The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

Outakes from Motherwear's spring photo shoot, with a familiar face.

 
Here are some fun "outake" shots from Motherwear's spring photo shoot.  I particularly like the "eat and run" shot.

Long time readers of the blog will recognize model Natasha, who modeled several years ago with her son Nikita.  She's back, with her daughter Sasha!

This is the second time Natasha has appeared in the Motherwear catalog nursing a toddler.  To read her views on nursing a todder, see this post.

 
 

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Book review: Saggy Boobs and other Breastfeeding Myths

Every time I think that there's no way to make a breastfeeding book that's different from all others, a book comes along that proves me wrong.

Saggy Boobs and other Breastfeeding Myths (Valerie Linigan, 2009, 48 pg.) is a short book that tackles common breastfeeding myths with illustrations all done in embroidery.  Pinter and Martin, the publisher, provided me with a complimentary review copy.

This British book was written by a hospital infant feeding coordinator who wanted a book for mothers that would dispel some common breastfeeding myths.  Among those myths are probably a number you've heard, such as:

- Breastfeeding makes your boobs saggy
- Bottle fed babies sleep better and longer than breastfed babies
- Modern formula is as good as breastmilk
- Routine and scheduled feedings are what babies need

And then there's one that made me laugh:  "Breastfed babies are wooseys - they want picking up all the time."  Wooseys?  I get the meaning from the context, but if a reader in the U.K. would care to explain further, be my guest!

What makes this book a pleasure to read are the embroidered illustrations.  They're really clever and funny, and give life to what would have been good material for a brochure or fact sheet.  Instead, the images make this book hard not to pick up and read. 

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Book give away: Motherwear's Parenting from the Heart

I'm very pleased to be able to start the new year with a give away of two copies of Motherwear's own book, Parenting from the Heart. 

Parenting from the Heart is a collection of mother-written articles written for the parenting magazine Motherwear used to publish. 

There are stories in this book about breastfeeding, loving and bonding, sleep, and challenges like colic and postpartum depression.  They're all written by moms, and you'll really enjoy them.

To enter to win a copy of this book, leave a comment below by January 11, 2009.  One entry per person.  U.S. addresses only, please.  Winners will be chosen using random.org and announced in the comments section of this post. 

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Book review: The Food of Love, with a copy to give away

The Food of Love (Kate Evans, 2009)* is a breastfeeding book for the cartoon lover.  It's a breastfeeding reference book with a touch of graphic novel.  The author is a British mother and cartoonist.  To learn how you can win a copy, see the instructions at the end of this post.

The book's subtitle is "a common sense guide for the rest of us," and while the book is thick with information, the tone is decidedly casual and non-judgemental.  It's at times silly and serious, with breastfeeding information that covers the basics as well as postpartum depression, sleep, and other common concerns of new motherhood.

The illustrations make the book fun, accessible, comforting.  They also normalize some of the common challenges and indignities (think cabbage leaves in the bra) of mothering.  Check out this sequence of illustrations on Evans' website to see how entertaining they are.

There is a particularly moving set of drawings contrasting the author's mother and mother-in-law's breastfeeding experiences.  I also appreciate how multicultural Evans made the cartoon moms depicted in the illustrations.

Here and there I had concerns about the accuracy of the information presented, topics such as anatomy (milk sinuses are now understood not to exist) and latch (advising mothers to make an airway for the baby by pushing down in front of the nose).  Some comments about marijuana use are much more causal than I'd consider safe.  A British expression here and there might leave you scratching your head for a moment.  But the overall tone and entertaining delivery make this book one I'd recommend.

What's the difference between The Food of Love and a classic like The Nursing Mother's Companion?  I'd say personality.  While most breastfeeding book sound like (and are) written by health professionals, this one sounds like it might have been written by your funny best friend, who also happens to be a great illustrator.  If that's the kind of delivery you prefer, this book is for you.

*Soft Skull Press sent me a complimentary review copy.

To win a copy, leave a comment below by Wedensday, December 23rd, 2009.  U.S. addresses only, please.  Winner will be notified by email and announced in the comments section.  Winner will be randomly selected using random.org. 

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.

Guest post: A Hathor the Cow Goddess cartoon

I'm happy to share a classic Hathor the Cow Goddess cartoon today - a favorite of mine.  You can listen to one of my favorite podcast interviews with Heather, creator of Hathor here. 

Heather also has a new book of birth stories out, called Simply Give Birth, as well as a 2010 calendar.  Check them out!

Note:  I have not received a complimentary copy of this book or calendar.  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.

Nursing wear in the era of corsets

Here's something else to be grateful for: not having to wear a corset while you're breastfeeding.

I was doing a search on Wikimedia for breastfeeding and found these images of patents filed for nursing corsets. 

I'm certainly no costume expert, but I do know that during the Victorian era, when these corsets were patented, modern formula had yet to be invented and widely used, and breastfeeding was the norm. 

So it makes sense that if you have wear one of these things you'd need a way to access the breast without taking several layers of clothing off.  Still looks like a lot of trouble to me. 

If you Google 'nursing corset' you'll find a lot of other examples.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.  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.

An updated list of breastfeeding books for everyone on your list.

Last year I wrote a post on breastfeeding books to give as gifts.  I've done a few more reviews since, then, so I thought I'd update the list now. 

I've put asterisks by the ones I think would make particularly good gifts.

For moms:

• If These Boobs Could Talk (humor)*
• The Breastfeeding Diaries (humor)
• Nursing Mother, Working Mother
• Eat Well, Lose Weight while Breastfeeding
• The Revolutionaries Wore Pearls*
• Breastfeeding Made Simple*
• Mama Knows Breast*
• Sleeping with your Baby*
• Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning*
• The Milk Memos*
• Pumping Secrets (CD)
• Breastfeeding Meditation (CD)
• More Mama's Milk (CD)*
• The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers*
• The Nursing Mother's Herbal*
• Mama's Little Breastfeeding Book
• The ABCs of Breastfeeding
• Hatched: The Big Push from Pregnancy to Motherhood (humor)
  
• The Nursing Mother's Companion*
• Permission to Mother*
• Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense*
• The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk*
• The Wet Nurse's Tale (fiction)*
• Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding*
• The Essential Breastfeeding Log
• Breastfeeding, A Parent's Guide*
• The Black Woman's Guide to Breastfeeding*
• Breastfeeding with Comfort and Joy*
• The Nursing Mother's Herbal*
• Your Best Birth*
• Making Babies*
• Birth Day
  
• Breastfeeding: Portraits in Black and White*
• The Politics of Breastfeeding (review coming)*
• Saggy Boobs and other Breastfeeding Myths* (review coming)
• The Food of Love* (review coming)

For breastfeeding support people and advocates:

• Spanish for Breastfeeding Support (my book!)*
• The Revolutionaries Wore Pearls*
• Baby Led Breastfeeding (DVD)*
• The Nursing Mother's Herbal*
• Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants*
• The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk*
• The Politics of Breastfeeding (review coming)*

For children:

• Mama's Milk*
• Mommy Breastfeed my Baby Brother*
• If my Mom were a Platypus*

Note:  I have received complimentary copies of many of these books.  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.

Book review: Breastfeeding - Portraits in Black and White

I'm very pleased to share a review of Stacie Turner's board book, Breastfeeding: Portraits in Black and White.  Stacie was kind enough to send me a complementary review copy.

Stacie write the blog The Twinkies, which I've been reading for a few years.  In addition to caring for her (breastfed, obviously) twins, Stacie has a photography business.  She takes beautiful breastfeeding portraits.

This short book (10 pages in board book format) features portraits of nursing mothers and babies ranging in age from newborn to two-year old.  Some capture the relationship between mother and child, with a child holding on to a mother's finger, for example.  Others focus in on the child.  One is of a toddler who looks at the camera as if to say "back off, these are mine!"  One image is of a mother tandem nursing during pregnancy.  You can see more of the images in the book here.

This is a wonderful book which will appeal to both adult and child.  Mothers nursing toddlers will find this book particularly affirming.  At $29.95 it's a bit expensive for a board book, but anyone lucky enough to own it will treasure it.

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Motherwear's winter line is here.

Motherwear's winter line of cozy, comfortable and stylish nursing clothes is here!

Some of my favorites are shown here, including the Audrey Ribbon Trim Cardigan (top left), the Timeless Dress (right), and the Aria Top (lower left).

The Cozy Cubs Pajamas are pretty cute, too!

Not sure how the nursing openings work?  Check out this page for a good visual explanation.

And don't forget:  a Motherwear gift certificate makes a great holiday gift.

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Fall clearance sale at Motherwear

Motherwear has a great clearance sale going on right now, with lots of items marked down to make way for the winter styles.

To the right is the popular keyhole tee, marked down from $29.00 to $13.95.  A long sleeved version is on sale for $19.95.

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