a trace amount was intended for foods other than infant formula, said Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group.

"This is out of step with what the FDA said earlier," she told Reuters.

"We need to have a zero-tolerance policy for contaminants in infant formula," Lunder said. "Babies eat only formula for months and months on end. They are exception vulnerable."

[The FDA spokewoman] said the FDA was in the process of determining what amounts of melamine pose a risk to infants and would release a public advisory later. In the meantime, parents should not change their babies' feeding habits, she said.

The Associated Press reports (in a more detailed article) that the FDA stated in October that they are "currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns."

FDA scientists said then that they couldn't set an acceptable level of melamine exposure in infant formula because science hadn't had enough time to understand the chemical's effects on infants' underdeveloped kidneys. Plus, there is the complicating factor that infant formula often constitutes a newborn's entire diet.

The agency added, however, that its position did not mean that any exposure to a detectable level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula would result in harm to infants...

It was not until the AP inquired about tests on domestic formula that the FDA articulated that while it couldn't set a safe exposure for infants, it would accept some melamine in formula — raising the question of whether the decision to accept very low concentrations was made only after traces were detected.

So, to sum up: 1) the FDA is only now trying to determine what amount of melamine poses a risk to infants; 2) the FDA is only now using tests sensitive enough to pick up trace amounts of things like melamine; 3) the FDA appears to have moved from a zero tolerance position to a 'some is fine, but we don't know how much' position pretty quickly.

Anyone else think that we need better regulation here?

Motherwear's 25th anniversary contest for November

2008-11-26T07:29:00-05:00

It's time for another 25th anniversary contest!

This month you can win a $25 gift certificate to Motherwear.

To enter, leave a comment below by December 3rd, 2008. telling me about a breastfeeding topic you'd like to see me cover on the blog, or someone you'd like me to interview for a podcast. If you can't think of anything, just tell me something you've liked about the blog.

Be sure to leave a 'real' email address so I can contact you if you've won. The winner will be notified by email (no announcement made on the blog). U.S. addresses only, please.

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Cows to produce human milk component.

2008-11-25T07:11:00-05:00

I guess that I knew this was coming eventually, but it still took me by surprise to see it in the news.
A pharmaceutical company has signed a licensing agreement to produce human lactoferrin, a component of breastmilk (and other human secretions) which is known to have multiple important functions in the immunological defense of infants.
Biotech company Pharming Group NV and Aslan Group A.S. from Istanbul, Turkey today announced that they have signed a full licensing agreement to further develop, manufacture and market Pharming's human lactoferrin product (hLF). Earlier in 2008, the companies concluded a commercialization and supply agreement for the marketing and distribution of food or food supplements containing Pharming's hLF.

Aslan will produce a herd of transgenic cows with the ability to express human lactoferrin in their milk. They will also build one or more farms and facilities for housing the herd which will be produced by expanding the experimental herds already generated by Pharming. Milk fractions containing human lactoferrin will be incorporated into nutritional products to be marketed to people who will benefit from the use of lactoferrin.
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Sex and breastfeeding.

2008-11-24T07:51:00-05:00

Today I'm sharing an excerpt from Andi Silverman's Mama Knows Breast , on sex and breastfeeding (with permission from Andi and Quirk Books). See my review of Mama Knows Breast here.
Sex and Relaxation
You're in bed. Your frisky husband is beside you. Your infant won't go to sleep. Do you (a) sing a lullabye to the baby; (b) get down to business with your husband; (c) pretend to be asleep; or (d) some combination of all of the above? If you answered (d), you're right there with the rest of us.
Being both a mom and a lover is often overwhelming and confusing. You're being pulled from all sides. Everyone wants a piece of you (literally), and all you want to do is sleep. Plus, now that your breasts are someone's main source of nutrition, it's sometimes hard to imagine they ever had another role. The silky black bra and thong you bought last year seem like ancient artifacts. Besides, you're fantasizing about sleep, not sex.
All women react differently to having a baby and breastfeeding. Some say their sex drive vanishes, while others find their libido revved up as ever. Whatever your situation, try not to put too much pressure on yourself. It's gong to take a while, months even, before you feel remotely like your old self. For starters, your doctor will probably tell you to abstain from sex and exercise for the first six weeks after giving birth. She'll want to make sure that everything "down there" has had enough time to heal properly. This doctor's order may come as a relief for you - it's kind of hard to think about sex when you just squeezed a seven-pound bowling ball out from between your legs.
To get yourself back in the mood, you've got to take care of you body, your mind, and you relationship. It's like getting the oil changed in your car - it takes regular maintenance to keep the machinery running smoothly. Here are some tips for restoring body and soul.
For Your Relationship
* Recognize that your spouse is adjusting, too. You may be the one who had the baby, but he's sort of postpartum, too. Some guys can feel overwhelmed by their new sense of responsibility. So be mindful of his feelings. Do something to make sure he knows how much you appreciate his help. A simple 'thank you' is a good place to start.
* Romance your spouse. Remember the time in your life when dating was a series of fun surprises and activities that you plotted and planned? Well, it's time to try all that again. At a minimum, sending a flirtatious e-mail will give you something different to think about while you're caught in the daily poop-feed-poop-feed cycle.
* Talk, talk, talk. Make sure you're still communicating about things other than the baby and household responsibilities.
* Train a sitter. Teach her how you change a diaper, give a bottle, and put the baby to sleep. Before long, you can leave her alone with the baby so you and your husband can get away for a while. Just make an emergency contact list and post it on the refrigerator door before you go.
* Go on a date. If your baby isn't taking a bottle, you may not be able to leave for very long - but even two hours out of the house will be a nice break for the two of you.
* Have date night in your own home. If you don't want to leave the baby alone with the sitter yet, the two of you can hide out in your bedroom. Tell the sitter to come get you only in an emergency.
* Spend a night in a hotel. Once you feel comfortable with your sitter and you've established a solid breastfeeding routine, book a night at a hotel. You don't even have to leave town to feel like you've escaped. Just be sure to leave behind enough pumped milk or formula to get the baby through the night. Don't forget to pack your pump!
* Take it slow. It will be a while before things feel totally back to normal, but once you two are alone, you'll know just what to do. After all, that's how you got yourself into this situation in the first place. If you're really having a hard time getting in the mood, try some erotica or one of those premium cable TV channels.
And cut your breasts some slack. Once you do get things going, your breasts might feel a little different than they did before you had your baby. They may feel tender or desensitized to stimulation. They may also leak or even spray milk during sex! That's because breastfeeding and orgasms involve the release of the same hormone, oxytocin.

* Schedule sex. This doesn't sound too romantic, but it can make a difference. Figure out what time of day works the best for the two of you. Too tired at night? Make a plan for the morning. No time in the morning? Schedule a rendez-vous during the baby's nap. Or how about this - ask your spouse if he'd like to "E.F. or F.F?" In other words, does he want to "Eat First or F**K First?" Dinner before play, or play before dinner? By all means, use a lubricant during sex! Pregnancy and breastfeeding hormones can make your vagina dry. Get out that KY.
* See a couples therapist if you need to. Exhaustion and new responsibilities are sometimes a toxic mix. It's common to fight. But if things get really overwhelming, seek help. Find a third party, a trusted relative or friend, or even a therapist to advise you. Don't allow yourself to take drastic steps while you're still adjusting to your new roommate.

Book review: The ABCs of Breastfeeding

2008-11-21T07:55:00-05:00

The ABCs of Breastfeeding: Everything a Mom Needs to Know for a Happy Nursing Experience, is a new breastfeeding reference book by Stacey Rubin, IBCLC (Amacom, 2008).

As I've mentioned in other breastfeeding book reviews, two basic things I look for in a breastfeeding book are ease of use (how fast can I find the information I need) and accuracy of information (is the material up to date and research-based). Beyond that, each breastfeeding book has something that makes it special, and those qualities will appeal to some and not others.

So for starters, The ABCs of Breastfeeding is thoughtfully organized, with a good index. I feel fairly confident that a new mother would be able to find information quickly (with one notable exception discussed below). The information is research-based and up-to-date, and presented clearly.

A particular strength of this book is its prenatal section, which guides mothers through finding a breastfeeding friendly doctor, "thinking with a breastfeeding mindset" (a concept new to me and one I think is very positive), and planning for a gentle birth. Like other recent books, it devotes a good section to the power of skin-to-skin contact.

Rubin includes a number of mothers' stories throughout the book which are based on her own clinical experience. This helps the book achieve its calm and reassuring tone. This book is not as comprehensive as other breastfeeding books, such as The Nursing Mothers' Companion or Breastfeeding Made Simple, but for some of us less can be more. Each chapter ends with a list of main points, summarized with words that start with the letters A, B, and C. This format is a little awkward at times. It's intended to help readers remember the main points, but in some cases the concept had to be twisted around so much to fit the letter that it seems unlikely that anyone would remember the point.

I was disappointed that to find that one of the most important topics to cover - latch - is not addressed in much detail. In fact, while I found information on positioning to be more detailed than in other books, I had to hunt for information on how to achieve a comfortable and effective latch. It's only at the end of the chapter on positioning that latch is discussed (addressed as "attachment"), and there are no illustrations to accompany it. Breastfeeding Made Simple, by contrast, offers an entire chapter on this topic, with many illustrations. The book is also missing an illustration of a common position - the cross cradle hold.

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500th post.

2008-11-20T07:51:00-05:00

I reached a little milestone yesterday with the posting of my 500th post. So I thought I'd look back and link to some of my favorites, just in case you missed them!

Is your pump talking to you?

Lactation cookies

Video: Nurse-ins across America

Iron supplements for breastfed babies, and why I love our pediatrician

Podcast with Hathor the Cowgoddess

Were you sold out for a sandwich?

The things they say

My favorite moments from breastfeeding classes

A few things not on my holiday list

I knew it was too quiet in there

Taking a bottle (just love that video)

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Tongue ties and breastfeeding: Allyson's story

2008-11-19T06:50:00-05:00

Today I'm pleased to share Allyson's story of her experience with breastfeeding and tongue tie. I share it with other parents of tongue-tied babies all the time. For more tongue tie stories, see Lisa's story and Danielle's story.

When Liam (pictured at left) was first born, several health care professionals at the hospital noted that Liam's frenulum was quite short and forward placed. The pediatrician felt that it wouldn't cause any difficulties and recommended leaving it alone. The lactation consultant offered a much more dire prediction that I would never be able to breastfeed and recommended that I pump. Being scared new parents and still recovering from a difficult labor that ended in an unplanned C-section, we were much more accepting of the doctor's prognosis that everything would be okay.

Liam had great difficulty latching on initially. He would latch, try to suck a few times, and pop off in frustration. We were blessed to have an amazing night nurse who had also had difficulties initially nursing her child. She was committed to helping us and came in every two hours throughout the nights to help us get Liam latched and provide support. After two nights it seemed like Liam was really getting the hang of things. My milk came in early and it seemed like we were going to be okay.

The only problem was that breastfeeding was really painful for me. However, I had heard that it could be a little sore at first, so I just hoped that things would be okay. After about two weeks, however, the pain was still pretty bad and seemed to be getting worse rather than better. I went back to the hospital's breastfeeding clinic to get help with the pain. The lactation consultant checked our latch and said that it looked good. She thought that trying different positions might help, but she couldn't really think of what positions to use, so I still felt at a loss and the pain was becoming steadily worse.

While part of me was resigned to what was rapidly becoming the excruciating pain of breastfeeding, I knew I had to find a solution or I probably wouldn't be able to continue breastfeeding, which was very important to us. Fortunately, we had met Tanya during our childbirth class and had heard that she was starting a breastfeeding support group in our area. We went to a meeting where Tanya checked Liam out, carefully asked about the pain, and pretty conclusively stated that with Liam's tongue-tie he just was not able to get his tongue into the right position to nurse most effectively. This wasn't totally unexpected news, but I felt devastated as at the time I was unwilling to even consider having his tongue clipped. It sounded such a scary and, I thought, unnecessary procedure. However, a mom was at the group that had her daughter's tongue clipped the previous week and assured me that it wasn't as big a deal as it seemed. I also noticed, looking at other babies in the group, that they could all stick their tongues out, and I had never even really seen Liam's tongue because he was completely unable to extend it. Tanya also provided us with some great literature and stories from other moms that helped us reconsider our previous position.

We saw Liam's doctor the next morning, and she was very happy to write us the referral to a local ENT doctor who would do the procedure. she even called and made the appointment for us, though unfortunately it was a week away. Normally, I would have been thrilled to get into see a specialist so soon, but a quick calculation told me that I would have to nurse Liam at least 64 times before seeing him. The pain had become so intense that I was dreading every session, watching the clock with dread and fear of when Liam would want to eat again, and crying through many a nursing. Tanya, sensing how difficult things had become, acutally called the ENT and got us in the next day! (Tanya's note: Never be shy about calling to see if there's a cancellation. And if all else fails, cry when you talk to the receptionist - that often does the trick).
My husband and I took Liam to the ENT the following day and confirmed that his frenulum was indeed tight. The doctor explained that the current ENT literature did not recommend clipping it, lactation literature did, and that the most recent pediatric literature was starting to recommend it as well. His basic idea was that if it could help with nursing why not give it a try, as it was a fairly simple procedure. He went ahead and clipped the frenulum while my husband held Liam. I found the actual procedure a little scary. Liam screamed through the whole thing, though he'd been screaming through the exam as well. Liam also bled quite a bit, which we weren't expecting. However, Liam was over it and asleep by the time we hit the car to go home - not so for my husband and I!

I had tried to nurse Liam right after the procedure, but his mouth was still numb and he wasn't able to. Once we got home I could immediately tell a difference. I felt his soft tongue on my breast rather than the painful biting sensation I experienced previously. While greatly bolstered by this early success, the clipping did not provide an immediate solution. Liam had nursed for over three weeks without using his tongue properly and therefore it took him quite a while to learn a new way. Also, by this time my nipples were not in good shape at all. We went through several weeks where I needed to pump one or both sides while my husband used a finger feeder to feed Liam and train his tongue to move forward. It was a pretty rough few weeks as all the pumping and finger feeding seemed like they were taking me farther from my goal of breastfeeding. However, I was so lucky to have so much support during this time. My mom was staying with us and would help with washing the pump parts and my husband became an expert finger feeder. Tanya continued to be an invaluable source of support and advice during those trying times. After several weeks of pumping, finger feeding, and finally using a nipple shield, I was able to nurse Liam exclusively. It was such an awesome experience to be able to nurse him and to look forward to the time together rather than dread it.

I honestly never would have believe at the time that it was possible to have such a great experience after such a rough start, but as of next week we will have been nursing for 17 months. I know this wouldn't have been possible if we hadn't had his frenulum clipped. It was a hard decision at the time, but the rewards of doing it have been well worth it.

November's Carnival: Breastfeeding and Pumping CDs, plus one to give away.

2008-11-17T07:59:06-05:00

Welcome to the November Carnival of Breastfeeding! This month's theme is product reviews, and you'll find some great posts from other bloggers at the bottom of this post.

If you're a nursing and/or pumping mom, you may have wrestled with the demons of declining milk production, inhibited let down while pumping, and the overall stress of motherhood.

In the last few yeas some CDs have come on the market up to try to address these problems with guided relaxation exercises and meditations. This makes sense because both rituals and relaxation can help with milk let down and production. I listened to each of these CDs, and am sharing what I learned about each one here.

More Mama's Milk, produced by Earth Mama Angel Baby, contains 3 tracks over a new age music score, read by Lori Dorman, a co-founder of Earth Mama Angel Baby. It is not explicitly focused on helping mothers who pump, but it could certainly be used while pumping.

The first track is a 12 minute visualization/relaxation exercise which asks you to imagine holding, touching, and loving your baby, and also a bountiful supply of milk. It aims to evoke a strong emotional and presumably hormonal response in the service of making more milk. The second track is a 20 minute is intended to be listened to while breastfeeding. The first half of this track is a relaxation exercise which includes blessings for your baby, visualization of walking through a garden, and a focus on appreciating the time you're spending nursing. The second half of this track is strictly a music score for those who want to stay in the relaxed state longer. The third track is a 20 minute meditation on motherhood. It's less relaxing and more focused on imparting messages about motherhood, particularly about nurturing yourself. I liked the compassionate and breastfeeding-focused messages in this meditation, but they might not be as effective over time as the first two tracks. This is the most directed and most emotive of the three recordings I reviewed, and it's also my favorite of the three.

Pumping Secrets, by Jenniffer Milone, is a mom-designed CD aimed at helping mothers pump more milk. The feature which sets this recording apart is the sound of a baby nursing, with cooing, gulping, giggling, squealing, and fussing. These sounds are heard over a piano score, and there is no narration. Pumping Secrets contains three tracks: a 50 minute breastfeeding track, a 10 minute double-pumping track, and a 20 minute single pumping track.

The creator of Pumping Secrets is a mother of three who pumped at work, and who found that she could pump more milk if she listened to a recording of the sounds of her son nursing. Will listening to the sounds of someone else's baby nursing help you make and let down milk more easily, or will it just sound a little strange? It's certainly true that making milk is a hormonal process and our hormones can be triggered by emotional responses to sounds, smells, and visualizations. So, it seems worth a try. It would also certainly help to imagine that you're listening to the sounds of your own baby while using this CD. I have one copy of Pumping Secrets to give away. To enter to win it, leave a comment below by November 24th. U.S. addresses only, please.

Breastfeeding Meditation, by Sheri Menelli, a certified hypnotherapist, contains two programs: an affirmations track, and a meditation track. These tracks are provided with and without music. It is not explicitly focused on helping pumping mothers, but could certainly be used while pumping.

The affirmations track is about 13 minutes long, and consists of positive, first person statements about breastfeeding ("I make plenty of milk for my baby") and about one's body, over a new age music score. For someone who likes hearing affirmations, they may have a calming and supportive effect, though I'm not sure how one might respond to some of the statements if they are, in fact, not true. Statements like "my baby latches on perfectly" and "I eat well and I eat wonderful, nutritious foods" might actually be more discouraging than encouraging. The second track is a 12 minute meditation which consists of a guided progressive relaxation exercise, followed by many of the same affirmations included in the first track. I enjoyed the relaxation exercise, but again felt that the affirmations would not have helped me make more milk or feel more confident about breastfeeding or pumping. While the overall tone of the recording is calming and supportive, I think that the recording would have been strengthened by more relaxation practice and less focus on affirmations which might not fit for everyone.

Check out these posts on different nursing products from other bloggers (updated throughout the day):

Breastfeeding Mums: The Food of Love

Babyfingers: Bravado Essential Nursing Tank

Half Pint Pixie: Gorgeous nursing bras - they do exist!

Mama Knows Breast: Utterly Yours pillow

Blacktating: More Milk Plus tincture

Mama's Magic: Breastfeeding basics (and bling)

Breastfeeding 1-2-3: Medela Sleep Nursing Bra

Hobo Mama: Save your shirt and your dignity! (nursing pads review)

Layla Beth: Favorite nursing products

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Salma Hayek on being "addicted" to nursing.

2008-11-14T07:39:00-05:00

I thought that this was a cute quote from Salma Hayek on nursing her 13 month old daughter:
“I’m like an alcoholic,” she shrugs. “It’s like, I don’t care if I cry, I don’t care if I’m fat, I’m just gonna do it for one more week, one more month, and then, when I see how much good it is doing her, I can’t stop. It’s a very powerful thing you know.”
She stuck by her earlier comments on Oprah (video) about breastfeeding and weight loss, stating "the myth that says you lose all this weight when you breast-feed? That is sooo not true."

Last year I ran a poll on that topic, and you can see the results here.

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Breastfeeding and hair loss.

2008-11-12T07:24:00-05:00

I love my hairdresser, but I'm afraid he's wrong about this one.

A while back he told me that breastfeeding caused hair loss. Another mother recently repeated a similar statement from her hairdresser, who had suggested that the only remedy was weaning.

I had pretty dramatic hair loss starting at about three months, but after a weird six months or so in which the new growth seemed to always want to stand straight up on my head, it pretty much returned to normal.

This connection between hair loss and breastfeeding never really made sense to me, since the hormones involved in lactation (oxytocin and prolactin) don't have anything to do with hair growth (as far as I knew).

So, here's the real scoop, exerpted from kellymom's page on this topic.

Many new moms notice hair loss - sometimes quite dramatic - around three months postpartum. This is a normal - and temporary - postpartum change that is unrelated to breastfeeding.

Following is how the hair growth cycle works:

All hair has a growth phase, termed anagen, and a resting phase, telogen. On the scalp, anagen lasts approximately 3 years, while telogen lasts roughly 3 months, although there can be wide variation in these times between individuals. During telogen, the resting hair remains in the follicle until it is pushed out by growth of a new anagen hair. -- from Telogen Effluvium by Elizabeth CW Hughes, MD
Normally, around 85-95% of your hair is in the growth phase at any point in time, but the hormonal changes during pregnancy stimulate an increase in the percentage of hairs in the growth phase. As a result, many women enjoy thicker hair during pregnancy, as more hairs than normal are growing and fewer than normal are resting/shedding.
With the birth of your baby (and the hormonal changes that accompany birth), a larger number of hairs than normal enter the resting phase. Since the resting phase is followed by hair shedding (and regrowth), new mothers will experience greater than normal hair loss once the resting phase ends.

Postpartum hair loss commonly starts at around three months after birth. The amount of time between childbirth and the onset of shedding corresponds to the length of the resting phase of hair growth (between 1 and 6 months, with an average of three months). The hair loss can seem more extreme if your hair grew much more than normal during pregnancy, or if you have long hair. Most women will return to their usual hair growth cycle within six months, or between 6 and 12 months after birth.
Kellymom goes on to note that excessive hair loss can also be caused by hypothyroidism and iron deficiency anemia (two conditions that are pretty common in the postpartum period), so see your doctor if you're concerned. A simple blood test can determine if you have either of those conditions, and they're relatively easy to treat.

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New policy gives some nursing mothers in the Army a 12 month deployment deferral.

2008-11-11T18:33:03-05:00

On this Veteran's Day, I thought I'd share this news item on a new policy for some Army mothers in Germany:
With the Army recently extending its deployment deferral from four to six months for Army mothers of newborns and those adopting, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center has done one better.

Landstuhl commander Col. Brian Lein signed a policy this summer that encourages a deployment deferment of 12 months for active-duty soldier mothers who are assigned to Landstuhl and its affiliated Army health clinics and breast-feed.

The policy includes other measures to support and empower women who choose to breast-feed, according to the Landstuhl memo.

"From a mom perspective, that policy empowers a woman to say, ‘Hey look, this is important. This is from the top down. This is a priority. When I ask for time and space to pump, this is not going above and beyond. This is something that’s reasonable and expected,’ " said Army Maj. (Dr.) Renee Pazdan, a Landstuhl neurologist and mother of two who spearheaded the effort to change the policy.

...The Landstuhl breast-feeding policy puts the hospital on par with the other military branches. Currently, the Navy has a 12-month, non-deployment policy for all post-partum women with support for lactation in the work environment. The Air Force has a policy that encourages commanders to modify activities such as field training, mobility exercises and deployment for airmen who are breast-feeding.

Described as an information tool for commanders of women who breast-feed, the Landstuhl policy on breast-feeding and deployment deferment is the most generous in the Army.

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Making some progress.

2008-11-10T07:18:00-05:00

Well, this has to be just about the most boring picture ever taken, but I'm sharing it because it represents some progress our local breastfeeding task force has made.

It's the freezer we're going to use to establish a breastmilk collection station for the Mothers' Milk Bank of New England. When the milk bank starts processing milk we'll be collecting approved donors' milk here before shipping it off to the Boston area. We were very lucky to have a brand new freezer donated by Salemi Appliance, and it was delivered on Friday to the basement of the pediatric practice where I work.

I'm also really pleased to say that we recently purchased three hospital grade breastpumps to donate to area WIC offices. This it the result of lots of fundraising work over the last year or so. I'm really excited that WIC offices in our area will be able to loan pumps to more moms who might otherwise not be able to afford to rent them. A recent study (pdf) about the effect of pumps on breastfeeding among moms enrolled in WIC came out last year, and it confirms what we all would have guessed - access to pumps helps moms breastfeed exclusively longer. The study found that mothers who had pumps were 5.5 times less likely to have requested formula by the time their babies were six months old than moms who didn't have access to pumps. We're also planning to put on a free half day training on pumps for WIC offices and other people involved in breastfeeding support in our area, probably in March.

I also reached a bit of a milestone on a personal project. I'm writing a book, with a friend, which will help breastfeeding support people learn Spanish. The goal is to help people who support nursing moms be able to communicate more effectively with Spanish speaking mothers. I shared a few audio clips a while back. We're getting the book approved for continuing education credits for lactation consultants, and we have just finished a draft that is good enough for field testers to try it out. We'll be rerecording and editing in December, with a final deadline of January.

So, there are some things moving in the right direction here!

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Do you have questions about introducing solid foods?

2008-11-07T07:19:00-05:00

I'm preparing for a podcast interview with one of my favorite authors, Ellyn Satter, whose book Child of Mine was my guide through starting solid foods.

She's agreed to answer some of your questions during the interview. I'd like to focus the interview around the "how," of introducing solid foods and not the "what" or "when," so please pose questions along those lines.

I can't guarantee that we'll have time to talk about every question, but I'll try! Leave your questions in the comments section by November 30th, 2008.

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Book review and a copy to give away: Nursing Mother, Working Mother

2008-11-05T07:43:00-05:00

To enter to win a copy of this book, leave a comment below by November 12, 2008. Be sure to leave a 'real' email address. U.S. addresses only, please. Winner will be notified by email.

Nursing Mother, Working Mother by Gale Pryor and Kathleen Huggins (Harvard Common Press, 2007) is now in it's second edition.

This book is part basic breastfeeding reference book, and part guide to returning to work and continuing to breastfeed.

The first half of the book reads a lot like The Nursing Mother's Companion (written by one of the co-authors), covering the basics of breastfeeding. The second half is full of useful advice on combining working and breastfeeding. While other breastfeeding reference books cover this in a single chapter, this book gets deep into the issues and, notably, feelings associated with a return to work. Topics include finding a good daycare provider, finding space at work to pump, your legal rights, alternative work arrangements, and all the mechanics of pumping, storing, and feeding expressed milk.

The tone of the book is reassuring, and the authors spend a lot of time discussing common feelings and concerns. The authors approach the topic with empathy, and their calm approach makes it clear that you aren't the only one who has faced the daunting task of combining breastfeeding and work.

When you see a section in a book on this topic entitled "Falling Apart," you know you're reading the truth.

If you don't have the time or inclination for such a comprehensive look at this topic, The Nursing Mother's Companion gives you the basics in a concise form. For sheer enjoyment of reading, I'd still recommend The Milk Memos (my review here) for it's humor and personal stories. But Nursing Mother, Working Mother remains a classic, and is well worth reading if you'll be combining breastfeeding and work.

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