The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

Goodbye from a blogging colleague and friend

When I started this blog in 2006, one of the first things I did was to try to identify 'colleagues.'  I felt a little alone and unsure of what I was doing, and I thought it would help. 

I quickly found four breastfeeding bloggers - Angela at Breastfeeding 1-2-3, Andi at Mama Knows Breast, Sinead at Breastfeeding Mums, and Jen at The Lactivist.  They quickly became both colleagues and friends. 

Angela in particular became a great support and sounding board.  She edited a draft of my book and gave me by far the most detailed and thoughtful comments, she was a sounding board when I had challenges of one sort or another, and she provided great feedback about carnival submissions.  Her skills as both a La Leche League leader and a lawyer came in handy many times.  This is on top of creating a wonderful, professionally written blog which inspired a loyal following.

So I was shocked and really disappointed to hear that her blogging network terminated all of its bloggers.  As I understand it, the blog will remain up for now, but no new posts are planned at this point.  Angela wasn't permitted to post a goodbye to her readers, so I'm posting it here.  You're welcome to post your own messages in response in the comments section.

Last Friday without warning the blog network that owns Breastfeeding 1-2-3 terminated my contract along with that of every other blogger who was under contract.  I am sad to have my relationship with the blog and its faithful readers end that way, without even a chance to say goodbye.  Thanks to Tanya of the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog, I am getting this chance.

I have thoroughly enjoyed writing for Breastfeeding 1-2-3 over the last three-and-a-half years.  As my time as a breastfeeding blogger comes to a close and I move on to other endeavors, I just wanted to say goodbye and thank you for the support you have shown me and other breastfeeding mothers!  Best wishes, Angela White

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here.  Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes?  Click here.

So, I've been keeping a little something from you...

Due mid-June, a girl!

Resolutions update.

Back in January we had a carnival about breastfeeding resolutions, and as the year draws to a close I thought I'd check in about what I've accomplished so far.

Finish Spanish for Breastfeeding Support.  Done!  It's out, and you can listen to clips of the audio here, and buy it here or on Amazon.  So far we've gotten a great response, including this just released review from the International Lactation Consultants Association.

Recruit mothers for breastfeeding/biopsy study.  Done, and ongoing.  The first year of recruitment for this study was a huge success, exceeding our recruitment targets.  One area where we need to improve is in the recruitment of African American moms, and that's the next goal. 

Distribute pumps to WIC.  Done!  We got three Lactina hospital-grade multi-user pumps to WIC offices in our area, and they are loaning them out as needed to moms who need pumps but can't afford to rent one.  It depleted our coalition's treasury, but I think it was a great thing to do for moms in our communities.

Hold a breastpump training.  Done!  We held a training for WIC and other breastfeeding support folks in March, and it went well.  We also held a Baby Friendly event with local hospital representatives, and that went very well.

Get the word out about Massachusetts' new nursing in public law.  Done.  We have our business cards with the new law in a number of locations in the area, but could use a little more outreach in this area.

Help get pumping rooms set up at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  Done, but more needed.  There is now one pumping space at UMass in the student union, but more are needed.  The group working on this sort of dissolved, but perhaps in the new year we can renew the effort.   

Get trained to accept breastmilk donations.  Done!  I attended a training sponsored by the Mother's Milk Bank of New England, and our freezer is set up.  As soon as we get the green light to start accepting donations, we'll purchase a temperature monitor and will be ready to go!

Do more podcasts.  Done!  I did a number this year, on African American moms and breastfeeding, Ban the Bags, how other mammals feed their babies, tandem nursing, celebrities and breastfeeding, and sexual abuse and breastfeeding.  These were really fun to do.

And finally, cut back a little!  Done, kinda.  his has been a hard one.  I've said no to a couple of things, but I've always had a hard time with that.  I did decide to stop chairing our local breastfeeding coalition, so that will free up some time.  I have a particularly hard time not providing free email help to mothers I know, which really cuts in to the time I need for my paid responsibilities.  This is an ongoing effort.

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here.  Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes?  Click here.

Giving thanks for the support you had with breastfeeding.

Earlier this week I encouraged everyone to provide feedback to their hospitals about your breastfeeding experiences.  While I mentioned both good and bad experiences, the emphasis was a bit more on the bad.

So I thought, during this week of giving thanks, that I'd balance things out by encouraging you to write to anyone who has made your breastfeeding experience better.  It might be a nurse or La Leche League Leader, but it might also be your husband or sister or best friend. 

I have a folder of cards (right) with letters of thanks from moms, and I love adding to it.  I'm not sharing this to brag, but more to show you that I, like everyone involved in breastfeeding support, take feedback very seriously.  The cards say, among other things:

"Without your support and knowledge, we would have given up in the first week."
"You helped make it the best experience it could have been."
"I am eternally grateful for your patience and help during some of the toughest days."
"May you be blessed in the way you have blessed so many others."
"Breastfeeding was really tough for me, but with your help I was able to succeed."
"We couldn't have made it this far without you."
"We'll never forget the night we barged into your clinic full of tears and thinking we might have to give up nursing!"
"These are true gifts that brought many moments of ease into the sometimes rocky transition into parenthood."

I've written a few of my own such letters, one to the midwife and doula who were there for my son's birth, and one to a doctor who went above and beyond for me. 

Have you?

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here.  Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes?  Click here.

Swine flu ate my carnival post.

I'm unfortunately going to have to skip my contribution to this month's Carnival of Breastfeeding because I appear to have the H1N1 virus. 

It started out pretty mildly, but then whoo boy.  We were planning on getting everyone in my family vaccinated, but the vaccine still hasn't arrived in our community (though the virus sure has).  This Daily Show clip pretty much sums up how I feel about the issue.

So the flu ate my homework for this month, and I'm not going to share a post for this carnival.  I will be posting links to the many other bloggers who are contributing this month, later today.

Now, go wash your hands.

Here are the posts from other bloggers:

• What I Wish I'd Known Back Then About Breastfeeding - Massachusetts Friends of Midwives
• My List for Next Time - Momma's Angel
• I Wish I Would Have Known! - The Starr Family Blog
• You Don't Have to Grin and Bear It - Breastfeeding Moms Unite
• What I Wish I Would Have Known About Breastfeeding - Birth Activist
• 4 Things I'd Known About Breastfeeding - Three Girl Pile-Up
• I wish I had known then…that it wasn’t up to me alone - Happy Bambino
• What I Wish I'd Known Then - A Poem - My World Edenwild
• When breastfeeding begins badly, and what I should have done about it - The Milk Mama
• AP Principle #2: What I wish I'd known when I started breastfeeding - Hobo Mama
• Trust Yourself and Your Body - Breastfeeding 1-2-3
• Nursing Wisdom - Cave Mother
• When Breastfeeding Feels Wrong - Fighting Off Frumpy
• 15 Breastfeeding Facts I Wish I'd Known as a First Time Breastfeeding Mum - Breastfeeding Mums
• Wish I'd Heard More Good Things - Fancy Pancakes
• Breastfeeding is Life Changing - Blacktating
• Breastfeeding: What I wish I’d known then - Mum Unplugged

No more ads - formula and otherwise - on email subscriptions.

Recently, a reader named Susan emailed to inform me that formula ads were appearing at the bottom of her email updates from this blog.  Needless to say, we weren't happy about that.

We were told by the email subscription service, Feedblitz, that we couldn't control the ads that appear, so we upgraded our account.  Now, no ads should appear on those emails.

Thanks to all our subscribers for keeping up with the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog!

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here.  Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes?  Click here.

What do they call it?

I was recently reading this article in the New York Times about the need for parents to talk to their young children, and I was nodding along until I came to a screeching halt at this paragraph:

Teach your child the correct words and names for people, things, places and body parts, including “breast,” “penis” and “vagina.” If your child uses a baby word (“din-din,” for example), you can repeat it but also use the correct one (“dinner”).

Is there something wrong with calling a breast by another name, especially if a toddler has a special relationship with it?  I mean, if you think about it, don't adults half the time?

If we held a toddler to this standard, they would all be tottering around saying, or at least trying to say, "Mother, I would like to breastfeed now." 

I think that the baby names that kids come up with for nursing are really cute, and often funny.  My son used to call breasts "mimi's."  And then nursing became "other mimi" (which came out "uddy mimi") because the treat was always the "other side."  Can you blame a kid for focusing on dessert?

So, please tell me what your children call nursing.  Can't wait to hear.

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here.  Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes?  Click here.

What do you want more of?

Back when we started this blog we polled you about what you'd like to see.  I think it's time that we do it again!

Let me know below what you'd like to see more of on the blog.  You can check more than one answer.  If you can't see this poll, you can use this link.

What would you like to see more of on the Motherwear Blog?

Practical information about nursing

Personal stories

Advocacy/activism

News and research updates

Podcasts

Contests and promotions

Nursing clothes and products

Other

Please Specify:

sheepskin boots

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here.  Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes?  Click here.

The Motherwear Blog turns three! Celebrate with a sticker.

Now we are three!  Seems like yesterday that I wrote the first post on this blog.  It has been such a pleasure to host this blog for the last three years.

I'll be posting my favorites from the last three years later in the week.

A big thanks goes to Motherwear, for sponsoring the blog and for providing such great support to nursing moms for over 25 years!

To celebrate, I'll be giving away 20 'breastfeeding welcome here' stickers, created by our local breastfeeding coalition.  Be among the first 20 people to leave a comment telling me that you're a subscriber (through email updates, an RSS feed, or through the iTunes store), and then send me an email with your mailing address.  When you email, please also tell me the name you commented under (i.e. "I comment as tanya@motherwearblog").  U.S. addresses only, please.

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here.  Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes?  Click here.

Motherwear is on Twitter!

You can now follow Motherwear on Twitter!

Subscribe to Motherwear's feed and you'll get updates about sales, special offers, and updates about the blog and podcasts.

Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog?  Subscribe here.  Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here.  Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes?  Click here.